Google Chrome

According to an Internet monitor, StatCounter, last weekend more people used Google Chrome than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. Before then, Explorer had the spot of being the highest-used browser in the world. While StatCounter found that more people used Chrome, other Internet trackers show that Internet Explorer is still in the lead. On Sunday, Google Chrome received about 32.8 percent of Web page requests, while, Internet Explorer fielded 31.9 percent. Another company that tracks Internet traffic, ComScore, did not come up with comparable numbers to StatCounter, but Andrew Lipsman, spokesman, said that StatCounter's numbers are "consistent with what I've seen." The numbers show that times are changing and maybe Chrome will become the more popular web browser for good.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/21/tech/web/chrome-explorer-browser-wars/index.html?hpt=hp_bn11

Technology Helping Children with Autism

Sharia was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. Because of her autism, she had difficulty communicating other than crying until the iPad was released. Apps such as Proloquo2Go, First Words, and ABC’s and me helped her learn to form short sentences. Proloquo2Go was the first real augmented communication app released for iPhones. Augmentative and alternative communication, or AAC, is used to help children who have disorders communicate.  Proloquo2Go founder, David Niemeijer, said that 90 percent of AAC users use an iPad, and more than 25 percent use an iPhone or iPod Touch, and about half have improved in their communication skills. There are now 764 autism apps for the iPad and 142 of them were released just this year. Equipment that was previously used for this therapy cost between 9,000 to 15,000 dollars. The apps for children with autism can cost up to $299.99, but compared to the price of the old equipment, it is cheap. "Steve Jobs did not realize he was giving a voice to the voiceless," Phoebe Tucker, a speech language pathologist, said. Sharia is now able to speak in broken sentences and is more aware of what is going on around her. Siddiqui said, "I often tell my wife I think of it as Sharia before the iPad and Sharia after the iPad. It was that significant." The family is even thinking about taking Sharia to Pakistan to visit their extended family, because she is doing so well and the therapists think she might be able to handle that big of a change in environment.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/14/tech/gaming-gadgets/ipad-autism/index.html?hpt=hp_bn11

Dumisani Rebombo

Dumisani Rebombo, a man who once raped a girl, is now an advocate for women’s rights in Africa. He committed the act at age 15 because his friends said that he should prove his manhood by raping someone. Rebombo and two of his friends raped her one after the other. Now, he looks back and feels very guilty for what he has done and has asked for forgiveness from his victim. He found out how much he had affect her life and that since then she had been raped two more times. In South Africa it is more likely for a woman to be raped than learn to read; it happens to a woman every 26 seconds in South Africa alone. There were 66,166 cases of rape reported last year, and it is believed that there were many more that just weren’t reported. In attempt to stop the violence and to start creating healthier relationships between men and women, Rebombo now works as the manager of “One Man Can.”

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/05/world/africa/south-africa-rape/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2

Baby with SMA dies

Avery Lynn Canahuati was born with type 1 spinal muscular dystrophy in November. The doctors said that she would not make it past 2 years old, yet she died at 6 months on Monday. Her death was caused by one of her lungs collapsing because of her genetic disorder. "I immediately performed CPR on her and was able to bring her back to life, but only for a brief period of time before she passed away shortly after arriving at the hospital,” said Mike Canahuati. 3 days prior, Avery had a doctor’s appointment and was looking good so her death “came as a complete shock.” The Canahuatis wrote a blog which contained a bucket list for Avery as if she would live past 2. At first the blog was to keep the family updated, but now it has 2.4 million views. Some things Avery’s parents wanted her to experience before passing on included waking up smiling and playing with Play-Dough. Now two things can be checked off of her list, which was written in first person as if she actually wrote it: not letting SMA take her smile away and taking one last breath, then taking one more before going to live with her Uncle Bryant, Nana Carolyn, Papa George and all her great-grandparents.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/01/us/texas-baby-bucket-list/index.html?hpt=hp_bn1