3bn people have little access to life-saving or valuable information. Organizations serving these communities do not have simple, cost-effective tools to enable reliable and meaningful dialog to increase their reach while scaling their impact. Cellphone/SMS technology is complex to program, telecom orgs are inflexible/costly and existing SMS tools are difficult to use.

Resdida is developing a simple to use, turnkey platform for organizations (Govt, NGO, corporate, community) to leverage channel-based mobile content distribution, two-way messaging, and project monitoring and evaluation (M&E). The Platform allows for localized content creation and syndication, creation of content "channels", a wide array of distribution options, group profile management, two-way messaging (e.g. surveys automatically populate responses to a reporting module), and public service announcement capabilities. The Platform will be built for M&E by receiving and collating SMS-based field reporting in real-time, allowing for faster org response time.

Content may consist of program updates, emergency info, weather, health, sanitation, crop prices, news, as well as desired info such as entertainment, sports and culture. This approach will allow orgs to reach rural communities directly (and in larger numbers) with information they need and want. A survey module allows collection of feedback, and user data collection provides information on preferences to refine future development.

Resdida has a working prototype, with V1.0 now in development for release in 2009. Resdida will pilot the platform with 1-3 organizations to fully test its capabilities, make changes and prepare for broader rollout. V1.0 will be flexible enough for multiple org types, yet remains simple to use. A channel takes 5 minutes to setup and send to a group of any size via an extremely user-friendly web interface. NO technical knowledge/programmers, negotiations with telcos, purchase of software, servers/maintenance is required.

Your home is your castle, right? Protect it to the best of your ability, inside and out.The safety and protection of our family has always been our number one priority. Our peace of mind rests on the assurance that our homes are well protected from intruders, robbers, and criminals. However, in these modern times where there are numerous conflicts among the different social classes and cultural or ethnic groups, crime has increased to alarming proportions. Everyday we hear news about homicides, robberies, and terrorism. These occurrences push us to seek for ways to add protection to our properties and loved ones.

Many of us have gaps in our home security that are glaring to the criminal minded but completely escape the notice of the average individual.

This application is primarily used for video and audio surveillance. When the cell phone that is located inside the object that is guarded receives the message “watching”, it turns its microphone and camera on. Any change in the contrast or sound above the set threshold is considered a burglary and the SMS is sent. The options that are set are: message of activation/deactivation, sensitivity thresholds, text of the SMS and the number of the recipient.

Technical description:

The application is based on complex technologies adapted to the class of Smart Phones and the use of development environments that are specific for them. There is the need for the application to has access to the camera, microphone, SMS/MMS, GPRS or better access to the internet for the possible transfer of the image to the desired device. The basis of the application is an Image Analysis module and a module for the noise detection witch are designed to recognize the conditions to sound the alarm.

Economic growth, good governance, better community health—Souktel believes that all of these goals depend on something simple: Jobs and the income they bring. A poor family’s best hope for survival (and a brighter future) hinges on its ability to earn and save money. But in most USAID countries, labor markets are in chaos—not because there’s a lack of jobs, but because there are no good information networks to help job-seekers and employers find each other: Web access is low, public/private resources are few, and infrastructure is poor. As a result, job-searching is expensive, time-consuming, and risky.

But a huge number of low-income communities have basic cell phone access, even in rural areas. Souktel leverages this technology to bridge job information gaps in emerging markets—by creating a mobile “job matching” application that helps reduce unemployment and boost local growth.

Our solution is simple: From any phone, job-seekers create SMS "mini-CVs" that include basic data on their skills, location, etc. These are then sent by mobile to our central database--which hundreds of employers search daily, via web or phone. From their side, employers create similar “mini job ads” and post them on the same database—so that job-seekers can search these jobs from their own phones. The database also matches job-seekers/employers who have similar profiles, sending them SMS alerts with each other’s data.

By creating an interactive, accessible platform that ‘levels the playing field’ of access to job market information, Souktel narrows digital divides & breaks cycles of poverty and unemployment. We impact communities (especially young women) on a social level by empowering them to discover that they have more choices and resources than ever before. We impact them economically by providing better information which lets more people find jobs/staff; more ‘job-matching’ leads to more income for families, more productivity for businesses, and more growth for communities.

Every incoming administration receives hundreds of "white papers' advocating policies and priorities for every aspect of the Executive Branch. Development assistance is no exception.  We propose to promote transparency by aggregating all available recommendations relevant to USAID in a single website. 

 In addition to the public service of aggregation, we propose to democratize the process of making recommendations through user comments and voting, very similar to the way Netsquared manages its competitions. The benefits of using social networking tools in discussions about foreign assistance priorities, in addition to transparency, are greater opportunities for outreach and a wider net for innovation.While USAID can't be bound to the outcomes of the process, it would be an innovation in public outreach that would open up input from a far wider range that is heard at its ACVFA (Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid - essentially an echo-chamber for the development assistance establishment).  In addition, public engagement may produce new ideas.  Finally, the opportunity for public education about development assistance will emerge through discussions among development professionals and private citizens on what does and doesn't work in development assistance and why.

The expected inpact is greater public support for foreign assistance and USAID, with the possibiity of improvements in development delivery through innovations proposed in the discussions.

Overview

If a Driver can reach you, you can be a partner sharing a transport Lift, negotiated by mobile phone!  More than 200 million people, who are not in a position to travel with their own vehicle, can improve their quality of life, by making use of a mobile Liftclub portal service.   SureLifts is a mobile LiftClub service, where a Commuter may place a request for a lift, stating the days, time and the locations.

How does it work?

As validated registered members of the club, Commuters and Drivers will be matched, and after being served with quality information by SureLifts on their mobile phone, negotiate a Lift with an acceptable partner.  Members would be matched with available partners as soon as qualified offers become available, which would be submitted as mobile messages in order to take swift action.  A mobile SureLift portal was designed to provide comprehensive travel arrangements, helpful community and member account information in a very efficient style.  After conclusion of the lift arrangement, the members are afforded the opportunity to rate their partners and once more negotiate a new lift deal.

Benefits:

SureLifts allows the public community to participate in private partnerships enabling themselves with a mobile online service, when and where they need to go effectively, whilst improving their lifestyle. At the same time the members, as civilians, participate in improving the community service and assist in protecting the environment and improve social relationships.
SureLifts records the carbon emission value that the partners achieve by sharing transport.

Open source coding will be used in order to make it feasible to provide the service cost-effectively  in as many communities globally as possible.

Why operate as a mobile platform?

The service must be offered on a mobile platform; in order that any person can, online, negotiate a lift in an effective and safe manner. Use will be made of location based services to determine the shortest and most convenient options to both partners. The two parties will as members have sufficient information, to privately conclude their arrangements, track progress and keep record of the carbon emission offset value that they have effected over a period.

Security:

The details of registered members will be kept private and secure by SureLifts and will only be used to validate the acceptability of the member according to the rules set by the Board of Trustees of the particular Lift Club.  As a premium service, members can be tracked by authorized friends and be served with location-based information relative to the route travelled.

More information

Blog: http://surelifts.wordpress.com

SlideShow: http://gcmcknight.webng.com/Surelift/Surelift/Surelift/SureLift/

Video:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkhbg1nsvUo

Mobile screen clip:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEM9Kf7cdw4

Are you a sports professional willing to give something back to the community? or Are you a sports professional eager to make good use of your public status?

We can help you in 3 ways:

1. Help you to support existing projects as a coach or patron

2. Help you to set up your own social action initiatives

3. Connect you with a range of community sporting projects across the UK and around the world!

 Our Mission is to help young people develop a love for everyday habits which include physical exercise and healthy eating. We strive to work in partnership with community based sports clubs and other wellness focused organisations to promote health education among children.  

Our Key Goals:

• To encourage children to set goals and reflect on their healthy habits
• To help children achieve higher levels of health and self esteem through interactive games and education
• To enrich the lives of young people by encouraging them to become valuable contributors within their schools and communities.

Innovative uses of health information technology have the potential to improve clinical care and health decision-making in safety net settings.  The personal health record (PHR) is a technology tool that offers an internet-based solution to many healthcare dilemmas including methods to share information, create treatment plans and alert or remind patients how to optimize and understand their health care. However, less “connected” individuals and communities may have only limited Internet interactions; without focused strategies to leverage these powerful new technologies the disparities among on- and-off line Americans will not change. HIV/AIDS occurs among persons on the “other side” of the digital divide who often experience considerable health disparities that impact the quality of healthcare and their health outcomes.  Our project will develop an application that links patients to their health record without requiring constant or personal internet connections.  The proposed solution will provide information to patients via mobile phones, a ubiquitous technology tool, thereby eliminating the access barriers associated with “hardwired” internet connectivity.  San Francisco General Hospital, a leader in AIDS care, developed and deployed a system focused on managing patient information to improve the care of HIV infected persons. Among the patients approximately 81% are men, 17% are women and 2% are transgender.  The racial composition of the patients include: 48% Caucasians; 24% Black; 6% Asian/Pacific Islander; 1% Native American; 19% multi-racial or unstated. There are 25% Hispanic by ethnicity.    Fifty-six percent of the patients are less than 45 years old.  This solution will provide the patients with a timely opportunity to engage their health record and is especially important for persons with inconsistent or without personal internet access.  The information sent to patients on their mobile phone will be culturally correct, linguistically appropriate and sensitive to patients’ literacy.  An investment in this solution has the potential to create wide-spread ripple effects generating results that are practical, translatable to other sites (Africa) and other conditions (Diabetes) and result in a substantial impact on reducing disparities in healthcare.

Why SurePower(SP)? 

Mobile phones are commonly referred to as "Africa's Computer".   More than 70% of economically active inhabitants in South Africa use mobile phones, and apply SMS communications as an alternative to voice.  SurePower provide an effective mobile communication service for the Electrical Power Distributors.  An advice relating to their neighborhood of an impending power load shedding is provided JUST IN TIME by quality messaging to participating consumers.  Power Distributors are now enabled by the SurePower(SP) service to ascertain in which geographical area the affected electricity user is.

SP conducts an effective survey by ringfencing all the participating mobile users who would be affected by a specific circuit break.  This conceptualized PowerCell would be the definition of the group of interested mobile users, that need to be advised during a specific timeslot in a day.  SurePower also makes possible the complementary benefit, where a Power Distributor can confer with partnering users on how to cooperate in using the limited power resources.

What are the SurePower features: 

• Send power interruptions predictions to mobile users relating only to their suburb via cost-effective SMS alerts.

• Access a mobile WAP internet website for members of the participating group.

• The Utility company benefits from the PowerCell survey for planning purposes

• The facility provides the capacity of conducting various PR interactions with Mobile user involvement.

Who is behind SurePower:

The team is lead by Pieter Henning; who is a Telecom Engineer with 30 years experience, based in Johannesburg, South Africa.

When are the Power Distributor and the mobile Users involved in the service?
The Power Distributor would advertise in the local media that interested users must SMS their Postal code when they experience the next triggered power outage.  The SMS information received in the 30 minute window period would be sufficient for SP to calculate the Powercell

MassConnect is a user community and development platform that uses social networking and targeting to create an environment for rapid development and deployment of mobile & web2.0 software.

At its core the MassConnect Paradigm is “Share The User”

MassConnect categorizes and groups users based on preferences, geo location(GPS), and user behavior to create a qualified user targeting server. We provide an API and allow developers to build applications on the MassConnect Network and launch those applications to user communities who are in need of specific software. Since we share all this targeting data, we can truly help build and distribute software that meets a need in a community quickly and effectively.

Types of Applications that can be built on the MassConnect Network include:

Aids Awareness/Outreach

Agricultural Trading

Real Time Reporting

Community Organization

Targeted Working Groups

Business Alliances

Text based Broadcast Networks (NEWS)

Educational Outreach

Communication

At MassConnect we believe that sharing the user responsibly will open the floodgates to innovation and allow developers the opportunity to focus on building great applications that solve very specific problems in our world.