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Need Help Paying For College? There's An App For That

Cory Turner

September 25, 2018 |

NPR |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States

In an effort to make the frustrating FAFSA application process even just a little bit easier, the U.S. Department of Education has created a new phone app for students. The app is intended to bridge a gap for families who lack easy access to computers at home. Initial user-testing has been promising - "Students flew through this app," Kim Cook of the National College Access Network says. "They said the app was easy. Parents as well."

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'Magic table' helping dementia patients

Nick Holland

September 25, 2018 |

BBC |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United Kingdom, London

A Tovertafel, or “Magic Table” in Dutch, uses a projector and sensors to create interactive games for people with dementia. From catching fish and popping bubbles to assembling puzzles, the games reduce apathy, improve emotional wellbeing, and encourage physical movement.

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How Facebook's Disaster Maps is helping aid organizations serve people affected by Florence

Ben Paynter

September 24, 2018 |

FastCompany |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Raleigh, North Carolina

To better position services during and after natural disasters, many nonprofits are turning towards mapping technology. Specifically, Facebook’s Disaster Maps share usage data to indicate movement, such as where people evacuated before Hurricane Florence. Humanity Road is another map source that includes data on infrastructure. Putting this information together, nonprofits such as Direct Relief can more accurately target their emergency response services.

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Walmart is going to use blockchain to stop the spread of E. coli and other diseases in lettuce

Kate Rooney

September 24, 2018 |

CNBC |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States

Amidst a backdrop of repetitive cases of E. coli being reported, grocery retailers Walmart and Sam's Club are implementing the use of blockchain into their systems. Although still in early stages, farmers and other suppliers will be required to upload data so sources of foodborne illnesses will be more easily traced.

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Governments are using games to engage citizens — but beware before you play

Jennifer Guay

September 19, 2018 |

Apolitical |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: China, Suining

Games can make policymaking more participatory and push citizens to change their behavior in public, and private, spaces. To keep engagement high, governments should change the games periodically and include both online and offline elements, says Gianluca Sgueo, author of Games, Power and Democracies.

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Like Uber, but for Cartographers

Laura Bliss

September 19, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Streetcred is entering the realm of crowdsourced maps with a twist. The blockchain-based app will pay mappers across the globe in the form of ether, a cryptocurrency. Another differentiator is that the data will be open and available to anyone, an essential factor as Google Maps recently upped their prices. Though still in the early stages, Streetcred hopes to disrupt the map industry by making map data more accessible than ever before.

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Colleges are starting to teach blockchain technology -- but its not enough for some

Sarah Gonser

September 17, 2018 |

The Hechinger Report |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Berkeley, California

While some universities have been hesitant to let blockchain technology into the traditional halls of academia, UC Berkeley has started offering blockchain entrepreneurship courses and student-run blockchain clubs and is actively looking for more ways to collaborate with industry partners. But UC Berkeley is also the first to admit the transition has challenges - those interviewed cited the lack of infrastructure, rapid rate of technological change, and uniquely multidisciplinary nature of the subject area as barriers to timely and enthusiastic adoption.

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Connecting your medical data could be the next big payoff

Arthur Allen

September 12, 2018 |

Politico |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Worcester, Massachusetts

As new Medicare requirements and expenses change, new start-ups are stepping up to move the hospital industry to share data more easily and break down the silos that keep care from being efficient for both patient and provider. The new strategies are helping to coordinate care and services for the highest-risk patients, but there are still concerns that the data sharing is not a long-term solution.

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App makes it possible for vision-impaired people to see into space

Jessica Hinchliffe

September 11, 2018 |

ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Australia, Brisbane

A new app provides a way for visually impaired people to see into space. Using sound and vibration, the app Astreos provides the location and information about heavenly bodies in the night sky.

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A new use for Google Maps: calculating a city's carbon footprint

Adele Peters

September 10, 2018 |

FastCompany |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States

Founded by Google, the Environmental Insights Explorer is an online tool that shows the amount of emissions being released from city structures and transportation. Although still being tested, the tool guides cities towards ways to reduce their carbon footprint and better increase sustainability efforts.

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