uganda

Man infected after stealing phone from Ebola patient?

Some stories defy your emotions, making it hard to decide which part is paramount.

In this one, for example, how does one react to a gruesome version of paying it forward?

A man in Kyakabugahya LCI in Kagadi Town, Uganda, allegedly needed to steal a cell phone so badly that he went into a hospital -- where, perhaps, the marks are easy.

Gawker directed me to Uganda's Daily Monitor, which describes an unparalleled twist.

The alleged thief, aged 40, reportedly got past security at the Kagadi Hospital in the middle of the night and stole the phone from a patient who was fighting the Ebola virus. Yes, this was the isolation ward.

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Hacker launches volunteer program for security professionals

LAS VEGAS--Johnny Long used to be known for Google hacking--finding vulnerable servers on the Internet using specific search terms. Now he's helping humanitarian groups, street kids, and police in Uganda learn how to use computers and keep malicious hackers out of their systems, as well as matching other information security professionals to charities that need help.

Long, who started the Hackers for Charity nonprofit in 2008, launched a new program at the DefCon hacker conference here this weekend that he's calling InfoSec without Borders and which is modeled after the Doctors Without Borders program.

"The volunteers are … Read more

For Uganda's poor, a cellular connection

In many parts of the world, electricity is a luxury. People spend hours gathering firewood to cook their dinners or warm their homes. In Uganda, only 10 percent of the population has electricity, the vast majority doesn't have microwave ovens, computers, or televisions. People don't have access to the latest information on disease outbreaks, weather forecasts, or soccer championships. But this may soon change.

More than a third of Uganda's population, about 10 million people, own a cell phone, and many more have access to these phones through family members and neighbors. Cell phones can be found … Read more