Can legislation fix America’s science and technology gender gap?
A slew of recent studies show that the problem for women in math and science is related to something both larger and more nuanced: culture, Newsweek reports.
Stores see Google as ally in eBook market
Independent bookstores were battered first by discount chains like Barnes & Noble, then by super-efficient web retailers like Amazon.com. Now the electronic book age is dawning. With this latest challenge, these stores will soon have a new ally: the search giant Google, The New York Times reports.
Feds: Make eReaders accessible to all students
The federal government will help schools and colleges using eReaders such as the Amazon Kindle to comply with laws giving students with disabilities equal access to emerging classroom technologies, officials announced.
In faulty-computer suit, window to Dell decline
After the math department at the University of Texas noticed some of its Dell computers failing, Dell examined the machines. The company came up with an unusual reason for the computers’ demise: the school had overtaxed the machines by making them perform difficult math calculations, reports the New York Times.
Google changes China access after Beijing objects
Google Inc. said Tuesday it will stop automatically routing users in China to its Hong Kong site after Beijing threatened the company with the loss of its Internet license in their latest skirmish over censorship, reports the Associated Press.
‘.xxx’ porn domain arrives
At long last and after heavy debate on both sides, the “.xxx” top-level domain has been formally and officially approved, reports Yahoo News.
Ed-tech grant program aims to boost college readiness
Six months after the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pumped $3.6 million into a national certification program for teachers of remedial college courses, a new initiative will dole out grants to education-technology projects aimed at improving college readiness, especially among low-income students.
Oceanographer touts deep sea web surfing
Bob Ballard, the explorer best known for the discovery of the Titanic and other wrecks, has not only made deep-sea exploration more accessible for K-12 and college students, but he’ll feed them updates through two of their favorite web sites: Facebook and Twitter.
Broadband availability to expand
The Obama administration is seeking to nearly double the wireless communications spectrum available for commercial use over the next 10 years, an effort that could greatly enhance the ability of consumers to send and receive video and data with smartphones and other hand-held devices, reports the New York Times.
For-profit colleges find new market niche
The for-profit online institution Kaplan University has an offer for California community college students who cannot get a seat in a class they need, reports the New York Times: Under a memorandum of understanding with the chancellor of the community college system, they can take the online version at Kaplan, with a 42-percent tuition discount.