Marcelo Giugale: Can Governments Create Industries?

It is an old debate. Back in the ’50s and ’60s, from Asia to Latin-America, an idea caught fire among development economists: governments should try to create industries.
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Google Prepares Linux 3.8 Kernel

Google Prepares Linux 3.8 KernelSound the alarms! Man the battle stations! Word has gotten out that Google has already uploaded a spanking new Linux 3.8 kernel repository, and in this latest edition, it is said to come with features such as “Samsung Exynos DRM advancements, open-source NVIDIA Tegra driver inclusion and lowered RAM usage.”

One ought to bear in mind that Android 4.1 Jelly Bean relied on the Linux 3.0 kernel as its base, and we have also seen (and heard) that Google has already uploaded the next 3.3 and 3.4 versions too, for the Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean update on its Nexus 4 handset. This leads to the question – assuming that the Linux 3.8 kernel repository is not an indicator that Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie is in the oven, what is it for? After all, most folks do have the expectation that Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie will be announced at Google’s I/O event which will be happening later this May. Ah well, I guess it is time to sit down and strap tight, adopting a wait and see attitude.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Corning Willow Glass At Least 3 Years Away From Appearing In Consumer Products, Fujitsu Prototypes Tablet That Watches You Type A Nonexistent Keyboard,

Virginia Sullivan: Ahhh Facebook, You Are a Cruel Mistress

Yes, I have to admit — I’m really into it now. I blog and tweet things. I’m not only on Facebook, but I’m on Google+ too. And my kids? I’ve left them in the dust. They don’t even know what Hootsuite is. I mean, how out of it are they?
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The Soccket Is An Electricity-Generating Soccer Ball For The Developing World

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We’re positively sure no one ever in the history of the world looked at a soccer ball and thought of it as anything more than just a soccer ball. That’s why we’re a little astounded at SOCCKET, just a normal soccer ball… that also doubles as a portable generator.

You take SOCCKET and play around with it just as you would with an ordinary soccer ball. Dribble, score some goals, take a few good-natured kicks at people’s heads.

SOCCKET then takes all of that kinetic energy from rolling around and hitting people’s heads and converts it into electrical energy. SOCCKET also includes a tiny LED lamp that can be plugged into the ball. 30 minutes of play with SOCCKET can power the lamp for 3 hours.

SOCCKET’s aim, of course, is to be a little more than a novelty item gathering dust on the shelves of The Sharper Image. What may seem like a cool “gimmicky” gadget to us is surely a lot more than that to developing regions of the world with limited access to electricity.

That’s probably why SOCCKET is currently being tested into “resource-poor” areas of North America, South America, and Africa. When you add that factor to soccer’s (aka football’s) overall popularity worldwide, this all sounds like it could be a real winner.

SOCCKET is currently fundraising over at Kickstarter, with a starting pledge of $89.




Linda Watson: Tell the FDA You Eat It Raw

What should farmers do to make sure fruits and vegetables are safe to eat? That’s the question at the core of listening sessions being held by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The agency is seeking comments on the proposed new Food Safety Modernization Act rules.
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The Miracle Bendy Displays of the Future Are Still Years Away

The frustration with devices like a hypothetical iWatch—or a completely imaginary roll-up tablet (maybe a Vaio or something?)—is that they’re made up of parts, and sometimes those parts don’t exist quite yet. Or, in the case of Corning’s brilliantly flexible Willow glass, they exist, but no one knows quite how to use them yet. More »

Brian Boyle: A Message of Appreciation to Healthcare Providers

The power that healthcare providers have is extraordinary. On a daily basis they are not only caring for the health of their patients, but they are also creating reasons to smile, making living conditions suitable and pleasant, and forming connections with their patients who not only need them, but depend on them.
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Sunil Sharan: Why Jayalalitha Is India’s Next Prime Minister

Jayalalitha’s English is excellent, which should be sufficient to make her PM. She needs to brush up on her Hindi though so that she can endear herself to the 400 million Indians who speak the language. That in itself will provide her more longevity of tenure than anything else.
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Christopher Emdin: It’s Time To End the Harlem ‘Fake’

While many do not see the harm in the “new” Harlem Shake internet meme, here are five reasons why Harlem doesn’t want you to shake.
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Faith Hope Consolo: The Faithful Shopper: Fitness and Fashion

I just moderated a panel on “fitness and fashion,” and given that we’re just three months from Memorial Day, this seems a perfect time to focus on getting into shape.
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