Wednesday, December 10. 2008

Verizon Blocked BrightKite/Loopt Until they Offer Parental Controls

I didn't realize this until I read an article in the Hamilton Spectator by David Riordon.

Ultimately Verizon made the right buisiness decision to block BrightKite (and ultimately Loopt) until these services deployed parental safeguards. The number of web-hipsters who won't choose Verizon as their wireless provider is far fewer than the number of parents who will choose Verizon for themselves and their children because they can block or constrain the use of these social networks. Furthermore, while there's no public research on the subject, I'm fairly certain that wireless providers are going to be like political parties, children will tend to stick with the carrier their household used. So all those kids whose parents chose Verizon because it blocked social networks will stay on, even when they move off the family's bill.

Open Source Crowdsourcing Crisis Information, with an African Twist

The BBC profiles Ushandi ("testimony" in Swahili) an open source tool to crowdsource information in times of crisis. It taps in to mapping backends like Google Maps, Virtual Earth or OpenStreetMap and has been used in Kenya after the recent violence after elections and now in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Congo, two people have phones to collect text messages and post information for those who don't have access. There is also a process whereby NGO confirm events and provide a credibility score. As Lyn Lusi, founder and programme manager of an NGO called HEAL Africa, puts it, ""It is also very important that this information should be verified because this is also an information war."

Google Magazine Search Complete with Map

Word is out that Google is now including some magazines in its book search. You can find and read entire issues online. One of the features was called out by VentureBeat:

One of the neatest features of the magazine search is a world map that pinpoints locations mentioned in the issue (teleportation device not included, sadly).

It's neat, but how would you use it?

GPS Chipmaker Sirf Starts Third Round of Layoffs this Year

The latest layoffs, plus a spin off of its Swedish subsidiary, brings the headcount from 753 employees at the end of 2007 to below 500 now, per the Mercury News blog.

Garmin among New Members of Open Handset Alliance (Android)

The new entrants to the Open Handset Alliance (the consortium that is supporting the Google developed Android operating system) include ARM, Asustek, Garmin, Huawei Technologies, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Vodafone.

"New members will either deploy compatible Android devices, contribute significant code to the Android Open Source Project or support the ecosystem through products and services that will accelerate the availability of Android-based devices," said the Alliance in a statement. Garmin still plans its Nuviphone for early next year, but a post on a Wired blog suggests it may gain some strength from the alliance.