b-sama:

When China met Africa

A historic gathering of over 50 African heads of state in Beijing reverberates in Zambia where the lives of three characters unfold. Mr Liu is one of thousands of Chinese entrepreneurs who have settled across the continent in search of new opportunities. He has just bought his fourth farm and business is booming.

In northern Zambia, Mr Li, a project manager for a multinational Chinese company is upgrading Zambia’s longest road. Pressure to complete the road on time intensifies when funds from the Zambian government start running out.

Meanwhile Zambia’s Trade Minister is on route to China to secure millions of dollars of investment.

Through the intimate portrayal of these characters, the expanding footprint of a rising global power is laid bare - pointing to a radically different future, not just for Africa, but also for the world.

World…China is coming!

emergentfutures:

CHART OF THE DAY: Android’s Share Of New Smartphone Purchases Is Twice As Big As The iPhone

New smartphone buyers are overwhelmingly choosing Android phones in comparison to iPhones and BlackBerrys, new data from Nielsen reveals.

Full Story: Business Insider

This survey is definitely taken before the release of the iPhone5 expected to release this month and probably after the news of the new Samsung galaxy s2. I am expecting to see a big fluctuation in the current stated numbers. Or there is a chance Apple may disappoint its customers this time. Lets see what happens. Waiting for the suspense to be over.

lookhigh:

Ghost moon

From a vantage point about 360 km (225 miles) over the Earth, Space Station crewmembers photographed the crescent moon through the upper layers of Earth’s atmosphere. At the bottom of the image, a closed deck of clouds is probably at about 6 km (3 miles). The shades of blue grading to black are caused by the scatter of light as it strikes gas molecules of the very low density upper atmosphere.

(2003 photo via NASA)

HT: Public Domain Images Online

smarterplanet:

People Are Spending More Time In Mobile Apps Than On The Web | Social Media Today

People are spending more time inside mobile applications on average than they are on the web, according to an analysis from Flurry, a mobile analytics firm.

Flurry measures the time people spend in apps through its own direct analytics. It got numbers for the web using public data from comScore and Alexa. The analysis is somewhat imperfect, but even if you judge it solely on a directional basis you can see mobile apps are consuming more and more time.

So what are people doing in those apps? Gaming and social networking, which absorb 79% of people’s time, according to Flurry. The rest is news, entertainment, and other apps.

laughingsquid:

From Ashes, We Build - 9/11 Tribute Painting by Sam Spratt

emergentfutures:

China inches ahead of US in PC sales for the first time

We may be living in a “post PC” world according to some, but PCs are unquestionably still big business, and they’re now a bigger business in China than anywhere else. That’s according to the latest report from market research firm IDC, at least, which found that both PC sales and shipments in China inched ahead of those in the US for the second quarter 

Full Story: EndGadget

nevver:

Tim O’Brien

Got to get the Time this time.

laughingsquid:

Libyan Rebels Storm Qaddafi Compound

Finally, it all comes to an end. Good luck for the future Libya.

fyeahafrica:

Libyan Uprising News Update: (via thedailywhat)

Live Updates: CNN, NYT, BBC, Guardian, SkyNews, Al Jazeera, Breaking News.

Background: After months of skirmishes throughout Libya between rebel forces and Gaddafi loyalists, the National Transitional Council officially began its “End Game” assault on Tripoli.

The Battle of Tripoli, codenamed “Operation Mermaid Dawn” in reference to Lybia’s renown as the “Mermaid of the Mediterranean,” was launched last night following the successful rebel costal offensive, which saw anti-Gaddafi forces seize control of strategic cities, most notably Zawiya, effictively cutting off loyalist supply and escape routes.

Rebels staged an uprising inside the Libyan captial to coincide with the anniversary of the legendary Battle of Badr, quickly taking over several neighborhood with little resistence. Rebel forces advancing from east and west entered the city this evening and were met with cheers, celebratory gunfire as they made their way toward the city center (see video below).

Latest updates: According to the National Transitional Council, two of Gaddafi’s sons, Saif al-Islam and Al-Saadi, have been captured by the rebels; ICC confirms Saif al-Islam detained; reports have also surfaced that Gaddafi’s son Muhammad has surrendered.

Gaddafi: “We will fight to the last drop of blood”; audio messages attributed to Gaddafi broadcast on Libyan state TV call for Libyans to “save Tripoli,” rise up in arms against the rebels; government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim claims 1,300 killed 5,000 wounded in last 12 hours, blames NATO; NATO SecGen: “The [Gaddafi] regime is clearly crumbling.”

Libyan government calls for immediate ceasefire talks; NTC approves talks on condition that Gaddafi step down; Gaddafi’s presidential guard reportedly surrenders; rebels claim all Tripoli under their control save for Gaddafi’s Bab al-Aziziyah compound; below: rebels reach Green Square (Martyrs’ Square), massive celebration erupts.

Al Jazeera: African Union may offer Gaddafi exile in Angola, Zimbabwe; NTC: “We want to see Gaddafi put on trial in Libya.”

[photo: aje.]

Weak or strong? It’s getting harder to guess with this economy.

image source: firstpost.com

smarterplanet:

I.B.M. Announces Brainy Computer Chip - NYTimes.com

Dharmendra Modha, an I.B.M. researcher, is the leader of the project to create cognitive computer chips.

Since the early days in the 1940s, computers have routinely been described as “brains” — giant brains or mathematical brains or electronic brains. Scientists and engineers often cringed at the distorting simplification, but the popular label stuck.

Wait long enough, it seems, and science catches up with the metaphor. The field of “cognitive computing” is making enough progress that the brain analogy is becoming more apt. I.B.M. researchers are announcing on Thursday two working prototype cognitive computer chips.

The chip designs are the result of a three-year project involving I.B.M. and university researchers, supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The academic collaborators are at Columbia University, Cornell University, the University of California, Merced and the University of Wisconsin.

The results to date have been sufficiently encouraging that Darpa is announcing on Thursday that it will commit an additional $21 million to the project, the third round of government funding, which brings the total to $41 million.

The cognitive chips are massively parallel microprocessors that consume very little power. But they also have a fundamentally different design. The two prototype semiconductor cores each has 256 neuronlike nodes. One core is linked to 262,144 synapselike memory modules, while the other is linked to 65,536 such memory synapses.

Wow! Another smart Indian on the Global technology radar. One more reason to be proud of being an Indian.

Let there be Peace!