Staying Connected Far from Home

In Chad, the refugee camp of Danamadja stands in the midst of a forest. Here, staying connected is a challenge. “Most of the young people who want to use the Internet have to walk long distances to connect to the network,” says Mahamat Djida, 25, who owns a phone-charging 【小题1】 . “People here have really weak and unstable service but they have no option, compared with those who are 【小题2】 in the world.”

In addition to helping stay in touch with families and friends, mobile phones and the Internet offer young people opportunities to cope with life in the camp. Adam Souleymane, a 16-year-old 【小题3】 boy, said, “I bought a phone and now I use the Internet to do research, especially in biology. There is no library in the camp.” He is very 【小题4】 of his new smartphone.

It is vital to advocate for improved access to 【小题5】 technologies and support for youth seeking to use them to solve the issues that affect their lives. 【小题6】 some plans made by several mobile applications can help children and young people born of 【小题7】 be more independent. They can be used for instant communication and activities that address 【小题8】 needs. These plans allow customers to access 【小题9】 content for free or at low cost when they sign up with certain service providers. As children reach adulthood and enter the world of work, connectivity will increasingly mean the difference between their ability to   【小题10】 a decent living or not. Those with access to digital technologies and the skills to make the best use of them will have the advantage over those who are unconnected and unskilled.

How Reliable Are Voice Assistants?

Many of you may have used Siri, a voice assistant of US tech company Apple. You only have to say “Hey Siri” and it will answer your【小题1】. However, we may be sacrificing our privacy to enjoy this convenience.

According to a recent report by the Guardian, Siri can be 【小题2】 triggered and start recording private conversations, such as discussions between doctors and patients. Some of these recordings are then given to workers outside the company to review.

Apple claimed the data was used to help Siri improve, but users were not【小题3】 of this measure in the first place.

Apple’s Siri is not the only voice assistant to come under【小题4】.

In 2018, Alexa, a voice assistant developed by US tech company Amazon, recorded a private conversation between a couple and sent it to a stranger without their permission.

These issues deepened【小题5】 that tech companies are infringing users’ rights of privacy.

Many people have long【小题6】 that tech companies are listening and collecting data from private conversations, reported Forbes. Using this data, third party companies could then paint a(an)【小题7】 picture of users’ habits and preferences in order to serve them more targeted advertisements, or even worse, sell this private data.

Despite this risk, the popularity of voice assistant seems to be unstoppable. According to a report by Ovum, a London-based research firm, 【小题8】, there will be almost as many voice assistants on the planet as people by 2021.

“In the near future, everything from your lighting to your air-conditioning to your refrigerator, your coffee maker, and even your toilet could be【小题9】to a system controlled by voice,” commented The Atlantic.

Colin Horgan wrote on the blog site Medium that he believed people’s daily lives will soon become a source of data.

“The sounds of our homes, the symphony of life-laughing, crying, talking, shouting, sitting in silence-will no longer be considered memories, but data,” he wrote.

To deal with the issue, Blake Morgan, reporter for The Atlantic, believed that the answer was【小题10】.

“All companies need to have messaging ready to explain to customers what they do with private data,” she wrote on The Atlantic.

The Use of Apps

In the survey among our classmates, all students use software applications (called apps 【小题1】). They typically use apps on smartphones or 【小题2】.

Students agree that apps can help them take part in a whole range of activities. They usually use apps to search for learning resources, find popular restaurants, 【小题3】 taxis, 【小题4】 to certain places, and order food.

Educational apps are the type of apps most frequently used arming our classmate. They allow them to beam at their own pace anywhere. They can choose online teachers and subjects according to their 【小题5】 . Also, they can share 【小题6】 with other users of the same app.

Nearly one third of the students have tried apps with 【小题7】 like VR, AH and MR. They believe that new technologies can be used to help people 【小题8】 . What students dislike is that in order to use apps these days, they are often required to 【小题9】 an account and 【小题10】 personal information. They worry about the safety of this.