A new PSA by Code.org has been composed completely of well-known figures discussing the importance of learning how to code, and how special it is to be able to use a coding language. Appearances from the likes of Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerburg, and even Will.i.am (who is now apparently learning to code) make it onto the video, and they’re all ecstatic about the possibilities found within learning coding.

In this day and age, where digital computing devices make up a large chunk of our day-to-day lives, it’s important to understand how things work, and most importantly, how much opportunity there is out there for those studying in computer science.

As shown in the video, there’s a reason why a programmer’s work space may be one of the best in the world, and that’s because big tech companies like Facebook and Google all need more programmers out of the already small pool available, and by creating a paradise-at-work, programmers will feel happier to work there.

If you’re interested in taking a position down at Silicon Valley, or just want to learn coding on your own behalf, you should have a look at the website as Code.org seems to be content on giving you the opportunities and experience you need. The non-profit foundation is very passionate about bringing coding education mainstream, making it bigger and larger than it is right now, and as Will.i.am rightfully says ‘We all depend on technology, to communicate, to bank, information, and none of us know how to read and write code.’

The various types of code are like languages, and I think soon they should be accepted as a global language that should be commonly taught worldwide.

Do you think it’s important to learn how to write code? Where would you work if you knew how to code? Already a programmer, do you enjoy it?

[Source]

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In a news post published just a few days ago, King’s College London announced that their scientists have successfully “demonstrated the ability to deliver a dried live vaccine to the skin without a traditional needle”. This research, and an injection-free vaccination, could be instrumental in the development of vaccines for HIV, malaria and tuberculosis.

The tiny disc, shown above, has several sugar micro-needles that dissolve when pressed into the skin. Compared to a traditional hypodermic needle, this method is a potentially painless alternative.

The main buzz about this discovery and the injection-free vaccination is that it may open up these live vaccines to the entire world. Furthermore, there is no need for refrigeration and the potential to reduce the cost of manufacturing and transportation is huge. This method also avoids the risk of transmitting blood-borne disease from contaminated needles and syringes.

Overall, this method signifies a huge advance in delivering vaccines for HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis. Hopefully we will be hearing more about the successes of this work and its application in the real world.

It’s all worth mentioning that this project was funded and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. One of the main goals of the Gates foundation is to support global health. The foundation gives approximately $800 million a year to global health. The following video is Dr Linda Klavinskis from the Peter Gorer Department of Immunobiology at King’s explaining the research behind the new technique and its wider potential.

Do you think that this is a big step in medicine? How do you think this will affect our fight against disease? Let us know in the comments below.

[ Source ]

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The Apple viewpoint, which has been continued by Tim Cook, is that the “tablet and the PC are different.” Turner’s viewpoint, on the other hand, is that “we think that’s completely incorrect.” We’ve seen the iPad and iPhone develop completely separately from the MacBook and iMac, but you can see what Microsoft is doing with its operating platforms. The Microsoft Surface is a great example of this, but it hasn’t even been released yet. It’s a tablet, but slap on that keyboard and suddenly you’ve got an almost “traditional” Windows 8 PC experience.

That’s why Turner is saying that it’s not a “post PC” era, but rather that it’s a “PC+” era. You take the PC and you add a little more to it; you meld the worlds of the PC and the tablet. “We believe with a single push of a button you can move seamlessly in and out of both worlds,” said Turner. “We believe you can have touch, a pen, a mouse, and a keyboard.”

More than a decade ago, Bill Gates told us that the PC will not die. While smartphones and tablets have certainly changed the way that we interact with the world, desktops and laptops are still very much a part of our everyday lives. With Windows 8 and the greater push for the Metro UI, Microsoft intends on continuing that, but adding a little more; It’s PC+.

[via Verge]

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Although people around the world are concerned about nuclear technology after the Fukushima disaster, many countries are still seeing nuclear power as part of their future. That is where nuclear technology firm TerraPower, which has got the backing from Bill Gates, comes in with their next generation nuclear power technology.

Last week, Gates revealed that his nuclear power startup is in talks with the government officials in China regarding their fourth-generation nuclear power technology.

The Bellevue, Washington-based firm’s next-gen reactors will have a traveling wave reactor design which is supposed to introduce a new age of cost-effective nuclear energy that promises zero radioactive waste and won’t be as vulnerable as older reactors.

In a traveling wave reactor, a small amount of enriched uranium is used to start up and then depleted uranium, a waste product from today’s nuclear power plants, is utilized to produce electricity.

As you might know, today’s nuclear power plants split an enriched form of uranium in a sustained chain reaction to produce heat. This heat is utilized to produce steam which is used for electricity generation.

TerraPower’s traveling wave reactor will convert the depleted uranium into a heavier, less stable form that can be used in a chain reaction. Check out the image below.

The reactors generate their own fuel as they operate, and can run on waste uranium for centuries without refueling or waste removal.

TerraPower have been in discussions with experts in the US, France, India, Japan, Korea, and Russia. Although no deals have been made so far, the company believes that a number of countries are already interested.

According to a statement by TerraPower last week, “Demand is high for nuclear energy technology that converts low-level waste into fuel without reprocessing and sustainably meets global electricity needs. So our conversations continue with many countries that have active nuclear programs. All these nations have some form of advanced fast reactor research facilities and programs“.

The firm is planning to start constructing their first plant in 2015 and have it operating in 2020.

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To me, this is basically like the old gossip mill idea of “I heard from my boyfriend’s sister’s friend’s cousin that [ insert gossip here ] is going to happen.” So it should certainly be taken with a grain of salt, at least for now.

There has been no official names or information included with this ‘rumor’ and even Bill Gates himself has shot down the idea on more than one occasion in the past. Bill Gates has stated before that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is his job now, and left it at that.

So what is sparking these rumors? Likely it has something to do with all the gossip and speculation surrounding recent Microsoft moves in the direction of the company, such as Windows 8 and its new Metro interface.

Additionally it may come as no surprise to those who’ve followed Microsoft and its stock in recent years, but there are many within Microsoft’s board that feel Steve Ballmer is dragging the company down. Even outside sources like activist investor, David Einhor of Greenlight Capital, has publicly declared that Ballmer is dragging the company’s share price down.

Probably one of the most recognized examples of a successful comeback from a founding figure would be the example of Steve Jobs. When Jobs returned to Apple in the late 1990s, the company was certainly falling down the tubes with such failing projects as its Mac clone program. With Jobs back at the helm such innovations as iPod, iPhone, iPad, and the switch to Intel processors led Apple to its strongest position in its entire history.

Would such a return do the same for Microsoft? Personally, I don’t feel that Microsoft is anywhere close to the position Apple was in the late-90s when Jobs came to the rescue, for one thing. Yes, Vista didn’t do well and Phone 7 has yet to really take off, but Windows 7 and the Xbox franchise are stronger than ever.

Windows 8 and the idea of putting Metro-style interfaces into all of Microsoft’s products are certainly leading Microsoft in a new and unique direction, but I don’t personally feel this is a bad idea (though it does seem like a bit of a gamble). Regardless of who is in charge of Microsoft – Ballmer or even Gates himself- there will be challenges ahead for Microsoft to adapt and evolve into new markets like tablets.

So what could Gates bring to the table than Ballmer can’t? I suppose there is the concept that when a founding member returns to a company it helps the overall morale of everyone working there. Also thanks to several prominent examples (like Jobs) of this move working out, it could certainly drive up stock prices at least temporarily.

Is there any credence to this rumor? I suppose maybe a little, but I think it would be more likely that Gates would return to working as a consultant or a similar position to this, instead of ripping the company out from under Ballmer altogether. Would a return from Gates bring the company’s price upward? Most probably, but I still feel that no one should count Ballmer down and out.

Ballmer has made many changes in direction since Gates stopped working directly at Microsoft (which really only happened in 2008- yes he wasn’t CEO for years at this point, but he was still involved). Some of these changes might seem strange and foreign, but I really look forward to the ride that is ahead. Will this ride end in a change of hands in Microsoft management or even with Microsoft losing its strong lead as the big guy in the IT world? Conversely, will new changes actually make the company push ahead stronger than ever in years to come? Your guess is as good as mine.

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A team from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences  might have a solution. The team received a $100,000 grant from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to work on a microbial fuel cell-based charger; a mobile phone charging system that gets its power from microbes in the soil. The device incorporates a conductive surface, that harvests free electrons created by naturally-occurring soil microbes during the course of their metabolic processes. The device has managed to power LED lights in a lab for 14 months. Once the device is ready for development, two researchers from the team will go to Africa to conduct a field study.

The team hopes that Africans will be able to assemble the chargers from readily-available materials like window screens and soda cans, and should be able to fully charge a phone within 24 hours.

Photo: Gates Foundation

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Nokia and Microsoft are teaming up to bring Windows Phone 7 to Nokia smartphones. It’s a move that almost sounds like it makes sense, since Windows Phone 7 shows some promise (but hasn’t really carved out huge market share yet) and Nokia is still a leader in hardware sales (though those numbers are quickly slumping).

The idea, I suppose, is that they can capitalize on their synergistic advantages, better equipping themselves to fight off the iPhones and Androids of the world. Remember that, up until now, Nokia has remained steadfast with using its own operating systems. This is a huge shift, but considering that Elop was once with Microsoft, it’s a move that shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise.

Unfortunately for both companies, this relationship could be ill-fated from the beginning. Nokia shares plummeted nearly 10% on the news and, in a strange twist of fate, Microsoft is paying Nokia “hundreds of millions of dollars” to use WP7. This comes in the form of “engineering assistance and marketing support.”

Maybe this synergy will work. Nokia has incredible economies of scale and it has a huge foot-hold in nearly every country around the world (though its presence in North America isn’t nearly as prominent). Windows Phone 7, even in its early stages, is showing promise and having Nokia’s level of reach could be most helpful. Then again, they could still be doomed. Time will tell. This is just the honeymoon period for these two lovebirds; wait until the “old couple” bickering comes into the picture. One thing is for certain, not many of Nokia employees are happy with the decision as 1000 walked off the job today.

It looks like Bill Gates dumping 90,000,000 Microsoft shares was a smarter move than many may have realized.

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