How the world came to be run by computer code

From the scythe to the steam engine, we've always used technology to control the world around us. But our ability to shape our environment has been transformed by one machine more than any other – the computer.

What makes computers so powerful is the code they run. It's incredibly flexible, controlling games one moment and spaceships the next. It came to do this thanks to individual genius, invention driven by necessity, and the power of human imagination.

Click here for more

7 things you didn’t know your Web browser could do

The most-used program on your computer is your Web browser, but there's a good chance you don't know much about it besides how to visit your favorite sites. There are a lot of myths about browsers, some of which I've dispelled in the past, but today I want to help you get the most out of your browser with a few simple tricks you really need to know.

1. Choose your home page

ADVERTISEMENT

What's the first thing you see when your browser starts up? If you're using Internet Explorer, it's probably MSN's website. Chrome loads up a modified Google page. Firefox has its own start page.

But if you always head to the same site first, why not just start there?

In Chrome, click the icon on the right with the three horizontal bars and choose Settings. On the left column, choose Settings and then look under "On Startup."

Set it to "Open a specific page or set of pages" and then click the "Set pages" link. Type in one or more Web addresses and then click OK. The page – or pages – will load when Chrome starts.

In Firefox, click the icon on the right with the three horizontal bars and choose Options. On the General tab, set "When Firefox starts" to "Show my homepage." Then under that, type in the address you want for your home page. Then click OK.

In Internet Explorer, click the gear icon on the right and select Internet Options. Go to the General tab and under "Home page" enter the Web address you want to see on startup.

In Safari on Apple, go to Safari>>Preferences. On the General tab, go to "Homepage" and type in an address. Done!

Another good way to open your favorite sites is by using bookmarks. Click here to learn the ins and outs of this unappreciated browser feature.

2. Pin tabs

This is for Chrome and Firefox users who have favorite sites they leave open all day. Load up the site, right-click on the browser tab and choose "Pin Tab."

The page will appear as a smaller tab on the left side of the tab bar. No matter how many tabs you have open, it will still be sitting there. It will even reappear when you restart the browser. To unpin a tab you don't want anymore, just right-click and choose "Unpin Tab."

3. Middle-click to open tabs

If you're using a mouse that was made after the mid-2000s, then it probably has a scroll wheel. Did you know that if you press down on the scroll wheel it acts as a middle mouse button?

OK, you knew that. But did you know that clicking on a Web link with the middle mouse button opens that link in a new browser tab? Give it a try; it will change your life – or at least your browsing. Click here for even more mouse and keyboard shortcuts you should know.

4. Zoom text

Have you ever visited a page with text that was too small? If you've ever leaned in close to a computer monitor to read, you need to know this.

To zoom text – and images – in any browser, just press CTRL and the plus key at the same time. Hit it a few times to zoom way in. Too far? Hold CTRL and hit the minus key to zoom back out. CTRL and the zero key resets the zoom. Click here for even more handy computer shortcuts you can't live without.

You can also hold down the CTRL key and spin your mouse's scroll wheel. That will zoom in and out quickly.

5. Browse privately

Don't want your significant other knowing what his or her birthday present is? Want to make it hard for snoops to know where you're going online? Just fire up your browser's privacy mode.

In every browser but Chrome, press CTRL+SHIFT+P (COMMAND+SHIFT+P on a Mac). In Chrome use CTRL+SHIFT+N (COMMAND+SHIFT+N on a Mac). On Safari, private browsing is available under SAFARI in the menu bar. You'll instantly be in a separate private browsing window. Click here to learn more private browsing tricks and the limits of its privacy.

6. See if your browser needs updating

An out-of-date browser is very dangerous. It might have unfixed security flaws that hackers can use to take over your computer. Or you might just be missing out on some of the latest and greatest Internet sites that use newer Web standards. Either way, keeping your browser up to date is essential. Click here to find out instantly what browser you're using and if there's a newer version.

See your online accounts and passwords

Do you remember every online account you’ve ever made? I know I sure don’t.

Your browser does, though. That's great when you want to review your old accounts and passwords. It's not so great when a snoop gets on your computer.

Learn how to see your saved passwords and secure them against hackers.

Copyright 2014, WestStar Multimedia Entertainment. All rights reserved.

AQA GCSE CS

AQA Documentation

• http://store.aqa.org.uk/admin/crf_pdf/AQA-4512-1-W-CRF-15.PDF
• http://www.aqa.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/products-and-services/on-screen-tests
• http://www.aqa.org.uk/exams-administration/coursework-and-controlled-assessment/candidate-record-forms-2014-2015/centre-declaration-sheets
• http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-GCSE-COMPSCI-W-TRB-PSEU.PDF
• http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/ict-and-computer-science/gcse/computer-science-4512/teaching-and-learning-resources
• http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/ict-and-computer-science/gcse/computer-science-4512/controlled-assessment
• http://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/ict-and-computer-science/gcse/computer-science-4512

Flowcharts

• http://office.microsoft.com/en-001/visio/
• https://www.lucidchart.com/ 

BYOB --> Now Snap

• http://snap.berkeley.edu/

Greenfoot

• http://www.greenfoot.org/home

Notepad ++

• http://notepad-plus-plus.org/   

App Inventor

• http://appinventor.mit.edu/explore/

Tagxedo

A little old in terms of websites that have been seen before but still fun!

KS1 and KS2 Computing POS

Key Stage 1
Pupils should be taught to:

 understand what algorithms are, how they are implemented as programs on digital 
devices, and that programs execute by following a sequence of instructions
 write and test simple programs
 use logical reasoning to predict the behaviour of simple programs
 organise, store, manipulate and retrieve data in a range of digital formats
 communicate safely and respectfully online, keeping personal information private,
and recognise common uses of information technology beyond school.

Key Stage 2
Pupils should be taught to:
 design and write programs that accomplish specific goals, including controlling or 
simulating physical systems; solve problems by decomposing them into smaller 
parts
 use sequence, selection, and repetition in programs; work with variables and 
various forms of input and output; generate appropriate inputs and predicted 
outputs to test programs
 use logical reasoning to explain how a simple algorithm works and to detect and 
correct errors in algorithms and programs
 understand computer networks including the internet; how they can provide 
multiple services, such as the world-wide web; and the opportunities they offer for 
communication and collaboration
 describe how internet search engines find and store data; use search engines 
effectively; be discerning in evaluating digital content; respect individuals and 
intellectual property; use technology responsibly, securely and safely
 select, use and combine a variety of software (including internet services) on a 
range of digital devices to accomplish given goals, including collecting, analysing, 
evaluating and presenting data and information.

Demystifing the Primary Computing Curriculum

Algorithms

A pupil should understand what an algorithm is, and what algorithms can be used for.

Programs

A pupil should know how to write executable programs in at least one language.

Data

A pupil should understand how computers represent data:

Computers

A pupil should know the main components that make up a computer system, and how they fit together (their architecture).

Communications / Internet

A pupil should understand the principles underlying how data is transported on the Internet.

Demystifing the Primary Computing Curriculum Demos

Logic

Rome

Binary

Binary Counting

Coding

Scratch Unplugged 

Part 1: The Maze http://learn.code.org/s/1/level/2

Part 2: The Artist http://learn.code.org/s/1/level/24

Simple Scratch Calculator

Calculator Instructions

Textual Languages

Turtle Python

Minecraft Python

How to Python


Hardware

Input and Output



Planning

Resources

How to Stop a Rumor Online (Before the Rumor Becomes a Lie)

MEGAN GARBERSEP 26 2014, 3:15 PM ET

Feliks Kogan/Shutterstock

Did you hear the thing about the Florida woman who implanted a third breast in order to be "unattractive to men"? The one who is filming"her daily life in Tampa to show the struggles she faces because of her surgery"?

She didn't, and she is not. The whole thing—for better or for worse—was a hoax.

The Internet moves quickly. Rumors emerge, intentionally and not; they spread, intentionally and not. There's a reason, of course, that "wildfire" is such a common metaphor when it comes to describing this stuff: Rumors, once sparked, don't just spread extremely quickly; they are also extremely difficult to contain. And on top of everything else, it is extremely hard to predict which direction they'll take as they spread.

* * *

Enter Emergent.info. The site, launched today after two months of testing and data-gathering, is hoping to change that by tracking rumors that arise in (pretty much) real time. As Craig Silverman, the rumor researcher who created the site, told me: "It's aiming to be a real-time monitoring of claims that are emerging in the press."

Marking Top Tips