internet

Welcome! As part of a series that keeps students up to date with international insights, current technology and popular culture, this week we're bursting at the seams with amazing hand picked content.

Print it in 3D

We live in remarkable times where technology advances at an unprecedented rate. Rapid prototyping or 3D printing to the layman (also known as additive printing) is beginning to branch out from design and manufacturing to different sectors and eventually our homes. Originally developed for creating product prototypes, a 3D printer takes a digital design and literally prints it out by constructing it layer by layer, just like the picture above. The ramifications for the future of commerce are epic. Find out more here. 

In today's business economy, nothing can be more important than a skill such as the mastery of social media. When a person can communicate effectively using Facebook or Twitter, he or she can attract thousands of new people to a business's products or services. Businesses now have a growing demand for qualified individuals who have social media expertise. If you want to make yourself stand out in today's competitive job market, then developing skills in being able to use technology will help you land your dream job.

Take Social Media Courses

Online colleges now offer social media courses for individuals. You do not have to enroll in a degree program to take one of these classes. You may find that taking only one or two specialized courses gives you the knowledge that you need to master the use of social media. You can also contact students who have taken particular courses to find out whether they had a positive experience in taking the course. If you are truly concerned about the material that will be covered in a social media course, then you may also want to get in touch with a professor before the start of the semester.

Welcome, as part of a series that keeps students up to date with international insights, current technology and popular culture, this week we've got content so fresh it may expire by the time you read the post. 

The Ninja Turtles Return

The dearly loved 80's cartoon series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is returning to capture new audiences. According to Nickelodeon's trailer it seems like the animation will be pretty basic. I wonder if the characters will be as likeable as the ones in the original series that caused a huge surge in the sale of pet terrapins, poor animals.

You know those images that appear on your Facebook every now and then? You know, the funny ones of cats doing a dance or a student tricking their drunk friend. Everyone enjoys them right? Well, we've collected some of the best together for your pleasure below, so sit back, relax and enjoy. Which is your favourite?

If you are using Wikipedia in an English speaking country, then you may have noticed today that you cannot access any of the information. Instead of the normal pages of life-saving information, you will be met by a black screen, similar to the one above. This is because, for the first time ever, Wikipedia is protesting against two new laws that have been proposed in the United States.

SOPA (which stands for the ‘Stop Online Piracy Act'), and PIPA (‘Protect Intellectual Property Act') are two bills that aim to stop copyright infringement by websites outside of the US. However, many people, the Wikipedia community included, believe that these laws will harm free expression and freedom on the internet. In Wikipedia's own words:

"We are concerned that SOPA and PIPA will severely inhibit people's access to online information...These bills are simply unacceptable in a world that values an open, secure, and free Internet."

It is not the idea of stamping down on online copyright infringement that Wikipedia disagrees with, but the "badly drafted legislation" which will not only be ineffective against it's main aim, but will actually harm the internet as we know it.