Ars Technica, still one of the most informative sites out there and my source for up-to-date information on the Megaupload takedown, has published an article on tech for low tech situations listing stuff that sounds amazing such as solar panel backpacks and with reference to Peace Corps Nicaragua and the usage of the Kindle.
Peace Corps loves their Kindles. A bit less so now that they have a data cap of, I think, 50mb per month, but that should still be sufficient for Google and Facebook as long as the Kindle browser has an option to turn off image display. Kindles would also be better were they not so prone to breaking.
Also, Ars Technica is still under the impression that phones can only be makeshift flashlights, when a lot of the phones available in a developing country, at least Tanzania, have a built in flashlight. This is insanely convenient and I love it and don't know why phone manufacturers in the US don't do it since already everyone tries to use their phones as flashlights.
The other thing Ars Technica isn't mentioning is solid state drives. I really really want people to start using SSDs in their computers. This isn't just a snobbish nerd thing, it's that the power here is really dirty and I am tired of getting calls from volunteers who, despite being told numerous times (and I know because I do a lot of this telling) not to plug their computers straight into the wall, will do it anyway and then complain that their hard drives are dead.
One thing they do mention is cute little USB sticks that look like keys. All well and good, I suppose, but don't encourage people to go to internet cafes and start plugging things in willy nilly. In this way are viruses spread. If you are going to plug anything into an internet cafe computer, make sure it is an SD card set to read only mode. If there is no direct SD reader on the internet cafe computer, you can get USB SD card readers. They are small and cheap, and while not cute and key shaped, still allow for SD cards in read only mode for uploading into untrusted computers. Of course, entering a password into an untrusted computer still may not be the greatest idea ever, but since no one sans computer or internet will refrain from using internet cafes, at least some of the dangers of that can be averted by not plugging writable disks into such computers.
*fluctuating voltage. Very bad for things with moving parts. Spinning disks, for example.
Ah the joys of technology of those who are hooked on their wolrd of computers, laptops, pads, nooks and kindles.
ReplyDeleteWhile us old codgers are alive and kicking -albeit at slower pace - without experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
Not that I am knocking technology, but one does NOT have to have it always! It's a tool, but should NOT be a dire necessity IMO. But them I am an old codger ;-)!
You are not an old codger, you are just wallowing in a world of technological privilege, and I'm a little jealous.
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