New Apps for the Bottom Billion
Low-tech phone technology allows images to be sent as bitmaps in text messages, opening up applications for the world's poorest.
Contributors
David Talbot
Follow @twitterapiChief Correspondent
I’m MIT Technology Review's chief correspondent, keeping an eye most often on the world of information and communication technologies—and asking my kids when I don’t understand what’s going on. Recent projects have taken me to Kenya to write about mobile-phone-based health initiatives, and Germany to explore how they’ll ramp up renewable power while closing down nuclear plants. My 2008 feature on the Obama campaign’s social-networking operation was selected for The Best Technology Writing 2009.
David Talbot's Stories
App Tracks Your Teenager's Driving Habits
The prototype could also monitor an elderly driver's aptitude over time.
AT&T Wants to Put Your Voice in Charge of Apps
Cloud-based speech and translation technology could allow any app to be voice-controlled.
African Social Networks Thrive in a Mobile Culture
New and fast-growing mobile social networks could challenge Facebook's growth on the continent.
Another Flashback for Mac Owners
An old Microsoft Word vulnerability from 2009 can infect Macs with new malware.
Flawed Windows Phone Earns You $0.01
Glitch on much-hyped Nokia model will get you $100 back from your $99.99 investment.
Why Iran May Never Create a "Closed Internet"
Iran could certainly cut off its global Internet connections. But whether it ever would is a question of politics and economics.
Let's Talk About Privacy (but Not in Russian or Hindi)
Facebook and Twitter are available in other languages. But only 15 percent of their privacy policies have been fully translated.
Using Crowdsourcing to Protect Your Privacy
Don't read the fine print on smart-phone apps? A new service eventually could do it for you.
Verizon Envisions 4G Wireless in Just about Anything
At an "innovation center," Verizon adds wireless to cars, ATMs, and jukeboxes.
