As opposed to buying expensive screen reading software (typically costing $1000 or so), a new tool is in town calle… Continue

According to a report by Yankelovich (sponsored by Radio One) 68% of African Americans are online, compared with 71% of the US population as a whole. The report also found: "Among Black teens, the number of digitally connected is even higher, with 90 percent reporting they are online. Of all Black Americans, two-thirds shop online. Blacks who live in the south are least li… Continue

What is being called the first conference on mobile technologies for development (as distinct from ICT for development) is being held in Karlstad, Sweden on Dec. 11-12, 2008. More information here. According to the conference site the program welcomes "presentations within all “m” areas: m-government, m-health, m-banking, m-policy, etc. All are relevant to M4D. While the “m” in this context often implies low tech it is also noteworthy that wireless connect… Continue

The Google Earth team is at it again, this time heping an Amazon tribe (the Surui) map their territory, history and culture on Google Earth. Previous usages of Google Earth to focus on social and environmental issues, such as the Google Earth mapping of the genocide in the Sudan and Jane Goodal's work with Champanzees in Tanzania, have gotten good publicity. Lesser known social leveraging of Google Earth… Continue

On June 25, 2008 the Public Policy Institute of California released a new study called "Californians and Information Technology". The report includes some interesting statistics on the digital divide, and is also one of the first reports I have seen that also included cell phones and text messaging in addition to surveying Computer & Internet usage: COMPUTER USE SIMILAR IN CALIFORNIA AND NATION Three in four Californians (75%) us… Continue