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What is your solution for feeding the world? Calestous Juma’s bet is on technological innovations in agriculture.
Source: Belfer Center
What Black Twitter demands, Black Twitter gets.
So is the case with the official arrival of diverse emojis that finally made their way to Apple device owners everywhere who installed the latest iOS update.
The new update comes with an abundance of new features but none seemed to take over social media quite like the introduction of the long-awaited Black emojis.
From now on, texting and tweeting will never be the same.
Black users can now set their Apple devices to use a plethora of icons that more closely identify with their own appearance.
In usual Black Twitter fashion, users celebrated the new diverse faces with comedic tweets.
“Y’all finna see this Black power fist all over your time TL,” one user tweeted.
Another wrote, “Shoutout to this Black queen emoji! Let our girls know!”
“#ByeFelicia has so much more impact with this dark-skin hand next to it,” another quipped.
Of course, the wave of celebrations was short-lived for some who couldn’t help but look to the future and sigh at what is only the inevitable.
“Y’all gonna rethink asking for these diverse emoji when someone hits you w/ a little black face next to watermelon during a racial spat,” one user tweeted.
Another added that the diverse emojis will take over as the “Black best friend” excuse.
“White people gonna be like I’m not racist. I use black emoji all the time,” the tweet read.
Others acknowledged that the new emojis are certainly going to shake up social media and disturb racists, but they didn’t seem too concerned about their possible reactions.
“Oh man, I can’t wait to use this new black Santa emoji to enrage conservative friends and family next holiday season,” another user wrote.
In fact, controversy has already been bubbling with some users getting a head start on making offensive posts about the diverse digital faces.
“Where’s the emoji for black on black crime,” one user wrote.
Still, no tweet garnered as much backlash as Clorox’s failed attempt to ask for a bleach emoji.
With the addition of 300 new emojis there are certainly a lot more symbols for users to play with and only time will tell what new meanings the Black Twitter subculture will give to the new icons.
After all, it would be hard to find a single person who identifies as a part of Black Twitter who uses the eggplant emoji to symbolize the unpopular fruit.
Among the 300 new emojis, however, a bottle of bleach was not present, which drove Clorox to send out its own misguided request.
“New emojis are alright but where’s the bleach,” the tweet read along with a bottle of bleach composed of emojis.
It wasn’t long before the social media site was sent into a frenzy.
“You guys couldn’t possibly think that tweet would be a good idea,” one user wrote.
Another added, “Someone’s social media intern is in deep [poop emoji].”
Others questioned if the tweet was purposefully offensive or just the result of someone not thinking things all the way through.
“I don’t even think they were trying to be racist,” one tweet read. “Just bein stupid.”
“Ah… Should have ran that by someone first. Bad call,” another tweeted with a screenshot of Clorox’s controversial post read.
Clorox has since responded and insisted that it had no intention to hurt or offend anybody.
The tweet was definitely a misstep as far as interpretation and showed a lack of consideration of the current landscape on social media as race relations continue to crumble in America.
Either way, the Clorox tweet should be the least of Black Twitter’s problems.
According to a report released in 2014, 50 percent of Clorox’s independent board of directors are “minorities” and roughly 10 percent of their employees are Black.
While that number can certainly use a boost, it’s actually a larger number than the current percentage of Black employees at companies like, oh let’s say, Twitter and Apple.
Only about 2 percent of Twitter’s own workforce is Black and Apple shouldn’t be excused for its own diversity issues simply because it rolled out some diverse emojis under serious pressure from their consumers.
While it’s refreshing to see Black social media users attempting to take on the watchdog role against would-be racist corporations, their focus on a Clorox bottle tweet may also be a little misguided when the very platform they are using to launch the attacks seems to show no interest in hiring any of them.
Meanwhile, in the midst of the diverse emoji celebrations, nobody has mentioned the fact that there are now probably more Black people on an iPhone’s keyboard than there are actually working at Apple.
When a group of people come together to contemplate how to use certain data from space to benefit people here on Earth, it’s easy to assume that this crowd would consist of veteran scientists or elite researchers.
From April 10 to 12, however, anyone from the general public will have the chance to take part in the 2015 International Space Apps Challenge.
The challenge calls for “citizen scientists” all over the world to use those three days to come up with creative ways to use data from space in order to solve modern-day issues.
These people will be provided with a plethora of information collected by space probes and other high-end space-agency instruments to help them “develop mobile applications, software, hardware, data visualization tools and platforms” that could revolutionize the way people function and operate across the globe, NBC News reports.
While the participants themselves may not be STEM elite, there will be experts on hand at the annual code-a-thon.
Astronaut Cade Coleman and NASA chief scientist Ellen Stofan will be present at the event in New York City, but it isn’t clear just how much help they will be able to provide to the contestants.
So what kind of development platform will be used to host the massive crowd of innovators?
Thanks to IBM, the participants will have access to state-of-the-art resources in every way possible, even when it comes to the very platform they are building their apps on.
IBM is granting the crowd of developers free access to its Bluemix cloud-development platform, according to NBC News.
This means, in addition to the resources provided by NASA, they will also be able to draw their apps using IBM’s ever-expanding collection of cloud-based development tools.
Among these tools are IBM’s famed Watson Analytics.
Outside of the bare foundation of the annual challenge, the rules allow the public to have quite a bit of flexibility when it comes to how they want to work and what exactly they want to accomplish with their app.
NASA provides the group with over 30 different suggested challenges that fall into four main categories including human health research and robotics.
Participants are welcome to kick off their own challenge and are not obligated to stick to NASA’s suggestions.
It’s also up to each individual to decide if they would like to work in a team with other people or take on the coding challenge by themselves.
When the lack of diversity in Silicon Valley was brought to the nation’s attention, tech lovers and entrepreneurs from all backgrounds quickly began discussing exactly what was keeping Black people barred from the world of tech.
Disparities in quality of education, lack of access to resources for students interested in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and racially biased hiring practices quickly emerged as some of the most popular ideas.
Statistically speaking, there is more than enough data to back up these claims and suggest that fixing these issues could be key to diversifying the world of tech.
As the national discourse continues, however, some tech entrepreneurs are highlighting two more major obstacles that are preventing Black people from not only getting into tech but also discouraging them from launching their own startups.
Funding and fear.
This intimidating duo could possibly be among the great adversaries for aspiring Black business owners, especially in the world of tech.
The number of Black employees at tech giants like Google and Facebook was well below the 5 percent mark in recent years. The number of Black tech-savvy entrepreneurs who launched their own startups plummets to a measly 1 percent.
One key reason for this is the lack of funding.
Even outside the world of tech, Black people have historically faced much greater obstacles than their white counterparts when it comes to seeking financial assistance via loans, grants, investments or donations.
Without the necessary funding to get a startup off the ground, it may be nearly impossible for Black-owned startups to stand a chance in the rapidly expanding tech field.
Companies like Y Combinator are hoping to level the playing the field.
Y Combinator is a major incubator for startups and provides seed money to projects that show great potential.
In the past, the company has backed startups like Airbnb and Dropbox.
Now the company is expanding its reach with a particular focus on Black entrepreneurs.
Even as other programs like Y Combinator have started to shift focus in order to find more Black entrepreneurs with promising tech startups, it’s the other enemy that is still causing many to shy away from opportunity — fear.
At least, that’s how Michael Seibel sees it.
Seibel, the first Black partner at Y Combinator, explained that many Black people have a negative perception of launching their own startups.
“We have to convince Black engineers that they have more control of their careers than they realize and they will always be in demand,” Seibel told The Root.
Statistics would also work to support Seibel’s point.
Less than 5 percent of Y Combinator applicants for the winter program were Black.
It suggests that these entrepreneurs simply don’t know about the opportunity or are convincing themselves to not even take a chance in stepping out on their own.
As frightening of a decision as that may be, it’s a decision that has already led Black entrepreneurs like Riana Lynn and Talib Graves-Manns to life-changing opportunities.
Both of the Black startup founders were announced as a part of the first class of entrepreneurs in residence under Google and Code2040.
The coveted title means they will have access to free office space, mentoring teams from both Google and Code 2040 along with a $40,000 stipend.
They are both urging other Black entrepreneurs to overcome the fear of Silicon Valley and take a massive leap forward with their own tech startup.
Lynn explained that a part of the fear could come from a lack of knowledge or not feeling like one has enough experience in the field. It may seem like a legitimate reason to stay out of Silicon Valley’s deep waters, but Lynn says the solution to such a problem is simple.
“If you don’t have the skills to build exactly what you need, then you should at least have team members or freelancers that can help you move things along faster,” she told The Root. “Then you can also understand a little more about how long the project is supposed to take or how much it may cost, and that’s really key to launching a project as a startup founder with little or no capital.”
Chadwick Boseman tells actor Logan Lerman about his upcoming role as Black Panther in Marvel’s “Avengers” movies at Variety’s Actors on Actors.
Source: Variety
Black Gamers Play Video Games More
In 2011, there were many different reports that made the case that Black and Hispanic gamers were the most active gamers out there. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, “African American youth between the ages of 8 and 18 play games 30 minutes more per day than white youth, while Hispanics play an average of 10 minutes more.” A Nielsen study came to the conclusion that Black gamers from 18 to 49 spent 16 minutes using a TV to play console games. Both studies conclude that Black gamers play games more than anyone else due to socioeconomic determinants, but that has not been proven by data.
And to think, it all started with books.
Amazon.com Inc. announced its latest major move Monday, which will allow the e-commerce site to expand into the home services market. It’s yet another business venture that proves Amazon is the digital giant that just keeps growing.
For years, Amazon has dominated the e-commerce space and reigned supreme over its competitors whenever consumers were trying to have their online shopping needs met.
Now, the company is adding Amazon Home Services to its ever-expanding list of resources.
It’s a move that may have solidified Amazon as a true one-stop shop.
“Third party estimates show that customers spend four times more on services each year than they do on physical products,” Peter Faricy, vice president of Amazon Marketplace told Reuters. “So for us the opportunity is very big.”
Nearly 85 million Amazon shoppers purchase things from the site that require some sort of installation or servicing, Reuters reported. This often forces consumers to take on the grueling task of installing the new purchase on their own or budget additional money to find a third-party installation service that could turn out to be scam, overpriced or just provide poor quality of work.
That’s where Amazon’s new venture steps in.
Amazon Home Services now makes it possible for consumers all across the nation to purchase their brand new washer and dryer while also finding a certified professional to install the new machines.
This takes the additional work off the consumers’ hands while also ensuring better pricing and quality of service under the Amazon guarantee.
Amazon will also offer price matching to consumers who find another third-party installation or servicing company willing to complete the same job for a lower rate than what was originally quoted by Amazon.
The move will put Amazon’s new service in direct competition with companies like Angie’s List, Craigslist, and Yelp, with Amazon having a clear advantage over its new rivals.
Craigslist is still in the midst of trying to conquer years of negative publicity caused by dishonest users and scam artists on the site.
While Angie’s List and Yelp don’t have any major public relations battles to fight, they also don’t tout the same message of sheer convenience.
Amazon is offering an option that will not only attract new users but also benefit the many users who are already loyally and faithfully turning to Amazon whenever they need to make a purchase.
Yet again, Amazon proves to be the king of a successfully evolving business.
When Amazon first surfaced on the Web, it was all about selling books online. Eventually, the e-commerce site expanded to other forms of media including DVDs and CDs.
As the way people consumed media continued to change, however, it seemed like it would be nearly impossible for bookstores and media rental companies to keep up.
Book stores were forced to close their doors, and companies like Blockbusters took a major hit.
Amazon, however, adapted flawlessly.
Amazon began offering video games, apparel, furniture, toys, jewelry and anything else a person would possibly be looking to buy online.
The growth only continued as Amazon became a tech giant, releasing its collection of Kindle e-book readers and Fire Tablets.
With movie-streaming services, music download options and now a home services market, Amazon has made it clear that it is ready and willing to evolve with the rapidly changing nature of consumer demands.
Google has consistently donated to a variety of different causes aimed at boosting diversity in the tech space, including the Black Girls Code initiative. Google donated $190,000 to the initiative in 2014 but never did much for increasing diversity in its own staff. That same year, Google’s diversity report revealed that roughly 79 percent of the tech giant’s staff across the globe was male. Only about 2 percent of the staff was Black.
It has been less than two weeks since the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) published its new net neutrality rules on its website, and two lawsuits slamming the new regulations have already surfaced, claiming that the agency overstepped its boundaries.
Supporters of net neutrality were warned not to start celebrating as soon as the FCC established its new set of net neutrality rules.
Many major telecommunications groups and corporate powers threatened to come after the agency if it tried to strip them of their power to regulate transmission speeds based on content and higher-priced plans.
The FCC barely got to sit back and admire its new legislation before USTelecom and Alamo Broadband followed up on that promise.
The trade group, which includes AT&T and Verizon, and the Texas-based broadband provider initiated separate filings in different districts of the U.S. Court of Appeals, requesting that the new regulations are not enforced because the FCC allegedly acted beyond its authority.
The suits slammed the FCC’s new set of rules as “arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion.”
“We do not believe the Federal Communications Commission’s move to utility-style regulation invoking Title II authority is legally sustainable,” USTelecom President Walter McCormick said in a statement, according to The Washington Post. “Therefore, we are filing a petition to protect our procedural rights in challenging the recently adopted open Internet order.”
Regardless of the new filings, the rules won’t go into effect until 60 days after they appear in the Federal Register.
The FCC has acknowledged the recent challenges, but the agency doesn’t seem too concerned that the filings will result in any major changes.
In a statement, the FCC called the petitions “premature and subject to dismissal.”
Just as one side of the legal battlefield is gearing up for war, however, so is the other.
An industry lobbyist that represents smaller telecom firms is ready to support the FCC’s move toward net neutrality.
“Our side does want an early challenge so that this administration will defend it, and [FCC Chairman Tom] Wheeler will defend it,” the lobbyist told The Washington Post. “The sooner the better.”
Other groups have stepped forward to emphasize the fact that the FCC has a strong case and also don’t believe the recent filings will be any real issue for the agency.
“These companies have threatened all along to sue over the FCC’s decision, even though that decision is supported by millions of people and absolutely essential for our economy,” Matt Wood, policy director at Free Press, told The Washington Post. “Apparently, some of them couldn’t wait to make good on that threat.”
Both of the lawsuits also seem to acknowledge that their cases may not be as solid as each party hoped.
The documents noted that the filings were initiated “out of an abundance of caution” and acknowledged that the challenges might be premature.
These two challenges come after Tennessee already sued the FCC for blocking the state’s restrictions on city-run Internet services back in February.
As for consumers across the nation, however, net neutrality is a topic many have gotten excited about.
Some Internet users were shocked to even discover that their Internet service providers had the right to regulate the speed of their content based on how much they were paying or what they were doing online.
Wheeler said that’s exactly why the FCC is trying to snatch some of the power over the Web out of the hands of corporations.
“The Internet is too important to allow broadband providers to make the rules,” Wheeler said.
