A collection of articles and posts over the past week that I have read and would like to share.

• Ars Technica: From Altair to iPad: 35 years of personal computer market share – For anyone who wants to get nostalgic about their first PC.
• The Economist: The veepstakes: Why Paul Ryan? – An interesting choice for the Romney ticket. Still not sure what to make of this pick though.
• Wired: How Apple and Amazon Security Flaws Led to My Epic Hacking – A scary read for all of us in the interconnected cloud. I read it more as a cautionary tale on how to be smarter on the web, rather than a “don’t ever use the cloud again or any online service.” We just need to be smarter about how we protect ourselves. It should be further noted that security measures will continually be broken as hackers learn more; it’s a cat and mouse and hopefully you don’t get caught in the middle of the chase.
• TechCrunch: SocialPandas Raises $1.5 Million For CRM Tools To Aid The Forgotten Sales Person
• Business Insider: Twitter Cofounders Unveil Their Newest Project, An Online Publishing Platform Called Medium – I’m skeptical of this product, but need to read more to get a better understanding of it.
• TechCrunch: Khan Academy Launches The Future of Computer Science Education – I think the work Khan Academy is doing is great. This, along with other education startups, will definitely help us in the future, especially as workforces will need to adapt and we will need to educate our workforce for the future. A great step forward.
• Guardian.co.uk: Slavery still shackles Mauritania, 31 years after its abolition – Tough to comprehend, and sad all the same.
• NationalPost.com: A year after the massacre, Norway refuses to sell out its values – A strong culture and a strong people. If only all cultures and countries could be half as strong as they are.
• The Economist: Paul Ryan’s Randianism – Great writing from the Democracy in America Blog. Illuminating.
• The Economist: Bagehot: Glory and Hope – A lot of people have been writing what sort of lasting legacy the Olympics will have had on Great Britain after the games leave. Many are pondering the economic impact on spending billions during a (potential) double dip recession there, but I think Bagehot nails it: so what if nothing tangible really comes from the games? The fact that it was a great show, that people got together, and Britain notably exceeded even their own peoples’ expectations are all causes worthy enough to stamp the games with an A+.
• TechCrunch: Why All Schools Need iPads: Ending Texas’ Bizarre Control Over National History Textbooks – I’m a big proponent of this and any sort of education reform, big or small.
• Ars Technica: How a drug mule named “Big Foot” helped create terrible GPS search law – Fascinating, annoying and funny all the same.
• New Yorker: Can Hospital Chains Improve the Medical Industry? – Time and time again everyone is talking about the ticking time bomb that is healthcare. Putting universal coverage aside and that whole debate, let’s simply look at costs. This is a great look at how medicine can learn a thing or two from one corporation that has managed to remain efficient in everything they do: The Cheesecake Factory. While, yes, doctors will still need to interact with patients, there are still many “layers” of healthcare that need to be peeled back and also streamlined. Medicine would do well to heed some of the ideas learned within the kitchen.
• Wired: Apocalypse Not: Here’s Why You Shouldn’t Worry About End Times – A great reality check for all you doomsday lovers out there. And yes, while human existence faces some very real threats to our continuation as a species, let’s remember to put everything back into perspective.