Continuing on my theme of the cloud helping developing countries gain more and better access to computer systems, I am interested to read of Neverware. This is a New York based start-up that has developed a way of taking an old PC and making it run as efficiently as a new PC as it accesses upgrades etc to its core systems via the cloud.
Specific details are sketchy, but it seems to be generating a lot of discussion amongst the tech community in the East Coast. Currently, the major application appears to be to permit schools to gain longer service from their PCs. However, it strikes me that there could also be an important developing country application for this.
Millions of PCs are thrown away every year. Some (but my guess is only a small minority) are sent to the developing world, but they are still old models with outdated solftware. If we could take the hardware and install the most recent software (via a Neverware connection to the Cloud), then we could really bring top level PC access to developing countries.
This may never happen through Neverware, but the principal is sound and I am sure has a future. More evidence of how developing countries are going to be offered a real chance to catch up!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Food and Agriculture
I am unsure when I started reading about the future of agriculture seriously, but it was a number of years ago. Since then, there have been regular episodes of excitement in the media. Daewoo being forced to cancel its land grab in Madagascar, China cancelling similar in Philippines, a new study on the dangers of biofuels and the continuing rising price of food.
However, I sense that coverage of the subject has recently moved to the next level. It seems that the mainstream media, not just economic, business or political journals are picking up the story and the more serious media is analysing this in a depth not seen before. I dont have statistics to prove this, but as an avid reader, I do believe that my instinct on this is pretty good.
I do believe that the world is facing an agricultural crisis, but the answer is very complex. It isn't just a case of ploughing money into biotechnology so that new seeds can be developed. It isn't just about land grabs, or water shortages or biofuels.
The problem is that it is about all of this and more. As such, it requires policy and application devised by individuals who have the capacity to cut across technical, process and political boundaries. It requires true 'big picture' thinking with detailed answers. Where are the people that have this capacity and the influence to make things happen?
I wish I knew?
However, I sense that coverage of the subject has recently moved to the next level. It seems that the mainstream media, not just economic, business or political journals are picking up the story and the more serious media is analysing this in a depth not seen before. I dont have statistics to prove this, but as an avid reader, I do believe that my instinct on this is pretty good.
I do believe that the world is facing an agricultural crisis, but the answer is very complex. It isn't just a case of ploughing money into biotechnology so that new seeds can be developed. It isn't just about land grabs, or water shortages or biofuels.
The problem is that it is about all of this and more. As such, it requires policy and application devised by individuals who have the capacity to cut across technical, process and political boundaries. It requires true 'big picture' thinking with detailed answers. Where are the people that have this capacity and the influence to make things happen?
I wish I knew?
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Will the 'Cloud' help developing countries economic expansion
Apple's embrace of cloud computing and Steve Jobs comment about how this will change the nature of the PC brings up some interesting questions about the impact this may have on emerging countries.
Much has been written about the impact that access to the internet can have in helping developing countries' economic growth so there is no need to repeat it here other than to confirm that I believe this to be true. This is part of my enthusiasm for low cost smartphones and my continued support for a Chinese company, www.maxitech.cn which has exploited the opportunity of turning a very low cost phone powered by a low cost processor into the ultimate 'thin-client' from which functions not dissimilar to those found in a more expensive smartphone.
Unlike energy where I am an advocate for distributed power systems, it appears that there are genuine benefits to have computing power centralised and accessed via a thin client. This brings down the cost of the client which in turn makes computing accessible to more people. It may well render the sub-$100 computer, which received so much attention only a year or so ago, seem easy.
Of course, it is unlikely that the poor of Mali or Sierra Leone will be linking up to Apple Computer's servers anytime soon, but this technology is emerging very rapidly and I believe holds massive potential for continued acceleration in economic growth for developing and low income countries
Much has been written about the impact that access to the internet can have in helping developing countries' economic growth so there is no need to repeat it here other than to confirm that I believe this to be true. This is part of my enthusiasm for low cost smartphones and my continued support for a Chinese company, www.maxitech.cn which has exploited the opportunity of turning a very low cost phone powered by a low cost processor into the ultimate 'thin-client' from which functions not dissimilar to those found in a more expensive smartphone.
Unlike energy where I am an advocate for distributed power systems, it appears that there are genuine benefits to have computing power centralised and accessed via a thin client. This brings down the cost of the client which in turn makes computing accessible to more people. It may well render the sub-$100 computer, which received so much attention only a year or so ago, seem easy.
Of course, it is unlikely that the poor of Mali or Sierra Leone will be linking up to Apple Computer's servers anytime soon, but this technology is emerging very rapidly and I believe holds massive potential for continued acceleration in economic growth for developing and low income countries
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