Samsung Blends National Anthems into One

Considering the current world climate—sadly an anti-globalization fear seems to be gaining momentum—Samsung’s Olympics commercial is incredibly timely. The advertisement blends a bunch of national anthems into one, with people from all over the world singing lines of other countries’ patriotic tunes: from Cambodia to Malawi, Tunisia, Canada and Malaysia. While obviously made to tug at the heartstrings, it’s a simple message that the world …

Google Mapping Rio de Janeiro’s Favelas

Understanding the obstacles in mapping these unique cities-within-a-city

From a foreigner’s (or even many Brazilians’) perspective, it’s easy to label the “favelas” of Rio de Janeiro as slums run by drug cartels, racked with crime, violence and poverty—and terrorized by police. Despite many outer communities still lacking access to stable water and sanitation networks, there’s been a recent shift in breaking down historic barriers for favela residents to fully participate in—and be embraced—by …