Today's Mobile Minute covers the unfolding BBM security controversy, Ushahidi's new Crowdmap online platform, a roundup of mobile apps for the disabled, a break down of what mobile ownership numbers actually mean, and the take-away on mobile remittances from the Tech@State conference.
- As more countries threaten to ban RIM's BlackBerrys, the smartphone provider is bending under the pressure. The Economic Times reports that in India, "The company has offered to share with security agencies its technical codes for corporate email services, open up access to all consumer emails within 15 days and also develop tools in 6 to 8 months to allow monitoring of chats, telecom department documents (dated August 2) available with ET show."
- Ushahidi recently announced the launch of the Crowdmap platform, an online tool that will let users contribute to crowdsourcing reports without having to download the Ushahidi software.
- Read, Write, Web compiled a list of applications (primarily for Android phones, but a few that work on multiple platforms) designed to assist disabled users. Some of the apps include visual aids for the seeing impaired, recreated braille letters on touch screen phones, and brainwave-harnessing control functions for mobiles. (via Textually)
- Tomi T. Ahonen looks at mobile phone ownership numbers and why the 5 billion phones worldwide doesn't accurately express how phones are distributed. Examining owners of multiple phones, multiple SIM card users, and shared phones, Ahonen explains why 5 billion phones doesn't equal 5 billion people with phones.
- The U.S. State Department's Tech@State event on August 2 focused on Mobile Money, and Samhir Vasdev wrote up three of the factors that have made m-Via (a U.S.-based mobile remittances company) succeed: the convenience of mobile transfers, the security of wireless money vs. paper money, and the interoperability of the mobile system that allows users to access money through multiple sources.
[Mobile Minute Disclaimer: The Mobile Minute is a quick round-up of interesting stories that have come across our RSS and Twitter feeds to keep you informed of the rapid pace of innovation. Read them and enjoy them, but know that we have not deeply investigated these news items. For more in-depth information about the ever-growing field of mobile tech for social change, check out our blog posts, white papers and research, how-tos, and case studies.]
Image courtesy Flickr user QiFei
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