Can Mobile Banking Revolutionize the Lives of the Poor? Kenya’s mobile payment system, M-PESA, introduced in 2007, enriched the lives of Kenyans and gradually spread to other countries. M-PESA allows cellphone users to save and transfer money and use SMS to exchange funds over the network. But will mobile money actually transform the lives of […]
Japan’s Robot Hotel; Mobile Money; Street View Bangladesh
2014: A Wearable, Heartbleed, Sony-esque Kind of Year
2014 saw Artificial Intelligence, 3-D printing and wearable technology expanding into new areas and new gadgets. It marked a turning point with increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. It was a year of upheaval that cast doubt on the viability of cryptocurrencies even as new methods of digital payments were born. And 2014 continued the lack of diversity […]
2015 Gadgets; Mind-Controlled Robots; FireChat
Today’s Tech Sightings: Technology in 2015 – New Gadgets Coming Your Way Watch for improved mobile payments, connected cars, smarter everyday devices and better 3-D printing, among other technological wonders this coming year. The Halting Progress of Mind-Controlled Robot Tech It’s a work in progress, although some quadriplegics have already used their thoughts to operate […]
RoboSimians; IT Nightmares and the Great Firewall of China
Today’s Tech Sightings: The Great Firewall of China is Nearly Complete Officially called the “Golden Shield,” China’s decade-old Internet firewall, which recently blocked Google Gmail and typically blocks Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Google search, is the most effective in the world. The program restricts content deemed sensitive and blocks thousands of websites, including some Voice […]
Tech Sightings, October 21, 2014
How Silicon Valley Can Fight Ebola Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s recent $25 million donation to boost the fight against the deadly Ebola virus is an important step forward. But there are more steps that the tech industry can take to help solve global problems. The Tiny Fishing Village That Became the World’s Gadget Factory Shenzhen, […]
Tech Sightings, October 9, 2014
Zuckerberg in India: Facebook Wants to Boost Rural Connectivity to Reach 5 Billion People Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who is visiting India, is meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday to offer help in providing Internet connectivity and possibly local content to about 600,000 remote villages. Robots in US Hospitals Help Prevent Spread […]
Tech Sightings, September 3, 2014
IT jobs’ Big Threat: Robots, automation A brisk conversation is already taking place about the ramifications of immersing robots in the job market. For the IT sector, people with strong interpersonal and collaborative skills will likely keep their jobs as artificial intelligence and automation become more prevalent. But questions about the potential unemployment arising from […]