Stories about Technology from June, 2014
Google's Eric Schmidt Makes a Surprise Visit to Cuba to Promote Internet Freedom
If the US wants change, it should empower Cubans with smartphones, encourage freedom of expression and give them information tools, Schmidt said.
Angela Garipova: The Internet Promotes Peaceful Dialogue in Kazakhstan
Angela Garipova, presenter of the program Bloggers on Kazakhstan's state television channel 24.kz, tells Global Voices about the changes happening in Kazakh society, many of which are being reflected online.
Russian Team Leaves World Cup
Russians resigned to poor national team performance.
Beyond the World Cup Headlines: Iran's Lacking Team Spirit, but Brazil's Favelas Have Plenty
You have to know more than just football to understand the World Cup. Deji Olukotun gives a play-by-play of the important free expression and human rights issues.
Are Turkey and NetClean Partnering to Stop Child Abuse or Curtail Internet Freedoms?
Turkey's reported partnership with NetClean, a big Swedish cyber-security company, is worrying Turkish Internet users that the worst in Ankara's battles with the web is still to come.
National Heroes Get a Postmodern Makeover in Kazakhstan's #Selfie Statue Scandal
This week the eyes of the Kazakh Internet have been fixed on an ill-fated statue of two national heroes caught between historical greatness and the trappings of the 21st century.
Meet Xiaobing, the (Fun? Annoying? Creepy?) Chatbot Taking Over China's Weibo
Microsoft's artificial intelligence robot, which is modeled after a 16-year-old girl, has found new life on Twitter-like Sina Weibo after being blocked on messaging app WeChat earlier this month.
Facebook and Its Terms of Use
On her blog, Andrea shares a very thorough report about Facebook and some terms of use often overlooked. First, she explains what those terms of use are: (Las condiciones de servicio) te explican cuáles son las condiciones de uso del servicio, qué pueden hacer con tus datos, tus responsabilidades y...
Informal WiFi Networks Have Been Dismantled in Havana
The networks are primarily used to play games, share TV shows, series, and movies.
The Debate on Internet Access in Cuba Intensifies
Cubans are increasingly asking for cheaper and broader access to the Internet.
French Startup Companies Want to Make Your Home Smarter
Want a smart thermostat to control your home's heating? Or one that is hooked up to the Internet and measures your home's concentration of CO2? French start-ups are on it.
TV Networks in Africa Squabble Over World Cup Broadcast Rights
Thanks to legal battles and network decisions, some fans on the continent might have a more complicated time tuning in to the World Cup.
Twitter's Game of Cat and Mouse in Russia
A pattern is emerging in the relationship between the Kremlin and Twitter, where Moscow makes sweeping demands of the website and then touts the resulting compromise as a victory.
People in Hong Kong Have a Legitimate Reason to Freak Out When Facebook Is Down
Denial-of-service attacks in Hong Kong have recently targeted an online referendum on democratic reform and a media outlet critical of Beijing. Some suspect mainland China are behind the attacks.
Chile Will Build the Biggest Telescope on Earth
In Fotones Valley at Cerro Armazones in the Atacama desert, Chile, the construction for what will become the largest optical telescope in the world, with a diameter of 39 meters, are underway. In 2010, the European Southern Observatory Board chose that location in the Chilean desert for the future E-ELT.2. It will be...
Russian Phone Prankster Fools Belarus Dictator
After Lukashenko found out he was a victim of a prank, he apparently gave his security apparatus "a week" to find Vovan and bring him to some form of justice.
Do You Suffer From Device Upgrade Fever? These People May Have Found A Cure
Inspired by the tinkerers and fixers of the developing world, Janet Gunter and Ugo Vallauri's project seeks to help the world by helping people give their electronics longer lives.
Iran's Internet Under Hassan Rouhani: Hope and Disillusionment as Narenji Bloggers Face Prison Sentence
What explains the recent moves to tighten controls within Iran’s cyberspace alongside Rouhani’s liberal Internet ethos? Mahsa Alimardani and Fred Petrossian explain in this exclusive #longread for GVA.
Cloudflare CEO Updates DDoS Attacks on Civic Referendum in Hong Kong
The civic referendum on the election mechanism of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong has begun around noon time today on 20 of June. The voting system has been under massive DDoS attacks since June 14 and now it relies on Cloudflare to defend the platform. Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince...
Urban Pakistani Musicians Jam With a Rural Folk Singer and Create Something Beautiful for the Internet
The video for "Sarak Sarak" was published on Facebook, SoundCloud and Vimeo, but not YouTube - that remains blocked in Pakistan.
Analysis: How Pakistani Politicians and Fake Accounts Drove Twitter Trends on Lahore's Rare Political Violence
Twitter users in Pakistan picked up on the unusual violence immediately, and three different hashtags specifically targeted the government.
