Nigeria's low-cost tablet computer

Nigeria's Saheed Adepoju is a young man with big dreams. He is the inventor of the Inye, a tablet computer designed for the African market.

According to the 29-year-old entrepreneur, his machine's key selling point is its price - $350 (£225) opposed to around $700 for an iPad.

He believes that, because of this, there is a big market for it in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa, particularly amongst students.

He is also hoping to sell his tablet - which runs on the Google Android operating system - to the Nigerian government and plans to have at least one computer in each local government area.

Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-18895366

Remembering Sally Ride: A Pioneer Who Changed Everything

"By becoming the first U.S. woman—and youngest astronaut—in space, Sally Ride, who died Monday from pancreatic cancer, was a pioneer and a trailblazer.

But it was what she did with the rest of her career that made her a leader."

Read more at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-leadership/post/remembering-sally-rides-leadership/2012/07/24/gJQAIpWw6W_blog.html

Education 'revolution' comes to rural Herat

Walking into the girls high school in Pashtun Zarghun, I was amazed by what I saw - 1,700 students crowded into a school designed to hold no more than 1,000.

Never before in the history of this rural district have this many girls attended school.

Mohammed Daud, the district's education head, calls it a "revolution" of girls' education.

Read more at: blogs.aljazeera.com/blog/asia/education-revolution-comes-rural-herat

Amid food crisis, Niger does something right

Niger is suffering its third, and possibly its worst, food crisis this decade. More than 6 million Nigeriens did not have enough food following failed rains and a terrible harvest — a grave situation echoed across the Sahel and reminiscent of last summer’s famine in the Horn of Africa. But unlike that crisis and so many before it, Niger is getting it right.

“It is a success story,” said Cyrille Niameogo, Save the Children’s country director in Niger. And if you ask him, the government of Niger deserves the credit.

Read more at: http://www.devex.com/en/news/blogs/amid-food-crisis-niger-does-something-right?blog_id=the-development-newswire&mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRoivqzMZKXonjHpfsX74uwoUK6g38431UFwdcjKPmjr1YEGTst0dvycMRAVFZl5nQhdDOWN

Thousands ’choose peace’ on anniversary of South Sudanese independence

Citizens from South Sudan and Sudan have today been joined by human rights activists, civil society organisations and faith leaders from around the world in a united call for peace within and between the two countries. The global campaign - We Choose Peace - is backed by over 150 organisations including the African Council of Religious Leaders, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, the Enough Project, FIDH, IKV Pax Christi, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Refugees International, Reporters Without Borders and Secours Catholique and marks the 1st anniversary of independence of South Sudan.

Read more at: http://www.sudantribune.com/Thousands-choose-peace-on,43204

Oscar Pistorius Reaches Olympics: Double Amputee 'Blade Runner' To Run Relay, Individual Event

Never count out Oscar Pistorius.

The Blade Runner will be competing in the London Olympics after all, in his favorite event, the 400 meters.

While his selection for the 4x400 relay team was expected, it was a surprise last-minute turnaround by South African sports officials Wednesday that gave Pistorius the chance to run in the 400.

With the decision, the 25-year-old will become the first amputee track athlete to compete at any games.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/04/oscar-pistorius-london-olympics-double-amputee-400_n_1648842.html

Shelagh was here — an ordinary, magical life

"Wandering around her house one recent afternoon, I fished one of her mud-caked Blundstones from the closet and slipped it on, wondering “What is a life worth?”

In the past, I have often answered this question with achievements — campaigns, masterpieces, spiritual or literal changes to humankind and the world. The measure, I’ve thought, is Sophie Scholl or Charles Darwin or Nelson Mandela.

Shelagh’s life offers another lens. She didn’t change the world forcibly, but she changed many people in it. She lightened them. She inspired them, though she likely didn’t realize it. She touched them in simple ways most of us don’t because we are too caught-up and lazy.

Her life reveals that it doesn’t take much to make a difference every day — just deep, full love —and that can be sewn with many different kinds of stitches."

Read more at: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1146928--shelagh-was-here-an-ordinary-magical-life

And: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/your-money/redefining-success-and-celebrating-the-unremarkable.html?pagewanted=all