[Reader-list] indataportal.com

[Arun Mehta]

I hope you will pay a visit to indataportal.com, which is an attempt at 
what I call technology activism -- using technology as a means to solve 
problems of developing countries.

 From 11-26 Nov, I will be in California. While it is always a pleasure to 
meet old friends, I do also hope to make some progress on these projects as 
well, so if you can suggest who else might be interested and knowledgeable 
in them, that would be terrific.

As you will see at the indataportal site,  my interest is in:
1) distance learning, which is critical if quality education is to reach 
large numbers of people -- there simply aren't enough good teachers in 
emerging areas, and they certainly don't want to live away from the big cities
2)Radio, being the only telecom device the poorest can afford. But using 
this involves running rings around a restrictive government, as well as 
making intelligent use of cable networks and the Internet (where we have 
now set up a virtual recording studio).
3) wireless community networks, based on 802.11b technology, as the fastest 
and cheapest way of bringing last-mile access to hospitals, educational 
institutions, villages, etc.
4) embedded computers running Linux -- as a means of energy saving, higher 
safety, and, for many applications, low-cost computing.
5) with Vickram Crishna, as part of Radiophony, I'm working on a 
communicator for Professor Stephen Hawking, which we are also seeking to 
adapt to Indian languages, and the needs of people with different kinds of 
handicap
6) I have been in the forefront of demands that the hidden-camera tapes 
used by tehelka.com, to expose corruption in defense deals, be forensically 
examined, as there are serious grounds to suggest that they have been 
tampered with, e.g. inserting audio afterwards, see 
http://www.indataportal.com/tehelka/tampering.htm

If you are likely to be in California during this time, and would have time 
for us to meet, do let me have your phone nos. Please mail me at 
delhirasta at yahoo.com, and do feel free to forward this to individuals or 
organisations that might be interested in a meeting or any of these subjects.

Arun

Arun Mehta, B-69, Lajpat Nagar-I, New Delhi -- 110024, India. Phone 
+91-11-6841172, 6849103.  http://www.radiophony.com mehta at vsnl.com


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