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Q&A: XPRIZE Looks to Reinvent Learning in Africa

Posted October 10th, 2014 at 1:00 pm (UTC-4)
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The folks at XPRIZE – a non-profit foundation that helped finance civilian space travel and develop better technologies to clean up the oceans, have now launched a $15 million competition to provide learning solutions for children in Africa and the developing world. Chatting with TECHtonics, Matt Keller, Senior Director of Global Learning XPRIZE, shed more […]

Tech Sightings, September 30, 2014

Posted September 30th, 2014 at 2:00 pm (UTC-4)
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Hong Kong Protesters Turn to Mesh Networks to Evade China’s Censorship As tens of thousands of students fill Hong Kong Streets as part of the Umbrella Revolution,  demanding democratic reform, Beijing blocked Hong Kong social media sites to keep mainland China in the dark. But the protesters are a step ahead with an app called […]

Tech Sightings, September 23, 2014

Posted September 23rd, 2014 at 2:07 pm (UTC-4)
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Alibaba’s Jack Ma Rises to Top of China Rich List Alibaba executive chairman Jack Ma has become China’s richest man with an estimated fortune of $25 billion. According to Hurun Reports of China’s super-rich for this year, Ma has relegated to second place Wanda property group chief Wang Jianlin, whose fortune is estimated at $24.2 billion. […]

Tech Sightings, August 28, 2014

Posted August 28th, 2014 at 2:57 pm (UTC-4)
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Source: Microsoft CEO to Visit China Amid Antitrust Probe Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella is planning to visit China in late September, according to sources quoted by Reuters. The move comes amid ongoing Chinese government anti-trust probes of Microsoft and other Western companies. China Supplier of Samsung, Lenovo Denies Using Child Workers HEG Technology, a supplier […]

Tech Sightings, August 12, 2014

Posted August 12th, 2014 at 2:05 pm (UTC-4)
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African Women Begin to Break Down Tech Barriers Across Africa, more women are getting into the tech industry with the help of several non-profit groups that are equipping them with the necessary skills and means to get a foot in the door. But the male-dominated tech sector still makes it hard for these women to […]

Tech Sightings, August 7, 2014

Posted August 7th, 2014 at 2:15 pm (UTC-4)
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Can an African Virtual SIM Gamble Pay Off? The New Delhi-based Bharti Airtel, in a deal with UK-based Movirtu, hopes  to do away with handsets, which are often shared among family members in Africa. Using a technology called Movirtu Share, Airtel hopes that the shared family phone could benefit from its virtual SIM, which allows […]

Tech Sightings, July 23, 2014

Posted July 23rd, 2014 at 2:01 pm (UTC-4)
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Why Africa Needs Maker Faire Maker Faire, an international celebration of hardware hacking, is making its way to South Africa in September. Organizers are looking to focus on African makers and inventors and are actively seeking them out to encourage them to attend. Building a Generation of Women Scientists in Africa An educational program initiated […]

Tech Sightings, July 22, 2014

Posted July 22nd, 2014 at 2:03 pm (UTC-4)
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New Spongelike Structure Converts Solar Energy into Steam Using layers of graphite flakes and carbon foam, MIT researchers have produced a new porous material that floats on water like a sponge. Once exposed to solar energy, its surface generates a hotspot that draws up water and converts it to steam. Twitter Takes Down Suspect Pro-China […]

Africa’s Solar-Powered Internet Schools Bridge Digital Divide

Posted June 20th, 2014 at 2:10 pm (UTC-4)
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Looking to the skies, Google and Facebook are harnessing solar energy to launch fleets of balloons, drones and satellites to connect the world to the Internet. But another tech company has taken a different path, using the sun’s ubiquitous – and free – energy to power new opportunities in health and education in Africa. As […]

Tech Sightings, June 10, 2014

Posted June 10th, 2014 at 2:00 pm (UTC-4)
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Facebook, Twitter Brace for World Cup Fever Facebook is offering new features to help its huge soccer fanbase get the most out of the July 12 World Cup games in Brazil. Nearly 40 percent of the social media giant’s 1.28 billion users are football fans. The new features let football aficionados track their favorite players […]