Take Green Map With You!

Joining the mobile revolution, Green Map System has two new resources for green living - a mobile website and the first Green Map iPhone App! 

Ideal for locals and tourists alike, both are free and feature the beta version of "What's Green Nearby?™" a handy tool for connecting with green resources on the go. 

Gain a unique insight into the work and outcomes of locally-led Green Map projects of over 600 projects in 55 countries with Version 1.0 of the iPhone App. Explore Green Maps, videos, photos, Twitter,  blog and much more. 

The team at Ushahidi have adapted their mobile platform for crisit reporting and mapping for use in the situation following the devastating earthquake in Haiti:

http://haiti.ushahidi.com/

We encourage you to spread the word about this tool: Anyone in or outside of Haiti can use this tool via the web or on a mobile phone to make reports with voice, text or video; the reports will then be mapped and sources verified.  Ushahidi are hoping this adapted version of the tool, that's been used successfully in the recent Kenyan election crisis and the DRC war crisis, to help shepard people donation to relief efforts and mapping services to people urgently in need. 

Join a challenge to find unblockable, anonymous, encripted mobile Internet access.  "This challenge is to create technology that can literally help to reshape our world, liberate hundreds of millions of people from repression, and bring down evil regimes in the process. There are few opportunities to create positive change on par with this one."

Check it out!

We're launching the N2Y4 Reflection Forum!  On the second day of the N2Y4 Conference, participants spent time gathering and discussing their "a-ha!" moments and open questions that came out of the previous day and a half of collaboration, learning, and sharing in San Jose.  We gathered all the responses and have aggregated them to keep the conversation going.  Using the N2Y4 Reflection Forum, you can comment on and vote for different ideas and questions—you can even add your own ideas. 

Check out the N2Y4 Reflection Forum and learn more.

Over the last year, a lot has changed in how we access social and environmental information about the products we purchase. A small but growing army of mobile apps have flourished that now help consumers make more informed and "green" decisions. What makes mobile apps so innovative in this space is their potential to help consumers access crucial data at the point of purchase. The idea behind mobile apps is that you can just whip out your cell phone, look up a product while you shop, and make more informed purchase decisions.

These apps raise a lot of interesting questions around best approaches, collaboration, and potentially the limits of mobile technology. Before we dive into the questions, though, let's review some apps!

The N2Y4 Mobile Challenge called for innovative mobile applications supporting social good.  There were many excellent ideas (check out the Project Gallery!) and the top 15 Featured Projects were selected through a Community Vote.

The Microsoft Mobile Challenge for Development encouraged innovations for applying mobile technologies for development, specifically around one of the eight United Nations Millennium Development goals. A panel of 5 judges, selected by Microsoft, chose three winners, announced today at the N2Y4 Conference.   And the winners are...

I am so excited to see the global faces and issues represented by the featured project introductions (adding to the excitement was the fact that the first presenters delivered and translated their introduction in French, included a "Yes We Can" reference, and incorporated a direct threat to tyranny in the Ivory Coast. Amazing.) While there is a lot of representation here from the states, this group is truly a global one in heart and representation.

The opportunity for Mobile Services in the Developing World
Brooke Partridge, Vital Wave Consulting

"Markets reaching saturation...India and China are nearing 70% penetration rate...China mobile is at 45% penetration but is world's largest mobile provider."

Mobile services: Health, Finance, Commerce, Governance, Activism
ex. Kenya: mPesa - peer to peer money transfers
      Azerbaijan: 1 million messages sent in support of human rights efforts

Challenges to scale:
  legal, regulation & interoperability, priorites, risk, infrastructure, leadership, ecosystem

Strategies to scale

The N2Y4 Challenge and Conference convenes a world-class group of unlikely allies from the public and private technology sector.  The conversation this year is focused on the potential of leveraging mobile technolgies for the greater good.  15 Featured Projects will compete for $50k in cash-prizes.

View the Full Agenda for May 26 & 27 here.