CEDICT: Communication, Education and Development using ICT: September 2013

2013-09-30

Find Out More About Online Learning

Find out more about online learning or elearning - using audio and video-conferencing, email, chat, and completing an online degree or certificate by distance.

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2013-09-29

Has the NSA hacked your Facebook?

guardianlv.com - Edward Showden, 29 year old contactor for the Nation Security Agency (N.S.A.) leaked a lot more than previously thought. New stuff just keeps coming out. So what are the latest revelations? T he New York Times recently reported that the NSA has been making extensive graphs of some individuals created out of metadata collected from their phone calls, emails and social media connections. With this data, they can tell who a person travels with, where they go, who their friends are and other relevant social connection information.

2013-09-27

List of Open Educational Resources Websites

Find OER (Open Educational Resources) for education teaching materials from this annotated list of websites.

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Which Body Parts Can Unlock The iPhone 5S? [VIDEO]

Testing out body parts on the new iPhone 5S fingerprint sensor.

While the high-tech feature was intended for fingers, you can technically program it to recognize anything with a discernible print. So far, it has reportedly works on forearms,nipples and even a cat's paw.

Read more at: http://mashable.com/2013/09/27/unlock-iphone-5s-video/

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2013-09-26

Mobile phone data are a treasure-trove for development

In resource-poor nations, the public sector often lives in an analogue world where piles of paper impede operations and policymakers are hindered by uncertainty about their own strengths and capabilities.

Nonetheless, mobile phones have quickly pervaded the lives of even the poorest: 75 per cent of the world's 5.5 billion mobile subscriptions are in emerging markets. These people are also generating digital trails of anything from their movements to mobile phone top-up patterns.

It may seem that putting this information to use would take vast analytical capacity. But using relatively simple methods, researchers can analyse existing mobile phone data, especially in poor countries, to improve decision-making.

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2013-09-25

The XO Tablet - A First Impression in 750 Words

Stewart-Marshall's insight:
Its not often one gets to brag about owning the only gadget in a whole country - but as the XO Tablet is only available from the USA, and the Australia arm of OLPC aren't touching it, right now this is the case. Thanks to the generosity of fellow EdTech experimenters Wayan Vota and John Hunt, my 6 year old daughter has now logged about 10 hours on this latest iteration of what a 'green machine' can be and I'm ready to report some first impressions.

See more at: http://www.olpcnews.com/tablets/xo_tablet/the_xo_tablet_-_a_first_impression_in_750_words.html

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NITDEL 2013 charts growth path for ICT sector

The Nigerian Telecoms Development Lecture, (NITDEL 2013) has, again, provided a platform for regulators, operators and other stakeholders to brainstorm on critical issues that require urgent attention for Information and Communication Technology development.

Stakeholders, who gathered at this year’s eighth edition of the annual Nigerian Telecoms Development Lecture, NITDEL, were provided with another opportunity to discuss pressing regulatory issues and other challenges facing the Information and Communication Technology industry with a view to charting a way for further development of the nation’s ICT industry.

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Call for dedicated Policy on ICT in Education for Zimbabwe

The release of ‘O’ Level results from last year examinations was met with an unprecedented outcry across the nation.

Complex, multi-faceted challenges being faced by the Education sector in Zimbabwe can be linked to the socio-economic conditions that the country finds itself in. These range from brain drain to lack of basic infrastructure. Despite these challenges, it is the belief of this author that prioritising the utilisation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in education will go a long way in addressing them.

See more at: http://www.techzim.co.zw/2013/09/call-for-dedicated-policy-on-ict-in-education-for-zimbabwe/

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An MBA Human Resource Management Can Get You That Promotion

An MBA human resource management degree provides a basis for a leading role in the business world, and in government and non-government organizations. This page tells you more about these programs, where you can find them, and what jobs are open to you after graduation.

An MBA Human Resource Management Can Get You That Promotion

2013-09-24

IICD at Global Digital Innovation and Investment Summit in NY

iicd.org - Amid high-level meetings and special events taking place in New York in connection with the 68th session of the UN General Assembly, specialists in the fields of communications, technology and global development were summoned to the ‘Global Digital Innovation and Investment’ Summit.

New partnership seeks to bring benefits of open data to developing countries

The World Bank has joined forces with the Open Data Institute and the Open Knowledge Foundation in a 3-year project designed to help policy makers and citizens in developing countries understand and exploit the benefits of open data.

The project, launched 18th September 2013 at the Open Knowledge Conference in Geneva, has three objectives: supporting developing countries to plan, execute and run open data initiatives; increasing the use of open data in developing countries; and growing the evidence-base on the impact of open data for development.

See more at: http://okfn.org/press-releases/new-partnership-seeks-to-bring-benefits-of-open-data-to-developing-countries/

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2013-09-23

How Colleges Plan to Use LinkedIn University Pages

sproutsocial.com - On September 12, LinkedIn opened its doors to students 14 years and older, marking the first time the professional networking site allowed membership from those not yet in the working world. This move came a few weeks after the site introduced University Pages , which are college-specific profiles that offer features tailored to a school’s community. With these Pages, LinkedIn aims to help educational institutions woo new students and stay connected with their alumni.

2013-09-22

Scientists take big step towards universal flu vaccine

bbc.co.uk - Scientists say they have made a significant leap towards creating a vaccine that would protect against every form of flu.The influenza virus is a constantly shifting target so seasonal flu vaccines rapidly become useless and new ones are needed each year.A team at Imperial College London say they have made a "blueprint" for a universal flu vaccine.Their discovery is published in the journal Nature Medicine.

Kenya Westgate Mall Attacks: Who to Follow on the Ground

mashable.com - The deadly siege at an upscale Nairobi shopping mall continues after a terrorist attack killed at least 68 and injured more than 175 on Saturday, according to officials. An unknown number of people are being held hostage inside Kenya's Westgate Mall, as the death toll steadily climbs.The Somali militant group al Shabaab, which is linked to Al-Qaeda, immediately claimed responsibility for the opening gunfire in the mall.

Mobile Technologies and Empowerment: Enhancing human development through participation and innovation

undpegov.org - Mobile technologies are opening new channels of communication between people and governments, potentially offering greater access to public information and basic services to all. No other technology has been in the hands of so many people in so many countries in such a short period of time (World Bank 2008). In fact, globally, more people now have access to a mobile device than to justice or legal services (UNDP 2008).

To fight climate change, we must trust scientific truth and collective action

Will Hutton: Sceptics will rubbish a new report on climate change, dismissing calls for governmental action. Don't be swayed

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2013-09-21

Shebab Twitter account suspended after Kenya mall attack claims

foxnews.com - NAIROBI (AFP) – The Twitter account of Somalia's Al Qaeda-linked Shebab rebels was suspended Saturday after they used the site to claim responsibility for an attack on a Nairobi shopping mall that left 39 dead and 150 wounded.A message from Twitter on the English-language @HSM_Press account read that the account was suspended, the third time this year that the group has been expelled from the site

Preventable harm associated with at least 210K deaths in U.S. hospitals annually, NASA scientist’s study shows

medcitynews.com - Preventable harm contributes to between 210,000 and 440,000 deaths in American hospitals, a new literature review in the Journal of Patient Safety finds. It divides these lethal mistakes into errors of commission, omission, communication, context and diagnostic errors. The smaller estimate, gleaned with help from the Global Trigger Tool , doesn’t include errors where the patient should have been treated but wasn’t.

Facebook 'likes' are protected free speech. I'll give a thumbs up to that

theguardian.com - A US court has ruled that Facebook likes should be protected free speech. Photograph: Thierry Roge/ReutersMost of us have moved beyond the tired debates about whether interactions online are the same as ones in person. Now the legal system is finally catching up on what constitutes free speech in the digital age.Facebook's "Like" button got some key support as an expression of speech when an appellate court overturned a perverse lower court ruling that had ruled clicking a button wasn't the same as saying something out loud.

Helpful tips and tricks for iOS 7

digitaltrends.com - You’ve been reading about Apple’s new platform for a while now. Our iOS 7 review covered some highlights and low points. Assuming you’ve already figured out how to upgrade to iOS 7 and it’s running on your device right now, you might be interested in unlocking some of the less obvious features and getting to grips with some iOS 7 tips. Apple’s good at ensuring most things are intuitive, but there’s no harm in getting a little help.

2013-09-18

Measuring the Internet Economy

There is a high level of interest, in being able to measure the size of the Internet economy as a way to understand the effects of various investment strategies, regulatory rulings and policy decisions. The existing OECD research presented in this report and in the Internet Economy Outlook illustrates the importance of establishing an international definition and the need to develop related policies. According to one of the approaches, at least 3.2% and up to 13.8% of business sector value added in the United States in 2011 could be attributed to Internet-related activities depending on the scope of the definition. It needs to be highlighted that the respective figures for 2010 were 3% and up to 13%. This indicates that the Internet economy has reported a steady growth rate since 2010.

OECD (2013), “Measuring the Internet Economy: A Contribution to the Research Agenda”, OECD Digital Economy Papers, No. 226, OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/5k43gjg6r8jf-en

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2013-09-17

ICT for Development Institution Building

This APCICT knowledge resource is the inaugural issue of the Knowledge Sharing Series (KSS). The resource explores the importance of institution building to effectively develop ICT capacity for national socio-economic development. It outlines the necessity of developing a common vision and strategies, directing and securing resources, defining roles and responsibilities, and promoting coordinated efforts and partnerships that makes ICTD possible and effective.

Read more at: http://zunia.org/post/ict-for-development-institution-building-1

Link: http://www.unapcict.org/ecohub/apcict-knowledge-sharing-series-ict-for-development-institution-build...

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The power of social networks to drive mobile money adoption

The rate of mobile money (MM) adoption among poor people remains low. However, the mechanisms driving adoption are similar to those of other segments. By comparing data from three countries, this study identifies and explores the key drivers of MM adoption. Innovative analytics and data mining techniques were used: a data set of 7 billion transactions (phone calls, SMS, data) performed by more than 10 million mobile phone users over seven months was processed.

The analysis revealed two key variables that indicate a higher propensity to adopt MM. The first variable is the social network and social interactions of the mobile user. That is, the number of MM users an individual is connected to (people whom the user connects to via phone or SMS). Individuals with five MM connections are over 3.5 times more likely to adopt MM than individuals with only one MM connection.

Link:http://www.cgap.org/sites/default/files/social_networks.pdf ;

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Beyond Bandwidth: Social Media for #Ag Development Practitioners

agrilinks.org - The power of social media - for those who have access - is truly remarkable. Globally, nearly one in four people connect to social networks on a monthly basis. More than one billion accounts are registered on Facebook alone and these numbers climb every quarter as populations in developing nations increasingly come online.But what does this mean? If agricultural projects can harness this wave of connectivity via social media, they may achieve the scale that has proven costly, inefficient, or downright impossible by other means.

Common Core in Action: ELA

edutopia.org - Finding ways to integrate technology and align instruction to the Common Core Learning Standards can be a challenge. Part of making sure that students are college and career ready goes beyond rigorous class work and should include interaction with 21st century technology.Let's take a look at two Common Core Anchor Standards in Reading. These anchor standards are written generally for grades K-12, and each has grade-specific standards that address the particular skill sets necessary for each level of students.

2013-09-16

About Online Learning | Online and Distance Learning

Find out more about online learning or elearning - using audio and video-conferencing, email, chat, and completing an online degree or certificate by distance.

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Reading Tree: Seeking a reading space within a school compound

creativevoces.com - The Creative team in the USAID Read To Succeed (RTS) project in Zambia has developed a concept known as the Reading Tree to encourage schools to create reading space using the physical environment nature has provided.

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2013-09-11

Apple Unveils Low-Cost iPhone 5C in 5 Colors

Apple has unveiled its new iPhone 5C, a lower-cost iPhone with color.

The budget smartphone space is growing increasingly important, especially in emerging markets like China. Although Apple has found great success selling its older iPhone devices (usually with smaller storage capacities) for several years after their release dates, this marks the first time a brand new, lower-cost variant has appeared alongside a new flagship phone.

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2013-09-10

Free and Open Source Software Technology for Sustainable Development - United Nations University

The book aims to raise awareness, increase the deployment and capture the impacts of FOSS for sustainable development. The chapters cover the theoretical and practical implications of FOSS technologies, with contributions from expert researchers and practitioners in both developing and developed countries. It is targeted at ICT4D experts, FOSS developers and users, policymakers, technology-oriented SMEs and NGOs, as well as practitioners and institutions interested in the pedagogical aspects of FOSS technologies.

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Mobiles for Development | a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) by IIT Kanpur and COL

Mobile communication and computing technologies have much potential to contribute to human development. This is already felt in some measure in learning. There are reports of new advantages and benefits in key other sectors such as agriculture and food production and rural credit and finance. This course is about important concepts and practices in mobile technologies that are relevant to learning and education, agricultural extension and rural credit and finance.