Interesting
Reads – 2018-09-11
Contents
Articles
- Are New York’s Free LinkNYC Internet Kiosks Tracking Your Movements?
- How Common Is Commercial Contract Cheating in Higher Education and Is It Increasing? A Systematic Review
- The man who was fired by a machine
- UIDAI’s Aadhaar Software Hacked, ID Database Compromised, Experts Confirm
- An Introduction to Internet Governance
- 51 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Predictions For 2018
- An engineering firm wants to tow icebergs thousands of miles from Antarctica to quench the driest areas of the world - and it's starting with Dubai
- Agelight Releases IoT Safety & Trust Design Architecture and Risk Toolkit
- The 18 Biggest Unsolved Mysteries in Physics
- It’s the year 2038–here’s how we’ll eat 20 years in the future
Events
/ Announcements
- Women Entrepreneur Quest 2018
- The National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition (NBEC) 2018
- GIAN course on Integrative Computational Approaches For Exposome Analysis
- ACM Learning Webinar on “Explainable Machine Learning Models for Healthcare AI”
- Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship --- Dec 2018
- IITMAA Sangam - Confluence for Impact
- Students Empowerment Conference - 2018 (Opportunities after graduation)
- SPIN Chennai: Workshop on Statistical Methods For Process Management
========================================================
Articles
Are
New York’s Free LinkNYC Internet Kiosks Tracking Your Movements?
LinkNYC kiosks have become a familiar eyesore to New Yorkers. Over 1,600 of these towering, nine-and-a-half-foot monoliths — their double-sided screens festooned with ads and fun facts — have been installed across the city since early 2016. Mayor Bill de Blasio has celebrated their ability to provide “the fastest and largest municipal Wi-Fi network in the world” as “a critical step toward a more equal, open, and connected city for every New Yorker, in every borough.” Anyone can use the kiosks’ Android tablets to search for directions and services; they are also equipped with charging stations, 911 buttons, and phones for free domestic calls.
But
even as the kiosks have provided important services to connect New Yorkers,
they may also represent a troubling expansion of the city’s surveillance
network, potentially connecting every borough to a new level of invasive
monitoring. Each kiosk has three cameras, 30 sensors, and heightened sight
lines for viewing above crowds.
Since
plans for LinkNYC were first unveiled, journalists, residents, and civil
liberties experts have raised concerns that the internet kiosks might be
storing sensitive data about its users and possibly tracking their movements.
For the last two years, the American Civil Liberties Union, Electronic Frontier
Foundation, and a small but vocal group of activists — including ReThink
LinkNYC, a grassroots anti-surveillance group, and the anonymous Stop LinkNYC
coalition — have highlighted the kiosk’s potential to track locations, collect
personal information, and fuel mass surveillance.
Now
an undergraduate researcher has discovered indications in LinkNYC code —
accidentally made public on the internet — that LinkNYC may be actively
planning to track users’ locations.
How Common Is Commercial Contract Cheating in Higher Education and
Is It Increasing? A Systematic Review
Contract cheating, where students recruit a third
party to undertake their assignments, is frequently reported to be increasing,
presenting a threat to academic standards and quality. Many incidents involve
payment of the third party, often a so-called “Essay Mill,” giving contract
cheating a commercial aspect. This study synthesized findings from prior
research to try and determine how common commercial contract cheating is in
Higher Education, and test whether it is increasing. It also sought to evaluate
the quality of the research evidence which addresses those questions. Recommendations
are made for future studies on academic integrity and contract cheating
specifically.
The man who was fired by a machine
"It wasn't the first time my key card failed, I
assumed it was time to replace it."
So began a sequence of events that saw Ibrahim
Diallo fired from his job, not by his manager but by a machine.
He has detailed his story in a blogpost which he
hopes will serve as a warning to firms about relying too much on automation.
"Automation can be an asset to a company, but
there needs to be a way for humans to take over if the machine makes a
mistake," he writes.
The story of Mr Diallo's sacking by machine began
when his entry pass to the Los Angeles skyscraper where his office was based
failed to work, forcing him to rely on the security guard to allow him entry.
"As soon as I got to my floor, I went to see my
manager to let her know. She promised to order me a new one right away."
Then he noticed that he was logged out of his work
system and a colleague told Mr Diallo that the word "Inactive" was
listed alongside his name.
Blogpost (Full story):
The Machine Fired Me: No human could do a thing about it!
UIDAI’s Aadhaar Software Hacked, ID Database Compromised, Experts
Confirm
The authenticity of the data stored in India's
controversial Aadhaar identity database, which contains the biometrics and
personal information of over 1 billion Indians, has been compromised by a
software patch that disables critical security features of the software used to
enrol new Aadhaar users, a three month-long investigation by HuffPost India
reveals.
The patch—freely available for as little as Rs 2,500
(around $35)— allows unauthorised persons, based anywhere in the world, to
generate Aadhaar numbers at will, and is still in widespread use.
This has significant implications for national
security at a time when the Indian government has sought to make Aadhaar
numbers the gold standard for citizen identification, and mandatory for
everything from using a mobile phone to accessing a bank account.
Response
from UIDAI: Incorrect and irresponsible: UIDAI refutes Aadhaar software
hacking report
An
Introduction to Internet Governance
Although
Internet governance deals with the core of the digital world, governance cannot
be handled with the digital-binary logic of the true or false, or good or bad.
Instead, the subject demands many subtleties and shades of meaning and
perception, requiring an analogue approach, covering a continuum of options and
compromises. The aim of the book An Introduction to Internet Governance, by Dr
Jovan Kurbalija, is to provide a comprehensive overview of the main issues and
actors in the field through a practical framework for analysis, discussion, and
resolution of significant issues. Written in a clear and accessible way,
supplemented with figures and illustrations, it focuses on the technical,
security, legal, economic, development, sociocultural, and human rights aspects
of Internet governance.
The
text and approaches presented in the book have been used by DiploFoundation and
many universities as a basis from training courses and capacity development
programmes on Internet governance.
Download
the book (registration required)
51
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Predictions For 2018
It is somewhat safe to predict that AI will continue to be at the top of the hype cycle in 2018. But the following 51 predictions also envision it becoming more practical and useful, automating some jobs and augmenting many others, combining machine learning and big data for fresh insights, with chatbots proliferating in the enterprise.
An
engineering firm wants to tow icebergs thousands of miles from Antarctica to
quench the driest areas of the world - and it's starting with Dubai
What
do you do if you're a fast-growing city in the desert with lots of thirsty
people and little freshwater reserves? Park an iceberg off the coast.
That's
one Dubai-based engineering firm's plan to provide fresh drinking water to the
city's rapidly-expanding population.
The
National Advisor Bureau (NABL), a private engineering firm, wants to schlep a
glacial iceberg from Antarctica - weighing approximately 100 million tons - to
Dubai, via an intermediate stop in either Perth, Australia, or Cape Town, South
Africa.
Agelight
Releases IoT Safety & Trust Design Architecture and Risk Toolkit
The
AgeLight Advisory Group, working with leaders in the public and private
sectors, has released the IoT Safety & Trust Architecture® and Risk Toolkit
(ISTA). The goal of the ISTA is to help the market deliver on the promise of
Internet of Things (IoT) by enhancing device security, safety and privacy
practices.
As
IoT goes through massive growth, it has the tremendous potential to
revolutionize the way we live and work. Yet there is the risk of connected
devices flipping lives upside down if proper security, safety and privacy
measures are not implemented. The ISTA was designed to address these risks by harmonizing
global efforts and providing a risk-assessment and scoring model to aid device
manufactures prioritize their development efforts. The principles are built on
the belief that independent of a device’s price point they can and should be
engineered to help prevent security and safety risks and misuse of users’
personal data.
"The
ISTA provides a blueprint to embrace security and privacy by design," said
Craig Spiezle, Managing Director of the Agelight Advisory Group. “Organizations
that adopt the ISTA can maximize user safety and peace of mind, while making
security and privacy a part of their brand promise.”
The
ISTA takes a pragmatic view based on a weighted scoring model that incorporates
six core issues impacting developers today. Based on an organization’s risk
tolerance, engineering efforts can be ranked and prioritized. Scoring criteria
includes:
- The impact to the user
- The impact to the ecosystem and society at large
- Financial and performance impact
- Hazardization, or risks related to physical and life safety
- Development costs and impact to market timing
- Regulatory and liability risk
The 18
Biggest Unsolved Mysteries in Physics
In 1900, the British physicist Lord Kelvin is said to have pronounced: "There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now. All that remains is more and more precise measurement." Within three decades, quantum mechanics and Einstein's theory of relativity had revolutionized the field. Today, no physicist would dare assert that our physical knowledge of the universe is near completion. To the contrary, each new discovery seems to unlock a Pandora's box of even bigger, even deeper physics questions. These are our picks for the most profound open questions of all. Inside you’ll learn about parallel universes, why time seems to move in one direction only, and why we don’t understand chaos.
It’s the year 2038–here’s how we’ll eat 20 years in the future
A
science-fiction look at the next two decades of food developments, from robot
farmers to 3D-printed meals to government monitoring of your daily calorie
intake.
It’s
the year 2038. The word “flavor” has fallen into disuse. Sugar is the new
cigarettes, and we have managed to replace salt with healthy plants.
We live in a society in which we eat fruit grown using genetics. We drink
synthetic wine, scramble eggs that do not come from chickens, grill meat that
was not taken from animals, and roast fish that never saw the sea.
Events
/ Announcements
Women
Entrepreneur Quest 2018
Connections.
Guidance. Inspiration… are all important for the growth of a business. Get
access to all this and more by applying for the popular Women Entrepreneur Quest (WEQ) 2018 contest and win
a free visit to the Silicon Valley.
The
Women Entrepreneur Quest (WEQ) 2018 is the flagship contest of AnitaB.org India
for women entrepreneurs, who are founders of startups in the technology sector.
The
deadline to apply for WEQ 2018 Stage 1 is September 30, 2018.
The
National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition (NBEC) 2018
The
National Bio Entrepreneurship Competition (NBEC) 2018 is inviting path breaking
revolutionary and scalable business ideas in the life sciences domain spanning:
- Healthcare including drug discovery and development, vaccines, regenerative medicine, diagnostics, medical devices, digital health, healthcare IT
- Agri-biotech including food and nutraceuticals, soil health, and plant based therapeutics
- Animal health
- Industrial biotech including clean and renewable energy, water, and waste management
GIAN
course on Integrative Computational Approaches For Exposome Analysis
Maulana
Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal is organising GIAN course on
Integrative Computational Approaches For Exposome Analysis during Dec
05-09,2018.
For
details pl. contact: Dr. K.R. Pardasani, Professor of Mathematics, Maulana Azad
National Institute of Technology, Bhopal. Phone: +919425358308
ACM
Learning Webinar on “Explainable Machine Learning Models for Healthcare AI”
ACM
Learning Webinar on “Explainable Machine Learning Models for Healthcare AI” is
scheduled on Wednesday, September 26,
2018 at 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time ( 21.30 IST).
This
tutorial will extensively cover the definitions, nuances, challenges, and
requirements for the design of interpretable and explainable machine learning
models and systems in healthcare. We discuss many uses in which interpretable
machine learning models are needed in healthcare and how they should be
deployed. Additionally, we explore the landscape of recent advances to address
the challenges model interpretability in healthcare and also describe how one
would go about choosing the right interpretable machine learning algorithm for
a given problem in healthcare.
Prime Minister’s
Research Fellowship --- Dec 2018
The
Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) scheme is aimed at attracting the
talent pool of the country to doctoral (Ph.D.) programs of Indian Institutes of
Technology (IITs) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) for carrying out
research in cutting edge science and technology domains, with focus on national
priorities.
Under
the PMRF scheme for PMRF December 2018, students who have completed, or are
pursuing, the final year of four year undergraduate or five year integrated
M.Tech or five year integrated M.Sc. or five year undergraduate-postgraduate
dual degree programs in Science and Technology streams from
IIEST/IISc/IITs/NITs/IISERs and centrally funded IIITs are eligible for
admission to full time Ph.D. programme in the IITs & IISc provided they
fulfil prescribed eligibility criteria and finally get selected after
shortlisting/written test/interview. For each hosting IIT and IISc the Ph.D
admissions under the PMRF scheme will be supernumerary.
Applicants
who fulfill the eligibility criteria, and are finally selected through a
selection process, will be offered admission to Ph.D. program in one of IITs/IISc
with a fellowship of Rs.70,000/- per month for the first two years, Rs.75,000/-
per month for the 3rd year, and Rs.80,000/- per month in the 4th and 5th years.
Apart from this, a research grant of Rs.2.00 lakh per year will be provided to
each of the Fellows for a period of 5 years to cover their academic contingency
expenses and for foreign/national travel expenses.
Last
date to submit applications is 30th Sep 2018
For
more details visit https://dec2018.pmrf.in
IITMAA
Sangam - Confluence for Impact
IIT
Madras celebrates the Diamond Jubilee this year! As part of the celebration,
IITM Alumni Association is organising its maiden conclave on Saturday 29th
September 2018 at Hotel Leela Palace, Chennai.
IITMAA
Sangam - Confluence for Impact is a One-day program that brings thought leaders
under a single roof from across disciplines and walks of life. In this program
with carefully curated sessions, delegates will be inspired by
thought-provoking ideas and emerging trends in technology, banking, digital,
healthcare among others
For
details visit https://iitmaa.org/sangam
Students
Empowerment Conference - 2018 (Opportunities after graduation)
Skilled
Youth Professionals Association (SYPA) a Professional Student Volunteer
Organization that facilitates access to career opportunities in India through
Talent Assessment and Skill Enhancement Training Programs invites students for
the Student Empowerment Conference – Opportunities after graduation at Dr. A.P.J.
Abdul Kalam Auditorium (A/ C) , Aalim
Muhammed Salegh Academy of Architecture , Muthapudupet, Avadi,
IAF,Chennai-55 on Wednesday, 19th of Sep
2018.
For
details contact: Skilled Youth Professionals Association Phone: 8807128910/8608430453
Web
Site : www.sypa.org.in
SPIN
Chennai: Workshop on Statistical Methods For Process Management
Join
the Workshop on Statistical Methods For Process Management with Sriram -
Statistics Expert on 20th October 2018, Saturday at Conf. Hall, Alumni Center, College
of Engineering, Anna Univ., Chennai
Check
out more details at http://spinchennai.org/events/event/workshop-on-statistical-methods-for-process-management/
Get
your tickets at https://in.explara.com/e/workshop-on-statistical-methods-for-process-management/checkout
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