Stories from 15 February 2013
Does Pope Benedict XVI Read Science Fiction?
GV Author Filip Stojanovski, in a post on his Science Fiction Observer blog, highlights the work of Canadian science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer, which is somewhat relevant for the recent resignation of Pope Benedict XVI: In 1995, I predicted next Pope would be Benedict XVI. In 2000, I predicted...
#Shahbag Blogger Hacked To Death
Engineer Ahmed Rajib Haider, a young blogger and online activist participating in the ongoing Shahbag movement in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka was brutally killed a few hours ago, reports Mamur Hossain. Hasib Mahmud writes [bn] that a death warrant was posted against Rajib a few days ago on an Islamist-run...
Argentinian Politician's Cryptic Tweet Leaves Internet Guessing
A mysterious tweet published by Argentina's former presidential candidate Hermes Binner drew speculation from Twitter users as to what the seemingly random string of letters could mean. #Obvñzfhnhxds became a trending topic on the social networking site.
Ecuador: No Place for ICTs
With the elections in Ecuador approaching on Sunday, February 17, blog Bitácora de Calú shares its surprise [es] that “NONE of the candidates [running for the National Assembly] focus their proposals on information and communication technology (ICT) as platform for development, NONE OF THEM”, and goes on on listing the...
One Billion Rising Flash Mob
Kristin Boekhoff writes how the trainees and workers of Panigram resort organized a dance flash mob in their village as part of the One Billion Rising campaign.
For Russia's Comics, it's Raining Meteors
Although the shock wave from the Chelyabinsk meteorite injured hundreds of people, RuNet users have been more eager than ever to crack jokes and spread memes.
“A Thousand Europeans Staring Back at You”
The Portuguese website Variações Sobre a Europa (Variations on Europe) [pt] invites one thousand citizens to create a digital avatar and to participate with their opinions for the construction of a democratic Europe.
Truthloader: New YouTube Show on Citizen Journalism
Truthloader is a new daily YouTube show, produced by UK-based ITN in partnership with YouTube, that brings investigative and citizen journalism together, focusing mostly on under-reported news stories from around the globe. They also host a weekly live debate on Google Hangout. Yesterday's show asked “Can citizen journalism change the...
Crowd-Source Subtitles for YouTube Videos
Anyone on YouTube can now sync their account directly to the global subtitling service Amara and invite volunteers to translate videos. Subtitles are created on Amara's platform, but are synced automatically to YouTube.
Kenya's Presidential Debate Ends on TV, Continues on Twitter
With only three weeks until Kenya's presidential elections, technology continues to change how the country participates in the electoral process. Kenyans submitted questions via Twitter for the first ever presidential debate on February 11, and an online election monitoring meant to keep the upcoming elections fair launched the same day.
Cuba: Reactions to Pope's Resignation
Cuban bloggers, both on-island and from the diaspora, react to the announcement of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation here, here and here.
China: Foreign Men Are More Romantic
Rensi from ChinaSMACK translates a forum post about various myths or beliefs that Chinese girls have about foreign men.
Sina Weibo to ‘Great Firewall’ Architect: Get Lost
More than 10,000 Weibo users returned Fang Bingxing's new year greeting with a forward message: Get lost. Fang is the notorious architect of the Great Firewall (internet filtering system) in China. Beijing Cream has the full story.
Japan's Conservation Groups Fight to Preserve Wetlands
Damp and marshy, they seem boring and barren. But contrary to their appearance, tidal flats or coastal wetlands are rich in biodiversity and help maintain balance in the water cycle. For Japan, which hosts 46 of the 2,098 registered wetlands worldwide, their conservation is essential.
Trinidad & Tobago: Dr. Kim Mallalieu on ICT
ICT Pulse launches its “Caribbean Tech Movers and Shakers” series by profiling Dr. Kim Mallalieu, an educator who has influenced telecoms regulation, mobile applications development and Open Data initiatives.
Who Owns the Copyright for Trinidad and Tobago Carnival?
It has been popular in recent years for photographers (professional and amateur alike) to publish their pictures of Trinidad and Tobago's various Carnival activities online, especially on social media sites like Facebook. But now, the Trinidad & Tobago Copyright Collection Organization (TTCO) considers this to be a possible copyright infringement. Netizens weigh in on the issue.
