Young People: the Future of ICT4D?

Young People: the Future of ICT4D?

Published on: Sep 07 2011 by Lindsay Poirier - 1 Comment
Reliant, incompetent, self-loving, all-around-pains-in-the-neck: This is the typical stereotype for young professionals in the workforce today. It is often noted that, due to the excessive coddling and praise that they received...
SMS Testing: Text Message Delivery Time and Reliability in Tanzania

SMS Testing: Text Message Delivery Time and Reliability in Tanzania

Published on: Aug 31 2011 by Guest Writer - 1 Comment
var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true}; I am Michael Benedict and while working with SMS-based applications I’ve noticed an air of mystery around the issue of reliability. I hear colleagues say ambiguous...
On Politics and Programmers Across a Continent

On Politics and Programmers Across a Continent

Published on: Aug 30 2011 by Wayan Vota - 6 Comments
This morning, I republished the post The 3 types of developers you will find in Africa by Richard Ngamita. He compared the software developer community to three controversial African leaders, Charles Taylor, Robert Mugabe,...
Can Machines Replace Teachers in Education Systems?

Can Machines Replace Teachers in Education Systems?

Published on: Aug 26 2011 by Lindsay Poirier - 2 Comments
“Any teacher that can be replaced by a machine, should be.” – David Thornburg Does this statement make you cringe? Squirm a bit in your chair? I’m not surprised if it does. As access to technology...
Killing the Question Box Hardware to Save the Open Mind Mission

Killing the Question Box Hardware to Save the Open Mind Mission

Published on: Aug 24 2011 by Guest Writer - 3 Comments
var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true}; By 2007, the Internet had radically changed the social and economic landscape in the developed world. However, the Internet was (and still is) making slow progress in...
Hardware Hack: Android Mobile Phone + IOIO Board = Simple Temperature Sensor

Hardware Hack: Android Mobile Phone + IOIO Board = Simple Temperature Sensor

Published on: Aug 22 2011 by Guest Writer - 1 Comment
Right around the time of Google I/O, SparkFun announced the IOIO board, a bridge-board for Android phones to talk to other electronics like sensors, etc. The IOIO uses the adb service port to send data back and forth between...
What if I gave you a fully loaded Macbook Air filled with content in Klingon?

What if I gave you a fully loaded Macbook Air filled with content in Klingon?

Published on: Aug 19 2011 by Wayan Vota - 3 Comments
That is what I think many good intentioned people do when they install computer systems without locally relevant content – they deploy the equivalent of a computer lab filled with the Star Trek cannon in Klingon. Think...
A Great Success: World Bank Has 70% Failure Rate with ICT4D Projects to Increase Internet Access

A Great Success: World Bank Has 70% Failure Rate with ICT4D Projects to Increase Internet Access

Published on: Aug 17 2011 by Wayan Vota - 7 Comments
We all know that developing countries have seen rapid growth in information and communication technology (ICT) access and use – from basic Internet access to the explosive growth of mobile phone ownership – and...
How Do We Break Oscar Night Syndrome in ICT4D M&E?

How Do We Break Oscar Night Syndrome in ICT4D M&E?

Published on: Aug 15 2011 by Wayan Vota - 4 Comments
No one ever fails in ICT4D. Isn’t that amazing! Technologies come and go quickly – bye, bye PDA’s, Windows Vista, and soon Nokia – yet in ICT4D, each project has impact and we never fail. We just...