In case you missed it! We have some great new content on the site: Two new case studies on building a local jobs database in Haiti and TulaSalud, a mobile health project; and two new how-tos (that nicely complement each other).
Safer Photos: How to Remove Location Information from Mobile Images data sheet 12917 Views
Author:
Melissa Ulbricht
Abstract:
This article and screencast shows you how to remove location information from photos taken on a mobile phone.
In a previous post, we described how to add location information to mobile content, including images and stories. For some reports, location information adds value, context, and interest to venue-specific reports. But today, we talk about how to remove that same location information. This is also detailed, step by step, in this screencast.
ICTs and Political Activism - a Zimbabwean Experience data sheet 1665 Views
Author:
Burrell, Brenda
Publication Date:
Dec 2010
Publication Type:
Report/White paper
Abstract:
To counter the Zimbabwean government’s tight grip over the traditional media, activists integrated old fashioned tactics of leaflets, graffiti, and small covert meetings with electronic media: short wave radio, pocket sized video cameras, digital cameras, fax machines, the Internet and email.
An early adopter of this mix of ICTs was Kubatana.net, a locally based non-profit which became an important aggregator of civic and human rights information on Zimbabwe. Its free online archive, established in 2001, offered articles, reports, documents and interviews with much of the information sourced from local civic organisations and international watch dogs. Its electronic NGO directory made civil society organisations accessible at a time when contact details were extremely fluid. Its email newsletter mailing list kept thousands of ordinary Zimbabweans regularly informed of events, opportunities and newly added resources to the web site. And its early adoption of SMS proved crucial to keeping Zimbabweans informed during the critical 2008 elections.
Recent events in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya have been on the minds -- and on the screens -- of people around the world.
News organizations are covering the events in innovative ways, and people have noticed. More generally, the role of social media itself in protests and revolutions is also being debated. But, as Charlie Beckett writes on his blog, let’s “put aside the silly debate about whether Twitter 'caused' revolution and look instead at how it helped tell the story.” Twitter is just one platform being used to help tell the story, as we see from our conversation with Al Jazeera, one of the most innovative newsrooms in the mix.
How to Add Location Information to Mobile Content data sheet 5734 Views
Author:
Melissa Ulbricht
Abstract:
This how-to focuses on the tools and techniques that you can use to add location-based information to mobile content.
Location information can add value to your stories and content and can help journalists who report on specific communities, reporters who create venue-specific multimedia, or citizen journalists who cover events in which location is relevant.
Location information has many advantages: It provides more context. It helps journalists and publishers find an interested audience; users searching for information around specific locations will most easily find information that is tagged with a location. Location information lends itself to aggregation; content with location information can be put on maps and other visualizations, which makes it more appealing for audiences to examine. Through this, it can be used in pattern-finding. Aggregations may show interesting patterns that would not be evident from individual reports. Finally, location information can leverage social media.
Going Mobile: Technology and Policy Issues in the Mobile Internet data sheet 1469 Views
Author:
Bennet, Richard
Publication Date:
Mar 2010
Publication Type:
Report/White paper
Abstract:
This report examines changes that must be made to the Internet and to the mobile network to make the Mobile Internet a pervasive and universal reality in the United States and the rest of the world. Some of these changes are purely technical, but their scope affects Internet engineering as well as mobile network, device, and application engineering. The rest of the changes will take place in the policy sphere, affecting notions of network neutrality and spectrum policy. The examination of technology is quite extensive, and is illustrated with specific examples of emerging devices and applications.
Antoni Abad is the founder and Director of Megafone.net, a platform which uses mobile phones, or ‘digital megaphones’, to create webcasts to amplify the voices of individuals and groups who are often overlooked or misrepresented in mainstream media. The concept is a communal one. One ‘megaphone’ is shared by up to four participants who meet in weekly editorial meetings to discuss the content of the webcasts.
Today's Mobile Minute brings you coverage on how the Egyptian government shut down the country's Internet and mobile services, work-arounds for communicating during a government-ordered Internet blackout, problems with keeping customers engaged in mobile banking and payment services, Android's new place as the top-selling mobile operating system in the world, and a prediction for huge increases in mobile data traffic by 2015.
In the aftermath of the Egyptian telecommunications blackout, ArsTechnica looked at both how the Egyptian government managed to limit the country's communications so effectively (mainly through ordering major ISPs and Telcos to shut off service) and if a government-mandated Internet/mobile lockdown could be recreated in other countries. In related news, Wired.com has created a wiki on how to communicate if the government limits/shuts down Internet access.
Vodafone announced that the Egyptian government invoked emergency powers and forced it and the other telcom providers in Egypt to send pro-government text messages to Egyptian subscribers. In a press release, Vodafone claims that the messages were not scripted by Vodafone, and that although they protested the government's involvement, they "do not have the ability to respond to the authorities on their content." Since then, a much-nedeed debate has begun on the responsibility of telcoms to resist this interference.
Surveillance technology is currently only in the hands of those who are already in power, which means it cannot be used to combat the largest problem facing modern society: abuse of power. So the question remains: "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" - roughly, Who watches the watchers? This is where OpenWatch comes in. The recent ubiquity of mobile telephones with media recording capabilities and the ability to run any software the users chooses gives the public a very powerful tool. Now, we are all equipped to become opportunistic journalists. Whenever any of us come in contact with power being used or abused, we can capture it and make it become part of the public record. If we seek truth and justice, we will be able to appeal to documentary evidence, not just our word against theirs. Ideally, this will mean less corruption, more open government and a more transparent society.
OpenWatch aims to democratize this theory of 'scientific journalism' championed by Julian Assange and apply it to citizen media. OpenWatch is not only intended to display abuse of power, but also to highlight appropriate use. As we are unbound by technological restrictions, we can aim to record every single time power is applied so that we may analyze global trends and provide a record for future historians. Police, corporate executives, judges, lawyers, private security agents, lobbyists, bankers, principals and politicians: be mindful! We are watching!
OpenWatch recorder is a tool for Android phones which secretly records audio and video, then automatically and anonymously uploads it to a server, which it can be reviewed and listen on the OpenWatch website. Client and server software is Free and Open Source.
Tool Category:
App resides and runs on a mobile phone
App resides and runs on a server
Is a web-based application/web service
Key Features :
Secretly Records Audio and Video
Automatically Uploads Media Anonymously to a Secure Server
FOLKSOMAPS - Towards Community Driven Intelligent Maps for Developing Regions data sheet 1560 Views
Author:
Kumar, Arun, Dipanjan Chakraborty, Himanshu Chauhan, Sheetal K. Agarwal, and Nitendra Rajput
Publication Date:
Jan 2009
Publication Type:
Report/White paper
Abstract:
Many services taken for granted in the developed world are often missing from the developing countries. One typical example is that of map systems that form the basis of several location-driven services. Its heavy reliance on content, provides a huge barrier towards building such systems. Further, in developing countries like India, the infrastructure typically has a history of unplanned development, leading to unorganized addresses and absence of standard naming conventions for roads. Detailed map systems such as online maps have only recently started becoming available but for major cities. Remote towns and villages remain out of reach till date.
In this paper, we investigate a community-driven approach for creating maps in developing regions - following Web 2.0 principles, but not entirely relying on the existing Web. Our system, dubbed FOLKSOMAPS is an intelligent, community constructed map system, particularly architected with developing regions in mind. We present the design of FOLKSOMAPS, followed by an implementation of our proof-of-concept system. We present user studies aimed at understanding the uptake, usability and utility of FOLKSOMAPS. The results indicate a strong need for such a community-generated mapping ecosystem.
February is here and it's a big month for mobile technology and social development events! Read on for a roundup of what's happening this month, and please feel free to add your own events in the comments.
7-11 February, Social Media Week (worldwide) Nokia is sponsoring Social Media Week, a worldwide series of events that focuses on technology and social media. While not all the events are mobile-related, check out the website for details about events in New York City, San Francisco, Rome, Paris, Toronto, Sao Paulo, London, Hong Kong and Istanbul.
10 February, Open UN - Engagement in the Age of Real-Time(New York City) Global Pulse is participating in Social Media Week, hosting a series of panels and presentations. This event focuses on using innovative technology during crises, creating open governments, and using technology to gather and disseminate real-time information.
From January 9th to January 15th, Southern Sudan held a referendum to decide if the region should become independent from North. Although results have not yet officially been announced, estimates indicate that the referendum will pass with an overwhelming number of pro-independence votes. During this time, keeping citizens informed of new developments is crucial, and one of the best ways to reach large numbers of people is through the radio. The Sudan Radio Service, which has been operating since 2006, recently began incorporating mobile technology into its work to both monitor the reach of its broadcasts and to solicit reader feedback.
Radio Azadi in Afghanistan Goes Mobile data sheet 4171 Views
In Afghanistan, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is three months into an interactive SMS service that allows listeners to access content and participate in the program via mobile phone.
Through the interactive SMS service, Radio Azadi is now able to both send and receive SMS messages from subscribers. As a news organization, the main goal of RFE/RL is reaching an audience. “We want to make sure our content is available on whatever platform Afghans want to consume it on,” Julian Knapp of RFE/RL said. The service allows listeners to become texters, and people around the country have sent in messages to the radio station, to the tune of about 200 messages per day.
Missed our last Mobile Tech Salon? Have no fear! We focused on how artists and activists using mobiles in their work: Urban Speaker broadcasts phone calls in public spaces over a loudspeaker; TXTual Healing and SMS Slingshot plaster text messages on walls; Pathways to Housing encourages people on the street to interact with a light projection via text; and Amphibious Architecture allows people to send text messages to and receive messages from animals in the rivers surrounding New York City. Watch the video below to get a taste of the artists' presentations:
The event was a great way to explore how mobiles can bring a new level of interactivity to art, and how art can be used to inspire activism. Presenters remarked on how the ubiquity of mobile devices make them ideal for encouraging people to interact with their surroundings. If you want to learn more about these projects, check out our posts on TXTual Healing, Amphibious Architecture and Pathways to Housing here, or watch an interview with Carlos J. Gomez de Llarena (creator of the Urban Speaker) here. Urban Collective, creators of the SMS Slingshot couldn't join us in person for the tech salon, but check out a video of their presentation here.
Thanks to Idealist.org for hosting us in their space, and thanks to the artists for showing their work!
Prabhas Pokharel contributed research and writing to this article.
We turn now from producing video on your mobile to audio to show you different ways that people are delivering content to mobile phones. Sending audio content can help you reach new and increasingly mobile audiences. It can also be a great way to reach semi- or illiterate populations or others for whom written content is not suitable.
There are many channels to deliver audio content to mobiles: calling listeners, providing numbers for them to call, having mobile web or app-accessible radio, or leveraging radios that are included in many mobiles. This post will focus primarily on projects and tools that use phone calls, or the "voice channel," to share content.
There are quite a few projects that disseminate audio content using the voice channel:
Many mobile phones can capture video footage. This has enabled both trained journalists and citizen reporters to more easily capture footage including images that were rarely seen before. The Polk Journalism Award in 2009, for example, was awarded to a video from Iran captured on a mobile phone. Today, more and more journalists are using mobile phones to record video and quickly transfer content to their newsrooms via mobile data connections.
Using mobiles to capture video isn't new news. But there is good news: You don't need a high-quality video camera to do high-quality reporting, be you in the U.S. or elsewhere. Many journalists and citizen reporters today use smartphones to capture video footage. Examples abound. Vancouver journalism students use an iPhone with some additional hardware and software to do all their video editing on the phone. Voices of Africa uses a Nokia N-series smartphone. In his book Mobile Journalism in the Asian Region, Stephen Quinn uses both iPhones and Nokia smartphones. This post will provide some tips and tools on how you can record quality video and audio from your mobile phone.
Make Sure Your Phone is Capable
Phone hardware is constantly improving and getting cheaper. With an older phone, you may consider video enhancement software, which can offer a cheaper way to get better quality video content. For high quality video recording on a mobile, the best phones available today feature 640 x 480 pixels at 30 frames per second. 320 x 240 pixels at 15 frames per second produces acceptable web-quality video.
Lower resolutions will look grainy and pixelated without software enhancement, and video below 15 frames per second will look choppy. On the high quality end, these are some good mobile phones with excellent video cameras:
PC Magazine featured these five video-phone models with varying price ranges. The article includes lengthy reviews and a matrix comparison of the phones.
The GSMArena.com database features 1800 phones with video capabilities, 70 of which are listed on this page. The site allows you to search for cameras based on various criteria and links directly to carriers around the world who are selling these phones.
The Nokia N series phones are generally highly recommended for video recording. The N82, N93, and N95 are mentioned often by independent reviewers.
Go Shoot (good) Video
When it comes to shooting video, the major difference between mobiles and mainstream camcorders is that mobile phones have simpler (and smaller) cameras. It is important to understand what makes for good quality video given these limitations. Some suggested tools and tips are listed here.
There are plenty of events happening this December to keep you up to date on all your mobile needs. Developer looking for a project? Researcher wanting to meet others in your field? No problem, there are plenty of mobile events for everyone!
MobileActive.org Event:
9 December, Tech Salon: Mobiles + Art + Activism(New York City, U.S.A.) For our last tech salon of the year, we'll be hosting an event that brings together art, mobiles and activism. Featuring artists and activists who use mobile phones in innovative and creative ways, our December tech salon will have installations and discussions with the artists (and, as always, food, wine, and great conversations). Sign up here!
Have you ever texted a fish? Or graffitied a wall with your mobile?
Thanks to the ever-present mobile devices and connectivity, artists and activists are experimenting with how we interact with each other, organize ourselves, and our surroundings.
We've written about interactive texts messages in activism before, and are very excited to devote our December Tech Salon to how artists and activists use mobile phones for expression.
RSVP here to join us on Thursday December 9th for "Mobiles + Art + Activism": an evening of conversation with artists, and live demos & exhibits of mobile art projects exploring public spaces, calls to action, crowd engagement and participation.
This week, the US Center on Citizen Diplomacy is hosting the U.S. Summit for Global Citizen Diplomacy in Washington, DC. in partnership with over 1,000 NGOs conducting citizen diplomacy activities. MobileActive.org is participating in a roundtable discussion on the Role of New Media in Advancing Citizen Diplomacy. The panel will address both policy recommendations and recommended tools for facilitating the use of new media in citizen diplomacy. A live webcast of selected Summit sessions will be available here beginning Wednesday.
Today's Mobile Minute brings you coverage on an iPhone security hole, how mobile phones are used to transfer music in Mali, Facebook's continued mobile marketing strategy, and the Guardian's updated mobile web site.
In Afghanistan, a documentary media company and an independent news agency have teamed up to integrate mobile phones and SMS into news reports. From election day text messages to stories of homemade airplanes, one news agency shows how a willingness to adapt mobile platforms to the landscape can contribute to a successful intersection of technology and media.
Small World News is a documentary and new media company that provides tools to journalists and citizens around the world to tell stories about their lives. Pajhwok Afghan News is an independent news agency headquartered in Kabul with eight regional bureaus and a nationwide network of reporters delivering stories in Dari, Pashto, and English. Together, the two launched Alive in Afghanistan, a website originally meant to showcase reports from the 2009 election in Afghanistan.
Mobile users can use a Ping application to post content via SMS and MMS. Ping supports iPhone, iPod Touch, WAP and SMS text messaging for US, Canada and Europe. Seesmic acquired Ping in January 2010. It is regularly adding social networks to those it already supports. Some main supported social networks include: Twitter, Facebook, Ning, Delicious and Flickr. It is free to sign-up for the service. There have been over 100 web and desktop applications created by third party developers.
Tool Category:
App resides and runs on a mobile phone
Key Features :
Ping.fm is a free social networking and micro-blogging web service that enables users to post to multiple social networks simultaneously.
Making an update on Ping.fm pushes the update to a number of different social websites at once. This allows individuals using multiple social networks to update their status only once, without having to update it in all their social media individually. Ping.fm groups services into three categories – status updates, blogs, and micro-blogs – and updates can be sent to each group separately.
Mobile phone users want to upload content to multiple sites but do not have the time and/or ability to do so. ShoZu allows content to be shared on multiple sites by clicking one button. Users can also view friend's content updates through this application.
ShoZu is a provider of mobile social media services that connect mobile consumers with their online social networks, personal blogs, photo storage sites and other Web 2.0 properties from the handset. The company was founded in 2001 in London and now has offices in San Francisco, France, Spain and Italy. The company is funded by investors, which include Atlas Venture, Crescendo Ventures, TLcom Capital partners and TTP Ventures.
Tool Category:
App resides and runs on a mobile phone
Key Features :
The main sites ShoZu collaborates with are: Flickr, Facebook, Dailymotion, Photobucket, Twitter, MySpace, Friendster, 23, Box, CNN and a few more. The main kinds of sites the company works with are: photo sharing, online communities, blogging and journalism Users can choose their mobile phone platforms on ShoZu's website and then purchase the application.
VeriCorder enables users with smartphones to record sound and video with their phones, import video and audio clips, create clips from multiple sources and share the finished clips online.
Location information can add value to your stories and content and can help journalists who report on specific communities, reporters who create venue-specific multimedia, or citizen journalists who cover events in which location is relevant. 
In Afghanistan, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (
