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Written by Malek Tuesday, 14 January 2014 22:38

Written by Malek Monday, 6 January 2014 00:04

 

You may remember Amy Chua, a Yale law professor as the "Tiger Mom" who argued that running a severely strict household was the key to raising success children.

Now she and husband Jed Rubenfeld are out with an even more controversial book about success and parenting, "The Triple Package."

According to a review by Maureen Callahan in the New York Post, the pair have "gathered some specious stats and anecdotal evidence to argue that some groups are just superior to others and everyone else is contributing to the downfall of America."

The authors write:

That certain groups do much better in America than others — as measured by income, occupational status, test scores and so on — is difficult to talk about. In large part, this is because the topic feels so racially charged.

Here is their list:

  • Nigerians
  • Jews
  • Chinese
  • Indians
  • Iranians
  • Lebanese-Americans
  • Cuban exiles
  • Mormons

The pair argue that studies about vanishing upward mobility often exclude immigrants and their children, who often possess at least one of three character traits — a superiority complex, insecurity, and impulse control — that other, less successful groups allegedly lack.

Written by Malek Thursday, 2 January 2014 03:04

In Beirut, a small sports technology startup is also aiming to make a splash in the sector with its heart-rate monitor that tracks a swimmer’s laps, turns and timing, and can be fitted to any pair of goggles.

Instabeat’s monitor provides instant visual feedback on a swimmer’s heart rate and is designed to limit the level of drag when flowing through the water.

The company has already been making waves in the Middle East’s startup scene. It just closed an undisclosed round of funding from a group of Middle Eastern investors to produce the product and will begin delivering 1000 pieces in the first quarter of next year, according to founder Hind Hobeika.

Dubai-based Jabbar Internet Group, Jordan-based MENA Venture Investment and a group of angel investors have stumped up this latest round of cash. But Instabeat also raised $75,000 last year on U.S. based crowdfunding site Indiegogo and won $50,000 in 2012 for winning the MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab competition, she said.

“We’re creating a small community around the product,” said Ms. Hobeika, who started the company after swimming professionally while studying mechanical engineering at American University of Beirut.

Written by Malek Thursday, 26 December 2013 15:28

This year marked the start of teenagers adopting other social networks instead of Facebook as their parents signed up for Zuckerberg's site in droves.

In a European Union-funded study on social media, the Department of Anthropology at University College London is running nine simultaneous 15-month ethnographic studies in seven countries to find out how teens were perceiving Facebook.

We read about what U.K. teens think on The Conversation:

What we’ve learned from working with 16-18 year olds in the UK is that Facebook is not just on the slide, it is basically dead and buried. Mostly they feel embarrassed even to be associated with it. Where once parents worried about their children joining Facebook, the children now say it is their family that insists they stay there to post about their lives. Parents have worked out how to use the site and see it as a way for the family to remain connected. In response, the young are moving on to cooler things.

Instead, four new contenders for the crown have emerged: Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and WhatsApp.

Written by Malek Monday, 23 December 2013 00:11

 

For the horoscopes of 2015 - 2016  please Click Here

 

Below 2014 Horoscopes:

 

Everyone's luck is going to change in 2014 - 2015 . Oh yes, it's true. How do we know? Because the planet of good luck, Jupiter will change signs, moving from Cancer to Leo. As of mid-year, everyone is going to have the positive Jupiter vibes in a new part of their chart. Read on to find out where Jupiter is blessing you now and will be boosting your luck as of July 16.

ARIES

 

Written by Malek Saturday, 21 December 2013 02:39

 

It was only a matter of time before the tech world tried to rewrite history.

Stony Brook University computer science professor Steven Skiena and Google software engineer Charles B. Ward take on this ambitious task in a book published this fall: "Who's Bigger: Where Historical Figures Really Rank."

Just as Google ranks web pages, the researchers created an algorithm that ranks historical figures by Wikipedia PageRank, article length, and readership, as well as achievement and celebrity.

Their conclusions have not come without controversy. The top 100 significant figures are overwhelming white and male. For example, Nelson Mandela, who helped end Apartheid in South Africa, ranked only 356. And just three women broke the top 100. 

Cass Sunstein of "The New Republic" wrote a sprawling analysis of their findings. She questions not only if we can measure historical significance, but whether we should and certainly why the authors relied solely on the English-language version of Wikipedia. On that note, perhaps we could call these the most important figures in Western history.

Written by Malek Tuesday, 17 December 2013 22:11

 

In five years, doctors will use your DNA to keep you well. Cities will be smarter and use social feedback to make residents part of decision-making processes, and retailers will leverage the power of mobile devices to upgrade in-store buying to the point where it will be a better experience than buying online.

Or so says IBM in its annual "5 in 5" predictions report, which considers five ways technology will change the way we live within five years.

"A new era in computing will lead to breakthroughs that will amplify human abilities, assist us in making good choices, look out for us and help us navigate our world in powerful new ways," the IBM report predicts.

Here’s a breakdown of its five top predictions for the years ahead.

The classroom will learn you

 

 
5 in 5 Storymap: The Classroom Will Learn You

With the help of e-learning platforms and cloud analytics, teachers will learn more about each student and her learning styles.

“The classroom of the future will give educators the tools to learn about every student, providing them with a tailored curriculum from kindergarten to high school and on to employment,” the report reads. “In the next five years, the classroom will learn about each student using longitudinal data such as test scores, attendance and student’s behavior on e-learning platforms, not just aptitude tests.”

Cloud analytics will also predict which students need more help and then suggest measures to overcome challenges based on how they learn best.

In some cases, this is already happening. At Gwinnett County Public Schools in Georgia, the 14th largest U.S. school district is using big data and learning technologies in the classroom.

Buying local will beat online

 
5 in 5 Storymap: Buying Local Will Beat Online

Retail associates will become experts about every product in stores and place more emphasis on blending digital with the physical store shopping experience.

“As mobile devices supported by cloud computing enable individuals to share what makes them tick, their health or nutritional needs, virtual closets, social networks, retailers will soon be able to anticipate with incredible accuracy the products a shopper most wants and needs,” IBM's report read. “As a result, stores will transform into immersive destinations with experiences customized for each individual.”

Local stores will also be able to ramp up fast pickup or delivery options: "Two day shipping will feel like snail mail,” IBM added.

Doctors will use your DNA to keep you well

 
5 in 5 Storymap: Doctors Will Routinely Use Your DNA To Keep You Well

Treatment from doctors could be more specific and precise.

“In five years, advances in big data analytics and emerging cloud-based cognitive systems coupled with breakthroughs in genomic research and testing could help doctors to accurately diagnose cancer and create personalized cancer treatment plans for millions of patients around the world,” the IBM report said. “Smart machines will take the output of full genome sequencing and scour vast repositories of medical records and publications to learn and quickly provide specific and actionable insights on treatment options for oncologists.”

A digital guardian will protect you online

 
5 in 5 Storymap: A Digital Guardian Will Protect You Online

By learning about your behavior on various devices, security systems — or a digital guardian, according to IBM — will detect patterns that could lead to a cyberattack and intervene on your behalf.

“Each of us could be protected with our own digital guardian that will become trained to focus on the people and items it is entrusted with, offering a new level of identity theft protection," IBM's report continued. “Learning about users, a digital guardian can make inferences about what’s normal or reasonable activity and what’s not, acting as an advisor when they want it to.

The city will help you live there

 
5 in 5 Storymap: The City Will Help You Live In It

Mobile devices and social engagement will encourage citizens to build relationships with city leaders.

“Soon it will be possible for cities and their leaders to understand and digest new information freely provided by citizens, knowing which city resources are needed, where and when, so the city can dynamically optimize around the needs of the citizens,” the report read.

In Brazil, researchers are already using a crowdsourcing tool that allows users to report accessibility problems, while in Uganda, UNICEF has a social engagement tool that lets users communicate with their government and community leaders on various issues.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

Image: Flickr, MasonDan

Written by Malek Monday, 16 December 2013 18:33


Joseph Aoun - Northeastern University President

Here are the 10 highest paid college presidents:

  1. Robert J. Zimmer (University of Chicago) — $3,358,723
  2. Joseph E. Aoun (Northeastern University) — $3,121,864
  3. Dennis J. Murray (Marist College) — $2,688,148
  4. Lee C. Bollinger (Columbia University) — $2,327,344
  5. Lawrence S. Bacow (Tufts University) — $2,223,752
  6. Amy Gutmann (University of Pennsylvania) — $2,091,764
  7. Anthony J. Catanese (Florida Institute of Technology) — $1,884,008
  8. Esther L. Barazzone (Chatham University) — $1,812,132
  9. Shirley Ann Jackson (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) — $1,752,642
  10. Richard C. Levin (Yale University) — $1,652,543