Researchers at the Australian National University have found a better way to keep an eye on the spread of malaria and other parasitic diseases using satellite data and remote sensing. Malaria, a preventable disease spread by mosquitoes, puts at risk up to 3.3 billion people worldwide. That included up to 97 countries in 2014, according to […]
Nepal Internet Recovering, but Long Road Ahead
Posted May 1st, 2015 at 2:37 pm (UTC-5)
Internet traffic to Nepal has slowly picked up since a massive April 25 earthquake killed more than 7,800 people and partially knocked out Internet connectivity, leaving people in the disaster zone unable to access web and mobile tools designed to help them connect with loved ones. “They’re not back at pre-quake levels yet,” said David […]
The Homeless Need Cell Phones Too
Posted April 24th, 2015 at 2:11 pm (UTC-5)
They may not be able to afford them, but homeless people need cellphones too. Those who can afford them tend to be disconnected after a while for not being able to pay their bills – a problem that takes them out of the social services loop. But a recent hackathon from a Silicon Valley non-profit […]
Who Says the Internet is Bad for Morality?
Posted April 17th, 2015 at 2:03 pm (UTC-5)
The Internet has changed people’s lives in many ways over the years, particularly in developing countries. In addition to those who see it in a positive light, a recent Pew Research Center survey found many others who view the Internet as a negative influence on morality – depending of course on how you define morality. […]
Identity Theft Victim? Don’t Panic. Take Action.
Posted April 10th, 2015 at 2:00 pm (UTC-5)
Like it or not, some of your personal data is probably on the Internet. And even if you diligently try to protect the information about you that’s “out there,” it could still end up in the hands of an identity thief. Whether it’s on a compromised company server, or on a laptop left on a […]
Gaming Gives Expression to the Horrors of Genocide, War
Posted April 3rd, 2015 at 2:00 pm (UTC-5)
Twenty one years ago, on April 7, 1994, Hutu militias armed with clubs and machetes began a 100-day genocidal massacre of Rwanda’s minority Tutsi. When they were done, an estimated 800,000 people had perished. In 2008, Jamie Antonisse, then a student at the University of Southern California’s Interactive Media MFA program, selected for a class project the […]
UN-Habitat Minecrafts the World, Block by Block
Posted March 27th, 2015 at 2:00 pm (UTC-5)
Millions of people around the world play Minecraft or use its textured cubes to unleash their creativity, sometimes recreating entire cities. But UN-Habitat has taken Minecraft to a whole new level to involve young people in renovating their world. A couple of years ago, the Lotus Gardens in Mumbai, India looked like this: Now the […]
Text Messaging Gives Malawi’s Expectant Mothers a Head Start
Posted March 20th, 2015 at 2:00 pm (UTC-5)
You don’t have to speak Chichewa to know what Chipatala cha pa Foni is about, but it helps if you are a pregnant mother or health worker in Malawi. Chipatala cha pa Foni means health center by phone. Launched by the non-profit VillageReach in 2011, the center connects expectant mothers in Malawi with health workers […]