Karimova gets schooled in Twitter debate

How does she manage it all?

Even though her schedule must be packed, Gulnara Karimova, an ambassador to the UN and daughter of Uzbekistan’s President Islam Karimov, still seems to find time to lecture human rights activists, though not too successfully. Read More »

New app warns Romanian drivers of upcoming potholes

Although a solution to Romania’s endemic road problems is still nowhere in sight, a team of Romanian IT specialists has come up with an app for mobile phones that allows drivers to avoid potholes. Read More »

Dimon Don’t Cry

The Russian Prime Minister, Dmitry Medvedev, doesn’t like his online nickname “Dimon,” but whatever we think of Dimon’s playground problems how does one stand up to online bullies? And why are so many of them Russian?

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How successful are websites in Russia? Ask the police

He’s the Mark Zuckerberg of Russia, creating the Motherland’s most popular social networking site, Vkontakte. And two years ago, Pavel Durov refused Russian security authorities’ order to remove an opposition group from the site. Read More »

Social Media in the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict

Makers of Grozny-fire spoof video will help in cleanup

Two men who allegedly posted online a video making light of a skyscraper fire in Chechnya last week got a taste of the fury of the Russian republic’s leader, Ramzan Kadyrov, Radio Free Europe reports.   Read More »

CA overlooked again as Twitter crowdsources translation

Twitter has opened up its code for translation into more than 50 languages. This is a great opportunity for users all over the world to contribute to and adopt the platform in their own language.  Yet one region, as seems to be a growing trend, seems noticeably absent. Read More »

All eyes on VK after Usmanov Mail.ru stock sale

Alisher Usmanov, Russia’s wealthiest man, sold a 7.4-percent stake in his company Mail.ru for approximately $530 million.  The 28 February move, while still leaving him still in control of Mail.ru with 58.1-percent of voting shares, has many guessing about just what he’s got planned. Read More »

Bridging the digital divide (one Central Asian language at a time)

The localization of Skype into the Kyrgyz language in 2011 has been the first step to opening the world’s most popular messenger to the people who do not – surprise, surprise – speak Russian or English. Read More »

Chechen leader makes social network splash

What does an autocrat do with his spare time when he’s not busy stamping out the embers of rebellion? Apparently, he posts pictures of himself holding fuzzy baby chickens, donning historic military garb, or cuddling with a tiger. Read More »

Meteorite pelts Russia with tweets, memes, and scams

The meteorite that fell near the Russian industrial city of Chelyabinsk on 15 February sent shock waves around the RuNet and social networks worldwide. Read More »

YouTube sues Russian authorities over video ban

YouTube is suing the Russian consumer rights agency over a new law that restricts content, RIA Novosti reports. Read More »

In Belarus, gadgets gadgets everywhere nor any freedom to tweet

Perhaps you saw the funny quote in my news feed on Facebook that read: “This country looks like a post-apocalyptic world. Everyone has got gadgets, phones, and tablets – and around you see broken roads and loads of waste”. Read More »

Facebook stonewalls Yandex’s social search app

Yandex’s social search app has been shut down, for now.  Read More »