Digital Cities and WiFi

Quench your need here for the latest views, news and concepts in ICTs for development in India.

I am extremely appreciative of the Digital Vision Program by Reuters and Stanford University. As a young researcher, advocate and believer in the potential of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in changing the socio-economic landscape of communities, I am also grossly aware of the lack of participation and collaboration across stakeholders of ICTs-supported programs and projects the world over.

On Friday, September 30th, Patrick Baudisch will be speaking at the Human-Computer Interaction Seminar on the topic of mobile phone screen interfaces. Professor Baudisch works at the Adaptive Systems and Interaction Research Group at Microsoft Research and is an Affiliate Assistant Professor in Computer Science at the University of Washington.

Collection of Best Practices, Case Studies, Blue Prints and Strategies for Digital Cities by Intel. Quoting from their introduction: "A growing number of city and government leaders are implementing eGovernment services using innovative technology to enhance safety and security, citizen satisfaction, and a greater return on tax revenues. Opportunities offered by technology include an integrated infrastructure or 'fabric' for government services, delivered through both broadband wired and wireless information and communications technologies. These core technologies fundamentally transform the w

Philadelphia proposes to capitalize on this potential by leading an effort to create a wireless network that will provide high-speed, broadband wireless connectivity to all points within the city. Wireless access is rapidly changing how individuals and organizations connect to the Internet and is a transformative technology that will have multiple benefits across all segments of the economy and civic life.

Presented by Public Advocate Candidate, Andrew Rasiej, it includes a full plan and a summary document, as well as a campaign strategy and a petition. We quote from the introduction: "Right now, according to the latest research by the Progressive Policy Institute, New York ranks a dismal 41st among American cities in the percentage of its schoolchildren using computers in the classroom. According to PPI, we’re 17th among American cities in terms of broadband communications capacity due to a lack of private sector providers in the city. According to recent report by Intel, New York ranks a measly 21st in terms of the degree of wireless Internet access compared to other America cities.