Asia

11.27.09

Friendster "Really Big in Asia"

Oh yeah, remember Friendster? While the social networking site disappeared stateside years ago, it's still holding strong with Filipino teens

By Megan Miller Posted 08.06.2008 at 3:55 pm 0 Comments

Back in 2005, Friendster was faced with a really strange problem. Or opportunity, depending upon how you looked at it. See, the social networking site was based in the U.S. and funded by U.S. advertisers, but it turned out that a massive bulk of the site's millions of users were actually based in the Philippines. Friendster execs' hearts—and hopes for financial solvency— sank when they realized they weren't targeting their intended audience. Without a U.S. consumer base, their advertising would dry up.

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READ MORE ABOUT > Asia, friendster, megan miller, Philippines, web

Stopping Influenza at Its Source

A half-decade study to track the flu's travels could lead to better vaccines

By Dawn Stover Posted 04.16.2008 at 1:59 pm 1 Comment

Flu travel patterns: Seasonal influenza strains typically emerge in Asia and spread to the rest of the world along the routes shown here. Courtesy of NASA/University of Cambridge

Where does the flu come from? Scientists at the University of Cambridge and the World Health Organization's Global Influenza Surveillance Network tracked the migrations of flu viruses and discovered that the most common originate in East and Southeast Asia and spread in a distinctive pattern around the world. Understanding how these viruses evolve and travel will lead to better vaccines against flu epidemics that currently infect 5 to 15 percent of the world's population each year.

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READ MORE ABOUT > Asia, dawn stover, flu, influenza, spread, University of Cambridge, vaccine, virus, world health organization