A virtual private network (VPN) is a security measure, which encrypts a user’s internet signal then connects them to a private server. VPNs for individuals usually do this by connecting a user to a remote, encrypted server with IP address different from the one provided by their ISP. This has the effect of hiding user activity from prying eyes, as it conceals both the user’s activity and their true IP address from the public.
Anthony Chemero, a Ph.D. and cognitive researcher at the University of Cincinnati, recently published some research, which suggests that the ubiquity of smart phones and other mobile devices doesn't affect people's brain power. This may come as a surprise.
The Journal News, a local newspaper out of Butler County, Ohio, recently reported on a new research project at the University of Cincinnati. Focusing on patients who have lost their hearing due to non-cancerous tumors, the project is studying how a combination of art therapy and robotic companions, in this case a puppy, can help people cope with the depression and isolation that often accompany problems in the brain.
On March 4th, WCPO reported about a new project at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Using pediatric patient data, researchers are employing the world's second-fastest supercomputer, located at Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee, to analyze and predict mental health outcomes for patients with depression and anxiety disorders, including those who suffer from thoughts of suicide.
Did you hear? Cincinnati Bell is changing its name. WCPO reports, "The big change comes six months after an Australian private-equity firm bought Cincinnati’s former phone company with the goal of rapidly expanding its fiber-optic networks in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) finally eased their masking guidelines, with the introduction of a new, color-based system for counties around the country. Each color code corresponds to a level of risk: green for low-risk counties, yellow for medium risk areas, and orange for those areas where COVID-19 infection rates are still comparatively high.
On February 21st, WCPO ran a story on a new app developed by undergraduates at Ohio State. Called the SOAR Initiative, the app offers users a safe way to report batches of illegal drugs laced with deadly ingredients, like fentanyl, without contacting the police directly.
Around Christmas of last year, Cincy Magazine published a story about a pilot program that the Kroger chain of grocery stores had unveiled in Centerville. The Centerville Kroger Marketplace began using drones to deliver grocery orders in July of 2021. The chief technology officer of Drone Express; a drone manufacturer out of Monroe, Ohio, which has partnered with Kroger; had this to say about the program: "'Autonomous drones have unlimited potential to improve everyday life, and our technology opens the way to safe, secure, environmentally friendly deliveries for Kroger customers,...The possibilities for customers are endless—we can enable Kroger customers to send chicken soup to a sick friend or get fast delivery of olive oil if they run out while cooking dinner.
On Friday of last week, as reported by WCPO, a Zoom panel led by Mason High School's Black Student Union was Zoom bombed with "hate speech and disturbing images." Zoom bombing occurs when a Zoom (or similar platform's) video conference is disrupted by someone who was not invited to the meeting.
In January, Spectrum News 1 explored issues surrounding the recruitment of IT professionals in Ohio on the their Dear Ohio podcast. The program interviewed three people: Ohio General Assembly representative Mark Frazier (R-Newark); Lisa Chambers, National Executive Director of Tech Corps, a company that provides technology training for a variety of age groups; and Nick York, president of the Ohio Innovation and Technology Association.