tinkering « Many Possibilities

Top Five Ted Talks

By Steve Song, on August 19th, 2008

At the Shuttleworth Foundation we have a now reasonably well-established tradition of gathering together every Tuesday at lunch to watch a Ted Talk. I borrowed this idea from Vera Franz of the Open Society Institute and with only a few damp squibs we have seen some great presentations and had some great discussions as a [...] [...]

Open Hardware for Development

By Steve Song, on August 14th, 2008

In my last post I wrote a bit about what kinds of information and communication technologies are needed by the poor. I have also written about the importance of tinkering and tinkerable technologies as a catalyst for innovation. My previous experience has led me to believe that tinkerable technologies like Linksys WRT routers running open [...] [...]

Information and Communication Technologies for the Poor

By Steve Song, on August 7th, 2008

An ongoing conversation with a large foundation has inspired me to think more directly about what specific technologies stand the best chance of benefiting the poor. Early on in the conversation, I made the point that “connectedness” alone actually counts for a lot. Most people involved in information technologies over the last 10-15 years, whether [...] [...]