instedd

Beyond the iPhone: What open source means for mobile

The launch of Apple's iPhone 3G S has justifiably caught the media's attention, what with its elegant design and speedy performance. But for all the noise that Apple is making in mobile, open source--not Apple--may well be doing the most to define the future of mobile communications, as two leading open-source projects suggest.

No, I'm not talking about the Palm Pre, with its Linux-based operating system and its new open-source applications portal. Nor am I referring to Google Android.

Rather, I'm referring to the InSTEDD project, which The Economist recently highlighted, as well as GNU Radio, … Read more

Open-source mobile software to save lives

It won't grab headlines like the newest version of the iPhone operating system, but a Palo Alto, Calif., nonprofit today announced a suite of open-source applications that aids in communications and collaboration for humanitarian workers dealing with diseases and disasters.

InSTEDD (Innovative Support to Emergencies, Diseases and Disasters) has released three applications to empower aid workers to use inexpensive, off-the-shelf mobile phones to better detect and respond to disasters, diseases, and economic catastrophes.

The organization currently runs projects in Southeast Asia, including the Mekong Basin Disease Surveillance project and the Phnom Penh Innovation Lab.

One of the new programs, … Read more

Podcast: Open source software for emergency SMS communications

In an emergency, communications can mean the difference between life and death. But, in much of the world, traditional emergency communications infrastructure simply doesn't exist. Even where it does, such as in the United States, we've seen breakdowns between agencies with incompatible radio systems.

Dr. Eric Rasmussen, CEO of InSTEDD (Innovative Support to Emergencies, Diseases and Disasters) tells Larry Magid about his organization's new software suite that helps to improve early detection, preparedness and response capabilities against global threats.

Podcast runs 10 minutes