Dr. Daniel Yeh, a professor at University of South Florida, has been issued a $1.14 million dollar grant from the Gates Foundation (Bill and Melinda Gates) which we plans to use towards the installation of a NEWgenerator in Durban, South Africa. The NEWgenerator is a water safety device which cleans waste water, recovering nutrients, clean water and energy from water contaminated with fecal and waste matter.

Yeh’s invention and subsequent installation of the device is rather groundbreaking in that it not only cleans water but produces and harnesses biogas, a renewable source of energy, cleans the water running thru it and gathers nutrients vital to produce fertilization. The NEWgenerator aims to be particularly clean and efficient, particularly in countries with lesser infrastructure like South Africa. The ability to produce energy, clean water and fertilizer all from the same device is a great example of convergence, as this device is much smaller than a waste water treatment plant.

https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-11/uosf-isw110217.php

Facebook is at the forefront of digital ad campaigns which, along with that seen on Twitter, Instagram and others, have begun to blur the line between advertisements and “organic content”. “Organic content” refers to posts, photos and videos created and uploaded by your “friends” on a given social media platform. According to the NYTimes, “Mobile phones offer less room on their screens for ads. Usually, there is only space for a single column of information, and that must accommodate both ads and other content. The result is that ads have moved into a more prominent position.” This removes a users ability to recognize what might be a targeted ad and what appears to be “organic content”. Additionally, the increased use of search algorithms which gather data from your Facebook profile have made advertising that much easier. Now, ads pop up in your news feed, specifically targeting your interest. This brought me to yesterday’s Clicker questions, where one of the options regarding the use of technology/information to help students was “a little creepy”. Facebook analyzing your profile so that it can deliver advertisements specifically tailored to your interests is smart but also too far in my opinion. I think that it removes the creative element of an advertisement. Instead of using unique ad-campaigns, any company with enough money can simply purchase more exposure on Facebook.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/12/technology/how-facebook-ads-work.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Ftechnology&action=click&contentCollection=technology&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=sectionfront