Technology Salon

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a discussion at the intersection of technology and development

2008 - Technology Salon

Archive for 2008

  • Fighting Terrorism with ICT: December Technology Salon

    Washington DC | By on December 11, 2008 | Comments Off on Fighting Terrorism with ICT: December Technology Salon

    In northern Mali, out beyond the famously remote Timbuktu, distances are vast and communication difficult. National borders often are less than lines in the sand, and the rule of law just a vague idea. In this power vacuum, bandits still hijack convoys, Tuareg stage rebellions, and terrorist organizations can take root and train.


    Communicating community security

    Yet one brave organization is connecting remote Malian communities to reduce the threat of banditry or worse. Geekcorps Mali is building links between caravans, villagers, and local government – with information and communication technologies.

    Geekcorps Mali has developed an innovative ICT intervention that marries FM radio broadcasting with Internet-enabled computers and digital audio recording to give a voice to local communities. The radio stations have become beacons of objective information and a de-facto early warning system for northern Mali and even the country as a whole.

  • Computers in Schools TCO: November Technology Salon

    Washington DC | By on October 23, 2008 | Comments Off on Computers in Schools TCO: November Technology Salon

    For November, we have a very special Technology Salon. In coordination with the World Bank e-Development Thematic Group and infoDev, we will have a World Bank ICT and Education Community of Practice Discussion on Total Cost of Ownership:

    How much does it really cost to introduce and sustain computers in schools? A discussion of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and models of affordable computing for schools in developing countries.

    Come join what we hope to be a lively presentation and discussion of the findings of both activities, their potential implications, and the underlying methodologies and assumptions underpinning the models explored in this work.

    Speakers:

    Logistics:

    11am to 12:30pm – 6 November 2008
    The World Bank “J” Building,
    701 18th Street, NW, room J-B1-075

    While this Technology Salon promises to be larger than usual, seating is still limited, so please


    Let’s solve his ICT4D challenges

    The Technology Salon returns to Washington DC this September 25th to explore an innovative initiative from USAID: ICT4D Challenges.

    Akin to the contests that had Lindbergh cross the Atlantic and Rutan/Branson cross into space, ICT4D challenges (contests, makeovers, and competitions) will leverage user-driven innovation to create ICT-based solutions for major development challenges, with the incentive of cash prizes and possible inclusion in a USAID project. These challenges will spur innovation at the nexus of development and technology while forging new connections between the technology and development communities.

    What better forum to explore where USAID is going with these challenges and help shape that path than the Technology Salon, our intimate and informal discussion of technology and development?

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  • The future bank teller

    For the July Technology Salon, we’re returning to the cellular technology world, with a twist. We’ll be discussing mobile banking, m-Banking, but we’ll move beyond the handsets and the hype to discuss the legal frameworks required to make it a reality.

    In some countries, text messages cannot be used as evidence in court – a problem if that’s all you have to show for a money transfer. In other regions, cross-border and multi-currency transactions is the domain of banks, not mobile operators. In either situation or more, what is the development community’s response to facilitate m-Banking?

    Please join Michael Tetelman of AED, and Ann Casanova of CARANA, at the UN Foundation headquarters for a vibrant discussion of their work in overcoming legal and regulatory barriers to make local and intra-regional m-Banking a reality in the developing world.

  • OLPC in the Field: June Technology Salon

    Washington DC | By on June 2, 2008 | Comments Off on OLPC in the Field: June Technology Salon

    Rabi Karmacharya
    Rabi Karmacharya

    There is much talk about One Laptop Per Child, Nicholas Negroponte idea of a “$100 laptop” empowering education in the developing world. Yet the focus tends to be on the XO laptop itself, not the overall impact of the program on both technology and education.

    For the next Technology Salon on June 3 at 5:30pm, we’ll move pass the headlines and into the field with two special guests:

  • Dialing for Digital Development: May Technology Salon

    Washington DC | By on May 1, 2008 | Comments Off on Dialing for Digital Development: May Technology Salon

    Mobile phones have established themselves as the communication and networking platform of choice for billions of the world’s consumers, most of whom are at the base of the global economic pyramid. Worldwide, mobile phone subscribers outnumber Internet users almost 3 to 1, with much of that gap coming from skyrocketing mobile phone use in Africa, India and China.
    Yet new mobile computing platforms, such as the XO laptop from One Laptop Per Child and the Asus Eee PC promise to radically change Internet access with breakthrough portability, performance, power and price. Does “4P Computing” pose a challenge to mobile phone dominance, or does each approach blend into the other?

  • The Rise of 4P Computing: April Technology Salon

    San Francisco | By on April 14, 2008 | Comments Off on The Rise of 4P Computing: April Technology Salon

    One year ago this week, One Laptop Per Child changed its mission, dropping its invitation for lower-cost alternatives to the XO laptop. Was that a reaction just to Intel’s Classmate PC, or amazing foresight?
    Either way, a year later we are witnessing a dramatic change in the low-cost laptop marketplace. New low-cost laptops, or as I am now calling them, 4P Computing (Power, Performance, Portability, Price) are popping up daily with entrants from the practical Asus Eee PC to the seemingly comical Van Der Led.