melinda gates | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Thu, 29 Jan 2015 13:19:39 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png melinda gates | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Bill Gates AMA asks about Age of Empires, ‘poop water’ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/bill-gates-ama-covers-age-of-empires-poop-water/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/bill-gates-ama-covers-age-of-empires-poop-water/#comments Thu, 29 Jan 2015 11:39:20 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=233134 Yesterday saw the release of the annual Bill and Melinda Gates foundation address, which sees the couple break down what their charity and outreach work has achieved recently and hopes to achieve over the next 12 months. To help promote it and his big push to create machines that can filter sewage water (or “poop …

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Yesterday saw the release of the annual Bill and Melinda Gates foundation address, which sees the couple break down what their charity and outreach work has achieved recently and hopes to achieve over the next 12 months. To help promote it and his big push to create machines that can filter sewage water (or “poop water” to the Redditors) well enough that it's drinkable without piping it everywhere, Mr Gates held another Ask Me Anything, where he covered everything from his plans to continue helping the needy, right through to his thoughts on how technology will progress in years to come.

People also asked about Age of Empires, but unfortunately Mr Gates chose not to respond.

poopwater
The ensuing PsBattle was intense

On the subject of his sewage processing plants, Mr Gates said that the real challenge was having it all done in a place that isn't miles away from civilisation, requiring massive pump systems and piping networks.

I challenged engineers to create a processor of sewage where the costs could be covered by the energy and water (clean water) that it outputs,” he said. “We have made progress on that. One team, Janicki, which was written up in Wired, is send a prototype machine to Senegal later this year. Getting rid of sewage helps a lot to reduce disease and improve living conditions.”

This goes hand in hand with his foundation's big push to eradicate Polio. Thanks to its efforts and those of many others, Africa hasn't had a case for over six months, but there are still problems in the Middle-East. Especially, as he says, since the Taliban often kill people taking their children to be vaccinated against the disease.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p4bm-RAlLA']

Mr Gates wants to see digital currency expand, stating that they can really help smaller communities in remote regions transfer money around. “We are hoping to have India and Nigeria going in the next 2 years if things go well. Kenya and Tanzania and Bangladesh have grown a lot although those systems still need some improvements,” he said, noting that while interesting, Bitcoin fluctuated too much to be of use in those parts of the world.

When asked about the future of AI technology and Elon Musk's recent claims that it could one day threaten humanity, Mr Gates agreed, saying he was concerned about super intelligence. “First the machines will do a lot of jobs for us and not be super intelligent. That should be positive if we manage it well,” he said. “A few decades after that though the intelligence is strong enough to be a concern. I agree with Elon Musk and some others on this and don't understand why some people are not concerned.”

The big question people wanted answered and sadly, Mr Gates chose not to, is whether Microsoft would ever make another Age of Empires. As the commenter suggested, perhaps that just means one is in the works. It's certainly possible that Microsoft's new RTS studio is working on just that.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The Gates Foundation is doing some really great work. Have a read of its annual letter to find out more. 

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Bill Gates praises overseas vaccine production https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/bill-gates-praises-overseas-vaccine-production/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/jon-martindale/bill-gates-praises-overseas-vaccine-production/#respond Wed, 22 Jan 2014 10:17:05 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=173416 Bill Gates has been one of the world's biggest game changers in the past thirty years: from helping to revolutionise PC computing, right through to his philanthropy and helping to eliminate polio around the world. In a recent address in his annual letter from his Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he pledged to continue the …

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Bill Gates has been one of the world's biggest game changers in the past thirty years: from helping to revolutionise PC computing, right through to his philanthropy and helping to eliminate polio around the world. In a recent address in his annual letter from his Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he pledged to continue the work, as well as heaping heavy praise on biotechnology companies in countries like China, Brazil and India, which are developing vaccines that are far cheaper and therefore more widely available than their Western counterparts.

The big theme of the letter was combating myths about aid efforts and the changing state of the world. Throughout the long and detailed address, he pokes holes in theories that suggest foreign aid is mostly stolen by corrupt officials, or that countries in Africa are no better off than they were 50 years ago. As you might expect from one of the world's most prominent nerds, he takes to charts and diagrams to point out that countries around the world now have better health care, less poverty and in many cases, reduced birth rates because of it. This he says, is aided massively by international fund raising and charity and people shouldn't think that the situation is hopeless, or that the fight is over to eradicate poverty.

That's something he believes will be possible by 2035. Within those two and a bit decades, Bill Gates believes almost every nation will have an average standard of living that could be considered “first world”.

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One of the biggest developments he discussed though, was the emerging vaccine production scene around the world. Typically big, western biotech companies have been are the forefront of development, with big price tags following in their wake. This is someething Gates has tried to push down, as well as using his own money to develop and distribute vaccines, which has helped eliminate polio in countries like India. However, now he says the mantle is being picked up by firms in those same countries: India, China and Brazil, all of which are developing new vaccines that are affordable and widely available.

“India's Department of Biotechnology and Bharat Biotech announced plans this year to release a new vaccine against rotavirus — which kills hundreds of thousands of children — for $1 per dose, significantly cheaper than existing vaccines,” he said. “Likewise, a Chinese biotech company won approval in October from the World Health Organisation to bring to market an improved vaccine protecting children against Japanese encephalitis. The same month, Brazil's top biomedical research and development center, Bio-Manguinhos, in partnership with the Gates Foundation, announced plans to produce a combined measles and rubella vaccine.”billgates
Bill isn't adverse to throwing up gang signs to get the job done either

These are big developments that could really help bring the price of medicine down around the world, not just in developing countries. As Western pharmaceutical firms face increasing competition, they'll be forced to drop their prices in order to maintain their section of the market, else their customers will eventually go elsewhere.

In his address Gates also talked of the apathy which people sometimes have for developments like this and that many are despondant, thinking that the problems will never be solved. To explain how that's completely wrong and there's strong evidence to the contrary, he released this short video:

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzHzwnSqYgs']

Ultimately, Gates' opening line from the letter is perhaps the most uplifting and long standing message of the whole thing: “By almost any measure, the world is better than it has ever been.” It's sometimes good to remember that.

KitGuru Says: He's right too. Despite recent financial downturns in “developed,” nations, the world itself is just getting better and better. We're more tolerant than ever, we're more connected and learned – despite all the cat pictures – so it's important to remember: we're doing a good job. We're not there yet, but if we keep it up, some of the biggest problems humanity has been facing since it came into existence could be eradicated before long.

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Gates kids not allowed Apple, iPods – Zune only https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/slyvia/gates-kids-not-allowed-apple-ipods-zune-only/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/apple/slyvia/gates-kids-not-allowed-apple-ipods-zune-only/#comments Mon, 25 Oct 2010 08:21:11 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=20881 Melinda Gates was recently interviewed by the New York Times and she confirmed once again that no Apple devices are allowed inside the homes or lives of Microsofts ‘first' family. Deborah Solomon interviewed Melinda and asked her “What if one of your children says, ‘Mom, I have to have an iPod?'” “I have gotten that …

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Melinda Gates was recently interviewed by the New York Times and she confirmed once again that no Apple devices are allowed inside the homes or lives of Microsofts ‘first' family.

Deborah Solomon interviewed Melinda and asked her “What if one of your children says, ‘Mom, I have to have an iPod?'”

“I have gotten that argument — ‘You may have a Zune,'” retorts Gates. This follows a similar interview script in March 2009 in Vogue magazine. “There are very few things that are on the banned list in our household. But iPods and iPhones are two things we don't get for our kids,” she said.

Melinda Gates won't be getting a job as an Apple sales rep

Melinda isn't immune from Apple appeal however and she said “Every now and then I look at my friends and say, ‘Ooh, I wouldn't mind having that iPhone.'”

Bill Gates is a little more reserved in his commentary and he told BusinessWeek that “If there's anything good about the iPhone, it's software.” delicately not mentioning the well known antenna issues.

When asked about the iPad he told BNet's Brent Schlender “”So, it's not like I sit there and feel the same way I did with iPhone where I say, ‘Oh my God, Microsoft didn't aim high enough.' It's a nice reader, but there's nothing on the iPad I look at and say, ‘Oh, I wish Microsoft had done it.'”

KitGuru says: Don't be expecting to see Bill or his missus with a sexy new Macbook Air anytime soon. Well not outside their house anyway.

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