Posts tagged with "Technology"

Facebook Tries to Beat Orkut in Brazil

Posted by Rachel 6 Comments
Oct 19 2009

Recently, tech website Mashable reported that Facebook is seeking to beat Orkut to dominate the Brazilian social media market. While Orkut has long been the leader in Brazil, Facebook has created new ways to lure Brazilians to its site. First, Facebook is now available in Portuguese, making access easier. Second, Facebook recently installed a new method to find friends, where users can upload their Orkut contacts to find them on Facebook, as the Mashable article mentions. Third, Facebook has a large variety of games and applications that you can play on the site, attracting new users merely to play games like FarmVille and Mafia Wars.

But the question is, will it work? Personally, I’ve seen mixed results. While tech-savvy and internationally-connected Brazilians have already been on Facebook for a long time, more and more middle class Brazilians have recently signed up for Facebook, but some wind up never using it, claiming it’s too complex and that Orkut is easier to use. However, less tech-savvy Brazilians have signed up for Facebook to be able to access the games, and aren’t as interested in the site for the social connections.

What about you? Do you think Facebook can beat Orkut in Brazil?

Brazil Leads World Google Usage

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Sep 15 2009

According to an article from the New York Times technology blog, Brazil and India use Google and Google services more than any other countries in the world, including the United States.

While American Internet users spend about 9 percent of their online time on Google, users in Brazil spend about 30 percent of their time on Google’s websites. This accounts for about 18 minutes on Google for every hour spent on the Internet. Meanwhile, the global average is 9.4 percent for time spent on Google.

While Orkut, Google’s social networking site, accounts for a considerable part of these statistics–it is one of the top sites in Brazil–other Google services are also popular, partially due to the popularization of the Internet in Brazil around the same time that Google entered the market.

Some other statistics:

  • Of all Internet searches performed in Brazil, 90 percent are done on Google
  • Of time spent looking at maps, 71 percent is spent on Google maps
  • Of time spent on blogs, 43 percent are on Google blogs

Listening Comp: Chief Almir Surui

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Sep 8 2009

Today, we’re going to watch a video about the Amazon and an indigenous tribe there, and the work the tribe’s chief has done to combat deforestation and to use technology to connect his tribe to the world and to protect the environment. Part of the video is in Portuguese with English subtitles, and the other part involves simultaneous translation, so you’ll have to pay attention to make sure you understand.

YouTube Preview Image

Here are some questions to answer to see how well you understood!

1. How do you say “in the past,” according to the video?

2. The chief mentions using an “arco e flecha.” What is this in English?

3. What is “wisdom” in Portuguese?

4. How do you say “tool” or “instrument” in Portuguese?

5. What is “floresta” in English?

6. How do you say “alliance” or “partnership” in Portuguese?

Note: questions go up until 13:00.

Technology Vocabulary

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Jan 7 2009

Today we’re going to take a look at some important technology vocabulary, useful for the Internet café or the copy store.

Internet café = lanhouse [lahn-howz]

copy store = copiadora

copy = Xerox [sher-ocks]

page/sheet = folha

computer = computador

printer = impressora

to print = imprimir

Internet = Internet [een-ter-neh-chee]

mouse = mouse [mawz]

headset/headphone = fones de ouvido / fone

jump drive = pendrive [pehn dryv]

wireless = wifi

speakers = alto-falantes

Foreign Business in Brazil: Part II

Posted by Rachel No Comments
Oct 22 2008

Expat American engineer Hunter Hagewood lives in Brazil where he works for a major IT company, Nevoa Networks. But you won’t find him in Rio or São Paulo, but rather in a more unlikely place: Campina Grande, Paraíba, in the sertão (desert) region of the Northeast.

At only 33 years old, Hunter helps run a five year-old data software company, operated by Indians, French, Americans and Brazilians. The company aims to create software databases used in police investigations by organizations like Interpol.

Because of the presence of the company, Campina Grande has the highest proportion of Ph.Ds per inhabitant in all of Brazil: one for every 669 residents, which is five times higher than the national average. There are also other technology centers in Campina Grande, including the major electricity provider Light Infocon and the Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, one of the best public universities for information technology.

Hunter is happy with is choice of a home in Brazil. In his town, he has the chance to experience the “real” Brazil, learning how to dance forró and trying new food.

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