Weird Math David Darling and Agnijo Banerjee Basic Books, $27 Weird Math sets out to “reveal the strange connections between math and everyday life.” The book fulfills that laudable goal, in part. At times, teenage math prodigy Agnijo Banerjee and his tutor, science writer David Darling, find ways to make complex math relatable, like linking chaos theory to weather forecasting and virtual reality. But there’s a tension between precision and accessibility, and the authors don’t always find the sweet spot. The book offers an in-depth exploration of the history of a number of mathematical concepts that Banerjee and Darling find intriguing. Some of their choices — including the mathematics of music, higher dimensions and chaos theory — are written in clear, accessible language that many science-interested readers will connect with. The chapter on higher dimensions, for example, illustrates the utility of math for … [Read more...] about ‘Weird Math’ aims to connect numbers and equations to the real world
Computing
Best computing product of 2017
Every year, Digital Trends editors hand pick the most exciting products we’ve had the privilege of handling this year. Make sure to check out award winners in categories from cars to outdoors, plus the overall best product of 2017! Read on for the computing products that floored us this year. Microsoft Surface ProWhen Microsoft introduced the original Surface in 2012, it founded a new class of device, one that was equally usable as both a PC and a tablet. The first model didn’t deliver on that promise. Neither did the, second, third, or even fourth. Each came iteration came closer – but it’s the new Surface Pro that finally fulfills it.There are many reasons why the Surface Pro is superior to its predecessors, but portability tops the list. Past 2-in-1 devices, including Microsoft’s competitors, have compromised significantly on battery life. Not the Surface Pro. It lasted over 10 hours in our video loop test, and over five hours in our most … [Read more...] about Best computing product of 2017
The most expensive iMac Pro costs over $13,000, and here’s what you could get on a PC
Apple is known for its advanced engineering and design. The new iMac Pro is spectacular in that department, somehow packing an insane amount of power into its all-in-one enclosure. But it doesn’t come cheap.If you haven’t looked already, a decked out iMac Pro costs a pretty penny….. lots and lots of pretty pennies. The starting price is a not-exactly-cheap $4,999, but if you’re planning to configure Apple’s all-in-one workstation with all the bells and whistles, things can get pretty crazy. If you include Intel’s massive non-gaming 18-core Xeon W processor when it’s available early next year, you’re looking at more than $13,000. That’s almost the price of a new, compact car.Maybe you want the kind of power that the iMac Pro offers, but aren’t necessarily attached to the idea of getting a Mac. As you can probably assume, you can get way more bang from your buck on the PC side of things. Just how much more? Read on.The iMac Pro … [Read more...] about The most expensive iMac Pro costs over $13,000, and here’s what you could get on a PC
A growing email scam has cost a major airline millions of dollars
As individuals, we all know we have to keep our wits about us when we’re online. If you’re really unlucky, a couple of ill-considered clicks or downloads could quickly ensnare you in a scam that ends up costing you hundreds of dollars, possibly more.But if you’re working for a company and your job is to make big payments to other businesses, the stakes are much higher. And yes, even global players can get caught out.Take Japan Airlines (JAL). This week the international carrier admitted it had fallen victim to an email scam that cost it a not-insignificant 384 million yen (about $3.39 million).Known as “invoice redirect” or “business email compromise,” it seems that at least one JAL employee was tricked into making several payments to bogus bank accounts. One account purported to belong to a U.S. financial services company which had been leasing a plane to the airline, but it had in fact been set up by fraudsters, the Japan Times reported.In … [Read more...] about A growing email scam has cost a major airline millions of dollars
ANALYSIS Full Disclosure Applies to Internal Security Too
If you've been keeping up with the news, you've probably noticed a few recent reports about companies that may have been a little less than candid about security issues. For example, we recently learned that Uber experienced a breach in 2016. As we've also learned from subsequent press reports, the company may have paid the attacker to remain silent about that breach instead of acknowledging it publicly and openly.Along similar lines, we all probably remember -- and are still dealing with the consequences of -- the Equifax breach, which exposed the credit histories of millions of individuals. The Equifax board of directors recently commissioned a report to investigate stock sales key executives made shortly after the breach. The findings indicated that the executives who sold shares at that time were not in the loop regarding the breach and did not know that it had occurred until well after the fact.So, while some personnel at Equifax knew about the exposure, the report shows that … [Read more...] about ANALYSIS Full Disclosure Applies to Internal Security Too