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In collaboration with Commodity.com LLC, "Your Go-To Resource For Commodities" eMail: [email protected] It seems that everyone is talking about Bitcoin - and with good reason. In the past 2 years, the cryptocurrency has made the news multiple times. However, there still remains some confusion around what exactly Bitcoin is.
What is Bitcoin? Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency. A cryptocurrency is a form of digital currency, and secured through the use of cryptography. It is not backed by a government, a government currency (fiat money), or by precious metals. The creator or creators of Bitcoin remain anonymous today, going by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto. The original idea behind Bitcoin was to be used as an alternative banking solution during the financial and mortgage crisis of 2009. Unlike currency, bitcoin isn’t physical. It is a digital currency that exists only on a digital ledger known as a blockchain and in personal digital wallets. Bitcoin is used to purchase goods and services as long as the company accepts it as payment. It can also be traded or held as an investment. Bitcoin was created as a form of currency that doesn’t rely on banks for transactions or for governments to issue. The intention is for it to be free of the inflationary problems that plague government-backed currencies and make transactions smoother, quicker and cheaper. What Determines the Value of Bitcoin? Bitcoin’s value depends on the market demand for it. The more the public accepts it as a legitimate form of currency, the more it has risen in price. However it wasn’t deemed valuable in the early days. In 2010, one Bitcoin was worth $0.08, yet today one Bitcoin is worth $50,000. Market demand is currently increasing as more businesses and services are accepting Bitcoin as currency. Large corporations are buying Bitcoin and adding it to their balance sheets. And it is becoming easier for anyone to buy it, sell it and send it to others using Bitcoin ATMs. Bitcoin is a finite product and is limited to only 21 million Bitcoins. Today, there are over 18 million already mined. The last Bitcoin is expected to be mined in 2140. Bitcoin Mining and the Blockchain Mining and blockchain are two terms associated with Bitcoin. Bitcoin is mined, but it isn’t the type of mining like digging for gold. Every Bitcoin transaction has to be verified by miners. These miners use powerful computers to solve extremely complicated math problems. Once a miner verifies a transaction, the nodes on the network will confirm it is valid. Once confirmed, the miners will then be rewarded Bitcoins for their service. And this is how new Bitcoins come into circulation. Transactions are grouped together in blocks. Once a transaction is verified, the block will be added to the chain of existing blocks, which is where the term blockchain comes from. The blockchain is a digital ledger of all transactions. No one owns or controls the blockchain, and anyone can view it. How to Buy Bitcoin Bitcoin is purchased at a cryptocurrency exchange and, in some cases, brokerage firms. Bitcoin is divisible, which means it can be purchased in fractions of one Bitcoin. This is a great way to accumulate Bitcoin or buy just enough to keep in a digital wallet for spending. Security is important. Choose the exchanges and brokerage firms with the best reputations. Most of these exchanges have a purchase minimum, some as low as $10 worth of Bitcoin. The Bitcoin Digital Wallet Most exchanges will give you a digital wallet to hold the Bitcoins. It is important to remember that buying Bitcoin is not like buying stocks. The Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) protects shareholders if a brokerage firm fails, but cryptocurrencies are not covered. Some cryptocurrency exchanges provide insurance against theft and fraud. There are two types of digital wallets, cold wallets and hot wallets. Hot wallets connect to the internet, which allows for quick and easy use of Bitcoins. Cold wallets are not connected to the internet. It is common to use both types of digital wallets. It is imperative not to lose the password to a digital wallet. Lost Bitcoins cannot be replaced. How to Invest or Trade Bitcoin Investors can buy and hold Bitcoin, expecting it to continue rising in price. Traders can trade Bitcoin and profit from the price movement of the cryptocurrency, up or down. The various methods of trading Bitcoin include:
In addition, the first North American Bitcoin ETF recently hit $1 billion in assets. Summary Bitcoin can be volatile, with the possibility of it rising and falling 10% or more in a day. If someone buys $100 worth of Bitcoin today, it doesn’t mean they will have $100 in their digital wallet tomorrow. It can be used as a currency where it is accepted, and it can be bought, sold, and transferred to others around the world without having to use a regular bank.
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My article peer reviewed for publication by EC21 R&C in cooperation with NIPA (cyber security agency in South Korea). In the Internet era, Big Data is term applied to datasets overflowing the boundaries of traditional database technologies. It brings together the power of computers and repositories with some of the largest inventories of ultra-individualized information to provide insight into every aspect of modern life and human behavior. This is a world where an estimated 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are being produced every day; ninety percent (90%) of the world’s data has been created in the last two years. It is also a world where huge challenges and gigantic opportunities are created for regulators. Data scientists, policymakers, and tax experts are looking into ways of using big data mechanisms, tools, and solutions to advance the study and reform of taxation. The debate on plans for comprehensive tax reforms are currently underway by US leaders, while they gain increased access to big data analytics to inform their policies, priorities, and strategies. The scale and detail of data gathered by services or government agencies like IRS needs to be meaningful and reflect the reality of their user base. IRS is ubiquitous for the USA and its citizens. It is present in our daily lives, impacting life decisions and even routine. IRS can gather and organized data about most of the population and all types of businesses. For tax data, nearly every American citizen and corporate entity is responsible for paying and reporting various tax information, disclosing a considerable amount about themselves. That means an unimaginable amount of data is available for gathering, organizing, managing, and analyzing. This is the very definition of big data. IRS receives and processes more than 250 million tax returns every year. Budget cut and workforce attrition has negatively impacted IRS capacity as it fights an estimated tax gap of more than $450 billion annually. Working smarter is the solution for more efficiency and more tools to battle tax fraud and tax evasion as identified by the IRS’ Criminal Investigation Division. Big data characteristics (for instance: volume, velocity, variety, veracity) also mean that big data employs significantly large storage space from diverse sources, stored in different formats, with different update intervals. Tax fraud analysis use of big data is a game changer as methods, techniques and technologies are released. Data mining through analytics is employed in the knowledge discovery in databases process, deploying predictive and descriptive tasks. Through data mining, fraud investigation analyzes large volumes of data to discover unrecognized or unperceived patterns in data sets by leveraging statistical analysis and database technologies to find those patterns. Predictive tasks work with machine learning and related technologies to make a prediction for each observation resulting from data-mining. Prediction employs regression analysis to examine relationships between independent variables and dependent variables. Financial complexity demands the volume of variables provided by big data to make more accurate predictions. The statistical techniques for these include linear regression, multivariate linear regression, nonlinear regression, and multivariate nonlinear regression (as well as the more complex logistic regression, decision trees, and neural networks). Other, more complex predictive techniques of data mining appropriate to fraud detection or prevention include rule-based fuzzy reasoning, genetic algorithms, Bayesian belief networks and fuzzy neural networks. Descriptive tasks, which include association rules and cluster analysis, describe the data under analysis. These tasks can be used to create models of behaviors (or transactions) that could fall under suspicious categories. Descriptive tasks might be types of association rule analysis including multilevel association rules, multidimensional association rules, and quantitative association rules. Association rule algorithms generate rules describing potentially fraudulent situations. Cluster analysis collects data into related subsets patterns, a discovery of patterns that can be used to discover or prevention financial fraud. Complex and large-scale analytics such as what IRS fraud detection employs, requires big data, or the use of multiple data sources. An audit executed to discover fraud would integrate large internal and external datasets (demographics, taxpayer or corporate profiles, previous filings, call center data, and audit histories). The data analyzed could include many years of historical data as well as external data. The volume and variety of data would be difficult to analyze without the analytics tool-set of big data and the work of data scientists. There are sources indicating the deployment of “spiders” by the IRS (automated computer programs) to review social media sites. Reports have also indicated the adoption of phone tracking technologies (for example, “Stingray”, a cell site simulator). Also, IRS keeps considerable volumes of data through utilizing more traditional technologies (for example, NRP and Individual Master File database). Independently from the accuracy of these sources and reports, a solid conclusion is that IRS has access to many data sets. IRS is cross-referencing and mining these data sets to execute run pattern recognition algorithms so that trends can be identified enabling the understanding of the relationships in the data. IRS has employed several advanced techniques and tools in these efforts (including anomaly detection, advanced clustering and neural networks), with the objective of improving case selection and coordination among IRS divisions. Data analytics and predictive policing will help the IRS identify tax-reporting anomalies and identify tax evasion on a larger scale. Within the accounting and tax law profession, big data and analytics are associated with automation. Offloading data management and processing power to computers translates to less manual labor to dissect numbers, construct models, and conduct independent analysis. This does not at all the end of opportunities for those tax professionals. It represents instead new beginnings, fresh opportunities, new knowledge, and a renewed importance of the experts working with these machines. The partnership between data scientists, programmers and law professionals with masters in law in taxation (LLM) degrees is necessary to ensure the right questions are being asked about the wealth of information found through big data, to interpret the feedback derived from algorithms and data queries, and to provide guidance for the development of future policies. In the accountant profession, Master of Taxation is offered for those professionals seeking advancement in the field. Like previous example, this expertise is important to hoard the data being collected, managed, and organized, to ensure that the analytic potential of available technology tools is leveraged optimally. As big data enables policymakers to be rely more on scientific methods while working on tax reform, experts in tax law and accounting continue to be needed to make the new robust information accessible, meaningful, and useful. Big data umbrella with the analytic capabilities it provides, has already demonstrated disruptive for different industries. In the internet age, very few entities (people, businesses, governments) living in the 21st century are isolated from the impact of big data. Tax processes, policies and practices are no exception. Taxpayers are looking for solutions and opportunities to make tax planning and compliance more seamless and automatic. Government, likewise, is investing in new ways to collect, organize, and utilize big data to enforce and reform taxes in the United States. Human creativity together with with analytic capabilities of modern technology, represent a brand-new era for taxation. Over the last ten-year period, IRS investments in big data analytics will result in good return, in areas such a international tax enforcement through the collaboration with international tax enforcement efforts (country funded programs, document leaks, among others). Information reporting and information-sharing agreements have led to important structural changes in the global collaboration of tax-related information. These results will only further strengthen the new initiatives (highlight to the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement, known as the “J5”). Positive results produced by those investments will pave the path to enable new efforts to focus on areas that are ripe for development. Certainly, the one example at the top of anyone’s list is Cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrency-related tax compliance is unknown, most likely enormous. According to IRS reports, less than 1,000 taxpayers reported gains with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin during the 2013-2015 period. The IRS is actively mining newly received data from actions on different exchanges servicing the USA. For the IRS, the future of fighting tax fraud has arrived. Among the different processes, tools and efforts, IRS has embraced big data analytics, only seen the tip of the iceberg has surfaced. With a reported year-over-year 400 percent increase in tax fraud detection and more than 1,000 percent increase in the identification of proceeds from other financial crimes, IRS is likely to increase its skates on its bet on big data, big data technologies, and tools. Citations and ReferencesFreeman, J. B. (2019, January). The IRS and Big Data: The Future of Fighting Tax Fraud. Today's CPA, pp. 5-6.
Klasing, D. (2019, September 2). How the IRS Uses Big Data Analytics to Catch (and Punish) Tax Evaders. Retrieved from Klasing Associates: https://klasing-associates.com/irs-uses-big-data-analytics-catch-punish-tax-evaders/ Malaszczyk, K., & Purcell, B. M. (2018, June). Big data analytics in tax fraud detection. Journal of Finance and Accountancy, 1-10. Villanova University. (2020). Big Data and Tax Reform. Retrieved from Villanova University Tax and Business Online: https://taxandbusinessonline.villanova.edu/blog/big-data-and-tax-reform/ How many coding resources are available these days? Coding is in vogue but the options are overwhelming. This new and unpublished article by Code Wizards HQ is for my readers who are interested in kids' coding education but not really sure where they want to start. A recent study found that 76% of parents want their children to end up in STEM-related careers. And with an ever-growing number of jobs requiring knowledge of new technologies, it isn’t very hard to see why. From manufacturing to marketing, most jobs today are dependent on computers for their success. And computers are dependent upon code. That’s probably why so many parents are hoping to get their kids into coding. As many as 85% of parents are encouraging their children to learn to code, according to one study. But despite wanting their kids to learn, many parents are at a loss about the best resources available to help kids to code. Where can a parent start when they want to help their child dive into this new field, especially if they don’t know much about coding themselves? We're here to help! We’ll help you narrow down the options by explaining the different categories of resources out there. Then, you can decide which resources best meet your needs. Coding ClassesOne of the best all-around methods for teaching kids to code is taking a coding class. Coding classes come in a variety of formats and price ranges, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. That can make it tricky to pick the right coding class. For instance, in-person classes have teachers that regularly interact with their students. This is a huge advantage because it means that students can receive real-time feedback on their questions! However, many live coding classes have limited schedules and require you to live nearby. Depending on where you live, it can be hard to find coding classes near you. Online classes, on the other hand, allow for flexibility in both scheduling and location, but are often pre-recorded. That can limit their ability to respond to questions quickly, or even at all! Of course, there are other classes that combine the best of both worlds by hosting live classes on an online platform. These allow for flexibility of location and real-time feedback. Coding AppsCoding apps can be a great supplemental resource for kids learning to code. Many kid’s coding apps use bright colors, animations, and fun gameplay to encourage kids to learn the basics of coding. They can be great for getting an understanding of what a conditional or a loop is, but few of them get into the nitty-gritty of real-world coding. If you are wanting to get the most out of coding apps, it's better to use them in conjunction with an established coding course. That way, the base concepts taught in the coding apps can immediately be used in a more and more specific context. Coding ChallengeAnother useful supplemental activity is a coding challenge. Coding challenges, or hackathons, are hosted events where coders get the chance to simultaneously reach outside their coding comfort zone and show off their skills. It adds a competitive element to the learning process, which can be a great motivator for many kids. Usually, there is a specific challenge or set of challenges that must be overcome through the use of code. The difficulty levels can vary greatly between challenges, but that’s part of the fun! Challenges are often teacher-directed events, too. That way, even if a challenge proves too difficult for a kid to figure out on their own, the teacher is there to help them learn and progress. Coding CampsWhile coding classes are the fullest featured and most effective way to learn the intricacies of coding, they do take a while to get through. Sometimes, it can be an effective use of time to move quickly through the basics so you can spend your time on the more advanced skills. Which is where coding camps come in. Coding camps, or coding bootcamps, are intensive courses designed to get their students through the basics. That way they can focus on the lessons that they really want to be learning. They save valuable time by teaching a wide variety of coding skills quickly. Since they only last for a short period of time, they are a great fit for students who have a chunk of free time available to dedicate to learning a new skill. Summer break is a great time for this. More intensive coding camps can help students to master the basics quickly and take higher-level classes sooner. It's a great way to accelerate their learning. Coding BooksIn today’s connected world, it may seem odd to mention books as being a good coding resource, but there are some definite advantages to the medium. For one, no one can be online all the time, and books can be a great resource even when screen time is over. Books tend to be a lot more in-depth than many online guides because the authors know that all the necessary information needs to be included upfront. There’s not the option to link to throw in a link to supplemental material. And, it can be a lot easier to flip between a physical book and what’s happening on the screen without losing your place. Though, that can be a matter of preference. Of course, the effectiveness of any book as a coding resource depends greatly on which book you’re using. It can be difficult to know if a specific book will cover the things your kid wants to learn. Make sure to choose a book that’s listed as a reliable resource for kids to get the most value. CONCLUSIONNo matter where your kid ends up on their coding journey, there are amazing benefits to learning to code. And that will only become more true as time goes on.
Coding, as a field, isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and the list of amazing resources is only continuing to grow. These 5 types of resources are a great way to get started, but there are so many other great resources out there. We encourage you to find somewhere to start and explore from there! By Suman Tripathy For many students, myself included, their first exposure to Computer Science is through the AP Computer Science A course in high school. Advanced Placement (AP) courses are designed for high schoolers to learn subjects with the rigor, depth, and complexity of college classes. Taking AP classes can also boost a student's weighted GPA. The AP Computer Science A curriculum emphasizes the fundamental concepts and problem solving skills that Computer Science requires, using the Java programming language. It introduces basics like variables, loops, conditionals, and methods, along with object-oriented programming, data structures, algorithms, and software design strategies. Java is a widely used programming language, useful and multifaceted because it can support abstraction, encapsulation, and object-orientation, all of which are important concepts for software engineering. The official prerequisite for AP Computer Science A is first-year high school algebra, including function notation and other algebraic problem solving skills. Overall, the course recommends a solid foundation in mathematical reasoning. However, having worked with many students taking this course, we have found that some prior coding experience really helps students be successful in this course. At Juni, we recommend students who are new to programming start with our Python Level 1 and sometimes our Python Level 2 course before moving into Java. The College Board's AP Computer Science A ExamTo receive college credit, students must register to take the College Board AP exam through their school, administered in May of each year. In 2017, the College Board introduced a second computer science AP course, AP Computer Science Principles. Compared to AP Computer Science A, this course "focuses on the broader aspects of computing, including not only programming but also topics like the global impact of computing, the internet and cyber-security, and creativity" (College Board). At Juni, we only offer the AP Computer Science A course. The AP Computer Science A exam is a three hour test. The first half includes 40 multiple choice questions and accounts for 50% of the exam score. The second half includes four free response questions focused on program design, implementation, and problem solving, and it makes up the remaining 50% of the exam score. All of the questions on the AP exam involving coding use Java as the primary programming language, and test booklets include the Java Quick Reference that includes all of the accessible methods from the Java library that the AP exam may reference. Goals of the AP Computer Science curriculum include:
Score Recommendation 5 Extremely well qualified 4 Well qualified 3 Qualified 2 Possibly qualified 1 No recommendation Ways to PrepareMost students who take the AP Computer Science A take the course in high school. However, it is possible to self-study for the exam successfully. Thankfully, many great online resources exist for students! The College Board itself has numerous helpful materials. For example, they offer a compilation of various exam tips and tricks, in addition to a test bank of each year’s free response questions, multiple-choice, sample answers, and scoring guidelines to ensure transparency and fairness in grading. Barron's, another well-known test prep company, sells a great book for this course and offers an online practice exam as well. Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth also offers this as an online course. At Juni Learning, we offer AP Computer Science A as a course with a private instructor that covers all of the topics on the AP exam in depth. With our classes, students are paired one-on-one with an instructor who works on concepts and test prep, tailored to the student's specific needs. With us, some students fully self-study for the AP exam, while others are simply getting exposure to the material in preparation for the school year ahead. Our AP Computer Science A course is broken down into the following modules:
Advice From Former AP Computer Science StudentsWe asked Juni instructors who took AP Computer Science in high school on what they did to prepare for the AP exam and any advice that they would give current students. Here is some of their advice:
Final ThoughtsThere are many different resources and programs that can help students prepare for the AP Computer Science A exam. The best fit depends on the student's learning style and time constraints. Overall, the AP Computer Science A course is a great opportunity to learn the fundamentals of computer science and demonstrate proficiency to colleges. Passing the AP exam is a great way to earn some college credit, but more importantly it helps develop a lifelong technical skill that helps one think in new ways. This article originally appeared on junilearning.com Suman Tripathy holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley. Next fall, she will be moving to New York to pursue her Master's in Data Science. She is currently a Senior Instructor at Juni Learning. You can often find her camped out at Philz Coffee reading books and listening to music!
By Ananya Rao What Is An Algorithm?algorithm is a set of step-by-step procedures, or a set of rules to follow, for completing a specific task or solving a particular problem. Algorithms are all around us. The recipe for baking a cake, the method we use to solve a long division problem, and the process of doing laundry are all examples of an algorithm. Here’s what baking a cake might look like, written out as a list of instructions, just like an algorithm:
Types of AlgorithmsAlgorithms are classified based on the concepts that they use to accomplish a task. While there are many types of algorithms, the most fundamental types of computer science algorithms are:
Example of an Algorithm: Solving a Rubik’s Cube There are a number of different algorithms, from simple to very complicated, that exist for solving a Rubik’s cube. Below is just one simple algorithm. First, let’s specify a notation to use (similar to picking a programming language). Each of the six faces of a Rubik’s cube can be represented by the first letter of their name:
Step 1: The Cross
Sorting AlgorithmsA sorting algorithm is an algorithm that puts elements of a list in a certain order, usually in numerical or lexicographical order. Sorting is often an important first step in algorithms that solves more complex problems. There are a large number of sorting algorithms, each with their own benefits and costs. Below, we will focus on some of the more famous sorting algorithms.
Where Algorithms are Used in Computer Science?Algorithms are used in every part of computer science. They form the field's backbone. In computer science, an algorithm gives the computer a specific set of instructions, which allows the computer to do everything, be it running a calculator or running a rocket. Computer programs are, at their core, algorithms written in programming languages that the computer can understand. Computer algorithms play a big role in how social media works: which posts show up, which ads are seen, and so on. These decisions are all made by algorithms. Google’s programmers use algorithms to optimize searches, predict what users are going to type, and more. In problem-solving, a big part of computer programming is knowing how to formulate an algorithm. Why are Algorithms Important to Understand?Algorithmic thinking, or the ability to define clear steps to solve a problem, is crucial in many different fields. Even if we’re not conscious of it, we use algorithms and algorithmic thinking all the time. Algorithmic thinking allows students to break down problems and conceptualize solutions in terms of discrete steps. Being able to understand and implement an algorithm requires students to practice structured thinking and reasoning abilities. This article originally appeared on junilearning.com Ananya Rao is studying Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, and she is an instructor at Juni Learning. She is a biorobotics researcher at CMU, and she is pursuing an additional major in Robotics. She was previously a Digital Technology Intern at GE Transportation and an Assistant Teacher at the National Academy For Learning in Bengaluru, India. Ananya also enjoys dancing, building robots, and writing stories.
Wanna enter the Sports betting industry? Are you worried about the transactional data, security and entry charges?
Just relax and lean on to your chair. The amazing features of blockchain technology have reshaped the sports betting industry. It enhances safe and secure transactions as it is an open source decentralized network. Basically, blockchain offers tremendous features like transparency, fast payouts, speedy transactions, independent in nature, etc. The most effective feature is the player’s account will not be restricted or blocked either personally or professionally due to extreme winnings. Blockchain is the most prominent technology ruling today’s betting industry. It’s advancement in the sports industry has laid a pavement for its enormous growth in recent times. To get detailed information, checkout the following Infographic developed by WinBTC.net in Partnership with MrBet.me.uk. Blockchain & Mobile apps: With the vast competition already in the marketplace, several technologies are coming out to survive in the present market scenarios.
Blockchain, a most popular technology is well aware of many due to its association with cryptocurrency like bitcoin. It’s now used in mobile applications to make transactions safe, secure and speed. Blockchain is generally used to modify the usage of mobile applications in order to make the app installation procedures simple, easy and eliminates all kinds of unwanted stuff. It has a greater ability to reshape the mobile industry with its outstanding features. Blockchain in mobile apps ensures tremendous growth in the coming days . Checkout the following infographic on – Blockchain in mobile Application Market, developed by winbtc.net in partnership with AC Market. Bitcoin halving is often referred to as “Halvening”, it’s a formulated reduction in the reward coins offered to the miners using a predefined blockchain algorithm. Bitcoin halvings take place once in every four – 4 years approximately, or for every 210,000 block transactions. The process of halvening started in the year 2012, approximately after 4 years of the invention of bitcoin i.e 2008, but practically bitcoins came into play in the year 2009. After the first bitcoin halving, the block reward of 50 bitcoins per transaction were reduced to 25 bitcoins per block or transaction, later this reward was further reduced to 12.5 and it has now fallen to 6.25 after halvening in 2020. The main idea of halvening is to create scarcity for the coins and to control inflation, as bitcoins issuance is limited to 21 million coins as per the idea of Satoshi Nakamoto, inventor of Bitcoin. The production of 21 million bitcoins involves 32 halvenings, we are now done with two halvenings and this might continue till or come to an end in the year 2140. Investors from all over the world are excited and waiting for the Bitcoin price to increase, and the demand for bitcoins in the online gambling industry is high. Bitcoins are widely accepted at Bitcoin Casinos as they collect deposits in the form of cryptocurrency from their players. To know the overview of Bitcoin Halving (Just in minutes), check out the following infographic developed by Abishai James at WinBTC.net in partnership with ACMarket. Abishai James is a Bitcoin investor and trader, operating at WinBTC.net. He can be reached at [email protected]. Visit HostingClues The internet is the backbone for modern-day civilization, which is growing at a rapid scale. As such, if you are invested in the internet, then you must gain insights into the current trends that are happening on the market. Having a quantitative idea with access to real statistics and figures will help you make a sound objective business decision. Therefore, we have put together a comprehensive list of some of the most fascinating statistics and facts about the internet. So without further ado, let’s get started: if you want to understand the different intricacies of the world wide web, then check out this in-depth infographic now! Full datasets, details and statistics originally published by hostingclues.com, all rights reserved. About Natalie Christen Natalie Christen is a Tech & Social enthusiast. She is also a Web Entrepreneur by Profession and loves to write about the latest trends on Social Media & SEO. You may also follow Hosting Clues on Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest Coding Toys for Younger KidsFor kids 10 and under, there are many games and toys that help them understand the building blocks of computer programming. For example, Bitsbox delivers a physical box to your home every month containing a kit of projects, and then your young child can login to Bitsbox’s online platform to program their own version of these projects. The apps are selected based on difficulty and interests - they offer anything from interactive birthday cards to Tetris-like games. The apps can then be easily shared onto phones and tablets. The Osmo is an iPad-based programming game system that incorporates physical blocks to write code. Using a set of magnetic blocks, your child controls Awbie, a cute character who must navigate the different levels of the Osmo universe. The physical blocks must be connected together logically so that Awbie can move on screen, using commands like “move,” “turn,” and “repeat.” The Osmo is ideal for kids as young as five years old because they don’t need typing skills to learn the basics of programming logic and to practice their critical thinking skills. After your child has mastered Awbie, they can move onto Osmo’s other products like Coding Jam, which uses a similar block system to generate digital music, and Coding Duo, a more advanced version of Coding Awbie with multiple players. Cubetto is a completely screenless coding toy for kids 6 and under. Cubetto is a wooden robot that is programmed by placing colored blocks onto its surface, which instructs it where to move. The Cubetto is placed on top of different maps, mazes, and books. For example, in one challenge Cubetto must navigate around a big urban city. In another, he is in ancient Egypt, learning about pyramids, hieroglyphics, and the Sphinx. This is a great toy that encourages active play and critical thinking without any screens. Coding Games for Older KidsFor older kids who love robots, the Anki Cozmo is a palm-sized robot, built with facial recognition, self-maneuvering capabilities, and an “emotion engine” to respond to real-world situations. It comes with a Code Lab app for users to program the Cozmo’s movements and responses to different environments. Code Lab is built on Scratch, a visual programming language. For example, you can use Code Lab to program Cozmo to move around and write his name, or to approach a human and Cozmo recognizes his or her face. There is even a more extensive software development kit to tap into the Cozmo’s computer vision capabilities and third party integrations (like with Google Assistant and Android). Kids can also play games with Cozmo like Memory Match and Keepaway. If your child is interested in building hardware, the Kano might be the best toy for them. With the Kano, you follow a storybook to build a simple computer. The kit comes with a power supply, Raspberry Pi (the chip that powers the computer), keyboard, SD card, and optionally a microphone and an HD touchscreen. Once built, the touchscreen version allows you to program your own art, games and music. The coding starts with a block-based environment, but for more advanced students, there are projects available in Python and Javascript programming languages. Many kids this age love Minecraft, an open-ended game where users can build their own worlds and experiences using the resources they acquire. Building in Minecraft is very Lego-like, where the pieces are varied and fit together in infinite combinations. Given the nature of Minecraft, “modding” the game is extremely popular, where you create new items, resources, and functionality by programming extensions to Minecraft’s code. The most popular mods, for example, add new animals, crops, and furniture pieces to the game; allow you to monitor and control your inventory more efficiently; and even introduce magic and wand-making into the game. While modding Minecraft was not designed for beginning programmers, there are sites dedicated for helping kids learn how to mod with online tutorials like LearnToMod and books like Coding with Minecraft. Online Coding Games and PlatformsThere are also many online-based games and platform for students to start learning programming. CodeCombat offers a series of online levels in settings like the Kithgard Dungeon and the Backwoods Forest. Students gain points by completing challenges so that they can advance to the next level and buy power-ups. CodeMonkey is another online game where the student moves through a series of challenges in tracks like Coding Adventure and Coding Chatbots. The main language they focus on is CoffeeScript. For students who want to take a more rigorous course, Khan Academy offers self-paced courses in HTML, CSS, and Javascript, focusing on website and game development. These courses include online videos, written explanations, and coding exercises. This article originally appeared on junilearning.com
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