A tone driven offline information kiosk

In this paper we introduce the concept of a low-cost, offline information kiosk that is controlled through a sound-based interface. More specifically, we will describe how we use a mobile phone to control a kiosk by communicating DTMF phone tones. Our main use-case is deployment within developing countries where we intend to examine issues related to cross-cultural interface design

Mechanisms to Ensure Pro-Poor Water Service Delivery in Peri-Urban and Urban areas

This report presents an overview of mechanisms for ensuring access to safe and affordable water services for the urban poor, as found in global literature. After presenting the main issues related to access to water services for the (peri-) urban poor in section 2, the report presents a number of options for improving utility-related water services to the poor in section 3, and options going beyond the utility in section 4. Finally, the conclusions of this report are presented in section 5

Solutions for Financial Inclusion: Serving Rural Women

This document presents a CaseStudy for solutions for financial inclusion. Using Uganda as a CaseStudy, Women's World Banking set out to better understand the needs of rural women and to use the research and lessons learned there to make recommendations on the design and delivery of microfinance products within Uganda and throughout sub-Saharan Africa. The research highlights the specific gender-based social, cultural and legal barriers that rural women face in accessing and using financial services and examines operational challenges to effectively serving this market

Reaching the Unreached through Touch Screen Information Kiosk: A Field Study

The landless livestock owners who rear different livestock for their livelihood are the vulnerable groups struggling to more out of poverty Information is an important input in development This is especially so when the people are more disadvantaged with other resources like land and capital Information is an important factor that can help the livestock owners to raise their livestock better and to achieve more certainty and security in life Information has economic value if it leads to the satisfaction of human desires Information and Communication technologies can play a pivotal role in improving access to information by the poo

Assessing Network Applications for Economic Development

PAE Team’s Objectives Ø Create a survey instrument to assess the impact of technology intervention in rural India Ø Advise on potential applications for village-level Internet terminals The aim of the Sustainable Access in Rural India (SARI) project is to improve the lives of individuals in poor rural communities by leveraging information and communications technologies to facilitate economic development. Ultimately, the project’s success will be measured by its social and economic impact and viability, which depends critically on the appropriateness of applications provided to end-users. Our conclusions and recommendations concerning applications are as follows: A price application that posts the daily price fluctuations of certain goods in order to promote competition among sellers and improve the economic decision making of villagers and traders may not increase efficiency or further economic development; its effectiveness depends critically on geographic scope and a focus on goods whose prices exhibit sufficient price volatility and differentiation. We recommend a central web sitebased price application, with independent kiosk operators responsible for inputting price information from villages in which markets exist. A spot labor market application that aggregates supply and demand of jobs for clusters of villages holds much promise—there are potential benefits from coordinating labor markets in the area studied. The relatively constant need for work coupled with unmet demand suggests that there is a significant willingness to pay for a service that matches supply and demand for labor in a timely and accountable way. We recommend a bulletin-board type labor market application that connects small numbers of nearby villages. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY iv An agriculture application that addresses the basic knowledge needs of farmers, providing weather forecasts and information on farming techniques must include tailored content, given the diversity of crops grown and methods employed throughout the region. We recommend a local content creation mechanism, facilitating farmer access to agricultural expertise via simple voice or text communications, or a more robust web-based application. Deficiencies in the current state-provided healthcare infrastructure may limit the initial impact of IT within local Public Health Centers (PHCs). Instead, we suggest a health care application that delivers information and services to villagers directly through community centers. Based on villager awareness levels and needs, we recommend a government services application that would enable villagers to access information on relevant government programs and initiate online requests for necessary government documents. While applications to facilitate education (particularly adult learning) may be useful, there appear to be significant implementation barriers at the school level. The motivation for these proposed applications stems from several regional attributes, inferred from local economic data and extensive interviews with villagers, school representatives, health workers and NGO staff members: Ø Many if not most villages exhibit segregation along religious and/or caste lines. Ø While some data is readily available and disseminated (e.g., prices of heavily traded goods), other potentially critical pieces of information are not easily accessible to villagers (e.g., livestock prices, agricultural advice, government programs). Ø A majority of all economic activity either directly or indirectly involves agriculture, and much of a typical villager’s social activity relates to agriculture. Ø A majority of laborers are without a regular source of employment—unemployment is extremely cyclical, reaching high levels during the agricultural off-season.NYU, Stern School of Business, IOMS Department, Center for Digital Economy Researc

Exploration of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Applications in Hospitality Industry

Purpose: The purpose of this professional paper is to explore and identify the best practices in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) applications and use within the hospitality industry. Statement of Objectives: To accomplish the stated purpose, first, the paper will provide the universal definition of HCI applications and define HCI within the context of hospitality industry. Second, the paper will gather and categorize information, such as the standards of designing HCI applications, from other fields of study such as informatics. Third, the paper will gather existing examples of HCI applications across different areas within the hospitality industry, such as the front desk and housekeeping department of a hotel. Finally, a set of recommendations will be given as a guide for managers of hospitality operations when purchasing a new technology or application that interact with their guests or employees

Provision of water to the poor in Africa : experience with water standposts and the informal water sector

Standpipes that dispense water from utilities are the most common alternatives to piped water connections for poor customers in the cities of Sub-Saharan Africa. Fifty-five percent of the unconnected urban population relies on standpipes as their first water source. Other informal water providers include household resellers and a variety of water tankers and vendors, which are the first water source of 1 percent and 3 percent of the urban population, respectively. In the cities studied, the percentage of unconnected households ranges from 12 percent to 86 percent of the population. The percentage of unconnected people covered by standpipes is substantially higher for countries with higher rates of household connection, while the percentage of unconnected people covered by water tankers or water vendors is higher for countries with lower rates of household connection. Water prices in the informal market are much higher than for households with private connections or yard taps. Although standpipes are heavily subsidized by utilities, the prices charged by standpipe operators are closely related to the informal water reseller price. Standpipe management models also affect the informal price of water. For example, the shift from utilities management to delegated management models without complementary regulation or consumer information has often led to declines in service levels and increased prices. Standpipes are not the only or even the most efficient solution in peri-urban areas. Programs that promote private household connections and arrangements that improve pricing and services in the household resale market should also be considered by policy makers.Town Water Supply and Sanitation,Urban Water Supply and Sanitation,Water Supply and Sanitation Governance and Institutions,Water and Industry,Water Conservation

Venture Philanthropy- the Evolution of High Engagement Philanthropy in Europe.

This article looks at venture philanthropy and the Evolution of High Engagement Philanthropy in Europe

Eco-visualisation: Combining art and technology to reduce energy consumption

Artworks that display the real time usage of key resources such as electricity offer new strategies to conserve energy. These eco-visualisations-or artworks that creatively visualise ecologically significant data in real time-represent a substantial contribution to new knowledge about dynamic feedback as a tool to promote energy conservation and environmental site-based learning in this interdisciplinary project that expands and builds on prior findings from the fields of art, design, environmental psychology, and human computer interaction (HCI). The aims of this research endeavor were to locate answers to the following questions related to energy conservation in various public contexts. Might dynamic feedback from data-driven artwork create a better understanding of resource consumption patterns? Which environments are best for promoting eco-visualisation: borne, workplace, or alternative spaces? What kinds of visualisation tactics are most effective in communicating energy consumption data? These initial questions generated a four-year research project that involved an extensive literature review in both environmental psychology and art history that culminated in three different case studies, which targeted the effectiveness of eco-visualisation as an innovative conservation strategy. The three primary claims to be proven with supporting evidence from the literature reviews and case studies are: (1) eco-visualisation offers novel visual ways of making invisible energy data comprehensible, and encourages site-based learning; (2) eco-visualisation that provides real time visual feedback can increase environmental awareness and possibly increase the conservation behaviour in the viewing population; (3) eco-visualisation encourages new perceptions of linkages between the single individual and a larger community via site-based dialogue and conversation. Although the results of the three case studies are generally positive and prove the claims, there are larger social and environmental questions that will be addressed. How can eco-visualisation be productively integrated into the home or workplace without becoming a disposable gadget that represents a passing fad or fancy? Most importantly, how can energy conservation interventions be conceived to be as sustainable as possible, and non-threatening from a privacy perspective? These questions and more contribute to the discussion and analysis of the results of the three case studies that constitute the primary source of new knowledge asserted here in this dissertation

n-Logue: The Story of a Rural Service Provider In India

Can rural Information Communication Technology (ICT) be an effective tool to bridge the digital divide? How can the Internet help developing nations and their disadvantaged in particular? Those who lobby in favour of rural ICT believe that Internet is not just a means of communication but is also an enabler of livelihood in rural areas and therefore, power. For a very long time now, the developing world has carried the burden of colonization and slavery. This has resulted in a lack of confidence among developing economies and the belief that they are not at par with the rest of the world. The lack of "access" has curtailed their ability to compete. In fact, ingenuity and hard work hasn't been adequate for one to enjoy economic and social benefit. In order to acquire these benefits, access to resources like education, health and employment become critical. Internet has been a boon in this regard. Today, one can be in the remotest corner of the world and as long as there is access to Internet enjoy access to education, health and resources. This allows them to compete and use their ingenuity and hard work to bring about a significant difference to their lives. This paper concentrates on how ICT can affect the lives of rural people in the developing world. The total rural population of the developing world is about 3.5 billion, with their average per capita income being no more than $200 per year. India, with 700 million rural people located in 600,000 villages, is a reflection of the developing world. The key issue that is addressed in the paper is whether technology can bring about a difference in the lives of people who earn less than half a dollar a day. Can health and education be made available to them? Can they afford the Internet? And ultimately, can it significantly enhance their livelihoods and income