Full coverage: Asia and the Pacific

27.02.2008 Centre for Science, Development and Media Studies is organising a three-day event called eINDIA2008 in New Delhi in July 2008. The event will bring together representatives of the ICT industry, government, civil society, academia and private sector from across the world to share the best practices and digital opportunities for development.

25.02.2008 The Neer Jaal software enables effective ground water management with effective participation from the local communities keeping in mind the hard facts about groundwater information. It is India’s first attempt for holistic water resource management system using Information Communication Technology tools.

25.02.2008 Japanese telecom leader NTT DoCoMo unveiled an innovative Bluetooth handset, the “Sound Leaf Plus” at the recent Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The light-weight mobile works when pressed against the bone below the ear and has a high frequency switch for improved sound articulation.

22.02.2008 Blogging, internet chat rooms and sites have become the safest ways for gay Africans and Arabs to meet, while keeping their identities secret. Caution is after all crucial as homosexual acts are illegal in most countries in Africa and the Middle East.

22.02.2008 Andhra Pradesh government in southern India will provide cellular phones to rural health workers along with setting up mobile hospitals. In addition, two free caller services for emergency medical help or advice have also been introduced under public-private collaboration.

22.02.2008 To boost its corporate social responsibility work, GAIL India Ltd has launched an e-Shiksha programme for rural children at some of its plants in north and central India. Started with an investment of INR 6.3 million, the mobile centres will have buses equipped with laptops to teach children computer basics in local languages.

21.02.2008

21.02.2008 An Indian private telecom company, Reliance Communications has announced Gramada Phone scheme in Karnataka with the aim of connecting rural areas and enabling people to take advantage of various economic opportunities. Under the scheme, 200,000 connections are to be provided by the end of March at a nominal price.

21.02.2008 Three firebrand Indian young reporters of Appan Samachar armed with mikes and handy cams, go around Bihar villages scouting for stories primarily on women’s lives and their concerns. These news capsules are then shown to a targeted audience once a month to create social awareness on gender and other issues.

20.02.2008 Steve Buckley of the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters was in India recently. Aware of the countless hurdles faced by community radio in the country, he said that the policy here was restrictive in nature.

20.02.2008 The budding IT industry in Pakistan, currently worth $3 billion, is now looking east towards India to set up its data centres. It is expected that more of its new technology firms would soon seek to leverage Indian expertise and talent.

19.02.2008 Western Indian state of Goa is embarking on an ambitious project to promote knowledge of information technology. It is going to set up centres to impart training and establish IT parks to address the problem of growing unemployment in the state, especially among the youth.

19.02.2008 Western Indian state of Goa is embarking on an ambitious project to promote knowledge of information technology. It is going to set up centres to impart training and establish IT parks to address the problem of growing unemployment in the state, especially among the youth.

19.02.2008 Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisations is organising the Second Connecting Rural Communities Asia Forum (CRC) 2008 in Kerala from April 15-18, 2008. The event hosted by the Indian government’s Department of Telecommunications will focus on the salient issues within rural ICT connectivity.

17.02.2008 Menteri Komunikasi dan Informatika Mohammad Nuh merasa senang karena Indonesia dianggapnya telah berhasil mengejar ketertinggalan di bidang teknologi komunikasi informasi (ICT), khususnya di bidang telekomunikasi.

17.02.2008 The Indonesian government is determined to utilize the information technology effectively to support efforts to increase the national competitiveness. This aspiration is reflected in the Indonesian.

14.02.2008 A dozen auto rickshaws or e-Tuktuks equipped with laptops, printers, telephones, recorders, and the Internet roam the villages in remote Sri Lanka, combining the services of a traditional telecenter and radio station. So ingenious was the concept that it won the Stockhom Challenge GKP Award in Kuala Lumpur last December.

14.02.2008 A dozen auto rickshaws or e-Tuktuks equipped with laptops, printers, telephones, recorders, and the Internet roam the villages in remote Sri Lanka, combining the services of a traditional telecenter and radio station. So ingenious was the concept that it won the Stockhom Challenge GKP Award in Kuala Lumpur last December.

06.02.2008 Lembaga Kampung Halaman membuat program ”Kami Bicara” untuk 10 sekolah dari berbagai daerah. Isinya antara lain mengajak murid-murid memvideokan aktivitas positifnya. Lalu, hasilnya di-upload ke web blog untuk sosialisasi ke masyarakat luas.

05.02.2008 A UNESCO publication titled: CR: A user’s guide to the Technology is an excellent manual for potential community radio operators. With Indian government planning to set up 4,000 stations, the manual is a handy reference for starting a radio station in the country.