World Watch: Beyond Gadhafi

Note: The major news headline of today was the death of deposed Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi. There have been other important pieces of news from around the world, however, which we will highlight in today’s “World Watch”.

* Spain: Representatives of militant Basque separatist group ETA claimed that they will halt their decades-long armed campaign.

* Afghanistan: At least 115 suspected insurgents were reportedly killed over the past week by NATO and Afghan forces.

* Philippines: Colleagues of the late Father Fausto Tentorio have accused the army of killing the “great advocate for disadvantaged people.”

* Denmark: A study by Danish researchers has raised doubts over the rumored links between cell phone use and brain cancer.

Video Source – YouTube user europapress

Online Sources- Reuters, MSNBC, Al Jazeera English, ABC News

World Watch: Scary science

* World: According to the World Health Organization tobacco use will kill six million people worldwide this year while cell phone use may be carcinogenic.

* Europe: Former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic was extradited to The Hague where he will face charges of genocide at a U.N. war crimes tribunal.

* Afghanistan: President Hamid Karzai issued a stern warning against NATO airstrikes that kill afghan civilians.

* U.S.: The Pentagon has reportedly considered that certain cyber attacks may be interpreted as “acts of war.”

Image – Franck Perevel/AP via The Guardian
Online Sources- MSNBC, AFP, Reuters, Voice of America

Report: Cell phone use soars in Latin America

If you were to be asked, “what is the world’s second-largest market for mobile devices?” perhaps you may guess regions with advance industrial nations like North America or Western Europe. Another assumption may be made for the continent of Africa with its burgeoning populace.

The surprising answer, however, is Latin America.

A new report by Wireless Intelligence found that Latin America is only behind the Asia-Pacific region in terms of mobile use in the second quarter of this year. The 530 million mobile connections in Latin America represent 11% of the world’s global users, according to the study. Thus, the region surpassed Western Europe (515 million users) for the first time and is also ahead of fourth-place Africa by about 34 million users.

Wireless Intelligence also found that Brazil is the Latin American country with the most connections, 188 million, and also the world’s fifth-largest mobile market. Though Brazil accounted for roughly one-third of Latin American users the report also noted exponential growth in the Caribbean. Hence, one researcher found that there’s plenty of room for growth in the Americas:

Joss Gillet, Wireless Intelligence Senior Analyst says, “In recent quarters, Latin American mobile operators have increased their marketing and technological investments, which have had a positive impact on connections growth. This has also led to increased demand for new data services in the region. Compared to the more saturated European markets, the Americas region still has plenty of room for growth.”

Despite being in second Latin America has a long way to catch up to the Asia-Pacific; that area has nearly half of the world’s mobile users with over 2.4 billion connections.

Image- Reuters (“A woman stands in front of a mobile phone shop in Mexico City October 2009.”)
Online Sources- Total Telecom, Enterprise Communications Europe, The Independent, AFP

Making "Goud" in Haitian Aftermath

Years of underdevelopment have required Haitians to find creative ways to get by. A great example is that of Pierre Benoit, whose cell-phone charging service is highlighted in today's Miami Herald.

Pierre charges the equivalent of $0.37 USD (4 Haitian Gouds) to charge people's cell phones from a generator in front of the crumbled Haitian National Palace.

If you come across interesting examples of resourceful entrepreneurs that emerge from the Haitian tragedy please send them along.

Image Source: Miami Herald
Online Source: Miami Herald

Hugo Chavez and His Vergatario

Venezuela's President Chavez may be telling Globovision to not scoop him or else, one thing's for sure, he's got balls ( and a sense of humor).

How else to explain his launching the "Vergatario" and stifling laughter as he says it.

Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez this month will launch a $15 mobile phone complete with a camera, WAP internet access, an FM radio and MP3 and MP4 players.

The phone is called the Vergatario, which is derived from a slang word for "penis."

Sources : The Latin Americanist, Scanner

In Mexico Cell Phones To be Linked With Fingerprints

Mexico has taken some extreme measures that will allegedly combat kidnappings and extortions in which gangs often use untraceable mobile phones to make ransom demands. Phone companies are now required to get the fingerprints of everyone who buys a phone.

The law also extends to people buying phone memory chips.



Source : Boing Boing