Coding
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Dear Veronica: A dialog for doge
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-90783{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-90783, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-90783{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-90783").style.display="none";}catch(e){} At long last, the Internet has gifted me with another Dear Veronica question about dogs! I try to help out a couple dealing with a particularly mouthy doge... sorry, Shiba Inu. However, most of this advice will be applicable to any breed! Also on the show today, Conrad Muan helps answer a question about how coders check their work. With so many lines of code, there's gotta be a quicker way! Speaking of time, I also get into why alarm clocks use the nine-minute snooze. There's a real reason! Keep sending those questions in using the hashtag #DearVeronica! Subscribe in iTunes, RSS or YouTube!
'Operator' is a font designed to make coding easier
While many of us bristle at the sight of Comic Sans (this writer included), coders have an altogether different view of typefaces and how they're presented. Thus, Operator Mono, the new font from one of the highest-regarded typeface-creators that was forged to make life easier for the folks who build the websites you visit. "In developing Operator, we found ourselves talking about Javascript and CSS," founder Jonathan Hoefler writes. While the blog post about typography and font faces can come off as a bit pretentious, it's clear that the team paid attention to how the likes of brackets, commas and semicolons are spaced and how they appear in back-end coding environments.
BBC Micro:bit delayed further due to 'fine-tuning' issues
The BBC launched the "Make it Digital" campaign early last year as a multi-pronged effort to get our young ones interested in coding and other creative pursuits within technology. A key piece of the puzzle was the BBC Micro:bit, a tiny Raspberry Pi-like computer the broadcaster promised to distribute freely to Year 7 students throughout the UK. Originally, the development boards were supposed to hit desks last October, just a few weeks into the new school year. Power supply problems identified shortly before that deadline delayed the rollout, and now the BBC has revealed yet more problems have arisen that mean Micro:bits are unlikely to be widely available until the summer term.
Engadget giveaway: Win a pair of Vortex robots courtesy of DFRobot!
Since most kids have already mastered the art of iPad password cracking and in-app purchasing, we should probably give them something productive to do. The arduino-based Vortex from DFRobot is a STEM-reinforcing plaything that can help kids learn to code. It comes with preinstalled programs, so you can have fun racing, bumping and spinning right out of the box, but the variations are endless. Open-source hardware and the WhenDo app's graphical programming interface mean the sky's the limit with Vortex. These little bots are laden with proximity and ground sensors, LEDs and speakers — not to mention all the optional add-ons — to help bring them to life. DFRobot has given us a pair of two-robot packs for a couple lucky Engadget readers this week. All you need to do is head to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning this hackable robot duo.
Thimble wants to ship you tinkering kits every month
A Kickstarter project aims to be the perfect solution for the DIY crowd. Thimble, which has already beat its pledged goal of $25,000, says it wants to deliver different electronic kits to tinkerers every month, with the first of the series being a WiFi robot. Those of you who are interested can use these do-it-yourself care packages to learn to code, build and hack, helped by guided tutorials and a community Thimble hopes to grow over time.
Mozilla makes it easy to create VR websites with 'A-Frame'
With the launch of A-Frame today, Mozilla is trying to make it easier for developers to craft virtual-reality websites. Mozilla's VR research team, MozVR, created A-Frame as an open-source framework that allows developers to use familiar HTML markup in their designs, rather than the complex WebGL API. A-Frame operates within WebGL, meaning it works across desktop, iPhones, all Cardboard devices and Oculus Rift Dev Kit 2 headsets, with Android support "coming soon." It'll eventually support additional VR devices, such as HTC's Vive.
Bipartisan education bill makes computer science a priority
Yesterday, the president signed a new education bill designed to replace the 13-year old No Child Left Behind act, reducing federal controls on state education systems -- but it does something else, too. The Ever Student Succeeds act places computer science on the same level as other "well-rounded" subjects. Coding and computer literacy is now just as important as math and science.
'Star Wars' characters are teaching kids to code
Code.org has teamed up with Disney for a Star Wars-themed 'Hour of Code' project to teach kids computer programming. Given the hype around The Force Awakens, that's quite a coup for the organization and is a good way for Disney to remind kids that the film industry employs a lot of coders (and sell them merchandise, of course). "Hundreds of computer engineers work together to make film like The Force Awakens," said Star Wars producer Kathleen Kennedy. As such, Lucasfilm and Disney loaned its characters to the effort, produced several short video tutorials and also donated $100,000 to help Code.org expand to more US schools.
Chicago's mayor wants every American high school grad to know how to code
Rahm Emanuel, former Chief of Staff for the Obama administration and current mayor of Chicago, has called on the president to institute computer coding competency as a national requirement to graduate high school. "Just make it a requirement," Emanuel said during a recent Washington Post-sponsored policy event. "I am fine with Common Core. We adopted it in the city, one of the first cities to do it. I'm great. [But] you need this skill — national policy. Make it a high-school graduation requirement."
The BBC's Micro:bit computers won't reach kids until next year
As part of a wider initiative aimed at teaching children the basics of computing and programming, the BBC created the Micro:bit development board (with a little help from some high-profile partners). Unveiled in its final form this July after years in the making, the broadcaster had originally planned to send out the first batch of Micro:bits to teachers this month, before issuing one million of the things to Year 7 students across the country in October. The BBC has said today, however, that a problem with the power supply identified on a small number of the microcomputers means that timeline has been pushed back by a couple of months.
Intel pledges money to train potential Navajo code writers
Earlier this year, Intel promised to make an effort to hire more women and minorities, and by the looks of things, the company's making good on its word. Its latest move? Pledging $250,000 per year for three years to three Navajo Nation high schools in Arizona, in hopes of inspiring kids to become coders. Intel engineer Jolene Bengay (above) announced the company's project during an event honoring the Navajo code talkers of World War II. "We know that if we're really going to fill in the (talent) pipeline," said Intel's Diversity initiative deputy director Barbara McAllister, "we need to aggressively address the gaps in that talent."
Meet the Micro:bit, the BBC's tiny programmable computer for kids
The Raspberry Pi has been a huge success story for Britain, giving millions of people an affordable way to tinker and learn with pocket-sized hardware. Now, the BBC is hoping to make a similar impact with the "Micro:bit." Like the Raspberry Pi, this tiny computer has been created to help youngsters learn the fundamentals of programming and computer construction. Today in London, the broadcaster unveiled the Micro:bit's final design -- a rectangular, credit card-style board measuring 4cm by 5cm -- and some of the all-important hardware features. These include 25 red LEDs, which can show messages and facilitate games, two programmable buttons, an on-board accelerometer and magnetometer. The device also offers Bluetooth LE connectivity, a microUSB slot and five input and output (I/O) rings that can be hooked up with crocodile clips and 4mm banana plugs. It's been a while since the original BBC Micro was considered cutting edge, but even so -- this new device is roughly 18 times faster and 67 times lighter than its spiritual predecessor.
Google launches Hispanic coding initiative in eight US cities
The Hispanic Heritage Foundation's (HHF) president, Jose Antonio Tijerino, thinks that "seeing a latino programmer shouldn't be akin to seeing a unicorn," so his group is trying to do something about it. Together with Google, it launched Code as a Second Language (CSL) courses in eight cities, including New York, Las Angeles and Miami. The idea is to introduce students to coding through 1-2 hour sessions, then steer them to the LOFT (Latinos on Fast Track) network for ongoing online instruction. Students who complete that training could later be granted internships and possibly full-time positions with Fortune 500 companies.
Apple could be delaying HomeKit by a couple months (Update: Nope)
Citing sources close to the project, Fortune reports that Apple plans to delay the release of its much anticipated HomeKit platform. While the company has never actually provided a firm release date, it's been widely speculated that HomeKit would hit sometime mid-summer, around June or July. Now it would appear that users will have to wait until August or September to begin smartening up their homes. Fortune's sources blame rapidly bloating code for the delay. Apparently, the current programming iteration demands far too much memory from smaller IoT devices and Apple figures it will need an extra month or so to trim the code down to more functional specs.
BBC to give out one million 'Micro Bit' computers to get kids coding
It's the first year of a major new coding curriculum in the UK, and now the BBC wants to play its part in training the next generation of star programmers. The broadcaster is developing a spiritual successor to the BBC Micro, called the Micro Bit, which will give students a physical companion in their path to coding competence. It's going to be a small, standalone device with an LED display that children can carry around with them and plug into a computer to continue their work. The hardware will be basic, as the BBC calls it a "starting point" for "more complex" devices such as the Raspberry Pi and Kickstarter-funded Kano kits. The project is still in a prototype phase, but the BBC claims it'll be ready to give away one million of the new microcomputers to year 7 students this autumn.
City of Titans explains its prototyping process
The developers behind City of Titans haven't been shy about praising the Unreal Engine 4 at the heart of development. A new design article gives some insight into one of the major elements of design that makes it so useful to the team, a feature that offers rapid progress between brainstorming, prototyping, and testing: blueprints. While the article doesn't contain the nuts-and-bolts of the programming elements, it demonstrates how the team was able to build and test a tile-based map system (akin to Skyrim) as an independent element to be tested. The result is that instead of spending a great deal of time brainstorming the idea, the team can drop the prototype in for testing and it can be evaluated as an actual option instead of simply a theory. Take a look at the full article for more details on the map system and the test process. [Thanks to Byron for the tip!]
Teachers in diverse areas are learning how to promote programming
If you want a wider range of kids learning how to code, it's not enough to encourage the students; you have to train the teachers, too. Accordingly, Code.org is launching a training campaign to help teachers promote programming in 60 high-diversity public school districts. The goal is to expose pupils from different cultural backgrounds to coding and make them comfortable with pursuing an education in computer science. It'll take years before it's clear how well the initiative works, but it won't be surprising if tech companies eventually have an easier time recruiting candidates from minorities that typically go underrepresented. [Image credit: Kevin Jarrett, Flickr]
Sound Off! How do you get kids interested in science and technology?
Many tech companies, including yours truly here at AOL, have been hosting Hour of Code events this week as part of Computer Science Education Week. It's part of a wider initiative to get more kids interested in traditional STEM related subjects. Outside of school and annual events such as this, what sorts of things are you doing to get your own kids more interested in science, technology, engineering or math? Is it something that's important to you? Head over to the Engadget forums and let us know. [Photo credit: John Leyba/The Denver Post via Getty Images]
UK government to launch a revamped Computer Science GCSE in 2016
After realising that lessons on Microsoft Office aren't particularly useful for schoolchildren, the UK government has started doubling down on coding. After launching a new computing curriculum in September, the Prime Minister David Cameron has promised to introduce a new Computer Science GCSE by 2016, focused on writing code, designing applications and exploring some of the ethical and legal issues that surround new technology.
Kids can program the White House's Christmas tree lights this year
The National Park Service's annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony dates back to 1923, but this year it's getting a software update. Google's Made with Code Holiday Lights project will let any kid (or adult for that matter) animate the trees at the White House's President's Park location. Programming is simple enough that almost anybody can do it (even me, see below), thanks to the Blockly visual language. But the goal is to encourage kids to play with code, especially girls -- since only one percent of female students aspire to be programmers after high school. But as Google engineer Pavni Diwanji put it, coding isn't just nerdy, it's also creative -- so if you want to encourage your kids to make their own fancy Christmas light show for the nation to see, head to Made With Code.
