Here is a video of Spelman Spelmot creater and Computer Science professor Dr. Andrew Williams discussing his book ‘Out of the Box: Building Robots, Transforming Lives.
MikeyDigital
Filed under: Black Digerati Analysis | Leave a Comment
Tags: Dr. Andrew Williams, Spelman Spelbots
- Naquasia, Ariel, NeeCee, Jazmine, Mimi, Tajiana , Dr. Andrew Williams
The SpelBot robotics team at Spelman College recently tied for first place at the 2009 RoboCup in Japan. RoboCup is the largest event of research in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence in the world. This talented group of ladies are coached and led by Spelman Computer Science professor Dr. Andrew Williams. Dr. Williams is the first African-American to earn a PhD in engineering from the University of Kansas. I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Williams a few months ago at the Tapia Conference in Portland, OR. I mentioned to him the work I’m doing with Black Digerati and he was like, ‘oh yea I know about the Black Digerati site!’ He lives by the motto that you can do anything, which is what he instills into students at Spelman encouraging them to pursue the field of computer science and robotics. That level of encourage is what underrepresented minorities in Science and Technology need in order for us to succeed. Also, the ongoing success of the Spelman robotics team dispels the myth that women and minorities (specifically African-American men and women) either aren’t interested in Computer Science or don’t have the mental capacity to perform Computer Science research.
Mikey Digital
Source: Spelman.edu
Filed under: Black Digerati News | Leave a Comment
Tags: RoboCup Japan, SpelBots, Spelman College
Below is a video trailer about the increase in mobile phone subscriptions in Africa called ‘Hello African.’ The video is courtesy of whiteafrican.com, Martin Konzett, and the team at ICT4D Austria.
Mikey Digital
Filed under: Black Digerati News | Leave a Comment
Tags: Africa, ICT4D Austria, Martin Konzett, Mobile Phones, whiteafrican.com
During Black History month 2009 Portland State University computer science professor Bryant York profiled 14 African-American males who are doing advanced research in computer science. These brothers are doing extraordinary research in everything from Network Security to Visual Data Mining. The 14 combined have over $32 million in research grant funding. I had the pleasure of hearing one of the brothers on the list by the name of Dr. Brian Blake at Georgetown University speak a week ago at the Tapia Computing Conference in Portland, OR during the Google session. He provided some excellent insight into resume/CV writing.
Also, a separate document about African American women researchers in Computer Science is being developed by a colleague of Dr. Bryant York. I will keep you posted on its development.
Click hereto view the pdf of the write up.
Mike Digital
Filed under: Black Digerati News | 1 Comment
Tags: Computer Science, Dr. Bryant York, Researchers, Tapia Conference 2009
This is a video of a report done by worldfocus.org that describes OLPC Rwanda’s plans to provide computer access to the country’s 2.3 million schoolchildren
Filed under: Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Black Enterprise recently released the ‘Analog to Digital Conversion’ statistics compiled by the Nielsen Co. As you all know the federal government is mandating that television viewers around the country convert from analog to digital technology. The results are causing some industry researchers to speculate that this transition period may create a new digital divide. As it stands now 12.5% of African-Americans and 13% of Hispanic households are not ready for digital technology compared to 8.4% of other households. The city of Houston, TX currently has the highest percentage (15.8%) of unprepared households while Ft. Myers-Naples, FL is the city with the most prepared households.
Honestly, I hope this transition period doesn’t turn into a mini digital divide because the African-American and Hispanic communities are already suffering from so many other digital divides. My hope is that the bill signed by President Obama delaying the conversion until June 12 and the $650 million for more converter box vouchers will prevent another digital divide from developing.
Mikey Digital
Source(s): Black Enterprise, Nielsen Co.
Filed under: Black Digerati News | Leave a Comment
Tags: Black Enterprise, box vouchers, DTV Switch, Nielsen Co.
Below is a video of the author of the book I wrote an article about entitled ‘Perspectives on why black youth shy away from Computer Science.’I will see Dr. Margolis next week at the prestigious Tapia Celebration of Diversity in Computing Conference in Portland, OR that I have been selected out of a pool of computer science students to attend. I will try to schedule an interview with her and post it on the site.
Filed under: Black Digerati Analysis | Leave a Comment
Tags: Jane Margolis, MIT Press, Stuck In The Shallow End, UCLA
Chinedu Echeruo
I can remember a few years ago if I needed directions to somewhere I would go to mapquest.com like a lot of other people. The only problem is, quite a few times the directions that mapquest.com provided turned out not to be accurate at all. The frustration I experienced with mapquest caused me to search for alternatives and I begin using Google Maps or my GPS if I’m in the car! I also take that same approach when I need to catch a train or bus here in Chicago thanks to HopStop.com founded by Chinedu Echeruo.
Chinedu, a Harvard Business School graduate, built the site HopStop.com in 2005. HopStop is a city transit guide. The focus is on providing door-to-door subway and bus directions and maps for New York City, Chicago, London, to name a few. The site also allows you to search for places to eat, drink, sleep and see. HopStop receives a staggering 1.75 million visits and 10 million page views per month. Some of the cool technology the site offers include intergrated Web, SMS text messaging, and the ability to receive audio-based public transportation information.
Chinedu and the HopStop.com team continue to give misguided people in some of our major cities exactly what they need, directions. So, if you live in New York, New Jersey, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, D.C or London, use HopStop.com as your city transit guide alternative. Even if you don’t live in one of these citites, help end the travel confusion of a friend or family member by directing them to HopStop.com.
Mikey Digital
Source: http://hopstop.com/
Filed under: Black Digerati | Leave a Comment
Tags: Chinedu Echeruo, Harvard Business School, HopStop.com, Public Transportation, Transit, Travel Guides
Sup Y’all!
Wanted to drop a line real quick to let everyone know that Black Digerati is undergoing a redesign. We encourage your feedback and any ideas you have that you believe can help the site serve you better. Either post a comment on the site or email the team at black.digerati@yahoo.com.
Mikey Digital
Filed under: Black Digerati News | Leave a Comment
Tags: Black Digerati
Tomorrow I will be attending the Second African American Internet Summit hosted by Target Market News in Chicago, IL. This summit brings together leading consumer marketers, ad agencies, Internet-based companies to examine how African-American consumers utilize the web for information and entertainment. The sessions cover a lot of different topics related to technology and media. For example, at 11am, Google’s Ad Agency Leader Don Moore presents the ‘Future of the Internet: A Google Perspective.’ This is my first time attending the summit so naturally I am very excited and looking forward to networking and learning how to push Black Digerati forward.
A few of the other notable companies in attendance this year include Rushmoredrive.com, Ebonyjet.com, HBCU Connect.com, and InteractiveOne.com. I plan on twittering throughout the event, so please make sure you check for updates at http://twitter.com/blackdigerati.
Mikey Digital
Filed under: Black Digerati News | 1 Comment
Tags: Don Moore, Google, Internet Summit, Rushmoredrive.com, Target Market News
Recent Entries
- Dr. Andrew Williams – Out of the Box: Building Robots, Transforming Lives
- The Spelman SpelBots Tie for First Place at 2009 RoboCup Japan
- The Mobile Phone Revolution in Africa
- Fourteen African American Ph.D. Researchers in Computer Science
- OLPC Rwanda plans to provide computer access
- Is Digital TV the new Digital Divide?
- UCLA Professor Jane Margolis discussing education, race and computing
- Black Digerati: Chinedu U. Echeruo
- Black Digerati currently under redesign
- The Second African American Internet Summit
- Follow Black Digerati on Twitter!
Categories
- Black Digerati (1)
- Black Digerati Analysis (2)
- Black Digerati News (24)
- Black Digerati Startup (5)
- Uncategorized (22)
