Social Computing Group Blog http://socialcomp.com/blog Glimpses of Our Hive Mind Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:18:45 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 good overview of the Tech4Africa confere… http://socialcomp.com/blog/750 http://socialcomp.com/blog/750#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:18:45 +0000 Mark http://socialcomp.com/blog/750 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.

http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/14/tech-for-and-by-africa/

]]> http://socialcomp.com/blog/750/feed 0 IBM Partnering with East African Univers… http://socialcomp.com/blog/749 http://socialcomp.com/blog/749#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:28:57 +0000 Jason http://socialcomp.com/blog/749 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).

http://www.itnewsafrica.com/?p=8590 (via)

]]> http://socialcomp.com/blog/749/feed 0 Nokia Listings launches – an SMS/data-ba… http://socialcomp.com/blog/748 http://socialcomp.com/blog/748#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:35:00 +0000 Jason http://socialcomp.com/blog/748 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)

]]> http://socialcomp.com/blog/748/feed 0 Apparently the current generation that h… http://socialcomp.com/blog/747 http://socialcomp.com/blog/747#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 15:14:35 +0000 Mark http://socialcomp.com/blog/747 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

]]> http://socialcomp.com/blog/747/feed 0 Crowdsourcing Protein Folding with the F… http://socialcomp.com/blog/746 http://socialcomp.com/blog/746#comments Sat, 07 Aug 2010 19:10:26 +0000 Tom http://socialcomp.com/blog/746 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. “

]]> http://socialcomp.com/blog/746/feed 0 Nonprofit Tries One-Kindle-Per-Child In … http://socialcomp.com/blog/745 http://socialcomp.com/blog/745#comments Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:57:36 +0000 Jason http://socialcomp.com/blog/745 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/

]]> http://socialcomp.com/blog/745/feed 0 IBM’s Open-Source Approach to Disaster … http://socialcomp.com/blog/744 http://socialcomp.com/blog/744#comments Thu, 05 Aug 2010 15:00:08 +0000 Jason http://socialcomp.com/blog/744 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

]]> http://socialcomp.com/blog/744/feed 0 In 3.5 minutes, learn how M-PESA reached… http://socialcomp.com/blog/743 http://socialcomp.com/blog/743#comments Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:33:54 +0000 Jason http://socialcomp.com/blog/743 In 3.5 minutes, learn how M-PESA reached 9 million Kenyans in 3 years

http://technology.cgap.org/2010/08/02/in-35-minutes-learn-how-m-pesa-reached-9-million-kenyans-in-3-years/

]]> http://socialcomp.com/blog/743/feed 0 More from PSFK’s Future of Health repor… http://socialcomp.com/blog/742 http://socialcomp.com/blog/742#comments Mon, 02 Aug 2010 17:03:36 +0000 Steve http://socialcomp.com/blog/742 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

]]> http://socialcomp.com/blog/742/feed 0 The Handheld Hospital – mobile apps and … http://socialcomp.com/blog/741 http://socialcomp.com/blog/741#comments Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:54:45 +0000 Jason http://socialcomp.com/blog/741 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)

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