News and Notes Roundup: March 9

Spring has finally sprung, the snow and ice is melting, and we’re back with another Monday edition of the NDItech News and Notes Roundup. For more great info check us out on Twitter, Facebook, and our new blog site, nditech.org.

This week in Tech History – March 9, 1999 – Vice President Al Gore famously stated to CNN, “During my service in the US Congress, I took the initiative in creating the internet.” Subtract a few words for tidiness or political expediency, and the story that Al Gore claimed to “invent the internet” was launched. In addition to this famous claim and the world’s first telephone call, this week also featured (29 years ago) the first public offering of Microsoft stock on March 13th, 1986.

This week, there is history-in-the-making, as Apple is about to release another product to separate us from our hard-earned money. The Apple Watch is expected to debut today; you can, er, watch the circus on the @macrumourslive Twitter feed.

And now, time for the links:

Popular Tech News:

• Looking toward the future of health, startups are hacking the genetic code.

• Millions at risk from Microsoft ‘Freak’ encryption bug

• Facebook rant lands US man in UAE jail

• Solar-powered plane takes off on historic round-the-world trip

• Will Bitcoin be what gets us real net neutrality?

ICT and Development:

• Want to free Internet? Do philanthropy: Airtel's Sunil Mittal tells Mark Zuckerberg

• What if Apple worked in global development? Reflections on the possible

• Rwanda has most affordable internet in Africa

• Sri Lanka ICT Agency spearheading free public Wi-Fi project

• Does “designing with the end user” undermine tech-for-dev best practice?

Mobiles:

• Silent Circle revamps secure smartphone

• Top takeaways from UNESCO and UN Women’s Mobile Learning Week

• 100 Under $100: Tools for empowering global women

• How cellphones are improving nutrition in Bangladesh

• Mobile money moves forward in Uganda despite legal hurdles