http://www.repubblica.it/2009/09/sezioni/tecnologia/pace-pc/pace-pc/pace-pc.html?rss

Cordiali saluti.

Claudio.

da più parti si vedono iniziative volte a promuovere l’Impresa Sociale, cioe’ il NonProfit, come modello di sviluppo alternativo a quello tradizionale (for profit).

L’occasione e’ importante per chi si impegna “per un mondo migliore”, e potrebbe creare nuovi modelli di creazione di Impresa e di  Lavoro.

Segnalo un incontro che si svolgera’ a Milano giovedi’ prossimo, in questo caso organizzato da associazioni di area Cattolica:

http://www.acli.it/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=4025&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0&POSTNUKESID=7347ef7fac3ab449811c48879a33a4a3

Abstract:

Scopo dell’incontro, che si svolgerà nella sala del Consiglio dellaCamera di commercio di Milano (Via Meravigli, 9/b) alle ore 14.30, è di analizzare ‘L’impresa sociale’ vista come ‘una proposta per la crisi economica’.

Parte dall’enciclica di Benedetto XVI, ‘Caritas in Veritate’, di cui riprende il titolo, l’incontro organizzato il 24 settembre dall’Osservatorio sull’impresa sociale (Osis) Bepi Tomai in collaborazione con le Acli regionali della Lombardia, Cisl, Confcooperative Lombardia, Banca Prossima e il patrocinio della Camera di commercio di Milano.

segnalo il report 2009 sul sito della International Communication Unit per chi non lo avesse gia’ letto:

Measuring the Information Society – The ICT Development Index 2009

Cordiali saluti.

Claudio.

Mi permetto di sottoporlo perchè è proprio dedicato alla fornitura di servizio internet in aree sperdute e sprovviste di energia e servizi di base, può essere alternativa da approfondire per alcune realtà africane in cui i volontari in campo nei team di progetto ISF operano.

Qui di seguito un sommario dello scopo. Ciao a tutti! Aldo

The SolarNetOne ICT terminal network was conceived and designed to solve the challenging problem of how to provide Internet access and services to rural and developing areas where there is no existing power or communications infrastructure. This problem is solved by combining several powerful technologies: Photovoltaic solar electrical systems, GNU/Linux, 802.11a/b/g packet radio, commonly known as “wifi,” Power over Ethernet, and the MIT X11 windowing system. It has been described as an “ISP in a box,” for reasons detailed below.

SERVER

The SolarNetOne system incorporates a powerful server in a small form factor that acts as the core of the communications system. It provides mid to long range wireless internet coverage up to a 2 mile radius through its integrated high power 802.11a/b/g wireless access point and high gain omni-directional antenna. This configuration can be used to provide full internet access, including Voice over IP telephone service, to the immediate coverage area, which can be extended to longer ranges through the use of wireless repeater devices. Also integrated into the server is the capability for full end-to-end internet communications by means of its HTTP (web), SMTP (email), DNS (domain name system), and SSH (secure shell) server software.

Additional internet services can easily be added to the network by use of the APT (advanced package tool) repositories of GNU/Linux software available worldwide. This is an integral part of the underlying Ubuntu operating system. APT automates the often difficult task of installing and updating software, making system administration tasks of installation and maintenance easy, particularly when critical updates effecting network security are concerned. The server itself can also be used as a network console for administration or day-to-day operator use through its integrated monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

TERMINALS

Another key feature of the SolarNetOne system is its network attached terminals, which provide traditional desktop services one would normally associate with using a computer, with several powerful, attractive, and popular desktop environments to choose from. It comes pre-installed with web browsing, email, office, multimedia, software development and web development applications, as well as a choice of over 15000 other applications to suit most any computing need that are free for download through the APT system. The terminals themselves connect to the system’s Ethernet hub, which provides both network connection and electrical power to the terminals and their LCD monitors over a single CAT6 Ethernet wire. This eliminates wire clutter and the need for extra power wiring costs. They operate as “thin clients” with the majority of the workload being handled by the server’s higher capacity processors, enabling superior performance per over than a standalone PC architecture and significantly lower maintenance workload than a similar solution of several personal computers.

Also available is full sound support through integrated audio jacks, 104 key keyboard, laser scroll mouse and the ability to plug USB memory sticks into the terminals, allowing users to take their data with them round out the terminal’s ability to provide a complete and rich user experience. SolarNetOne comes standard with 5 terminals, and can expand to as many as 48 terminals per server node. As an option in areas where allowed by law, an ATA phone adapter provides Voice over IP telephone service through a standard telephone handset.

POWER SYSTEM

The entire SolarNetOne system is powered by 12VDC electrical current supplied through the system’s elegant solar power generation and storage subsystem. Using an array of photovoltaic solar panels, an advanced charge controller, ample battery storage, and a design focusing on safety, the power subsystem provides for all of the electrical needs associated with 24/7 server operation and 8 hours per day of terminal access. Integrated circuit breakers on every segment of the power sub-system provide the safest possible implementation. In addition to its excellent performance, the use of solar power means no fuel costs, no polluting emissions, and a long lifespan of up to 20 years of use at listed power ratings with proper maintenance.

USER APPLICATIONS

The SolarNetOne system comes pre-installed with a wide variety of user applications. For the user, these include:

• Mozilla Firefox suite for web browsing and email
• Evolution for email and calendering
• OpenOffice? for office applications
• GIMP and InkScape? for bitmap and vector graphics, respectively
• Xmms, Xine, and Mplayer for multimedia playback
• X-chat and Gaim for chat/instant messaging
• Xaos fractal explorer
• Bluefish html editor
• and, a wide variety of games, and a choice of Enlightenment 17, Gnome, and Fluxbox desktops environments.

Security and feature updates to these packages are available, as well as access to over 15000 other pre-compiled software packages in the Ubuntu repositories available via the integrated APT packaging system. Ubuntu comes GUI tools like the Synaptic Package Manager to add or remove applications, as well as the underlying apt-get, apt-cache, and apt-file command line tools, which Synaptic makes use of. The system also includes python, perl, and shell interpreters, as well as gcc and its family of compilers, libraries, debuggers and linkers for C and C++ development.

CONCLUSION

The SolarNetOne integrated communications system provides modern, efficient, powerful and easily maintainable internet services and access infrastructure specifically designed to overcome the challenges inherent in off-grid and remote location scenarios. By combining several cutting edge technologies, the SolarNetOne system stands head and shoulders above other methods of addressing the aforementioned problems of providing internet services and connectivity in some of the most challenging circumstances. Designed for safety, longevity, elegance, and ecological friendliness, the SolarNetOne system can effectively solve the problems facing anyone seeking to deploy internet communications to developing areas for many years to come.

http://google-africa.blogspot.com/2009/06/google-sms-to-serve-needs-of-poor-in.html

Today is a big day for the Google Africa team for several reasons. We’re announcing an exciting partnership between MTN Uganda, the Grameen Foundation and Google, and the launch of Google SMS in Uganda. This launch makes available the first suite of applications resulting from an endeavor initiated by Grameen Foundation, called “AppLab” (Application Laboratory), which began over a year ago. AppLab is designed to develop mobile applications that serve the needs of poor and other vulnerable individuals and communities, most of whom have limited access to information and communications technology.

Parlo di costo economico, di tempo, ma anche ambientale.
Gli scarti IT sono un problema sempre più grande e oneroso da affrontare.

Proviamo a trasformare questo problema in una importante opportunità?
Riutilizzando i PC sostituiti e destinati alla rottamazione potremmo toglierli dalla destinazione inquinante nelle discariche e riportarli a nuova vita magari per utilizzi umanitari.

E se la raccolta dei PC, la rilavorazione per la messa a punto e la ridistribuzione ai nuovi utilizzatori venisse fatta da persone socialmente “border line” in un processo di reinserimento guidato nel mondo del lavoro?

In ISF stiamo valutando la fattibilità di questo progetto e il laboratorio IT già da tempo attivo nel carcere di Treviso per conto di Aton potrebbe essere la base per sviluppare questa attività.
La Direzione del carcere infatti, visto il successo dell’iniziativa e la ns disponibilità ad andare ancora avanti, sta terminando i lavori di ampliamento degli spazi che consentiranno un largo potenziamento del laboratorio.

Queste riflessioni ci portano a pensare che sarebbe bellissimo: utilità ambientale (meno PC nelle discariche) e doppia utilità sociale (per i destinatari dei PC “refurbished” e per il lavoro offerto ai detenuti) ce lo dimostrano chiaramente.

Rimangono da capire flussi/dimensioni di unità (sia offerte che richieste) e la sostenibilità economica, perciò pongo a tutti i lettori  queste domande:

“Nelle aziende in cui lavorate, che ne fate dei PC obsoleti?
Che destinazione prendono?
Quanto costa eliminarli?
Vi interesserebbe conferirli a ISF allo stesso costo dello smaltimento, sapendo che avranno una destinazione così utile?”

Ci sarà di grande utilità ricevere i vostri contributi, grazie in anticipo per lasciare nei commenti la vostra testimonianza!

Ciao a tutti,

volevo condividere la notizia relativa al lancio di un progetto di distribuzione di apparati telefonici con tecnologia WiMax, che sara’ rilasciato inizialmente anche in Uganda.

La notizia sottintende che gli investimenti per il WiMax in quel paese stanno per dare risultati che potrebbero essere utilizzati in tutti i progetti che ci riguardano.

Riporto alcuni riferimenti sul web:

http://www.fujitsu.com/us/news/pr/fma_20090602-03.html
http://www.comunicati-stampa.ws/2009/06/09/3417
http://www.pianetacellulare.it/Articoli/articolo5034.htm
http://www.pctuner.net/news/11460/VoIP-WiMAX-da-Fujitsu-per-l-Africa/
http://quomedia.diesis.it/news/18180/wimax-fujitsu-per-telefoni-voip-in-africa

http://www.telecomkh.com/en/wireless-communications/news/products-and-services/voip/wimax/fujitsu-microelectronics-limited/smile-telecoms-holdings-limited/872

Cordiali saluti.

Claudio.

LA PRINCIPALE MANIFESTAZIONE NAZIONALE SU INFORMATICA E DISABILITA’

http://www.handimatica.it/Handi2008/Programma2008/PresentazioneProgramma2008.htm

Ho visto che un amico ci va e con l’occasione sto visitando il sito: lo trovo molto interessante sia per gli

SCOPI

Creare un luogo privilegiato di incontro tra i bisogni speciali che le persone esprimono e le soluzioni che le tecnologie possono proporre compensando limitazioni funzionali, facilitando l’autonomia, favorendo l’espressione di potenzialità

che per il

PROGRAMMA

http://www.handimatica.it/Handi2008/Programma2008/Programma2008.htm

Ho pensato a Turu per le novità in campo di informatica per non- e ipo-vedenti così pure al progetto del camper di Lorenzo. Se ci fosse qualcosa di specifico da chiedere posso provare a interessarmi ciao:-)

—

Google is helping develop a system to bring high-speed internet connections to three billion people developing countries in Africa and elsewhere.

The 03b Networks system aims to use satellites to provide broadband services at the same speeds as those on offer in rich countries.

The service, which is due to begin in 2010, is also backed by cable operator Liberty Global and the bank HSBC.

It aims to tap into booming mobile phone usage in the developing world.