good overview of the Tech4Africa conference. They bring up a good point that outside of crowd sourcing it is difficult for technology created to flow up the pyramid since it tends to flow from developed to emerging markets, not vice versa because of lack of connectivity.
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Mark
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Jason
IBM Partnering with East African Universities on Software Development
[IBM East Africa Manager] Tony Mwai told journalists in Nairobi that the collaboration would place emphasis on the development of software that is relevant to the local market.
“IBM EA will create a linkage with universities abroad that have specialized in software development and tailor make the curriculum to produce software relevant to this part of the word. IBM has unveiled the zEnterprise System, a technological breakthrough that is set to revolutionize the way data centres work,” he said.
Targeted universities include Kigali Independent University (Rwanda), Makere University (Uganda), Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology (Kenya) and Nairobi University (Kenya).
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Jason
Nokia Listings launches – an SMS/data-based mobile jobs, trading & local services directory
Nokia has launched Nokia Listings in India. Nokia Listings is a local marketplace on mobile where users can discover and transact with other users using a simple mobile client interface. The client is intended for the average emerging market user on a mid-end (Series 40) phone. So it works via SMS if GPRS is not enabled on the device.
http://tech2.in.com/india/news/smart-mobile-phones/nokia-launches-nokia-listings/137892/0 (via)
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Mark
Apparently the current generation that has grown up with the Internet (under age 25) are shunning the “web 2.0″ social interaction as compared to older generations. Apparently the Internet is seen as boring/passé as compared to real life interaction. So there might be a down-turn before an equilibrium is reached.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,710139,00.html
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Tom
Crowdsourcing Protein Folding with the FoldIt Game. Researchers a U Washington published a paper describing the results of two years use of their mutli-player game that aims at discovery of protein structures. From the abstract: “Foldit players interact with protein structures using direct manipulation tools and user-friendly versions of algorithms from the Rosetta structure prediction methodology4, while they compete and collaborate to optimize the computed energy. We show that top-ranked Foldit players excel at solving challenging structure refinement problems in which substantial backbone rearrangements are necessary to achieve the burial of hydrophobic residues. Players working collaboratively develop a rich assortment of new strategies and algorithms; unlike computational approaches, they explore not only the conformational space but also the space of possible search strategies. “
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Jason
Nonprofit Tries One-Kindle-Per-Child In Ghana
Risher says he thinks e-books will let the developing world skip the paper stage, in much the same way cell phones have helped countries skip the landline stage. E-readers, he says, are more akin to cellphones than laptops — and are well designed for the developing world because they don’t consume much power and they use the universal GSM network. “Computers play a great role, but e-readers really solve the reading problem much more direct and simple way,” says Risher.
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2010/08/05/nonprofit-tries-one-kindle-per-child-in-ghana/
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Jason
IBM’s Open-Source Approach to Disaster Management
Patricia Menezes, 52, oversaw IBM’s recent relief efforts in Chile, using open-source software to find missing persons and helping start communities on the long road to emotional recovery.
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/147/fast-talk-patricia-menezes.html
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Jason
In 3.5 minutes, learn how M-PESA reached 9 million Kenyans in 3 years
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Steve
More from PSFK’s Future of Health report: SMS Consultation
Increased access to mobile phones with even basic capabilities has led to the development of SMS services that connect users, allowing for the exchange of vital information and expert opinions in near real-time. This simple format provides a trusted resource for asking time- sensitive questions, while providing an anonymous forum for gaining insights on potentially sensitive subjects.
http://www.psfk.com/2010/08/future-of-health-sms-consultation.html
The full report: http://www.psfk.com/future-of-health
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Jason
The Handheld Hospital – mobile apps and peripherals making hospital functions cheap and portable
Mobile applications, peripherals and add-ons are becoming sophisticated enough to perform tasks comparable to their hospital equivalents, at price points that are more accessible to members of emerging economies. Although they often offer only basic functionality, these devices approximate vital diagnosis protocols closely enough to provide people in remote areas with immediate diagnosis.
Lots of great examples!
http://www.psfk.com/2010/08/future-of-health-handheld-hospital.html (via)
