Tech Sightings, March 12, 2014

Posted March 12th, 2014 at 2:51 pm (UTC-4)
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The $100,000 Device That Could Have Solved Missing Plane Mystery

The search continues for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370; and the full story will only be known once the flight recorder is found. But a Canadian company already has the technology to fit a plane with a device that can stream crucial flight information to the ground.

Tim Berners-Lee: The Web Needs Its Freedom

As the World Wide Web turns 25, its creator Tim Berners-Lee, who proudly watched it grow and blossom, says the Web now needs human rights, freedom and independence to enable it to support the press.

Chelsea Clinton To Silicon Valley: Hey, You’re Supposed To Be Changing The World

Highlighting the potential of the tech industry for social good, Chelsea Clinton calls on Silicon Valley to apply its talents towards developing affordable, useful tools to help the developing world.

New Rwanda Site a Pilot for Refugee Camp Planning and Design

The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) has opened a new refugee camp for Congolese refugees in Mugombwa in southern Rwanda. But the new site will also serve as a pilot project for a master plan for planning, designing and building more efficient refugee camps.

Forecasters Run Social Media ‘Tornado Drill’

The National Weather Service office in Norman, Oklahoma, part of a large area known as “Tornado Alley,” has been looking for better ways to reach people. Its most recent effort is an online “tornado drill” message in English and Spanish on both Facebook and Twitter, asking people to “like,” share and retweet it, and offering tips for using the sites during severe weather.

South Africa’s Johannesburg Leads the Continent in Tweets

A New study found that Johannesburg’s metro area averages one geo-tagged tweet every 13 seconds, leading the African continent in Twitter usage.

Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative Empowers Women, Builds Resilience

Founded by a female entrepreneur and fueled by women’s leadership, the Ghana Bamboo Bikes Initiative trains and employs women with limited access to education to manufacture and assemble bamboo bicycles.

US Judge Freezes Assets of Mt. Gox Bitcoin Exchange Boss

A U.S. federal judge temporarily froze the U.S. assets of Mt. Gox chief Mark Karpeles and allowed alleged victims of the failed bitcoin exchange to demand proof of what they deem as massive fraud. The digital currency dealer ceased operations last month and filed for bankruptcy, claiming it may have lost bitcoins worth hundreds of millions of dollars to hackers.

Aida Akl
Aida Akl is a journalist working on VOA's English Webdesk. She has written on a wide range of topics, although her more recent contributions have focused on technology. She has covered both domestic and international events since the mid-1980s as a VOA reporter and international broadcaster.

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