Tech Sightings, March 25, 2014

Posted March 25th, 2014 at 2:47 pm (UTC-4)
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UN Highlights Value of Biogas from Wastewater

The UN’s latest World Water Development Report released for World Water Day highlights biogas generation from wastewater as a promising technology to provide energy in developing countries, particularly in warm climates in Asia and Africa.

Twitter Ban Sparks ‘Arms Race’ With Tech Savvy Turks

Turks are exploring more innovative ways to beat Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s ban on Twitter.  The word “workarounds” is showing in graffiti on walls in Turkey’s major cities.

More Than Half of Brazilian Households Lack Internet Access

New research by the Brazilian Institute of Applied Economic Research on the country’s telecommunications services reveals that only 40.8 percent of households have internet access. Those with no access do not own computers (59.6 percent), cannot afford Internet services (14.1 percent), have no need for internet (8.7 percent) and do not know how to use it (4.3 percent).

Wearable Tech Now Tracking When Cows Are ‘in Heat’

Fitbit, the company behind the Silent Herdsman cow collar has received a £3 million investment –  almost $5 million – to bring the collar and other services to farmers around the world. The collar is equipped with sensors that track a cow and trigger an alert if its usual pattern of behavior changes.

Study: Violent Video Games May Be Tied to Aggressive Thoughts

A new report based on data from Singapore claims that kids who often play violent video games tend to show more aggression later on than those not playing them. Experts are still undecided whether there is a connection between violent video games and later aggressive behavior.

Android Bug That Crashed Google Play Can Brick Devices Too

An Android memory corruption bug reported earlier this month by London-based researcher Ibrahim Balic could allow cybercriminals to steal data from victim’s smartphones running Android 4.0 and upwards.

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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