What is the development impact of .Africa and other changes in the online world?

What is the development impact of .Africa and other changes in the online world?

Published on: Aug 01 2012 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on What is the development impact of .Africa and other changes in the online world?
Recently, ICANN, the organization that controls the Internet naming system, made it possible for groups to apply for new gTLDs (names to the right of the dot, like .com, .org and .edu). Nearly 2000 applications were submitted,...
Are WiFi-only tablets and mobile devices impractical in hotspot-starved African countries?

Are WiFi-only tablets and mobile devices impractical in hotspot-starved African countries?

Published on: Jul 30 2012 by Wayan Vota - 6 Comments
One disappointment with the new Google Nexus 7 tablet is the lack of 3G connectivity. It only has WiFi and some people wonder if that makes it impractical in developing countries where hotspots are rare and mobile data the...
The Mobile Learning Toolkit for ICT4D Trainers

The Mobile Learning Toolkit for ICT4D Trainers

Published on: Jul 27 2012 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on The Mobile Learning Toolkit for ICT4D Trainers
The Mobile Learning Toolkit is the result of research into mobile phone use and user needs within the African context, however it has been developed for use in all developing contexts. It is intended as a “trainer’s toolkit”...
The ICT4D community must include people with disabilities.

The ICT4D community must include people with disabilities.

Published on: Jul 25 2012 by Guest Writer - 3 Comments
According to the WHO, over a billion people in the world, or 15% of the world’s population, live with disabilities. This number is higher in lower income countries, although most commonly the rate is underestimated due...
9 Lessons to Learn from Fail Faire UK 2012

9 Lessons to Learn from Fail Faire UK 2012

Published on: Jul 23 2012 by Wayan Vota - 4 Comments
We had an amazing sharing of failure at Fail Faire UK 2012, and amidst the laughter at how wrong we can be in deploying information and communication technologies to accelerate social and economic development, there were...
Celebrate the IDEOS vs. Samsung $100 Smartphone Price War in Kenya

Celebrate the IDEOS vs. Samsung $100 Smartphone Price War in Kenya

Published on: Jul 20 2012 by Wayan Vota - 2 Comments
Lucky Kenyans. They are benefiting from an ongoing $100 smartphone price war between IDEOS and Samsung. On one side, you have the Huawei IDEOS U8150, which Safaricom introduced two years ago for just $80. Between 200,000-300,000...
The Complete List of 79 Academic ICT4D Journals and Publications

The Complete List of 79 Academic ICT4D Journals and Publications

Published on: Jul 18 2012 by Wayan Vota - 3 Comments
One source of continuous frustration for ICT4D academic researchers is the glacial pace of academia. One has to submit papers 8 months in advance for conferences that are over a year away. Or it usually takes about 2 years...
6 Simple Guidelines for ICT4D Project Success

6 Simple Guidelines for ICT4D Project Success

Published on: Jul 16 2012 by Guest Writer - 1 Comment
I am Ajay Kumar and after reflecting on some of my past ICT4D projects, and trying to study the thought process of some of the projects that I have worked on, I thought of laying out some questions which can act as a...
Better than “Smart Handpumps” are Empowered Handpump Users

Better than “Smart Handpumps” are Empowered Handpump Users

Published on: Jul 13 2012 by Wayan Vota - 2 Comments
Every so often, I see ICT4D projects that have way over-thought their solution, going for whiz-bang technology over simpler, human solutions. Here is an example from DfID, which is trying to help with water shortages in Kenya. Water...