My story about how telematics data from people's cars unexpectedly raised their insurance rates is on the front page today...

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/11/technology/carmakers-driver-tracking-insurance.html?unlocked_article_code=1.b00.DzhQ.GXkvg-kgWebx&smid=url-share

... and this is where it started: me lurking on car forums and seeing comments like this.

If this story doesn't convince lawmakers we need a strong federal privacy law, I'm not sure what will.

*Edit:*

I want to express my thanks and appreciation for all the boosts and comments! I had no idea this would get spread so widely, and I'm humbled by the support.

I'll reply to this post with the plan that I have for the next session.

Original post below...

I'm volunteering at my daughter's elementary school by teaching a "coding club" for 5th graders during their lunch and afternoon recess.

It mostly went great, except I left nearly in tears...

One of the kiddos that joined is blind, and I discovered that the coding programs for kids don't appear to be accessible *at all*.

First we tried Swift Playgrounds, but that didn't seem to work with VoiceOver. Then, he said that he's liked ScratchJr. in the past, and he got frustrated with that because he couldn't get his cat to move.

I'm kinda at a loss for how to help him. He left crying because he thinks that he can't get it, but I'm sure he can. Does anyone have any advice?

Thanks!!

#coding #swiftplayground #blind #accessibility #apple #ipad

I am a guest editor on this Special Feature of Methods in Ecology and Evolution:

Conservation, Ecology and Artificial Intelligence: Advances and Symbiotic Solutions

Accepting proposals until December 1! Please boost!

https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/2041210x/call-for-papers/conservation-ecology-ai

Xuechun Feng, Nicky Faber, and I are hosting a session at the International Congress of Entomology in Kyoto, Japan 24-28 August 2024. Our session is “Genetic Population Engineering for Pest Management” under the “Pest Management” topic.

We welcome submission of abstracts, which opens on September 1st (https://ice2024.org/call-for-paper/). Gene drive and anything else related to genetic control would fit in well at our session. Looking forward to a good conference!