Appfricast

Appfricast 17 – Google Earth Gets Around

j.gosier@appfirca.org (Appfrica.net) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:49:42 +0000

Rebecca Moore of Google talks Google Earth, Google Earth Outreach, Sketchup and Maps. Also a bit about TEDxKampala, the new Android Phone and AfricaGIS in Kampala, Uganda.

Download or Stream the Podcast – MP3 | Subscribe | iTunes | YouTube

About Google Earth Outreach…

Google Earth Outreach gives non-profits and public benefit organizations the knowledge and resources they need to visualize their cause and tell their story in Google Earth & Maps to the hundreds of millions of people who use them.

Links from the Show

Google Earth Outreach

Hacking Google Earth for Katrina

A Closer Look At Africa

Photo: by Think_Mobi

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Appfricast 16 – Ujima and the Future of Journalism

j.gosier@appfirca.org (Appfrica.net) — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 09:17:57 +0000

Reporter Ron Nixon of the New York Times recently sat down with me to discuss the future of journalism and his own project, Ujima.

Download or Stream the Podcast – MP3 | Subscribe | iTunes | YouTube

What is Ujima? From the project’s website:

The Ujima Project is a new experiment in journalistic transparency. The Web site offers African journalists, nongovernmental organizations and others seeking factual data access to information that is not readily available in many African countries. The project operates on the premise of reverse transparency, taking database, documents and other information from donor countries — The United States, European Union, for example — and providing it in an easily searchable manner. Want to know what NGOs are doing in your country? The Ujima Project can provide some of the answers. Want to know how much your government is spending to influence policy in the United States or to promote its image abroad? The Ujima Project can assist with that as well.

One blogger’s reaction:

Pulling a thread on the Ujima database can take you to the most unexpected dark places, where dirty secrets are kept, and show you the most unlikely bed partners. And that’s what’s so fascinating about it, and so outrageous at the same time. I truly hope that many journalists will feel the same way and make good use of all that info.

…

So it’s basically an invaluable treasure chest of data on the flow of money to and from Africa, mostly related to aid but not only.

Links from the Show

NYT’s Genius Geeks Don’t Know How to Save it Either

The New York Time’s Geeks Speak and they have Much to Say

Ujima Project – Show Me the Money!

Ron’s Articles at the NYT

The Great Lakes Media Institute

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Appfricast 15 – A Conversation With Meklit

j.gosier@appfirca.org (Appfrica.net) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:26:18 +0000

Meklit Hadero is a singer, songwriter, thinker and activist who exudes passion for the arts and her native Ethiopia. She’s a member of the Red Poppy Art House, a San Francisco artspace, venue and hub. Later this year, she and more than a dozen creatives of the Ethiopian diaspora will travel from all over the world to converge on their home, to celebrate art and culture. She was also a 2009 TED Oxford Fellow where we met a few weeks go, and I’ve been enthralled by her album EIGHT SONGS ever since. Meklit’s songs are reminiscent of the red dust omnipresent in sub-Saharan Africa; inviting, ancient, anguished yet resilient and lingering. If nothing else listen to this episode for the music contained inside.

Download or Stream the Podcast – MP3 | Subscribe | iTunes | YouTube | Zoopy

Links From the Show

MeklitHadero.com – Eight Songs

CD Baby – Buy the Album

SF Gate Profile – Meklit Hadero opens up to the world as soloist

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Appfricast 14 – ExhausTED

j.gosier@appfirca.org (Appfrica.net) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 10:22:45 +0000

After returning from TED Global 2009 Jon talks about what it’s like to present on the TED stage, what it’s like to be a fellow and what the TED community is like. Also Teddy Ruge from ProjectDiaspora.org drops by Appfrica Labs for a quick interview about his latest projects and how he was almost an Olympic decathlete! Also a few surprise announcements!

Download or Stream the Podcast – MP3 | Subscribe | iTunes | YouTube | Zoopy

Links From the Show

TED.com – Ideas Worth Sharing

TED Fellows – the Ted Fellows Blog

Project Diaspora – Mobilizing the African Diaspora

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Appfricast 13 – Ask Us Anything

j.gosier@appfirca.org (Appfrica.net) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:17:41 +0000

Ask Us Anything. Audio interviews with participants in Grameen’s CKW program and users of the ‘all questions answered’ service, Questionbox. Details about Question Box’s pilot in Uganda where we’re headed and the results of some of our research. Also, Jon talks about Google’s new SMS applications, Uganda’s plan to ban used computers, the real-time web, and the death of Michael Jackson?

Download or Stream the Podcast – MP3 | Subscribe | iTunes | YouTube | Zoopy

Links From the Show

World Wants to Know – real-time visualization of questions around the world

Grameen CKW Program – community knowledge workers

Grameen Applab – applying technology solutions to development

Google SMS Apps – SMS Search, SMS Tips and SMS Trader

Quincy Jones on MJ’s Death – Candid thoughts from Quincy Jones on his friend MJ

Uganda Wants to ban Used Computers – My thoughts

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Appfricast 12 – Balancing Act

j.gosier@appfirca.org (Appfrica.net) — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 08:08:22 +0000

Balancing Act. Russell Southwood from the Balancing Act consultancy sits down with Natalie and I to discuss consumer protection rights, the future of technology in Africa and mobile currency systems MTN Mobile Money and Safaricom’s MPesa. Russell’s group Balancing Act seeks to be the primary source for information on the telecoms, Internet and audio-visual media industries in Africa.

Also. Jon talks about Microsoft Bing, Google Wave, Google Squared and becoming a TED Fellow!

Links From the Show

Balancing Act – A free weekly e-letter/web site on the state of the internet in Africa. Regular items: news, business model, new software, web sites.

mpesa – Safaricom’s massive mobile commerce service

Mtnmobile Money – Wire money with your mobile

The Backlash Against Google Wave – Google rocks the boat.

Microsoft’s Big Bing Theory – “But It’s Not Google”

Daatum.com – Crowdsourcing Structured Data

Africansignals Wiki – African Signals is a site dedicated to finding out and showing local rates for mobile phone and internet connections around Africa

MyBroadband.co.za – Broadband Internet and Computer news website focusing on ADSL, 3G, HSDPA, iBurst, MyWireless, Gaming, Cellphone, Hardware and Software.

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Appfricast 11 – Natalie’s First Day

j.gosier@appfirca.org (Appfrica.net) — Tue, 26 May 2009 11:15:00 +0000

Natalie’s First Day. Appfricast has a new co-host and her name is Natalie Kimbugwe! Natalie will be joining us week-after-week to discuss the latest in African IT news and current events. As the female founder of a start-up here in Kampala, she offers unique insight into the IT industry, policy making and….Shaggy?!

Links from the Show

Orange Telecom – Orange is the key brand of France Telecom, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators.
Youth Action Fund – The purpose of the Youth Action Fund is to identify, inspire, and support small groups of dedicated young people who can mobilize and influence large numbers of their peers to promote open society ideals.

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Appfricast 10 – Ten Years Strong

j.gosier@appfirca.org (Appfrica.net) — Wed, 13 May 2009 08:21:00 +0000

Ten Years Strong. James Wire of Linux Solutions discusses how technology use in Africa has changed over the the ten years he’s been a successful software entrepreneur here in Uganda. As a supporter and developer of free and open-source software (FOSS), he stresses the role of open source, locally developed software solutions versus epensive, proprietary solutions from foreign contractos and companies. Local innovations in mobile like Uganda’s Me2U and Mbuni are examples of success.

He also shares some insightful tips on how to increase computer use in rural Uganda. “Take the village well approach to computing,” he says explaining that it’s cheaper, more sustainable and allows everyone in the community to feel like they are stakeholders. He goes on to give his two cents on everything from African music to second-hand computers.

Links from the Show

mbuni.org – Free/Open Source Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) gateway. It includes both core network MMS switching (i.e. MMSC) capabilities as well as messaging gateway (i.e. MMSC infrastructure integration) features, and is suitable for operators and MMS VAS providers.
MTN Me2U – mobile credit transfer
ncomputing.com – more efficient computing
James Wire talks about the lack of reliable electricity in Uganda.

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Appfricast 9 – The Out-take Show

j.gosier@appfirca.org (Appfrica.net) — Wed, 13 May 2009 08:20:00 +0000

The Out-take Show. Following the session from last week I left my iPhone recording the conversation as we continued talking about what it’s like to be a programmer here in Uganda.

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Appfricast 8 – An Interview With Appfrica Labs

j.gosier@appfirca.org (Appfrica.net) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:13:00 +0000

An Interview With Appfrica Labs A roundtable interview with all the developers at Appfrica Labs! Features Jon Gosier (CEO/Director), Barbara Birungi (Administrative Assistant), Felix Kitaka (Developer), Jerry Opolot (PHP Developer), Ivan Kavuma (COO/Director of Operations), Emma Oluka (Developer) and Dennis Senyonjo (Mobile Apps Developer). Who are these developers from Uganda, who are their heroes, what are the challenges they face and what are their ambitions? What’s it like being a female software developer here? A young developer? A developer who’s gone away worked for a big software company and come back to help the next generation?

Fact Checking the Show

The BitTorrent client Emma brings up is Vuze formerly known as Azureus, created by Tyler Pitchford.

23andMe.com is the social network that uses your DNA sequence in your profile. It was created by Anne Wojcicki and Linda Avey. Anne is the wife of Google co-founder Sergey Brin.

SymTorrent is a mobile bit torrent client for phones running Symbian.

Kevin Rose is the founder of Digg.com. Mark Zuckerberg is the founder of Facebook.com. Larry Page and Sergey Brin are the founders of Google.com. All of them launched their apps while in (or in the process of dropping out of) college.

Mark Shuttleworth is the founder and CEO of the linux distribution Ubuntu.

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