Tech Sightings, February 25, 2013

Posted February 25th, 2014 at 2:35 pm (UTC-4)
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Kiva, Vittana Partner to Crowdfund Loans for Students in Developing Nations

San Francisco-based Vittana.org, an organization that helps students, is asking Kiva.org’s community of donors to give $25 or more to help a student pay for college or university and secure a job after graduation.

Are Interactive Toys Interfering With Child Development?

Interactive toys like FooPets, which are the digital, veterinarian-created “world’s most realistic virtual pets” are popping up everywhere. And while they could be the future of toys, no one really knows how they will affect children’s development in the immediate future.

USAID Supports Launch of New Forest Watch Tool

A new high-tech tool to monitor tropical forests has been developed in response to a USAID call for innovation to reduce tropical deforestation. The Global Forest Watch tropical forest monitoring tool was developed by World Resources Institute with support from USAID, Google, Norway and other partners.

Major Bitcoin Exchange Insolvent, Companies Say

Tokyo-based Mt. Gox’s website disappeared Tuesday following Sunday’s resignation of its CEO Mark Karpeles from the board of the Bitcoin Foundation. Virtual currency companies say the failure of the bitcoin site, which incurred heavy losses, could be a fatal blow for the new currency.

Following Rumors that He Might Kill Xbox, Elop Put in Charge of Microsoft’s Gaming Division

Microsoft put former Nokia boss Stephen Elop in charge of its Xbox division – which he reportedly wanted to ax.  The move spread panic among Xbox fans, but does not necessarily mean that the Xbox will be spun off into a separate company.

Mozilla to Bring $25 Smartphone to Developing World

Mozilla is developing a phone for the developing world at a price for the developing world. In an announcement at this year’s Mobile World Congress, Mozilla said they plan to release the first $25 smartphone later this year with the help of a Shanghai-based semiconductor company.

Five Things You Need to Know About Mobile and the Middle East

A new study from Cisco shows where the region is making progress and where more needs to be done. Here some of the study’s key findings.

Microsoft Takes Aim at China to Boost Windows Phone

The tech giant appears to be shifting focus to target emerging markets like China and other regions to take a bite out of a phone market largely dominated by Android and iPhones.
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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