MobileActive.org wants to hire you! If you are a cracker-jack researcher and writer, we want you for research and stories from around the world about mobiles for social impact. Some data entry on organizations and projects around the world using mobile phones to make the world a better place are also part of the job. Online and telephone research, interviews, writing reports and blog posts.
Must be a thorough researcher, and persuasive and clear writer. Living and working experience in developing country/ies a must. This is an ideal position for journalism graduate student with a great interest in mobile tech, or for a technologist interested in the social implications of the mobile revolution. Location in New York preferred but could be done from anywhere IF it's the right person. Fluency in Spanish or Arabic a great plus. Some travel will be supported.
Send a resume, cover letter explaining why we should hire you, and at least TWO published pieces pertaining to this or a related subject matter of at least 300-500 words. Send your materials to katrin [at] mobileactive [dot] org. Search is open until we find the perfect candidate(s), so hurry.
MobileActive is announcing the third MobileActive Guide, profiling strategies and civil society organizations using mobile phones in their work to make the world a better place. The MobileActive Guide focuses on using mobile phones in fundraising campaigns. It features case studies from around the world, strategies for using mobile phones in fundraiaing, and a how-to section for organizations considering using mobile phones to support their causes.
Mobile phones have become a powerful emerging tool for participation in civil society. This five part series looks ways nonprofits have used mobile phones in their campaigns and the effective strategies deployed, and shares lessons learned.
In addition to Twitter and mobile phones as a vehicle for economic development, mainstream press and the avant garde public are fascinated with ringtones for good. It is the one topic in mobile campaigns for a cause that consistently get press and attention from mainline journalists. A case in point is the recently featured endangered species ringtones which have the press all, well -- ringing.
Greenpeace Argentina, as part of Greenpeace's global Whales Campaign, in a protest action yesterday delivered cans of fake 'whale' to the Danish Embassy in Buenos Aires. The action was recorded clandestinely by the activists on mobile video. According to Greenpeace, the Danish government is part of the pro-whaling meetings held in Japan. The cans were inscibed with "Whales Canned thanks to Danish support."
Amnesty International announced yesterday that it will accept payments on the UK via mobile phone that will get more money to the charity. Billed as a "digital wallet", LUUP, the mobile payment vendor that Amnesty uses, will " make it easier for people to make donations. Says Amnesty: "It will also enable the human rights organisation to receive up to 15 per cent more of the money than via PSMS methods such as regular text."
The UK arm of Amnesty ruled out premium rate text messages for donors as too costly. In Europe and in the US, network operators take a significant percentage of the revenue of premium texting -- up to 50% in some cases, and donations are limited to what are essentially micro contributions. Using LUUP, however, means that donors can give up to £800 in the UK to Amnesty International, for example.
And for this cold February day, something lighter: The nonprofit New York Philharmonic is selling ringtones of its performances on its brandnew site. Ringtones cost around $3 US, and include well-known works by Brahms, Mozart, and Dvorak. Cute.
MobileActive is announcing the second MobileActive Guide, profiling strategies and civil society organizations using mobile phones in their work to make the world a better place. The MobileActive Guide focuses on using mobile phones in issue advocacy. It features case studies from around the world, strategies for using mobile phones in advocacy work, and a how-to section for advocacy organizations considering using mobile phones to advance their causes.
Mobile phones have become a powerful emerging tool for participation in civil society. This five part series looks ways nonprofits have used mobile phones in their campaigns and the effective strategies deployed, and shares lessons learned.
Amnesty's campaign to close Guatanamo using SMS has been bothering me ever since I opted in to the mobile action network. Don't get me wrong - the web campaign is great and the pictures and stories on the blog are effective.
But the mobile campaign is all wrong. Yes, mobile campaigns are a new medium, only beginning to show a return, and not well understood. This is even true for big commercial campaigns that are only now sticking their toes into the mobile marketing waters.
But come on, advocacy organization, you are smarter than that. Mobile marketing is not rocket science, there is already a lot we know, and even as you experiment, use some common sense and pay attention to what you already know about engaging users and constituents.
So in order: 1. What's happening in the mobile marketing market that advocacy organizations should pay attention to (caution: this is US-centric!)
Carriers in the US are loosening up their previously tight restrictions on mobile advertising. Verizon, Sprint/Nextel, and AT&T are now allowing banner ads on their landing pages
More and more Americans have WAP-enabled phones, allowing them to do more and more on their cell phones, including watching video and photos, browsing the web, and of course, ubiquitous text messaging. rich media mobile messaging for greater brand and communication impact. Marketers now have at their disposal MMS (define), WAP push (clickable links to WAP-based multimedia content incorporated into SMS messages), and video shortcodes (consumers receive a video stream directly to their handset in response to texting to a shortcode).
Altogether more than 74% of US adults have cell phones -- and they do not leave the house without them (and their keys and wallets - the three things most adults walk around with at all times.)
Sms/texting is growing by leaps and bounds with more than 64.8 billion SMS messages sent in the first six months of 2006, up 98.8% from 32.6 billion in first six months of 2005.
Mobile marketers are salivating, with polls, contests, coupons, and even mobi-sodes, short sms serial stories hitting the commercial market. Pepsi, Ford, Toyota, Burger King all have mobile campaigns, and more and more marketers are allocating hard dollars to "mobile marketing" budgets.
Visa announced its mobile payment platform, allowing cardholders to use their mobile phones to make purchases or conduct other transactions by tapping them against readers. Think 'just in time' fundraising.
But what's the ROI for mobile marketers - such as advocacy organizations?
Everyone agrees, the medium is young, it is risky when poorly done, and it'll take time to judge payoffs. MobileActive's research of existing campaigns shows some interesting returns with sizeable opt-ins, and rather impressive open and forward rates for campaigns conducted by IFAW and Oxfam, for example. We will be publishing more details from specific campaigns in the next MobileActive Guide on Mobile Advocacy.
While a lot of metrics are still elusive, Brandweek reports about a commercial campaign: For the "Everydayrocks" text initiative, some 13,000 people opted in. And more than 75% of the entrants responded to SMS messages from the brand and/or redeemed mobile coupons. Only 4.8% opted out. Most telling, however, was that mobile emerged as the conduit with the best market reach; mobile outperformed radio by more than 64% and billboards by 24%. Overall, the mobile redemption rate was 28%, making it by far the most effective component."
We have seen positive other PR as well - a clever campaign, especially one that goes viral, will get earned media coverage and word-of-mouth exposure
What are advocacy organizations concerned about?
According to Brandweek, there still is considerable "consumer resistance, the main reason behind the carriers' historic refusal to open the gates to ad content." Brandweek goes on: "Studies have shown that consumers are less than thrilled with the idea of receiving ads on their cells. While early adopter teens are among the biggest targets, three-quarters of cell phone users ages 10 to 18 said they do not think it's OK to be marketed to on a mobile device, according to a study of 2,000 users conducted by Weekly Reader Research, Stamford, Conn., on Brandweek's behalf. Forrester Research in Cambridge, Mass., found 79% of consumers are turned off by the idea of ads on their phones and a mere 3% of respondents said they trust text ads."
There are now strict guidelines, drafted by the Mobile Marketing Association, on opt-in and opt out procedures.
It's my phone! Be scrupulous about your opt-in practices, absolutely meticulous in following the mobile marketing code of ethics, and make your vendors follow them to the T. Your brand is at stake, and people will get very annoyed if they perceive you spamming them.
But this is not stopping mobile marketers who are chomping at the bit.
So, what do we know about effective mobile marketing?
Can we talk? 1. Mobile messaging should be about interaction, do not just pitch. A hard notion for advocacy organizations used to pushing email messages by the millions. Mobiles offer a unique opportunity for interaction. Advocacy organizations need to think about mobile marketing as a conversation, a way to interact two-ways with their constituents. 2. Trust is key here as the mobile medium is so very personal. Gain permission and offer relevant and timely content. 3. Pull people to mobile interaction through other media -- ads, billboards, the web and offer, in turn, mobile interaction with those media. 4. Be careful about targeting your demographics and make your ask accordingly -- asking an older constituency to upload mobile photos is probably not going to be very successful. 5. Be relevant. Offer timely news and functional updates that are of interest to your audience-- and be clever. Just by way of an idea: The American Lung Association could offer air quality updates via sms for where I live, for example. In Amnesty's case, I would like to know how many others are signing the petition and how it's going -- what are others saying and how successful is the campaign? Send me an sms with an update since signing on -- I have not heard a lick from Amnesty since I signed the petition two days ago. 6. Mobile marketing works best when it's pull, not push, and there is an opportunity for people to express themselves - to 'talk' back, to suggest, to respond. Humor works here! 7. Be multi-media. Integrate your mobile marketing and messaging into your entire media and messaging campaing; do not let mobile be an add-on - it shows, and it costs you if not done well.
This is a world that is rapidly evolving. Bandwith and technology improving al the time, we will see Internet- and TV-style ads, search, and much more branded content.
For advocacy organizations, mobile marketing is used most effectively for facilitating a dialogue with their constituents. This 'third screen' can create extended conversation, creating connections across online and traditional media exposures.
So what should Amnesty have done better here?
1. Do no ask me for my email to sign the petition, let me do it via sms. 2. Show what people are saying on the petition via sms, in real time on the blog, in ads, in public interest announcements -- in your other media campaign. 3. Tell me back how it is going -- what other people are saying, what is happening. 4. Communicate regularly with me VIA text, BUT remind me of how to opt out. 5. Ask me to forward a note, ask me to make a call, ask me to express myself in a some way in a poll, in a 160 character message, poem or statement. 6. Use humour, allow for humour -- it may be gallows humour in the case of Gitmo, but hey...
Overall: engage me, and do not let me feel that I am sinking in your typical advocacy 'push' hole that benefits you organizationally, but in the end has no impact on the issue, nor engages me in any way.
In the end, because mobiles are so personal, there is a huge opportunity for a conversation that few advocacy organizations used to messaging OUT have any idea how to do effectively. Mobiles are very much a read/write medium in the web 2.0 fashion and only those organizations willing to hear back and engage in 'it's the conversation, stupid' will end up running catchy, creative, engaging, and innovative mobile campaigns.
Working Towards a Deeper Understanding of Digital Safety for Children and Young People in Developing Nations data sheet 413 Views
Author:
Gasser, Urs, Colin Maclay, John Palfre
Publication Date:
Jun 2010
Publication Type:
Report/White paper
Abstract:
This exploratory study is a first output of an ongoing collaboration between the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and UNICEF. It is intended as a contribution towards building a deeper understanding of children’s safety in a digital context in developing nations. More specifically, the objectives of the paper are threefold: First (and foremost), it seeks to raise awareness about issues related to digital safety for youth in developing nations. Second, it aims to provide a tentative map of these issues and give insights into the current state of the respective
FailFaire – where it's okay to admit the mistakes. MobileActive hosted another round of FailFaire, bringing together practitioners, developers, donors, and students involved in the use of technology for social change development to discuss what's usually swept under the rug – project failure. The event is an open space to discuss those projects that went wrong in our field fostering a sense of learning from mistakes and knowledge sharing. The latest FailFaire in New York brought together eight practitioners to present their failed projects and what they learned along the way. Take a look at this FastCompany article about the NYC FailFaire for some background.
It may be the end of the year, but that doesn't mean mobile events are slowing down! With conferences, calls for research, developer meet-ups, and networking opportunities, you won't get bored this December. Check out what's happening with mobiles this month:
5 December, Mobile Monday Las Vegas(Las Vegas, USA) The inaugural Las Vegas Mobile Monday meeting will feature presentations of mobile applications, product demonstrations, and discussions about social media outreach and investing.
5-7 December, mHealth Summit (Washington, D.C., USA) The third year of the mHealth Summit looks at how multiple sectors (including governments, NGOs, the telecommunications industry, and academia) can work together to create mobile health projects that improve health systems around the world. We'll be reporting from there.
5-7 December, Advances in Mobile Computing & Multimedia (MoMM-2011) (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) This research-based conference, now in its ninth year, brings together researchers and industry practitioners to discuss the mobile computing and multimedia industry.
6 December, The Guardian Mobile Business Summit 2011 (London, UK) This event focuses on the business side of mobile use – branding, user engagement, content creation and delivery, and mobile advertising. The event also has a large focus on networking for attendees.
6-9 December, MobiQuitous 2011 (Copenhagen, Denmark) For researchers and practitioners in the mobile and computing worlds, MobiQuitous offers a chance to share research and learn from workshops and discussions.
The Role of Mobile-Enabled Social Media in Social Development data sheet 686 Views
Author:
Masatake Yamamichi
Publication Date:
Jul 2011
Publication Type:
Report/White paper
Abstract:
A number of countries recently experienced protests organized by citizens that were in pursuit of accountability and openness from government. It was witnessed that social media played a highly important role in those events; among others, continuously providing updated information, establishing human networks, forming opinions, mobilizing people, and taking concerted actions.
Of course, social media is not the sole reason that made the events happen. However, it can be at least said that the general public were encouraged to move into the actions for their enhanced well-being. From a broader perspective, those occurrences also showcase that Information & Communications Technologies (ICTs) can help enhance social development among people.
This short note seeks to develop analysis on the role of social media in social development, in the wake of the increasing diffusion of mobile phone Internet access.
Again, there are plenty of upcoming mobile and tech conferences. Check out our listings for November 2011 below, and feel free to let us know about any other upcoming events on Facebook or Twitter.
1-2 November: AppsWorld (New York City, USA) AppsWorld is a two-track event; one for marketers and one for developers. The app developer track focuses on bringing together developers and entrepreneurs to learn about creating, distributing, and monetizing apps. The marketing track looks at how apps can be used by businesses as part of a marketing strategy.
2-4 November: Open Mobile Summit (San Francisco, USA) The Open Mobile Summit is focused on how mobile, Internet, and media technologies can be used in business. The year's event will look at a variety of subjects including mobile money, the use of video technologies, mobile evolution, and more.
6-9 November: AnDevCon (San Francisco, USA) Love Android? Then check out the Android developer conference, where you can meet up with other developers to take technical classes and workshop projects.
9-10 November: 14th Annual Africa Com (Cape Town, South Africa) This year's conference focuses on "advancing innovation and profitability for a digital Africa." The event will look at a wide variety of digital projects, from m-health, to rural telecoms, to mobile money, to operator strategies.
The fourth FAILfaire, this time in New York City on December 14th, will be an evening dedicated to those tech and mobile projects that were designed to have a social impact but instead crashed, burned, and FAILED. FAILfaire NYC is presented by MobileActive.org and hosted by the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, with participation from UNICEF's Innovation Unit.
If you do not know about Failfaire, here is some background: Launched in early 2010, there have now been three FAILfaires, events designed to provide a platform for those working in online and mobile technology for social change to openly, honestly (and humorously) discuss our own failures.
As noted in the New York Times’ piece on FAILfaire, “Technology’s potential to bring about social good is widely extolled, but its failures, until now, have rarely been discussed by nonprofits who deploy it.” Well, FAILfaire is changing that, and is doing so in style. The format is informal, the discussions are rich, and the refreshments are adult and, well, refreshing.
Slate.com wrote that FailFaire “...[isn’t] about celebrating failure just for the sake of failure, but about taking lessons from each mistake and using them to create more efficient, economical, and accessible projects that could have a greater effect on a community.” We couldn’t agree more!
To join us, please RSVP here, as the event will fill up quickly.
If you like to be considered as a presenter for the next FAILfaire, go to failfaire.org and submit a note about your failed project and what we can learn from it.
Gibberbot is designed for people who need to chat securely. If you and the person you are communicating with are both able to use it, secure chat can be used as a replacement for email and text messaging.
Gibberbot should work on any Android phone. It’s probably best for users who are reasonably comfortable chatting and handling their phone, and it’s only currently available in English.
Gibberbot is an instant messaging app for Android phones, developed by The Guardian Project. Gibberbot implements off-the-record messaging (OTR). Off-the-record messaging is a way to conduct an instant messaging conversation with the following attributes
Encryption. An eavesdropper cannot read your messages
Authentication. You can verify the identity of the person you’re chatting to - or at least of the account they are using.
Deniability. It is not possible for a third party to prove that a particular user sent or received a particular message.
Perfect forward secrecy. It is not possible for an attacker to decrypt a previous conversation, even if he/she obtains the encryption keys used to encrypt it.
Gibberbot can also use Orbot to route your chats over the Tor network. This prevents an observer from following the source and destination of your messages (effectively, from knowing you are chatting) and provides a way to circumvent web censorship that may involve chat servers being blocked.
Off-the-record messaging only works when both parties in the conversation are using it. This means both parties need to use Gibberbot, another mobile app, or chat software that supports it. Currently Gibberbot is the only option we know of for mobile phones. Off-the-record plugins are available for several PC chat programs, including Pidgin (Windows and Linux), Adium (Mac), Trillian (Windows) and Miranda (Windows).
Tool Category:
App resides and runs on a mobile phone
App resides and runs on a server
Key Features :
When used with Orbot, Gibberbot combines the security, privacy and anonymity provisions of off-the-record messaging with the additional anonymous browsing and circumvention protection of the Tor network.
Gibberbot is currently the only implementation of off-the-record messaging for mobile phones that we are aware of.
The code for Gibberbot is open source and freely available for download - there are no costs involved except your airtime while chatting.
For many, mobile devices are an indispensable tool for storing and sharing increasingly sensitive information. Contacts, emails, and mobile browsing history can easily be compromised without taking the proper measures to ensure that that information is safely in the right hands... and out of the wrong ones. Newly added to our mDirectory are the following how-to guides on securing mobile email, mobile anonymity, backups, and data deletion from our SaferMobile team:
Securing Your Mobile Email - This guide catalogs the different tactics you can take to keep mobile email safe. It covers email security basics, TLS/SSL enabling, and email encryption. The guide also provides customized tactics and suggestions for Android, Blackberry, iPhone, and Nokia/Symbian phones.
Mobile Tools for Backups, Data Deletion and Remote Wipe - Anyone who has ever had their phone stolen knows how frustrating and potentially dangerous that can be. Here we have a comprehensive review of some of the tools out there for data backup and restore, data deletion, and remote wipe.
For all other materials produced by the SaferMobile team, check out this complete list (and watch for a new SaferMobile site soon!)
Mobile Tools for Backups, Data Deletion and Remote Wipe data sheet 1865 Views
Author:
SaferMobile
Abstract:
Anyone who has had a phone stolen knows the frustration of trying to rebuild your contact list, not to mention data on the phone that is unrecoverable. Worse, the data stored on your phone can be dangerous in the wrong hands. In addition to being able to impersonate you to your mobile contacts, consider the risk of an attacker who has access to some of all of the following:
Your saved contacts - names, phone numbers, perhaps also email addresses and physical addresses
Call logs - calls made and received
Stored text messages
A calendar with your appointments, or a task list
Your mobile email
Your web browser with stored passwords
Photos, video and sound recordings stored on the phone and memory card
Data stored by applications - notes, social networking contacts and posts
Three kinds of tools can lessen the pain of losing your mobile data, and limit your risk should your phone be lost or stolen.
Backup and restore tools allow you to save a backup of contacts and other data stored on your phone
Data deletion tools can be used to ‘clean’ a phone completely before disposing of it, giving it away or travelling to a location where you are worried it could be stolen or confiscated
Remote wipe tools are set up so that if your phone is lost or stolen, you are able to clean it remotely, deleting sensitive data. Many remote wipe tools also allow you to track the phone provided it has not been turned off.
Anyone who has had a phone stolen knows the frustration of trying to rebuild your contacts list, not to mention data on the phone that is unrecoverable. Worse, the data stored on your phone can be dangerous in the wrong hands. In addition to being able to impersonate you to your mobile contacts, consider the risk of an attacker who has access to some of all of the following:
Your saved contacts - names, phone numbers, perhaps also email addresses and physical addresses
Call logs - calls made and received
Stored text messages
A calendar with your appointments, or a task list
Your mobile email
Your web browser with stored passwords
Photos, video and sound recordings stored on the phone and memory card
Data stored by applications - notes, social networking contacts and posts
Three kinds of tools can lessen the pain of losing your mobile data, and limit your risk should your phone be lost or stolen.
Email wasn’t designed with security in mind. Unless you take steps to protect your communication, emails are sent in plain text - and so are your email account username and password.
At the same time, if you and your recipient are taking the appropriate security precautions, mobile email can be a secure and reliable alternative to other forms of mobile communication. If you have data service for your mobile, encrypted email can replace text messaging, and if you aren’t able to access a website securely to upload content - photos or videos for example - getting it to a trusted contact as an email attachment can be a safer alternative.
Email wasn’t designed with security in mind. Unless you take steps to protect your communication, emails are sent in plain text - and so are your email account username and password.
At the same time, if you and your recipient are taking the appropriate security precautions, mobile email can be a secure and reliable alternative to other forms of mobile communication. If you have data service for your mobile, encrypted email can replace text messaging, and if you aren’t able to access a website securely to upload content - photos or videos for example - getting it to a trusted contact as an email attachment can be a safer alternative.
This article suggests the following tactics for improving the security of your mobile email:
Mobile Anonymity and Censorship Circumvention: How to Browse the Web Anonymously On Your Phone data sheet 3553 Views
Author:
MelissaLoudon
Abstract:
If you don’t want someone to know that you were accessing a particular web site (or that you were accessing it at a particular time, such as when inflammatory content was posted), you need to anonymize your mobile browsing. Depending on how your network is set up, the site you are accessing may be able to see and keep a record of your IP address. Your network administrator, Internet Service Provider and/or Mobile Network Operator can see and keep records of the IP addresses of both your Internet-connected mobile device and the sites you are accessing. IP addresses can nearly always be linked to a geographic location, whether a zip code or a city, and your ISP or mobile network provider can link your IP to your individual device.
However, using HTTPS does not hide your identity. If you don’t want someone to know that you were accessing a particular web site (or that you were accessing it at a particular time, such as when inflammatory content was posted), you need to anonymize your mobile browsing. Depending on how your network is set up, the site you are accessing may be able to see and keep a record of your IP address. Your network administrator, Internet Service Provider and/or Mobile Network Operator can see and keep records of the IP addresses of both your Internet-connected mobile device and the site you are accessing. IP addresses can nearly always be linked to a geographic location, whether a zip code or a city, and your ISP or mobile network provider can link your IP to your individual device.
Organisations and countries that block websites can do so by blocking communication to and from specific IP addresses. For this reason, anonymizing your browsing is also the first step to circumventing Internet censorship.
This article describes two tactics for anonymous browsing and censorship circumvention - using a proxy, and using a mobile version of the circumvention tool Tor. Both are used on cpmputers as well as mobile devices. Specific tools for mobile phones are described in the second part of the article.
A User Guide to Orbot - Anonymized Tor Browsing on Your Mobile Phone data sheet 3214 Views
Author:
SaferMobile
Abstract:
Orbot is an anonymizing and circumvention app that connects Android phones to the Tor network. Developed by The Guardian Project, it is currently the only way to use Tor on a mobile phone.
Orbot is for Android users who need to browse anonymously or circumvent blocked sites. It should work on both older and new model Android phones, and does not require a rooted phone (although there are some advantages to using it with one). Orbot is designed for proficient Android users.
Orbot is an anonymizing and circumvention app that connects Android phones to the Tor network. Developed by The Guardian Project, it is currently the only way to use Tor on a mobile phone.
Who should use it?
Orbot is for Android users who need to browse anonymously or circumvent blocked sites. It should work on both older and new model Android phones, and does not require a rooted phone (although there are some advantages to using it with one). Orbot is designed for proficient Android users.
How does it work?
Orbot sets up a connection to the Tor network and makes it available to apps through a local proxy.
Secure Chat on Android: Gibberbot, a User Guide data sheet 2380 Views
Author:
SaferMobile
Abstract:
Gibberbot is an instant messaging app for Android phones. Gibberbot implements off-the-record messaging (OTR), a way to conduct an instant messaging conversation with encryption, authentification, deniability, and forward secrecy.
Gibberbot is an instant messaging app for Android phones, developed by The Guardian Project. Gibberbot implements off-the-record messaging (OTR). Off-the-record messaging is a way to conduct an instant messaging conversation with the following attributes
Encryption. An eavesdropper cannot read your messages
Authentication. You can verify the identity of the person you’re chatting to - or at least of the account they are using.
Deniability. It is not possible for a third party to prove that a particular user sent or received a particular message.
Perfect forward secrecy. It is not possible for an attacker to decrypt a previous conversation, even if he/she obtains the encryption keys used to encrypt it.
Gibberbot can also use Orbot to route your chats over the Tor network. This prevents an observer from following the source and destination of your messages (effectively, from knowing you are chatting) and provides a way to circumvent web censorship that may involve chat servers being blocked.
Off-the-record messaging only works when both parties in the conversation are using it. This means both parties need to use Gibberbot, another mobile app, or chat software that supports it. Currently Gibberbot is the only option we know of for mobile phones. Off-the-record plugins are available for several PC chat programs, including Pidgin (Windows and Linux), Adium (Mac), Trillian (Windows) and Miranda (Windows).
SMS in Action is an interactive crowdmap that allows users to submit and search for SMS-based systems that aim (or claim) to have a social impact. The map can be filtered by categories including Agriculture, Health, Emergency/Disaster Services, Banking, Economic Development, Information and Media, Education, and Governance with many of these categories dividing into further subcategories. Reports may also be filtered by report date.
Corresponding markers on the map can be clicked giving the user the option to zoom in/out or get more information. While clearly still in its early stages, the map has a lot to offer. A quick search for disease programs under medical/health returned over a dozen hits across the map. Additionally, users may subscribe to receive location-specific email alerts whenever a report is posted within 20 miles of a designated area.
Particularly for smartphones, there are many apps that promise improved privacy and security for your mobile communications. Like all apps, some are very good, but other are poorly written or overpriced, and may even be malicious. This article will help you evaluate whether you should trust their promises.
Before You Start
Security apps are most useful as part of a coherent security policy covering all your mobile communications. The Mobile Risk Assessment Primer will help you complete an inventory of mobile communications risks, and decide which are most important and most feasible to mitigate.
Once you’ve completed a risk assessment, it’s important to search broadly for security apps. MobileActive is in the process of reviewing many of these from our current list of security apps, but the mobile security landscape changes quickly. Ask friends and colleagues, read about your specific security need online, and search your device’s app marketplace. Once you’ve identified as many options as possible, it’s time to start evaluating your security apps.
Will It Work on Your Phone?
As with computer software, some mobile apps are built to work on one platform - Android, iPhone, Blackberry, Symbian, Java - and may not work on others. There may be other requirements too, such as particular phone models. Make sure the apps you have chosen are all going to work on your device.
Also consider how you will actually get the app - can it be downloaded from a web link that you open on your phone, or can you get it from an app marketplace? Some apps can also be downloaded to a PC and transferred via bluetooth or a data cable. This step sounds obvious, but it can be tricky when you don’t have stable Internet access on your phone or aren’t used to the app install process.
Bad Services? Holding Officials Accountable with SMS, Radio, and TRAC FM data sheet 2341 Views
A recent radio poll at Sanyu FM in Kampala, Uganda, asked listeners what area of service delivery should be a priority: healthcare, education, security, sanitation, or transport. Using a new tool, TRAC FM, the station was able to solicit comments via SMS from listeners, discuss the issue on the air, and create and post online visualizations of the responses. The station received 103 SMS responses which showed that healthcare was the major concern for listeners, which accounted for 65% of responses.
With help from Text to Change and in partnership with local media organizations, TRAC FM provides citizens in Uganda with a platform to monitor, scrutinize, and discuss public service issues via SMS, radio, and online data visualizations. It does this via the TRAC FM software, a tool for Ugandan radio stations that is partially built on RapidSMS, an open source platform originally developed by UNICEF.
TRAC works in countries affected by poverty and conflict. Its sole purpose is to improve the welfare of people by enabling them to make informed choices and to hold their leaders accountable. TRAC gathers data to enhance transparency and informs people by unleashing the power of mobile communications.
The Praekelt Foundation, a South African organization that runs several mobile-based programs in South Africa, recently produced a catchy video infographic of mobile statistics for Africa. Looking at accessibility, growth, and usage, the video gives a good look at how mobiles have taken off in in the continent of Africa.
The video covers a lot of facts about mobiles, from a breakdown of the rapid growth of mobile phones compared to other forms of media (like radio and television) to the huge drop in price points (the first mobile phone cost US $3995 in 1973 compared to roughly US $15 for certain models today). Some facts from the video:
"Today the number of SMSs sent and received everyday exceeds the population of the planet"
"In 2002 there were 49 million cellphones in Africa, now there are 500 million"
"In Africa, over 95% of mobile users are pre-paid subscribers"
The video also covers other uses of mobile phones such as Please Call Me messages (in which pre-paid mobile users who have used up their airtime send a free message requesting a call back from whomever they want to speak to) and mobile payments, reporting that almost 11% of Kenya's GDP goes through the M-PESA system. M-PESA, a mobile money transfer system, registers almost 10,000 new people each day to use mobile phones to transfer money credits.
If you're curious about the mobile situation in Africa, take a few minutes to watch!
