Drew Cogbill | Thesis Blog

In many places, such India, Bangladesh, and where I am in Belize, there aren’t enough doctors for all of the patients that need care, especially in rural areas.  MobileActive.org talked with Krishnan Ganapathy about telemedicine via mobile phone networks.

Currently, a paramedic or nurse must take the readings, but a device called mDoc, “specialized mobile phone with lots of added features“, is in the works which will allow laypeople to easily and noninvasive take readings which can be transmitted to doctors.

We realized that in India it is possible to transfer an ECG and to listen to heartbeats via a stethoscope with the doctor and the patient several thousand miles away from each other using purely wireless technology on mobile phones. The greatest part of this is that villages in India which still do not have a landline, which still do not have a wired phone, are directly going into the 21st century by using wireless technology.

I would like every single human being on this planet to know within three years from now that it is possible to get health care through a mobile phone…. People will get interested, a business case will develop, and it will become a reality.

The White African on mesh networks.

Street signs in Belize City have a space for a small advertising token.  Belize has what seems to me to have a pretty high saturation of ads, meaning that in most, even small, populated areas there is advertising.

You see lots of  restaurants with Coke, Fanta, or Belikin (the local beer) signs.  One company handles the bottling of these and other available beverages.  I’ve heard that if you will use the signs, they will give it to you for free.

In store in Belize City with a Western Union depot, the largest, attention grabbing sign was in Chinese.  I didn’t have my camera, but thought that it was a significant observation.

Visual Think Map

via Anezka

ICTD 2009 in Qatar

MobileActive08 in South Africa

Indian Telecom company VNL has launched solar powered GSM towers for mobile communication.  Most importantly, the towers can connect areas off of the electricity grid and have a low environmental impact.

via Ethan Zuckerman

This little trash stand is at the house accross the street from where I’m staying in Dangriga.  It’s sturdy and even a better solution for keeping dogs out of the trash as plastic cans are easily knocked over.

This sign is an ad for an area called Old Belize, which is located on the highway between Belize City and Belmopan.  It does a good job of establishing legitimacy for tourists.

Side note: I got a little sunburned laying at the Old Belize beach yesterday.

I’ve been looking at the signage of Belize City recently, and will post more on that, but I’m particularly intrigued by this hand painted sign:

In my experience in other towns in Belize, you pick your main up at the Post Office, but perhaps here in Belize City there is some type of delivery service.  I’m wondering: what else beside mail would be slid into that slot? Why the exclamation marks?  Am I supposed to be excited about this?  Or has this Harry been receiving mail for another Harry? And if so, why is the Harry so much larger than the Longsworth?

This sign:

is on the front of this store:

.

I don’t know if this is a legitimate Payless or not, but they do have a nice selection of shoes. Beyond it being hilarious that you are not allowed into a store to buy shoes if you don’t already own a pair, I think there are deeper implications. In a way, this sign emphasizes how hard it can be to break out of a cycle of poverty to join the consumption class.