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Answering the call

04 Oct 2009 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The Book of Genesis tells us that when the wild animals and birds of the air were brought before man, he had a name for each of them. Remote villagers in Uganda don't always have the answers they need in their daily encounters with the natural elements. Now, though, they have Question Box, a free, nonprofit telephone hotline that provides information to people in remote areas who lack access to computers. The premise behind Question Box is that a host of barriers keeps most of the developing world from taking advantage of the wealth of knowledge available through Web search engines, said Rose Shuman, the service's creator. That could be a drag on economic development. "So I was thinking, why not bring the information to them in a way that's most convenient and useful to them?" said Shuman, who is based in Santa Monica, California. People in two rural agricultural communities in Uganda can turn to 40 Question Box workers who have cell phones. The workers dial into the call center and ask questions on behalf of the locals, or they put the call on speakerphone so the locals can ask for themselves. The operators then look up the requested information in a database and convey it to the workers, who pass it along to the villagers. The workers are compensated with cell phone airtime. The service is a joint effort of Open Mind, a nonprofit group founded by Shuman, and the Grameen Foundation, which is best known for promoting small loans for the poor. It has received financial backing from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In June Google introduced a similar effort in Uganda, also involving Grameen, which allows people to find information on topics like health and agriculture via text messaging. Source: An article by Ron Nixon for the New York Times

internet bill and melinda gates foundation grameen foundation open mind rose shuman question box uganda cell phones google text messaging
Google Maps rolls out new feature for cyclists

14 Mar 2010 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday's reading from 2 Corinthians, Saint Paul speaks of a new creation where "new things have come." Biking enthusiasts were celebrating Wednesday because of a new feature that comes from Google: Bicycle maps are now included in 150 cities on the popular Google Maps service. Biking directions and extensive bike trail data are now available, giving cyclists a way to customize their trips, figure out the most efficient routes, make use of bike lanes, and avoid big hills. "When I need to get off the trail to cross town, biking directions makes sure to keep me on bike-friendly roads and avoid some of the city's busiest intersections," Google product manager Shannon Guymon explained in a blog post early Wednesday morning. Bike trails, bike lanes, recommended routes, uphill slopes, downhill slopes, and busy roads and intersections are all accounted for in the new bike feature. Source: An article by Katherine Noyes for TechNews World

shannon guymon biking bicycles google maps
Facing a storm of criticism on internet privacy

30 May 2010 - Preaching the News for Sunday

Jesus tells his disciples in this Sunday's gospel that the Spirit of truth "will take from what is mine and declare it to you." Internet giants Facebook and Google have come under increasing criticism for collecting and sharing users' private information without adequate safeguards or clear guidelines. Their leaders are promising to do a better job. Facebook on Wednesday announced a major overhaul of its privacy controls to fend off mounting criticism that it is betraying the trust that has made it the world's biggest online social-networking service. "It's been a pretty intense few weeks for us, listening to all the feedback coming in from all the changes we've made," Facebook's 26-year-old founder Mark Zuckerberg said as he unveiled simplified privacy controls. "Now we are making it so there is less information that has to be public," Zuckerberg said. "People want a simple way to control the way information is shared with third parties, so that is what we are doing." Privacy groups and regulators around the world, meanwhile, have blasted Google for collecting personal information through its Street View application. One privacy group called for an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission, saying Google was essentially wiretapping through its Street View program, which eavesdropped on unlocked wireless networks. Google has said the information collection was an unintended byproduct of its mapping process and was not saved or used in any way. "Thanks to both Google and Facebook, we have all the elements of a perfect privacy storm," said Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the privacy group the Center for Digital Democracy. "There are organized and spontaneous consumer protests; investigations by officials on both sides of the Atlantic; and a Congress finally waking up to this issue." Source: Articles by Ian Paul for PC World, Cecilia Kang for the Washington Post, and Agence France Presse

google facebook privacy street view jeffrey chester
Google doodles father of genetics, may he rest in peas

24 Jul 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

The treasure may be buried in a field, Jesus says in this Sunday’s gospel, but the diligent will seek and possess it. The popular search engine Google, known for tailoring its logo into “Google Doodles” to commemorate events, Wednesday marked the 189th birthday of Augustinian monk Father Gregor Johann Mendel, father of the science of genetics, with a logo made of pea pods. Mendel discovered the secrets of genetics buried in his garden by diligently studying inherited traits in generations of pea pods. "We celebrate Gregor Mendel, Austrian botanist and father of genetics, born July 20, 1822. Peas enjoy!" Google tweeted Wednesday morning. Testing tens of thousands of pea plants, Mendel studied the patterns of dominant, recessive, and hybrid traits and developed theories that became instrumental in the development of the science of genetics. But Mendel's work was rejected by his contemporaries and not widely accepted until well after his death in 1884. Mendel’s theories finally were verified by independent studies done by other scientists early in the 20th century. Science now credits Mendel with being the first to understand the process of genetic inheritance. The monastic with a gift for science also studied the secret lives of bees as well as astronomy and meteorology. While a student in Vienna he had studied physics under Prof. Christian Doppler of “Doppler effect” fame. But after he was elected an abbot in 1868, Mendel’s scientific work largely ended when he became consumed with his increased administrative responsibilities. Sources: Articles by Michael Cayna for the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and Wikipedia.com

google gregor mendel genetics peas
Google searches for market mobility with Motorola acquisition

21 Aug 2011 - Preaching the News for Sunday

“How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways!” Saint Paul says of God in this Sunday’s selection from the Letter to the Romans. Investors and tech-watchers are trying to figure out the significance of search-engine giant Google’s announcement Monday that it will acquire Motorola Mobility, merging software and hardware development in a move sure to shake up the booming smart phone marketplace. Google is making a $12.5 billion bet that its future--and the future of other big Internet companies--lies in mobile computing, and with the acquisition the company moved aggressively to take on its arch-rival Apple in the mobile market. The move will allow the Silicon Valley giant, known for its search engine and Android phone software, to get into the business of making cell phones and tablets as well as providing the software that runs them. The deal, which requires regulatory approval, would also give Google a valuable war chest of more than 17,000 patents that would help it defend Android from a barrage of patent lawsuits. “Computing is moving onto mobile,” Google’s chief executive Larry Page said in an interview. “Even if I have a computer next to me, I’ll still be on my mobile device.” The effect of a Google-Motorola Mobility merger on consumers is unclear. But in the past Google has pushed the mobile industry by pressing cell phone carriers to open up their networks and by licensing its Android system at no charge, increasing competition. With the Motorola deal, analysts said, Google may be able to accelerate innovation in smart phones and tablets. “This is an emphatic exclamation point that Google is a mobile company,” said Ben Schachter, an analyst with Macquarie Capital. “It shows how important Android is to Google.” Source: An article by Evelyn M. Rusli for the New York Times

google larry page mobile industry acquisitions mergers motorola mobility ben schachter smart phones cell phones mobile computing
Have technology lawsuits become patently absurd?

02 Sep 2012 - Preaching the News for Sunday

In this Sunday’s gospel Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for fulfilling the letter but not the spirit of the divine law such as Moses handed down in the first reading. In the wake of a billion-dollar verdict in a high-stakes patent infringement battle between technology heavyweights Samsung Electronics and Apple Inc., critics complain the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office grants too many patents and say patent litigation is clogging the courts. One federal judge recently threw out a high-profile case, saying the patent system was in "chaos."Many have questioned whether such complex cases can be decided by juries, while lawyers and judges warn that mounting patent litigation—including cases that encompass everything from smartphones to videogame consoles—will mean mounting costs for consumers."Software patents are clogging the system at every possible point," said Christal Sheppard, an assistant professor of law at the University of Nebraska College of Law. "This could be the bellwether case that goes to the Supreme Court to decide what invention in the 21st century really means for software."Jurors Friday found that Samsung infringed all but one of the seven patents at issue in the case. If upheld on appeal, the verdict could shape how smartphones and tablets are designed as well as the fortunes of companies that make them. Analysts say Apple's legal campaign is partly aimed at trying to beat back the gangbuster growth of Android, the operating system created by Google Inc. which is used by Samsung and other device makers. In the second quarter, Android phones—which are produced by many phone makers—represented 68 percent of smartphone shipments, while Apple's represented 17 percent, according to market research firm IDC. Source: An article by Jessica E. Vascellaro for the Wall Street Journal

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Homily stories

22 May 2011 - Fifth Sunday of Easter, Cycle A

Do a Google search of May 22, 2011 and you'll find some interesting things scheduled for today: Elvis Costello in concert at Madison Square Garden, Bill Clinton to give a speech in Montenegro, the day the world will end, Usher playing in Omaha. Hey, wait a minute! May 22, 2011 is the day the world will end! Not sure how we missed more advanced notice on that. Apparently one Christian preacher has been trying to warn us, and Jesus also told us that he would come back for us. It just wasn't clear that he had an exact date in mind. Instead of panicking, we'd be wise to follow Jesus' advice and let not our hearts be troubled. The hour and day of our deaths or Jesus' Second Coming are not important; what's important is being faithful. Love the Lord, do his works, be a beacon to those who are shrouded in the darkness of fear, neglect, disease, and despair, and there will be a place for you in the God's house whenever moving time comes.

Authors Patrice J. Tuohy

jesus' second coming faithful god's house google

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