Stories about Digital Media from March, 2013
VOA Launches Experimental Digital Broadcasts via Shortwave
VOA Radiogram is sending digital messages across traditional shortwave frequencies. With a broadcast originating from North Carolina (USA), the transmission last week reached as far as Australia. This technology - simple and inexpensive - could be especially useful in times when the internet is not available, such as emergencies or under repressive regimes.
Building a New Media Platform to Re-imagine Bholakpur
The public image of Bholakpur in Hyderabad, India, has been constructed by the elite class of the city. Telling just one side of the story, those working in the Bholakpur informal waste economy are facing increasing violence around eviction. There is a need for a more detailed and sensitive narrative; something that can lead to more equitable outcomes...
Programming Possibilities: Writing Code in Arabic
"قلب (Alb) tries to expand the digital conversation to consider more people. The fact that every modern programming language is in English is an idea that has shocked even the most veteran computer scientists. It's just not something you think about." An interview with the programmer Ramsey Nasser, creator of قلب (Alb), and a response from Tarek Amr.
The iLabs: Letting Context Drive Development
The iLabs recognize that a focus on local interpretation over foreign “experts” brings in local knowledge of what does and doesn't work – extending their impacts beyond the life of a single project: "We believe that the most efficient programs and technologies are developed flexibly, with a base in the active participation of the communities they serve..."
