As the world scrambles to contain the deadly Ebola outbreak, which has infected up to 9,900 people and claimed nearly 4,900 lives, some hospitals have turned to robots to help them fight back. Xenex Disinfection Services, a Texas-based company founded by two epidemiologists, has developed a line of robots to help eliminate pathogens that cause […]
Tech Sightings, October 23, 2014
Facebook Boss Speaks Mandarin In China Debate A heavy accent it may be, but Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg managed to surprise and charm Beijing students with a Q&A session in Mandarin. China currently bans access to Facebook, but Zuckerberg said in response to a question, “We’re already in China”. Europe Leads World in Mobile Payments […]
Tech Sightings, October 22, 2014
Survey: Harassment a Common Part of Online Life A new study from the Pew Research Center found that online harassment is a common phenomenon, at least in the United States, with nearly three-quarters of American adults who use the Internet witnessing online harassment, and 40 percent being harassed themselves. Hungary Plans New Tax on Internet […]
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 16, 2014
SMS Service Could Spot the Next Ebola Outbreak Zone Australian doctor Mohamad-Ali Trad is looking to raise enough money to launch an SMS service in West Africa that directs patients who text key words to a given number to appropriate services where they can get help. Trad says the system also records the geographic patterns […]
Tech Sightings, October 15, 2014
Study Confirms First Case of Google Glass Addiction A U.S. serviceman who recently checked himself into a substance abuse rehabilitation program for alcohol addiction started displaying withdrawal behavior after he was stripped of his Google Glass. After wearing Glass for 18 hours a day for two months, withdrawal symptoms included feeling irritable and lacking focus, […]
Tech Sightings, October 14, 2014
Mark Zuckerberg, Wife Priscilla Donate $25M to Fight Ebola Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have announced that they have made a donation of $25 million to the Centers for Disease Control Foundation to help fight Ebola, the deadly virus that has claimed more than 4,000 lives and continues to spread. While […]
Q&A: XPRIZE Looks to Reinvent Learning in Africa
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, 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 […]