With Open Data, The Transparency Medium Can Matter As Much as the Message
BY David Eaves | Wednesday, January 30 2013
This is going to sound crazy, but bear with me: Transparency matters, even when no one seems to be watching. Read More
Two Indian States Launch Government Portals for Mobile Phones
BY Julia Wetherell | Friday, January 18 2013
Public services in Kerala state, with their SMS codes.
As mobile saturation transforms and connects the country, Indian states are making strides with mobile-accessible portals for civic services and information. Read More
For 2013 Elections, Kenyans Have Multiple Online Platforms
BY Julia Wetherell | Thursday, January 17 2013
With fraud and disorganization plaguing the lead-up to the Kenyan elections on March 4, new web portals have launched to give voters a platform for election information, as well as for reporting and tracking corruption, as Aljazeera reported yesterday. Read More
Vietnam's Government-Hired Propaganda Bloggers
BY Julia Wetherell | Wednesday, January 16 2013
The Vietnamese government acknowledged last week that up to 1,000 bloggers and online tastemakers in the country are hired propaganda agents, enlisted to steer Internet discourse towards support of Communist policies. These mercenary netizens have been a vocal presence in the Vietnamese blogosphere and on social media over the past few years, espousing pro-governmental opinions and attacking dissidents. Read More
Slovenian Pirates Might Be Tested Sooner Than Expected
BY Antonella Napolitano | Wednesday, January 16 2013
The Pirate Party of Slovenia (Piratska stranka Slovenije) started, as in most countries, as a movement focused on digital issues and it has been around for three years now. But countrywide protests against austerity and political corruption — and, possibly, upcoming elections — might force them to test their strength sooner than planned. Read More
Taiwan Fights Dengue Fever with Data
BY Julia Wetherell | Friday, January 11 2013
Mosquito (Wikimedia Commons).
The Center for Disease Control in Taiwan has implemented a geolocational initiative for response to an outbreak of dengue fever. Read More
Schmidt and Richardson Have Arrived in North Korea and Are Touring Computer Facilities
BY Julia Wetherell | Wednesday, January 9 2013
Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt Tours a Computer Lab at Kim Il Sung University (screengrab from AP video)
Google’s Eric Schmidt arrived in North Korea earlier this week on a humanitarian visit led by former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. On Tuesday, the group — which also includes Google Ideas director Jared Cohen, formerly of the State Department — was taken on a whirlwind tour of computer facilities in the capital of Pyongyang. Read More
Twitter Users Call Out Fraudulent Voter Registration in Kenya
BY Julia Wetherell | Tuesday, January 8 2013
Screengrab from the Kenya Independent Electoral Boundaries Committee's website
Voter registration fraud in Kenya has been brought to the fore by Twitter users in the country, who are taking issue with political parties illegally inflating the number of their supporters. Read More
Police Surveillance in Sao Paolo is at All-Time High, as Crime Wave Shocks City
BY Julia Wetherell | Wednesday, January 2 2013
A military police officer with a camera-mounted EagleEye backpack, from BBC Future Video.
BBC Future has a look into the Orwellian surveillance technology that police in Sao Paolo are using to monitor crime in the metropolis of 41 million. An integrated network of databases, tablet technology and mobile cameras are giving law enforcement officials an unprecedented eye on activity in the city streets. Read More
Cambodia Could Worsen Its Digital Divide By Banning Internet Cafés Near Schools
BY Julia Wetherell | Friday, December 21 2012
An order from the Cambodian government to keep students out of Internet cafés could spell inaccessibility for many in a country where few have personal computers. Read More