LOW-COST ICT DEVICES

The developing world could be transformed by a proliferation of low-cost information and communications technologies (ICTs) devices such as laptop computers, mobile handsets and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Several countries have signed on to the One Laptop Per Child programme, which is developing a US$100 laptop computer. Meanwhile, India's Ministry of Human Resource Development is spearheading an initiative to develop a $10 laptop. A wide range of similar projects are taking place around the world.

The Information for Development Program (infoDev) has published an inventory of known projects and programmes aimed at introducing affordable ICT devices in developing countries. "Quick Guide to low-cost computing devices and initiatives for the developing world" is available online at www.infodev.org/devices-list . infoDev is also posting links to news items about low-cost ICT devices to meet the development community's enormous interest in increasing access to ICTs in developing countries.

infoDev is a partnership of international development agencies that is co-ordinated by a Secretariat housed in the Global ICT Department of the World Bank. Its mandate is to help maximise the impact of ICTs in global efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

www.infodev.org/devices

LEARNING THROUGH VIRTUAL WORLDS

The growing popularity of virtual worlds is having an impact in many learning environments around the globe. Second Life is an example of an Internet-based virtual world that is built and owned by its residents. Since opening just four years ago, Second Life has registered more than six million accounts. "Residents" interact with each other through avatars, three-dimensional graphical representations. Using these avatars, Residents can explore, meet other Residents, socialise, participate in activities, and create and trade items and services from one another. Commerce is handled with Linden dollars, which can be converted to US dollars at online exchanges.

A number of universities, including Harvard, Stanford University, Ohio University and Vassar, are using Second Life to create virtual classrooms. Hundreds of other colleges and universities are experimenting with Second Life. Professors host lectures, discussions and project online. Students create avatars that can interact with other avatars while learning in the virtual world.

Residents can buy islands and buildings that serve as a gathering place. Large consortia recently purchased several islands that are serving as education-focused land. The land is then subdivided into smaller parcels and rented to colleges, universities and educational projects. The New Media Consortium's NMC Campus includes many teaching islands and a range of educational tools, services, meeting spaces, a museum, library and planetarium. Learning islands like this offer participation to students and faculty within a learning-centered environment. While islands usually sell for US$1,675 for about 16 acres, Second Life offers a 50 percent discount to real world educators and academic institutions.

Other notable virtual worlds include Active Worlds, There and Entropia.

www.secondlife.com

www.activeworlds.com

www.there.com

www.entropiauniverse.com

OPEN SOURCE FOR STUDENTS

School children in Paris are becoming more aware of alternatives to proprietary software, thanks to a project that is providing a USB "memory key" loaded with open source applications to 175,000 students. The keys contain a portable office suite of software including an Internet browser, an e-mail client, and audio and video players that will work in the Windows environment. Students in Ile-de-France, a district in Paris, received the open source software keys earlier this year. The regional council is spending 2.6 million Euros on this initiative, which, through a small USB key, will give students full mobility of applications whether at school, at Internet cafes, at friends' homes or at their own homes. Anyone with a large enough memory key can find similar software at www.portableapps.com

INKJET PRINTERS PRODUCE ORGANIC MICROCHIPS

An Austrian company is producing organic semiconductors - chips made by spraying patterns of ink onto foil and polymer. These organic semiconductors won't function as memory chips in computers or processors because they are slower and degrade over time. They will be used for one-time-only applications such as water purity testing. While a traditional factory would produce 40,000 square meters of silicon computer chips at a cost of US$1.3 billion and 5,000 employees, the Nanoident factory in Austria produces the same amount at a cost of about US$10 million and only 50 people.

Regular and organic semiconductors differ in how transistors get laid down. In standard chips, lithography machines sketch a circuit pattern, trenches are dug into silicon and the trenches are filled with metal through a complex series of chemical spraying and etchings. With organic semiconductors, more than 100 inkjet nozzles spray a pattern onto foil or polymer.

Another difference is size. Printed semiconductors have far larger features than silicon chips. Nanoident's chips will have features measuring 10 to 100 microns wide, which is more than 100 times larger than the features inserted into silicon chips. Organic semiconductors can be as large as 1.5 metres wide. These devices may be used as sensors.

www.nanoident.com

NEXT GENERATION RESEARCH TOOL

Zotero is a powerful research tool that enables people to collect, manage and cite research sources. A free program extension to the open source Firefox web browser, Zotero combines the capabilities of older reference manager software with new software and web applications, including the ability to interact, tag and search in advanced ways. Since it's located in the web browser, Zotero can easily transmit information to and from other web services and applications (such as Microsoft Word and Open Office Writer) when required by the user. Currently operating as beta software (i.e., not yet bug-fee enough to be recommended for general deployment), Zotero is expanding into a full-fledged tool for digital research and collaboration. In February, the editors of PC Magazine voted Zotero one of their top picks for free software, singling it out as a must-have Firefox extension.

www.zotero.org

FAXES, VOICE MESSAGES AND POSTAL MAIL GO ONLINE

The ever-expanding capabilities of the Internet now allow you to receive faxes, voice-mail messages and your postal mail online. If you travel frequently or enjoy the flexibility of receiving faxes, messages and mail anywhere, anytime, these services can be useful.

A number of services will direct faxes straight to your desktop, laptop or mobile phone. They bill themselves as being faster, cheaper and more reliable than a fax machine. You receive faxes (delivered as an e-mail attachment) without having to maintain a fax machine or incur telephone costs. You can receive multiple faxes simultaneously without having to worry about paper jams, privacy or running out of paper. Some services, such as fax2email, are free, while others charge a fee ranging from US$3.95/month for Packetel to US$18/month for Myfax.

There are several advantages to receiving voice-mail messages as text. It allows you to scan long messages rather than listening to the whole thing, you can prioritise messages and you don't have to scramble to write down a phone number or other information left in a message. Companies such as Simulscribe, SpinVox and Callware offer a growing range of services using voice recognition software.

If you'd like to access your postal mail from a remote location, RemoteControlMail is one service that will do that. First, you receive photos/scans of the unopened letters and parcels. You then decide whether you want the mail forwarded to where you are, opened and scanned for electronic delivery, recycled, shredded or stored securely pending your return.

Fax2email.com

Home.efax.com

www.packetel.com

Simulscribe.com

Spinvox.com
RemoteControlMail.com