Categories
general technology websites

Avoid Google Chrome Security Warnings by Installing an SSL Certificate on Your Site

Google Chrome SSL Security Update Affects Non-Secure Websites

In July of 2018, the Google Chrome update will cause non-secure sites (websites with no SSL certificate) generate a message that the site is NOT secure and make the visitor click to agree to browse the insecure site.

What you need to do to prevent the security warning on your site

While an SSL certificate is not required for your website to function properly, the Google Chrome security update will begin to highlight non-secure sites in a very blatant way that will make it look like your un-secured site is not legitimate.

google chrome browser will show warnings on sites without SSLTo avoid the security warning that Google Chrome will display on non-secure sites, you’ll need to acquire an SSL certificate and install it on your site. Most businesses have one domain name and can purchase a simple SSL that covers a single site. If your site has multiple subdomains (shop.yoursite.com; files.yoursite.com; forum.yoursite.com) you’ll need a wildcard SSL that will cover all of the subdomains.

There are companies that offer a free SSL certificate that can be installed manually on some hosting sites. However, the free option is difficult to manage on some of the larger hosting company sites and needs to be updated on a regular basis.

SSL Costs and Installation

To avoid headaches, I recommend purchasing an SSL certificate directly from your hosting company (the company that you pay to “park” your website). An SSL certificate should cost between $75 and $150 per year for a single site. A ‘wild card’ security certificate that protects all of your sites subdomains starts around $225.

costs for an ssl certificate depend on your hosting companySome hosting companies like GoDaddy make installation easy; once you purchase the certificate you choose the site you want it installed on and all the coding work is done automatically. This is a huge time- and cost-saver over other hosting companies that require you to manually upload co

The manual work required with some hosting companies is something you’ll most want to contact your developer to handle for you. If your website is built in WordPress and has plugins installed, you’ll need to make sure the new secure pages are working with the plugin. In addition, if your site has any hard-coded internal links using ‘http’ in the address, an audit may need to be done to make sure the links are updated or are redirecting properly for the secure pages.

The free SSL Certificate 0ption

If you’re tech-savvy and want to try the free option for your SSL certificate, check out Let’s Encrypt (https://letsencrypt.org/). Depending on your hosting company, this could be a good choice, but be aware that sites hosted on some of the larger companies like GoDaddy don’t make it easy to use the free option. You should also expect to have to update the SSL certificate code on your site every 3-6 months when using the the free option.

SSL Certificates are intended to make the internet safer

Although it seems like it’s just another way for internet companies to make money, an SSL security certificate is designed to ensure that the data sent and received from your computer to the site you’re browsing is encrypted and securely transmitted. The web is full of malicious sites that look legitimate but are set up by illegitimate companies in an effort to capture your data.

Having an SSL certificate on the site not only encrypts the data being sent and received, but also ensures the site owners have gone through the process of applying for and implementing the security protocol. The Google Chrome security change will make it very obvious to visitors that the site they’re visiting may not be legitimate.

an ssl certificate will give you an advantage over your competitors without oneTo avoid being classified as a potentially insecure site, get your SSL certificate installed on your site as soon as possible.

Having an SSL certificate correctly installed will give you an advantage over your competitors who don’t have theirs yet. Take action now so you don’t end up with visitors seeing site warnings when landing on your page.

 

Categories
general science

Tracking Genetically Modified Bacteria

Although many in the general public think of bacteria as something that’s harmful in our human bodies, the reality is that we have at least as many bacteria in our our body as human cells. Some estimates have put bacteria levels in our bodies as high as 10-1 versus human cells! Scientists now know that the majority of bacteria that exists on our skin and within our bodes is essential for our well-being. And in a new bacterial breakthrough, scientists are now able to track bacteria using ultrasound and use the microbes to tell us what is happening inside of us!

In a January 3, 2018 Science News story titled ‘These disease-fighting bacteria produce echoes detectable by ultrasound, the announcement is that, “Ultrasound can now track bacteria in the body like sonar detects submarines.”

The article describes a new technique to genetically modify microbes that can then be detected by ultrasound in order to determine their location within the body. Researchers have previously tracked microbes in the body by genetically engineering the bacteria to glow green in an ultraviolet image, but the view was blurry and didn’t provide an image at depth.

“Bacteria that produce ultrasound signals can also be designed to help diagnose illnesses,” explains study coauthor Mikhail Shapiro, a chemical engineer at Caltech.

According to Shapiro, “a patient could swallow bacteria engineered to create gas pockets wherever the microbes sense inflammation. A doctor could then use ultrasound to search for inflamed tissue, rather than performing a more invasive procedure like a colonoscopy.”

Scientists have performed successful experiments with genetically modified bacteria to destroy tumors and fight cancer cells. The new technique to use ultrasound to track the microbes may help fine-tune the existing procedures and better understand the processes at work.

For more information on the new breakthrough and other Science News stories regarding bacteria in the human body, check out these links:

 

 

Categories
coding general technology

Google Doodle Teaches Coding Basics

The December 4th, 2017 Google Doodle features an interactive game that demonstrates the basics of coding. The doodle starts with a basic command – move forward one block – before introducing additional commands such as turning and repeating. As the levels get more difficult, the game shows that rather than performing multiple steps with the same commands, groups of commands can be wrapped into one and then repeated.

Although the doodle may seem like merely a game of moving a character on blocks using symbols, the exercise demonstrates the basic functionality of what coding is. For instance, the popular Ruby programming language uses “object libraries” that are referred to with code snippets. A coder doesn’t need to memorize the entire library, or even have to remember what code snippet to use to refer to the library. Coding interfaces now include drag and drop features to make the languages easy for beginners to understand. Many coders have pages of “cheat” snippets they use by copying and pasting when needed.

Try out the coding Google Doodle yourself: https://www.google.com/doodles/celebrating-50-years-of-kids-coding.

 

Categories
careers general technology

STEM Careers for Artists

When my son was in High School, it was apparent that although he was smart and had an interest in science and technology, his passion was music and film. Thankfully, his High School had a fantastic music class that provided education on music production, hosting events, performing and songwriting. If it wasn’t for that class, I don’t think he would have made it through graduation.

Art in Science

There are most likely millions of young men and women who have thought about science and technology careers but who have no real interest in math and physics. If you’re one of these people, or you know someone who is, below is a list of online pages that describe science and technology careers for artists. As someone who is a balance of tech-nerdy and artistic creativity, I’ve observed the need for artists of all types in science and technology spaces. One of the jobs I’ve coveted is the Artist in Residence position at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, home of the Large Hadron Collider, a multi-national particle accelerator project. The position surprised me because CERN is at the cutting edge of quantum research and the last place some might think artists would reside. But without art, science would be a cold, dark world.

“Encouraging curiosity is central to our agenda, and introducing the public to experimental and open-minded artists is an amazing way to inspire creativity both within science and arts,” said FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) director Mike Stubbs in his call-to-artists in 2016.
The amazing world of science and technology can be brought to life by dancers, sculptors, painters, illustrators, animators and other creative outlets that provide a visual or audio representation of something that can only be imagined, such as invisible particles that collide and interact for only fractions of a second but provide the framework for our entire universe.

Science Jobs for Artists

I’ve compiled a short list of interesting articles and information that highlights science and technology jobs and careers for artists.

http://arts.cern/
Artist openings available at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, with a goal to, “foster the creation of new expert knowledge in the arts by extending artists’ practice in connection with fundamental research.”

https://www.indeed.com/q-Science-Art-jobs.html
Check out the list of science/art jobs on this online job search site!

http://careers.umich.edu/job_detail/148079/scientificbiological_illustrator
This is an example of the need for illustrators in a science-related field

http://www.brighthub.com/office/career-planning/articles/110003.aspx
Career path examples for people passionate in both art and science.

http://work.chron.com/jobs-involve-music-science-23862.html
Four interesting jobs that involve music and science.

https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/10/10-creative-careers-that-use-science-and-math/382160/
“STEM topics blend harmoniously with art, nature, construction, and other areas, making those fields more precise and enabling the creation and discovery of things far greater than the sum of their parts.”

http://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2002/02/combining-science-technology-and-arts-career-well-rounded-or-confused
A brief essay on the author’s desire for more creative freedom in the sciences and the career path she chose.

https://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/articles/10.1038/nj7446-537a
Great article that describes what happened when synthetic biologists were teamed with artists and designers.

“I am happier and more productive when I use my brain differently,”  says an Evolutionary Biologist and dancer who uses dance to choreograph DNA sequences.

http://www.branchingpoints.com/one-branch-ahead/forging-a-career-from-science-and-art/
Story of how a degree in plant biology and love for drawing turned into a career as a scientific illustrator and translator. “My drawing skills had already proved themselves incredibly useful during college for making the schemes of cells, tissues and organisms that are so important in biology. And in the previous year I had already been asked by two colleagues to make scientific illustrations for their publications!”

 

Do you have other art/science sites that should be added to this list? If so, please post them on my Facebook page!

Categories
careers general science

Workshop – Essential Skills for Stem Careers

Quarkshow Presentation – Essential Skills for Stem Careers

‘Essential Skills for Stem Careers’ features ideas for career paths in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), even for those without exceptional math and physics skills. In this presentation, learn about the essential skills beyond math and physics that are needed to excel in a STEM career, and what you can start doing now to pursue a job in a STEM field.

Even for those already interested in science and technology, possible career paths are not always obvious. As a teen in the 1980s, presenter Natalie Carpenter was always interested in computers and programming. However, there was no clear path for how she could use that passion.

In her presentation ‘Essential Skills for Stem Careers’, Natalie shares her experience with Electrical Engineering in college and how other, seemingly non-related classes and skills have helped with her technology career. The presentation also includes interesting career paths for those more artistically inclined, as well as exciting, cutting-edge careers that you may not have considered.

Skills for More Than Just STEM Careers

The intent of the presentation is to excite and encourage the audience to start learning the basic skills that are needed for nearly all modern careers, but especially for a career path in science and technology.

Find Dates & Locations

Click to view dates of locations of this STEMulating science and technology career presentation!

 

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