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What’s New in Google | October 2017

These are some of the highlights from Google this month…

  • Google Calendar gets a facelift, with new user experience and interface – Resource Link
  • Google launches “Inside Music” Chrome experiment to explore layers of music – Resource Link
  • Google releases Digital Citizenship and Safety Course for educators – Resource Link, Resource Link
  • Drive File Stream launching to all G Suite users – Resource Link
  • Google Keep gets 4 new colors for note-taking – Resource Link
  • Google Classroom can now import grades directly from Google Form quizzes – Resource Link
  • Lots of Google Slides updates! – Resource Link
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Sign up for the Hour of Code 2017!

In 6 weeks, we will kick off the largest learning event in history … for the fifth time. December 4-10th, during Computer Science Education Week, tens of millions of students will gather all around the world to participate in the annual Hour of Code. For many, it will be their first introduction to computer science, but for others, it has become an annual celebration of computer science and the movement to expand opportunity.

Join us and sign up your classroom today for the Hour of Code! And as you do, please go one step further – let us know how computer science is offered at your school, and join the thousands of teachers in pledging to expand access. Continue reading “Sign up for the Hour of Code 2017!”

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The AI That Has Nothing to Learn From Humans

It was a tense summer day in 1835 Japan. The country’s reigning Go player, Honinbo Jowa, took his seat across a board from a 25-year-old prodigy by the name of Akaboshi Intetsu. Both men had spent their lives mastering the two-player strategy game that’s long been popular in East Asia. Their face-off, that day, was high-stakes: Honinbo and Akaboshi represented two Go houses fighting for power, and the rivalry between the two camps had lately exploded into accusations of foul play.

Read the rest here: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/10/alphago-zero-the-ai-that-taught-itself-go/543450/?utm_source=twb

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Speaking of passwords…

Once we’ve migrated fully to Gmail, we will begin asking users to manage their passwords, and change them over time. Changing, and using a strong password, is the single best way to manage your security, your online identity, and keeping things protected.

A strong password consists of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters, and is long. A good password includes all of the above, and is longer than 10 characters – preferably longer!

Which one, below, is best?  

password   |   mypassword   |   MyPassword   |   MyP@$$word!@#$

Keeping multiple passwords in your head can be a chore. Try using a service called LastPass to manage your passwords. By creating one, very secure, master password, all your other passwords are automatically managed from there. You can use LastPass to sync in the Chrome browser automatically. Get LastPass here.