When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

You've reached your limit of one free article.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime .

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Exclusive International news coverage

Ad-free experience NEW

Weekly digital Magazine NEW

9 daily & weekly Newsletters

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Free trial

30-days free access, then $2.90
per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch
CLARIN

Digital Oases For Cuba's Internet Revolution

The Internet stations are biodegradable cubes, with fake grass flooring and solar panels.
The Internet stations are biodegradable cubes, with fake grass flooring and solar panels.
Parawifi
Vivian Urfeig

HAVANACuba"s belated embrace of the Internet has people packing into places like the Plaza de la Revolución and the colonial fort Castillito, two of the island's just 114 public WiFi hotspots.

Overall, the number of Cubans who regularly access the Web is still relatively small. But things are changing, and quickly. The Internet revolution is just getting underway here.

So far, however, efforts to accommodate the growing number of cybernauts have been minimal. The few places that offer WiFi service are crowded and not particularly suited for typing and Web surfing.

With that in mind, a pair of graduates from Cuba's ISDI design school developed a concept for a Lego-like module where people can sit — in a friendly, comfortable and shaded place — and connect to the Internet, Vivian Urfeig reports in Clarín.

The designers, Luis Ramírez and Michel J. Aguilar, have already created a prototype and may soon get government permission to erect a trial Internet station in the capital. The concept was also chosen to represent Cuba at the London Design Biennale 2016 and bid_16, the Latin American design fair.

The Internet stations consist of easy-to-assemble biodegradable cubes, and can be larger or smaller depending on the space available. They have fake grass flooring and solar panels, allowing devices to be recharged. Segments will be designed to accommodate elderly or disabled users.

"We developed a meeting place that favors interaction and humanizes the city," says Ramírez.

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Society

Is Disney's "Wish" Spreading A Subtle Anti-Christian Message To Kids?

Disney's new movie "Wish" is being touted as a new children's blockbuster to celebrate the company's 100th anniversary. But some Christians may see the portrayal of the villain as God-like and turning wishes into prayers as the ultimate denial of the true message of Christmas.

photo of a kid running out of a church

For the Christmas holiday season?

Joseph Holmes

Christians have always had a love-hate relationship with Disney since I can remember. Growing up in the Christian culture of the 1990s and early 2000s, all the Christian parents I knew loved watching Disney movies with their kids – but have always had an uncomfortable relationship with some of its messages. It was due to the constant Disney tropes of “follow your heart philosophy” and “junior knows best” disdain for authority figures like parents that angered so many. Even so, most Christians felt the benefits had outweighed the costs.

That all seems to have changed as of late, with Disney being hit more and more by claims from conservatives (including Christian conservatives) that Disney is pushing more and more radical progressive social agendas, This has coincided with a steep drop at the box office for Disney.

Keep reading...Show less

The latest