MORE HOL HW LINKS from Mdm Teoh

If you need more links for HOL HW pls go to OCT-DEC ARTICLES & use the ones you have not read. For Keith's links and Brian's - just scroll down to find them

Baby tech: by Brian

 A baby boom in gadget sales ,but as the amount of tech-for-tots grows, parents should think twice about opening their purses as a baby to your smartphone, in fact, a step too far.The makers of one wearable - currently taking pre-orders from US customers - is offering exactly that scenario.The Owlet Smart Sock is a small device designed to be worn around the foot of an infant, which sends the data it gathers to an associated mobile app.The Salt Lake City-based firm behind the project, Owlet Care, says it will monitor the baby's:

heart rate

oxygen levels

position

sleep patterns

skin temperatureIt takes similar readings to Owlet's product, beaming the results to concerned parents via Bluetooth and wi-fi..Hi-tech purchases like these come with a substantial price tag - Mimo's starter-kit costs $199 (£119),And there are some who are concerned such manufacturers are playing on parental paranoia.The Owlet Smart Sock sends details of the baby's vitals to a smartphone app. it's easy to see why entrepreneurs are attracted to the sector.

In my opinion, this may happen in the furture . as now we are in the 21 century world. this might not be accurate .

8 LINKS by Keith

1) 25 Years After the Wall Cracked Open, a New Berlin Is Emerging

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/11/141107-berlin-wall-25th-anniversary-germany-history/

2) SG50: New trees, ECP light-up to celebrate S’pore’s greenery

http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/sg50-new-trees-ecp-light-celebrate-spores-greenery

3)‘Peculiar’ that surgery drug was in Lee more than a month

http://www.todayonline.com/sports/peculiar-surgery-drug-was-lee-more-month?page=1

4)Nishikori stuns Murray as Federer is off to flyer

http://www.todayonline.com/sports/nishikori-stuns-murray-federer-flyer?page=2

5) Drug-resistant superbug found in 1915 soldier killed by dysentery

http://www.todayonline.com/daily-focus/science/drug-resistant-superbug-found-1915-soldier-killed-dysentery

6)Oscars: Will Christopher Nolan finally land a director nomination?

http://www.todayonline.com/entertainment/oscars-will-christopher-nolan-finally-land-director-nomination

7)MPs take part in charity netball exhibition match

http://www.todayonline.com/sports/mps-take-part-charity-netball-exhibition-match

8) SIA not contemplating full Tigerair takeover for now

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/singapore/sia-not-contemplating/1458864.html

Ebola crisis by Keith

Summary:In a test case for returning US health workers, Kaci Hickox has vowed to leave her home on Thursday if the state does not lift the restrictions.

President Barack Obama has been sharply critical of isolation being forced on people he says are "American heroes".Almost 5,000 people have died from the Ebola virus, mostly in West Africa.The US envoy to the UN, Samantha Power, is expected to call for a stronger international response when she meets EU officials in Brussels.She has been visiting the countries most affected - Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia - to show US support, as well as Ghana, where the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response is based.

Opinion:In my opinion, Ebola is a very dangerous illness that can happen very quickly as it is very contagious and al it takes is just a fever that awaits its next predator. 

My virtual girlfriend in china by Keith

Summary: When I first came across a "virtual lover" service on e-commerce site Taobao, China's version of Amazon, I thought it was hype.For an average of 20 yuan ($3) per day, it claimed you could hire a boyfriend or girlfriend to talk on the phone or chat online to make you feel like you're in love.The service varies but it includes wake-up calls, text and voice messages, phone calls and goodnight wishes.Usually I would be skeptical about such a service but I was drawn to a comment left by one "virtual girlfriend" enthusiast."It was awesome -- she shared my happiness and cheered me up when I was down. She has a beautiful voice, and an intelligent mind... I so don't want to leave her." So I went to get one.

Opinion: "If you want to know how it feels to have a virtual relationship, I'd say if you're lonely or heartbroken from a recent break up, finding a virtual lover might work better than boozing all night and drunk dialling your ex-lover at three in the morning." It  was coated from the article. I think that it is right as you will have new accompanies and we would not be so sad.

Hol HW 8 LINKS by Brian

 1. (In venturing abroad, S’pore students should not look too far)
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/venturing-abroad-spore-students-should-not-look-too-far
2. (Hong Kong's democracy debate)
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-27921954
3. (Is the Singapore soil fertile for creativity?)
http://www.todayonline.com/commentary/singapore-soil-fertile-creativity?singlepage=true
4. (Singapore Students Excel in Thinking Flexibility And Creatively To Solve Complex And Unfamiliar Problems, Says PISA Study)
http://www.moe.gov.sg/media/press/2014/04/singapore-students-excel-in-thinking-flexibility.php
5. (Google is developing cancer and heart attack detector)
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29802581
6. (Underwater World Singapore criticised for ‘sub-standard’ animal living conditions)
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/underwater-world-singapore-criticised-sub-standard-animal-living-conditions
7.(Hundreds of 'missing' children at risk in Greater Manchester)
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-manchester-29814588
8. (Ebola crisis: Kaci Hickox fights quarantine in Maine)
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-29828665

My 24 hours with a virtual girlfriend in China

When I first came across a "virtual lover" service on e-commerce site Taobao, China's version of Amazon, I thought it was hype. About20 yuan ($3) per day, it let you hire a boyfriend or girlfriend to talk on the phone or chat online to make you feel like you're in love.The service includes wake-up calls, text and voice messages, phone calls and goodnight wishes. It was awesome -- she shared my happiness and cheered me up when I was down. She has a beautiful voice, and an intelligent mind... I so don't want to leave her." This glowing review got me interested in having my own "Miss Right" on my smartphone.




in conclusion, A virtual girlfriend may sound seedy but psychologist Paul Yin says this kind of service appeals to men who don't have the confidence to enter a real-life relationship. I think we should not use love site to make girl friends, as we may notknow who the person we are dating it maybe a old man o old lady .

Why do families kill their daughters?

The stoning to death of a pregnant Pakistani woman by her own family has thrust the issue of so-called honour killings into the spotlight that is the killing of a member of a family who is perceived to have brought dishonour upon relatives.

the most common reasons are that the victim:

• refused to enter into an arranged marriage
• was the victim of a sexual assault or rape
• had sexual relations outside marriage, even if only alleged

this can be carried out for more trivial reasons, like dressing in a way deemed inappropriate or displaying behaviour seen as disobedient


option


The idea that a murder can be honourable is believed to come from tribal customs where an allegation against a woman can be enough to defile a family's reputation - the idea that "a life without honour is not worth living". I think that we should not kill woman. if we keep killing woman the number of woman will decrease and the reproduce rate will also decrease.

UN urges action to protect forests' genetic diversity

Forest species are coming under increasing pressure from human activities and climate change, and face the risk of extinction, the UN war
It describes forest ecosystems as "essential refuges for biodiversity".

The call for action comes ahead of a key UN forestry meeting, which is being held in Rome at the end of June.

"Data from 86 countries illustrate that insufficient awareness of the importance of forest genetic resources... often translate into national policies that are partial, ineffective or non-existent," explained Linda Collette, secretary of the FAO Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA).
Governments need to act and implement the global plan of action.

The action plan describes forest genetic resources (FGR) as the "heritable materials maintained within and among tree and other woody plant species that are of actual or potential economic, environmental, scientific or societal value".

opition
we should not cut down trees, as this will increased in gobal warming. I think the government should take action before things get bad to worst. people should also do their part by using the three"R" reduce reuse recycle.

GM viruses to turn plants into factories

Summery

Plants infected with genetically-modified (GM) viruses could become industrious factories for medicines and vaccines. The viruses would be engineered to produce useful proteins and the key, said Professor Michael Wilson of Horticulture Research International in Warwick, England, is the prodigious rate at which viruses can replicate themselves. Plant virus can make a million copies of itself in a single cell and each can have 2,000 coat proteins. This huge rate of reproduction means that 50% of the total mass of the plant could be the desired protein. Using plants in this way as sunlight-driven factories could produce cheap, edible medicines and vaccines for livestock or people. It is also possible to alter biological pathways in the plants so that the virus-manufactured proteins are used to create secondary products. Melanin, which could be used in sunscreen products has already been produced in this way.

opinion

I think this is better to have a plant factories, than humans going around to collect herbs to make into medicines. As factories could produce cheap, edible medicines and vaccines for livestock or people. To my opinion, having a plant factories is better and can produce own medicines.

Professor sacked over second child

Summary: A university professor in Guangzhou has been fired following accusations he broke the one-child policy, the latest academic to lose his job over the issue.He has violated the one-child policy and should be sacked in accordance with Guangdong's family planning regulations.His first child was born in the United States in 2007 when he was working overseas and the other in Tianjin in 2010. His first child is an American citizen and his second is registered to live on the mainland under the hukou system. They allowed mainlanders studying overseas to have a second child as long as they stayed abroad for over a year. He should be covered by the exception because the couple stayed in the US for two years, she said.

Opinion: I think that the university professor in Guangzhou should not have been fired as the China government rules is not very clear as he specify in the passage that he gave birth in the USA as he has stayed there for at least 1 year to give birth and he did stay there for 2 years and then he gave birth to his second child in China.

Experts Offer Their Guidance for Dealing With Online Bullying

summary

Online bullying is a common thing that's always happen and this story will tell u more about preventing ourself from getting bullied. As a social networking site predominately used by teens we understand that we need to take special care of our users and we take that responsibility extremely seriously. We ensure that our users have simple and effective tools to protect themselves from unwanted content and contacts and we have developed internal safety protocols to detect and remove upsetting content.Social networking sites have made cruelty and meanness public. Previously these acts were invisible, now they are at display to all. There are different views on what to do with this visibility. While we understand that some groups want to restrict social media, we believe that this visibility should be used to understand the behavior and issues of young people in order to elaborate meaningful responses for families, schools, communities and social media.This isn’t about about anonymous apps. It’s about being able to share and not worrying about the drama and the negative feedback that comes with sharing. A negative message that is one-to-one might sting a little bit but at least you weren’t humiliated in front of a large audience. With these public apps, not only are kids humiliated in front of strangers, but they go to school and are humiliated there, too.Teens can act this way because, brain-development wise, the parts of a teen’s brain that control cognitive decision-making are not as well-formed as the emotional areas of the brain. On a social and emotional level they haven’t dealt with these types of issues and don’t fully understand the consequences of their actions.

opinions

Most of us know that online bully is very common so we must protect our self from getting hurt online. If u yourself is being bullied, don't keep it to yourself and tell an person u trust the most to help u deal with it . lastly don't attack back as this may lead to other accidents. my opinions are prevent yourself from getting bully online .

Could your next boss be a robot?

summary

In his famous laws of robotics, science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov decreed that robots cannot hurt humans, but he didn’t say anything about not taking our jobs. Automation in the workplace isn’t new – economist John Maynard Keynes warned of “technological unemployment” as far back as 1930, and even that came more than a century after mechanical looms riled up the first Luddites – but recent advances in artificial intelligence have allowed robots to climb the corporate ladder.

opinion
I think this will not happen. It is because as human and robots are different . Humans can do things that robots cannot but robots also can do things humans cannot do, so there is benefits and some disbenfit

How to teach children computer programming

summary

Students around the globe are now learning computer programming from an earlier age, from Australia’s new national curriculum that will have pupils learning the subject from kindergarten to similar classes at primary schools in Vietnam.Most of the countries, programming — colloquially known as coding — is becoming part of the national curriculum, but It is not happening in Singapore yet, though there are still many moves towards introducing coding in schools.


The United Kingdom has taken it a big step further. In September, England will become the first country to mandate coding classes in primary schools. Pupils aged five to seven will learn algorithms and simple programming, said the BBC. By the age of 11, pupils will design “computational abstractions that model real-world problems”.
In Australia many nations following suit, with implementation of its new Digital Technologies curriculum under way.
And in the United States, a push from the technology industry has led to 20,000 teachers from kindergarten onwards introducing coding lessons recently. Thirty school districts, including New York and Chicago, are adding coding to their curriculum.

opinion
I think this is also a good way , as this maybe reduce students from bringing many books to school. this program also give students a benefit and debenefit. to my opinion I think this is a good way for students as this can help them in their studies.

Allow the use of dialects on television

Summary: As a young adult Singaporean, I support the focus on Mandarin and English in schools. This move has enabled me to attain proficiency in both languages.Contrary to impeding one’s learning of Mandarin, having a foundation in dialect at home when one is young would actually be beneficial to the learning of Mandarin as dialects and Mandarin belong to the same language family. Linguistic research has shown that a proficient Hokkien speaker, drawing on analogies between the two languages, would be able to predict the Mandarin tonal pronunciation of a given word 90 per cent of the time.Also, by allowing dialects on television, young people can pick up the basics and this will enable them to communicate with their grandparents.

In My Opinion: I do not think that we should learn other dialects as we should just concentrate on studies and excel in it.We should not learn as we would get ourselves confused but on the other hand, we should also learn for communication as well as to broaden our horizons.

How to teach children computer programming

Summary:Students around the globe are learning computer programming from an earlier age, from Australia’s new national curriculum that will have pupils learning the subject from kindergarten to similar classes at primary schools in Vietnam.In a growing number of countries, programming is becoming part of the national curriculum. It is not happening in Singapore yet, though there are moves towards introducing coding in schools here.

In My Opinion:I do not think that Singaporean students should learn coding in such a young age as they are not as mature to learn. I have experience different coding languages too and until now i still do not get it as it is too confusing and all the more primary school students should not study that but on the other hand it is still better to learn more for future use as the world is very competitive.

How to Teach Children Computer Programming

a) Summary

  Students around the globe are learning computer programming from an earlier age. In a growing number of countries, programming is becoming part of the national curriculum. It is not happening in Singapore yet though. In September, England will become the first country to mandate coding classes in primary schools. Pupils aged five to seven will learn algorithms and simple programming. By the age of 11, pupils will design “computational abstractions that model real-world problems”. In the United States, a push from the technology industry has led to 20,000 teachers from kindergarten onwards introducing coding lessons recently.



b) Opinion

  I think teaching younger children about programming is good as this will make students learn how to use computers and therefore making them smarter. Also, it has some disadvantages because when one uses the computer too much, it will affect the eyesight.

Ebola outbreak: Ghana tests US man

Summory

US citizen is being tested for the Ebola virus in Ghana, which has had no confirmed cases of the virus in the current West African outbreak. This virus has so far killed more than 400+ people since it has broke out in Guinea in February and is spreading to neighbouring  like Liberia and Sierra Leone. This is a strong virus and there is no cure for it. Staff at the clinic had also been quarantined and provided with protective clothing to prevent such virus from attacking them.

opition
I think we should not visit this place with this virus as the virus are harmful. if we are incontect with this virus, straight away get a doctor medication. To my conclusion,  we should be more alert and careful as this virus are deadly.

Singapore youth have it too easy?

a) Summary

  More than half of the pre-enlistees seemed to have some form of physical problem, mostly a minor one. They complained to the medical officers (MOs) about sweaty palms, fatigue and beathless when they exercised for extended periods of time, and pain in their arm and knee joints.
 
  Members of Parliament to MOs, saying that pre-enlistees have requested to be excused from national service or to be given an easier service vocation.

  You see teenagers getting plumper, you see fewer people actively participating in menial tasks or jobs. Students find it hard and tiring to simply sweep the floor or empty the bin. They complain that it is dirty, disgusting and gross. They` re so sheltered and well taken care of that they are unable to fend for themselves. Nowadays, parents give in more and spare the rod, resulting in children believing they can have whatever they please.

  Also, we emphasise the importance of top talent in holding top leadership roles, but ironically, a single-minded pursuit of a academics that relegates rough-and-tumble qualities like grit and gruel to the periphery. The paradox of moving forward in efficacy is the regression of resilience.




b) Opinion: Do you agree?

  I agree that Singapore youths have it too easy as simple things like sweeping the floor would make them complain and be tired. This shows a spoilt behaviour displayed by the youths. If this kind of situation goes on, more and more people will become lazy.

  Also, I think Singapore young adults are very pampered as they have to rely on their parents a lot even though they can support themselves. For example, Miss Acelyn Ong earns a few thousand dollars per month and yet does not give her parents any money. Moreover, her father still pays for her telephone bill, she is also living in a flat with her parents. This shows that Singapore youths, or young adults, live their lives too easy and rely on their parents too much.

singapore youth have it too easy?

A-summory(find 8-10)
In a day, there is about average of 120 pre-enlistess recruit coming in for their medical check-ups and half of them seemed to have some form of physical problem, but mostly are a minor one. Some of them also complained to get medical officers(MOs) like sweaty plams, pain in their arm and knee joints and others. members of parliament write to MOs to excused some pre-enlistess from national  service to be given an easier service vocation. If teenagers keep continue to be like this , a high chance of them will be plumber and we can see fewer people actively parting in medical task or jobs. Nowadays overseas children which are 10 years old are even tougher than our teenagers who are nearly twice their age. Some of them find it hard and tiring to simply sweep the floor or empty the bin and they complain it is disgusting, dirty and gross. They are too sheltered and well taken care of that they are not able to fend themselves. I think parents must give in more and space the rod, resulting in children.

B-opinion- do you agree(use peel)
I agree that Singapore young adults have it too easy, as they to depend on their parents. Singapore young adults are afraid of failure and like to do things of their comfort zone. An indian national employer reported that young adults need their parents to accompany them to job interviews and even pick them up after work. Hence this shows that one young adults are very pampered by their parents.

Asian youths

Summary: This article discusses whether Asian culture is still rooted on the youths nowadays. Some argue that the culture is eroding due to decrease in number of Chinese youth using their mother tongue and as the children get internationally influenced. However, on the whole, Asian teenagers still enjoy their cultures by celebrating festivities and listening to K pop.

Opinion: Although it may worry the adults that the culture is disappearing, I feel that it is not that serious. The Asian teenagers do not forget about their culture completely in life. As an Asian teenager, I should not forget about my culture even when I am in a westernized society.

Serge Amisi

Read more about him here.

Summary:

Serge Amisi is teenager who was forced to become a child soldier and to fight in wars. He was a puppet, fighting for a war he did not know why. When he stopped being a solider, he was initially lost and could not fit into civilian life until he found his talent as an artist. At the age of 25 now, he uses puppets to dance, makes sculptures and writes.

Opinion:

I believe Serge Amisi is a really amazing. At the age of maybe 10, he was taken away from his family, was taught of the discipline of being a soldier and fought in wars. A normal child would not go through this and if it were a normal child, I think that child would have already faded away from society and would be unable to merge with civilian life. However Serge Amisi was resilient and found his passion and talents, allowing him to interact and merge with society. I hope everyone would follow him and find what they do best at and make the best of it.

Serge Amisi and his miracle weapons

Summary:

Serge Amisi was a child soldier who experienced war at a young age. He was forced to become a child soldier.  Now, after being demobilized in 2001, he is leading a different life as a dancer, puppeteer and sculptor. He has  also published a book of his experiences hoping that it will be useful to others.

Opinion:

I feel that Serge Amisi is someone who I can admire of. After being demoralized, he did not give up even though he found it difficult to come back to civilian life. He tried his best and he found what he was talented in. I also feel that I should not give up and persevere in tough situations.

Pakistan honours teenage bomb hero Aitzaz Hassan with bravery award

Link

Summary:
A 15 year old teenage boy, Aitzaz Hassan, tackled a suicide bomber who was trying to attack his school , outside the school. In the end, the suicide bomber blew up killing Aitzaz. Aitzaz's act saved the lives of the other of students. He was presented with the country's highest badge of bravery.

Opinion:
In my opinion Aitzaz Hassan is brave hero who sacrificed his life to save hundreds of innocent students. If I were him, I will stop the suicide bomber too. If Aitzaz was not there, tose innocent students would have died.

Rage, Rap and Revolution: Inside the Arab Youth Quake

Identify the aim and method of the Arab Spring protesters

The aims of the Arab Spring protesters are to show their fury ,due to the hardship and maltreatment that they are receiving, to the leaders of the country.Protesters' primary aim goal is democracy.They use advanced ways such as the internet and Facebook.This enables them to spread the awareness of Arab Spring and its corrupted leaders to the world and gain support from the world.

Do you think that the Arab Youth were right in taking to the streets to ask for change?

Yes. The Arab Youth spreading the news of revolution and their corrupted government through advanced tools such as the internet enabled them to gain more support from the world. I feel that without the Arab Youths’ actions, the people’s disappointment would not have been shown and with them taking this matter to the streets, the changes that the governments was possible.

More families having reunion dinner at hawker centres

Read more here!

Summary:

With the Chinese Lunar New Year coming up in a few weeks, many Singaporeans have turned to alternative venues to celebrate their reunion dinner. Reunion dinner has always been celebrated either at home or at restaurants, the new addition is the hawker centres. Many Singaporeans feel uncomfortable to celebrate in a restaurant as they feel pressurized and are unable to enjoy themselves. Thus have decided to go for the hawker centres instead of the hassle of cooking and cleaning up dishes at home. Hawker centres have a variety of food with wide choices that people need not follow like in a restaurant, and can have free choices. It is also more affordable than restaurants and Singaporeans can easily get their favourite dishes. Hawker centre stalls are earning more due to people ordering dishes from them.

Opinion:

I feel that it is a fresh idea to celebrate the reunion dinner in a hawker centre. With the wide variety of local dishes and prices that no one can complain about unlike in a restaurant, I would definitely like to try having it in a hawker centre. However, celebrating such an important dinner in a place filled with strangers would be uncomfortable too. Like one of the interviewed Singaporeans, I do not feel the same comfort and enjoyment celebrating outside. I would prefer to celebrate at my Grandmother's house as everyone gets to come together to enjoy her cooking and clean up as a family. This is what I believe reunion dinner is about.