Public health on PDAs, cell phones

BBC on Thursday published an article by Joel Selanikio, a noted public health physician and proponent of using technology to aid health efforts in developing nations. He makes a strong call for software developers to write apps for cell phones. In impoverished areas where wireless networks and mobile phones are nearly ubiquitous, why write Windows applications to help education and other development efforts? Many ordinary people already have a "computer in their pocket," so it makes sense, he says, to start there.

He points to an important difference between the "rich world" and developing countries, namely that between the cell phone as auxiliary vs. primary communication device.

Thanks to Boingboing Gadgets for the heads-up.

For the whole story on BBC News, click here: The invisible computer revolution