TechBits – April 27

Dr. Roboto? Interactive Teddy Bear Helps Kids Manage Diabetes (Mashable)

Name: Jerry the Bear, Big Idea: Jerry the Bear is a robotic teddy bear that “has” diabetes. Children are able to take care of Jerry by checking his blood glucose levels, giving him “insulin shots” and “feeding” him a variety of foods.

FCC Launches $300 Million Broadband Subsidy Program (National Journal)

The Federal Communications Commission launched a $300 million effort on Wednesday to expand broadband to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses over the next three years.

As users flock to iTunes, Hulu and Netflix, TV stations struggle to survive  (Washington Post)

As the audience for free television fades, federal regulators are wrestling over the future of the government-mandated broadcasts, which were originally intended to knit the nation’s disparate communities together.

“Granny Nav” to guide elderly drivers on the road (Reuters)

Older drivers may now be able to stay on the road for longer thanks to new technology being developed by scientists that uses pictures of mail boxes or pubs as visual turning cues.

Tomorrow’s Privacy Struggles, On Display Today (NY Times)

The thorny privacy issues of tomorrow were on display Thursday morning, when AT&T showed off a batch of technologies under development at AT&T Labs, the company’s research arm.