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☆ How a Jack Dorsey-backed bitcoin miner uses a volcano in Kenya to turn on the lights in rural homes
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-20 | by ( Mackenzie Sigalos | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

watch nowHELL'S GATE, Kenya — Two-and-a-half hours northwest of Nairobi by car, a small group of bitcoin miners set up shop at the site of an extinct volcano near Hell's Gate National Park. "That doesn't happen without the bitcoin miners and us being globally distributed." MacKenzie SigalosWherever the operation, bitcoin mining is a volatile business, because so much of the economics depends on the price of the cryptocurrency. Before getting into bitcoin mining, he and his two co-founders, Philip Walton and Janet Maingi, spent years building internet connectivity infrastructure in rural and urban Africa. Demand from bitcoin miners on these semi-stranded assets is making renewables in Africa economically viable.

Persons: Jack Dorsey's, MacKenzie Sigalos, Erik Hersman, Bitcoin, Gridless, Lake Naivasha, bitcoin, Adam Sullivan, Philip Walton, Janet Maingi, Michael Gottschalk, Nic Carter, Carter, Hersman, It's, it's Organizations: CNBC, Kenyan, Core, Deutsche Bank, Marathon, United Arab, Getty, Island Ventures, Miners, International Energy Agency Locations: Kenya, Nairobi, Lake Naivasha, Malawi, Zambia, Venezuela, Lebanon, Gate, Lake, U.S, Texas, Russia, China, America, Africa, Toronto, Argentina, Florida, United Arab Emirates, Paraguay, Hersman, Sudan, Iceland, El Salvador, Bhutan

It was clear that the war could significantly damage the Kenyan economy, as the country is almost entirely dependent on imports for its conventional fuel supply. But the extent of the damage caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine to Kenya's economy is now clearer than ever. Kalya Kiptiony, investment analystFuel is Kenya's economic lifebloodAfter the start of the war, the price of fuel in Kenya rose, on average, 7.6% every month. Although Kenya gets most of its oil from the Gulf, Russia's invasion of Ukraine led to a spike in fuel prices worldwide. In a report late last year, the UN described just how factors like drought, inflation, and fuel and food price rises are combining to undermine livelihoods in Kenya.

Persons: Lensa Omune, Kalya, Kalya Kiptiony Organizations: International Food Policy Research Institute, Central Bank, IMF, UN, Insider Studios, Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Kenya, Nairobi, East Africa, Africa, Europe

☆ The best places — and best times — to take a safari
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Harriet Akinyi | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

KenyaFor more than 25 years, professional safari guide Geoff Mayes has taken tourists to the best parks in Africa. Amboseli National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is known for its massive elephant population and spectacular views of Mount Kilimanjaro. In those three, one can track mountain gorillas in Mgahinga National Park and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Another park to consider is the Kidepo Valley National Park, with its sweeping plains and valleys overshadowed by the brooding Mount Morungole. ZimbabweApart from the renowned Hwange National Park, I have also visited Matobo National Park, which has a wide diversity of fauna and plenty of white rhinos.

Persons: I've, revel, Harriet Akinyi, Geoff Mayes, Mara —, Masaai Mara, Mara, you'll, Barack Obama, It's, Luis Davilla, There's, Kruger, Addo, Nogaya, Jason Edwards, Dennis Kahungu, Christopher Kidd, Photodisc, Weaver, Clair, Nxai, Patrick J, Cecil Rhodes, Westend61 Organizations: Mara, Reserve, Kenya —, UNESCO, Heritage, Netflix, National Parks, Kruger, Park, Photodisc, Uganda Wildlife Authority, Queen Elizabeth, Lake, CNBC Travel, Getty, Nature, Kalahari Game Reserve, Kenya, Tourists Locations: Africa, Mugie Conservancy, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Uganda, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Nairobi, Mount Kilimanjaro, Solio Conservancy, Africa Kenya, Johannesburg, iMfolozi, Addo, Uganda Uganda, Kyambura, Lake Mburo, Mburo, Ihema, Inti St, Botswana Botswana, Okavango, Matobo

Renewable energy is more reliable but its promise for the region still remains largely unmet. Most households have depended on gasoline generators for power, but recently the government removed a gasoline subsidy, prompting increased interest in solar power, according to dealers. The Nigerian government has not announced incentives to promote solar energy, such as reducing import taxes on solar equipment as demanded by dealers. “The problem was affordability, but now customers can pay installments over a period of 18 months,” said Tunde Oladipupo, an agent for Sun King, a solar power company. Another example of this shift is the Ford vehicle assembly plant in Silverton, Pretoria, which currently sources over 35% of its electricity from solar power.

Persons: Rashmi Shah, ”, William Ruto, Tunde Oladipupo, Sun King, Monsurat Qadri, ” Qadri, ” Mohammed Ettu, Shah, ” Shah, ___ Adebayo, Magome Organizations: Climate Summit, World Bank, CP Solar’s, Associated Press, Kenyan, Solutions, Ford, South, CP, Kenya Power, Lighting Company, Supersport, AP Locations: NAIROBI, Mombasa, Nairobi, Kisii County, Kenya, Africa, Nigeria, Oyo, Lagos, Saharan Africa, South Africa, Stillwater, American, Silverton , Pretoria, Mpumalanga, Kenya —, Abuja, Johannesburg

☆ People coaxed AI into saying 9+10=21 and giving instructions for spying — it shows how these systems are prone to flaws and bias
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Kai Xiang Teo | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Participants at a hacking conference tricked AI into producing factual errors and bad math. AI experts have been sounding the alarm about the dangers of AI bias for years. Another participant got an AI model to falsely claim Barack Obama was born in Kenya — a baseless conspiracy theory popularized by right-wing figures. An undisclosed number of participants received 50 minutes each per attempt with an unidentified AI model from one of the participating AI companies, according to VentureBeat and Bloomberg. AI experts have been sounding the alarm on bias and inaccuracy in AI models, despite AI making headlines for acing law school exams and the SATs.

Persons: Kennedy Mays, Barack Obama, Mays, VentureBeat, Def Con Organizations: Morning, Def Con, Google, Bloomberg, White, Office of Science, Technology, Ku Klux, CNET, Def Locations: Las Vegas, Savannah , Georgia, Kenya

☆ Battered by War, Sudan Faces Many Possible Paths — None Good
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Declan Walsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI, Kenya — The fighting that erupted in Sudan’s capital one month ago surprised few, the culmination of soaring tensions between rival military leaders. But what has shocked many is the scale and ferocity of the war engulfing Africa’s third-largest country, a conflict that has killed about 1,000 people and prompted one million more to flee their homes. In interviews, they agreed on one thing: The immediate outlook is bleak. “We thought through several scenarios,” said one senior European diplomat who, like others working to broker a peaceful solution, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. “None of them ends well.”The immediate challenge is that the warring factions — Sudan’s military, led by Gen. Abdul Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, led by Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan — still believe that a military victory is possible, regardless of the cost.

☆ A World Heritage Designation Can Be a Blessing, or a Curse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Ginanne Brownell | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

This article is part of our special report on the Art for Tomorrow conference in the Italian cities of Florence and Solomeo. MOMBASA, Kenya — It is a tale of three cities. Locals and tourists jockey for space in the zigzagging alleys, with shops selling everything from silver jewelry to body products made with locally grown baobab. And between the two sits Old Town Mombasa and at its eastern tip, Fort Jesus, an imposing 16th-century structure built by the Portuguese, its multiple openings offering glorious views of the Indian Ocean, and gentle breezes that help stave off the coastal heat. But while these streets are busy, too, here in Old Town Mombasa, it’s mostly locals, unlike in the other two locales, where throngs of tourists flood the streets.

NAIROBI, Kenya — It began with a helicopter evacuation of American diplomats from Sudan’s besieged capital city just after midnight Sunday, then turned into a full-fledged exodus of foreign officials and citizens of other nations as the battle raged around them. At the United States Embassy in Khartoum, an elite team of Navy SEALs ushered up to 90 people onto aircraft before taking off for Djibouti, 800 miles away. Hours later, a United Nations convoy began snaking its way out of the city, starting a 525-mile drive to Port Sudan on the Red Sea, while British and French diplomats were escorted to an airfield outside the city where military cargo planes were waiting. Other groups headed for Qadarif, a small town near the border with Ethiopia, and a boat chartered by Saudi Arabia carried its fleeing diplomats across the Red Sea. After days of fruitless diplomatic efforts to get two warring Sudanese generals to lay down their weapons, foreign governments took another tack this weekend: fleeing a country, long viewed as strategically important, that has been in the grip of intense fighting for over a week.

☆ Seeing Opportunities, World Powers Take Sides in Sudan War
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Declan Walsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI, Kenya — As war consumes Sudan, nations from around the world have mobilized swiftly. A Libyan warlord offered weapons to his favored side, American officials said. Even the leader of Russia’s most notorious private military company, Wagner, has gotten involved. Publicly, he has offered to help mediate between the rival generals fighting for power, but American officials say he has offered weapons, too. “The U.N. and many others want the blood of the Sudanese,” Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner founder, said in a statement.

Many other hospitals were also reported to have come under attack on Monday, the third day of fighting in Sudan. Russia has also been trying to make inroads in Sudan, and members of the Kremlin-affiliated Wagner private military company are posted there. Leaders from around the world called for a cease-fire, but it was not clear who, if anyone, was in control of Sudan, Africa’s third-largest country, by area. “Everyone is afraid,” said Ahmed Abuhurira, a 28-year-old mechanical engineer who went out to try to charge his cellphone. “The humanitarian situation in Sudan was already precarious and is now catastrophic,” he said.

☆ As New Wave of Violence Hits Sudan’s Capital, Civilians Feel the Strain
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI, Kenya — As a new wave of violence swept the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, on Monday, millions of residents hiding in their homes felt the growing strain from the battles, and doctors and hospitals were struggling to cope with casualties and get the supplies and staff members that they needed. The forces of rival generals battling for control of Sudan clashed for a third day in Khartoum, threatening to worsen a humanitarian crisis in a nation already facing dire economic straits, growing hunger and widespread unemployment. Some were too afraid to venture out for food or other supplies. A doctors’ group said that hospitals remained understaffed and were running low on supplies as wounded people streamed in. And the World Health Organization said that the insecurity in the capital was impeding medical workers and ambulances from reaching those in need of critical care.

☆ Sudan Fears ‘Ghost of Civil War’ as Explosions Rock Capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( Declan Walsh | Abdi Latif Dahir | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Fighter jets screamed over Khartoum, the capital, on Sunday, firing rockets into a city of millions. Artillery barrages slammed into the military headquarters, reducing it to a tower of flames. Civilian planes were bombed at the city’s airport, where terrified passengers cowered on the terminal floors. And when their relationship disintegrated into violence this weekend, it set off a breathless descent that appeared the realization of many people’s worst fears. One of the factions even captured and held Egyptian soldiers, along with seven Egyptian warplanes, threatening to suck a powerful neighbor into the fight and raising the specter of a regional conflagration.

☆ Fighting Erupts in Sudan’s Capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Declan Walsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

NAIROBI, Kenya — Gunshots and explosions rang out on Saturday morning in several parts of Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, as residents reported clashes between rival factions of the armed forces. The military, which seized power in a coup 18 months ago, had agreed to hand that power to a civilian-led government this month. Intensive diplomatic efforts to prevent the tensions from escalating into violence appeared to collapse on Saturday. A resident living near a Rapid Support Forces camp in the Soba district said it was under attack from regular army forces. Videos circulating on social media showed soldiers and armored vehicles moving through the deserted streets of residential areas against a backdrop of intensive gunfire.

☆ A 52-home community starting is now being 3D-printed in Kenya — take a look around Mvule Gardens
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-23 | by ( Brittany Chang | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

“If we truly wanted to have a massive impact on the school and housing backlog, we needed to change the way we build more disruptively,” he said. “That’s when we came to the conclusion that the only technology which would do that is 3D printing.”14Trees

☆ Money can buy happiness for households earning up to $123,000, study suggests
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Aria Bendix | Aria Bendix Is The Breaking Health Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

A recent experiment suggests that money can indeed buy happiness — at least for six months, among households making up to $123,000 a year. The group that got $10,000 reported higher levels of happiness than those who did not after their three months of spending. Then, after three more months had passed, the recipients still reported levels of happiness higher than when the experiment started. Ania Jaroszewicz, a behavioral scientist at Harvard University, said there is still no scientific consensus about whether money can buy happiness. Jaroszewicz highlighted that in any study of money and happiness, outcomes can also depend on the particular circumstances of people's lives and their expectations.

27-year-old industrial engineer Guillermo Martinez started making 3D-printed prosthetics in 2017. However, the day Martinez day watched a tutorial for a prosthetic hand would change his life forever. These are the 3D prostheses Martínez makes. Business Insider EspañaHe knew he had to get a move on if he wanted to pursue the initiative so he began talking to the press. "Thanks to the media, more and more emails turned up in my inbox asking for 3D prostheses.

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