Connecting the countryside
(World News Science)

The gap between the services available to people living in urban and rural areas could soon be narrowed thanks to a new project which will use smart devices and big data technology to improve life for country dwellers. Led by Northumbria University in the UK and the Chinese Academy of Sciences in China, the project will explore new ways of providing vital services such as healthcare and transport to people living in remote villages, especially vulnerable residents such as the elderly or very young. The project has been shortlisted for the prestigious Newton Prize and, if successful, could win a share of the £1 million fund, set up to tackle some of the world`s most pressing health and...