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The ICT4D 2.0 Manifesto argues that we are seeing a phase change in the use of ICTs for international development, moving from Phase 1 (late-1990s to late-2000s) to Phase 2 (late-2000s on).
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Poverty and its associated problems – hunger, poor health, lack of education and disenfranchisement – are fundamentally information problems. Poverty is exacerbated by the high cost of discovering how your peers have solved their agricultural problems, of accessing government services, of communicating with distant relations who have gone to the city to earn on behalf of the family.
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US President Barack Obama has announced plans for securing American computer networks against cyber attacks. He said that from now on, America's digital infrastructure would be treated as a strategic national asset.
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Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have changed the way we buy, store, share and listen to music, not only in the OECD region, but also in developing countries and transition economies.
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Jamaica's Internet penetration has grown 20-fold in the last decade, and is now at 55 per cent, or 1.5 million users, according to the most recent global industry data compiled by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). Actual Internet subscription in 2007 was estimated at 85,000.
Eight years ago, in 2000, while the ITU posits no data for Internet subscriptions, penetration or usage was only 3.08 per cent.
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With the media hype surrounding Kiva.org and the recent launch of eBay’s MicroPlace, the phenomenon of online microlending has taken off, creating a brand new virtual class of retail investors and lenders for microfinance institutions (MFIs) - perhaps changing the face of microfinance capital.
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Tourism is an information intensive sector. Evidence shows that the tourism value chain is heavily influenced by the digitalization of tourism processes, from intermediaries' infrastructure to supplier integration, service transformation and distribution, and revenue management. ICTs are instrumental in the empowerment of local actors and the distribution of leadership in the tourism value chain, leading to the enhancement of development opportunities in the local tourism sector.
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One more of the world's biggest technology companies is clamoring to enter the growing market for pint-sized computers targeted mainly for pint-sized customers. Hewlett-Packard Co., the No. 1 seller of personal computers worldwide, said Tuesday it's throwing its weight behind a new class of miniaturized laptops, a fledgling market already populated with products from Intel Corp., the world’s largest semiconductor company, and Asustek Computers Inc., the world's largest maker of computer motherboards.
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A New Vector of Wealth (Excerpt)
The transition to knowledge societies confronts countries with the challenge of raising their educational standards. The pivotal contribution of education in securing development objectives is all the more apparent in a world where the ICT revolution has deepened the interdependence between nations. No field of human endeavour has been left untouched by technological forces, from manufacturing and financial services to politics, science, health and culture.
The market place is global and highly competitive, forcing individuals, firms and entire nations to adapt and improve their skills continually in order to compete effectively. Knowledge, both basic and applied, is being generated at an unprecedented pace and is growing exponentially. As societies move away from an industrial economy model, the competitive edge belongs to those with the capacity to create new knowledge and apply it rapidly through information and telecommunications to a wide range of human activities.
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What is m-learning? Think of this scenario- you are on a road trip, a long bus ride, long flight or layover. You have read all your books, are not in the mood to talk to the person sitting next to you. You think of all the readings or class assignments and wish you could just put them in a small device and take them with you to make the best use of your time. Therefore, mobile learning refers to learning that takes place using small, portable handheld computing device such as iPods, cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), MP3 Players.
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A new agreement between the United Nations telecommunications agency and the European Commission aims to attract greater investments in information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure in the Caribbean, Africa and Asia and the Pacific.
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Farmers are now using video conferencing to procure good-quality seeds, fertiliser and other inputs. They are also using the technology to access market-related information, and to market their products in some cases. Examples of using thousands of internet kiosks with companies like ITC (the e-choupals) and Microsoft (which has also used video conferencing for telemedicine) are well documented. Videoconferencing furthers these initiatives to empower farmers.
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An interactive floor that encourages children to learn using their bodies rather than sitting at a desk or a PC through the school day has been launched by programmers in Denmark. Called "Wisdom Wells," the floors were created by designers Kasper Neilson and Ole Iverson for children "who do not fit into the school environment" and "cannot just sit and listen to a teacher for six hours."
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Music industry betting on mobiles The music business has been in decline for the last seven years. CDs are not selling in the numbers they used to, which is a worry for the record industry as well as retailers. The online revolution took the record industry by surprise and it has been playing catch-up ever since. "I think the music industry has to accept its fair share of the blame for not acting quickly enough to digital music," said Adam Benzine from Music Week magazine.
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The Benefits of ICT
The integration of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) into every aspect of modern life is generating huge gains for consumers and for the economy. Firms are using ICTs to become more competitive by using both their resources more efficiently and their employees more effectively. This drives productivity growth, resulting in real wage gains and prosperity for workers and lower prices and more choices for consumers.
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