In The News

Talk of an Internet Fast Lane Is Already Hurting Some Startups

David Talbot May 16, 2014
Studies of internet and computer use suggest that full potential is far from realized. The US Federal Communications Commission is proposing rules that “would allow ISPs to charge content providers like Netflix to ensure speedy service, so long as those charges are ‘commercially reasonable,’” reports David Talbot for MIT Technology Review. “History shows that some Web-based products and services...

New Species of Metal-Eating Plant Has “Great Potential” for Green Technology

Philip Ross May 14, 2014
Researchers at the University of the Philippines, Los Baños, suggest the plant Rinorea niccolifera absorbs nickel, 18,000 parts per million, in its leaves, about 1000 times more metal than present in most other plants. The study was published in the journal PhytoKeys. Researchers expect such properties, available in about 1 percent or less of all plants, could aid in the development of green...

Re-Imagining Kinship

Amrita Nandy May 13, 2014
Valuing biological parenthood over other forms and the shame over childlessness is worldwide and can be pernicious. “Defining human relatedness through genes and blood has been a predominant and often unquestioned notion across most cultures,” explains Amrita Nandy, a Fox International Fellow at Yale University and a doctoral candidate at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, India. As a...

Future of the Internet Debated at NetMundial in Brazil

Leo Kelion April 23, 2014
Following reports that the US National Security Agency had monitored her phone calls and emails, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff organized a meeting to analyze internet governance. Brazil's secretary for Information Technology Policy urges shared global responsibility. “Ahead of NetMundial's start, Brazil's Senate has unanimously passed the Marco Civil - a law that enshrines...

Beyond the Hype: The Industrial Challenges for 3D Printing

April 16, 2014
Many anticipate 3D printing to revolutionize the manufacturing of toys, biomedical products, weapons and more. “The machine – which can also handle resins, powders or food pastes – implements software instructions to build up successive layers of the matter to form the final object,” reports ParisTech Review. “Medical applications – printed human organs – are close to hand now… The University of...

Somalia in High Speed Internet “Culture Shock”

Moalimu Mohammed April 14, 2014
The extremist group al-Shabab had ordered a stop to internet services in Somalia, but that has not dented Mogadishu residents’ appreciation for newly installed high-speed internet, suggests one internet provider to BBC News. Following the threat by al-Shabab, “3G networks nationwide were turned off but the project to launch fibre optic cable services continued in the capital, reports Moalimu...

The Next Drone Wars

Sarah Kreps and Micah Zenko April 11, 2014
As increasing number of countries use drones international agreements on their use could reduce misunderstandings and conflict. While only three nations – the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel – have used armed drones, more than 75 others including China, Japan and Australia have drone technology often used for surveillance purposes. The original hope behind remote-controlled aerial...