Helping the blind
Visually impaired students can now learn any language with the help of a new computer-based technology developed in India. The teacher uses a “talking keyboard,” which talks aloud whatever is being typed and the print of the text also appears in Braille on a mini printer given to each student. This equipment is operational at the country’s first Braille Language Laboratory (BLL) in Ahmedabad. The Braille lab, set up by the Lodge Fellowship of Ahmedabad, a community that follows universal brotherhood, is capable of teaching in any language, though teaching has been introduced in English and Gujarati at present.

Water issues
Want to keep abreast with what’s happening on the critical water front in India? Check out a new mailing list
called ‘waterindia’. The group homepage is at groups.yahoo.com/group/waterindia. To join send a blank e-mail to waterindia-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Then there also is The Watershed Organisation Trust (or, WOTR as it is aptly called), a development support team of professionals, having core competency, and “committed to motivating and facilitating, rural communities and NGOs, towards sustainable, integrated watershed development with the help of local and external resources.” The organisation is based in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. Check out the website at www.wotr.org

Software swatantrata
Here’s a CD that contains ‘swatantra’ software for the various versions of the Microsoft Windows OS. We’re told by its compiler, advocate Mahesh T Pai of Ernakulam: “Swatantra, in several Indian languages means the same thing—freedom. Freedom from dependence; from slavery. It stands for being able to do what you want to do with/on your computer. Swatantrata—the state of being free—means being able to chose the software you want to use. “You are not enjoying swatantrata if you have to buy a particular software package because it is used at your workplace or school, or by your business associates. Swatantrata is about not having to upgrade (and pay for) your software every time your employer or friends upgrade theirs. Swatantrata is about not having to depend on a monopolist for fixing every little bug in the software that you paid for. Swatantrata is not only your freedom; it means the community’s freedom and liberties. It is about being able to help your friends and neighbours.” Among the packages this CD contains are Cygwin (simulates the GNU/Linux environment in Windows), database tools (MySQL, GUI, MySQL ODBC for Win9x and WinNT), developer tools (Gtk, or the Gimp Tool Kit to develop GUI widgets for programs), RPMBrowser, Developer CPP, Minimalist GNU for Windows, Prima, Python, the programming language, several tutorials, guides, and information on why you should use swatantra software. There are also editors, ranging from the simple text editors (Yudit, a unicode tool for many languages including Indian ones; JEDIT using Java; the much-famed Stallman’s GNU EMACS, ASPELL spell checker, GhostView to view PDF files, Malayalam TeX, Perl, etc). Graphics tools, Internet software, language support, multimedia and office tools are thrown in too. Quite a good collection! Further details from: paivakil@yahoo.co.in

microPower
Infrastructure is a major issue for any ICT enabling effort, be it the Simputer, Village Internet, WiFi, or whatever. But the supporting utilities such as transmitting-receiving networks, landlines and reliable power at a reasonable voltage are often insufficient, if not absent, while the local administration and official figures may point otherwise.
By way of a solution, microPower promises auton-omous power solutions for the rural / semi-urban beneficiary and says it will soon follow this up with OEMs in the ICT sector with appropriate built-in solar power and energy storage devices. To elaborate on this initiative, a data sheet on microPower solar photovoltaic battery chargers as well as PDFs on the product range (35KB) and its underlying concept (115KB) are available on request. For enquiries, contact the microPower Initiative c/o Udit Chaudhuri, Unika Enterprises, on e-mail at unika@softhome.net

Customising Knoppix
Kapil Karekar <kapil_kar-ekar@vsnl.net> of Libre Technologies (www.librete-ch.com) in Mumbai informs us that he and others are working to make a customised distribution of Knoppix. Perhaps, he says, even an Indian language support-bundled version. What is Knoppix? It’s a bootable CD with a wide collection of GNU/Linux software, automatic hardware detection, and support for many graphics cards, sound cards, SCSI and USB devices and other peripherals. It is one of the Free Software demo tools that became immensely popular within months of its release. Knoppix can be used as a GNU/Linux demo, educational CD, rescue system or can even be adapted and used as a platform for commercial software product demos. Check out www.kno-pper.net/knoppix/index-en.html

Governments for Free Software?
Free Software or proprietary? “While some developing countries such as India seem to be moving towards proprietary software, a growing number such as Malaysia are going up the open source path,” says a recent newsletter of the GKD (Global Knowledge for Development) partnership. Why? Apart from lower costs, champions of Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) are quick to point out that governments have a role in cracking existing software monopolies, giving a chance to other players to flourish. The question raised is: should a government adopt proprietary software when the requirement for compatibility with proprietary standards makes the system biased towards specific software vendors, perpetuating a dependency? This charge is strenuously denied by supporters of proprietary software who argue that the General Public License model promoted by open source threatens to destroy commercial software, undermine intellectual property, stifle innovation, and limit entrepreneurism—ultimately reducing choice in the market. Their arguments are, of course, premised on the supposition that commercial organisations tend to have deeper pockets and therefore, the ability to invest in longer-term-solutions—unlike cost-conscious supporters of FLOSS, who may be pushed into creating short-term solutions.

Partners newsletter
Partners is a monthly newsletter featuring the latest news on ICT for development. Currently, its circulation stands at 1,500 subscribers: reaching Global Knowledge Partnership (GKP) members, partners and interested parties around the globe. Each issue of Partners is e-mailed to the subscribers as well as uploaded onto the GKP website. Previous issues of the newsletter can be viewed at www.globalknowledge.org. Established in 1997, the GKP aims to facilitate knowledge sharing, networking and advocacy to promote sustainable development using information and communication technology. It sees itself as the first broadbased multi-stakeholder partnership that operates at the global level. Members hail from all levels, from grass roots to international organisations; all sectors, from governments and their agencies to private sector organisations, civil society groups and think tanks; and all countries, from those that are least developed to those that are fully industrialised.

India-Drug discussion
The India-Drug discussion group is a partnership between SATELLIFE (www.healthnet.org), WHO Essential Drugs and Medicines Policy (www.who.ch), and the Delhi Society for the Promotion of the Rational Use of Drugs (DSPRUD) in India.

Open-source network
Isa Seow informs us that the Asia-Pacific Development Information Programme (APDIP) has launched the International Open Source Network (IOSN), which will serve as a centre of excellence on open-source technologies and applications. It will aid countries in sharing information on open-source, assist with the development of needed toolkits and resource materials, support localisation efforts and, generally, help facilitate and co-ordinate open-source programmes and initiatives through networking. For more information, please see www.apdip.net/ iosn/default.asp. A dedicated IOSN web portal, www.iosn.net is to go online soon.

Mallapuram plans
There’s an ambitious project that seeks to provide computer education to make Mallapuram district in Kerala the country’s first totally e-literate district. Meanwhile Andhra Pradesh is talking of extending the fruits of IT to farmers and village women with the upgradation of 5,000 telephone booths into Internet kiosks.

Sign language
INB Educ-ation & Science had this story on how there could be a new way in which people learn sign language. It said Signing Online has launched a “revolutionary new learning website,” www.signingonl-ine.com.The website brings sign language education to anyone with an Internet connection, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. “Thirty million Americans have some degree of hearing loss,” said David Stewart, CEO of Signing Online and a prolific author/educator of the deaf and hard of hearing. “Many people have complained in the past that they have no time to take a sign language course, or no courses are offered where they live, or they feel intimidated sitting in a classroom. Signing Online addresses these concerns.” At its launch, Signing Online contains a series of four American Sign Language (ASL) courses that teach the basic skills to become fluent in signing. “Once people have successfully completed the Signing Online ASL courses, they will have made a solid entry into the world of sign language.

Health InterNetwork India
India has been selected as the first HIN pilot country. The pilot is intended to develop best practices, determine the best use of resources and partnerships, and demonstrate impact. The HealthInternetwork is a United Nations initiative created to respond to the challenges posed by the digital divide. Itr aims to improve communication and networking among public healthcare workers, researchers and policy makers. The cornerstone of the project is an
electronic/Internet-based Health InterNetwork (HIN) portal, which will provide access to this information
and to networks of policy makers, researchers, and health service providers. See www.hin.org.in

SoftwareForAll
Twenty-one year old Ajay Sinai Cuncolienkar of Goa came up with this interesting idea of sharing software. You just visit his SoftwareForAll site sofall.vze.com and punch in the titles of distributions you’re willing to share with others. This site is meant to facilitate sharing of free software. Interesting concept.

India Computes! is presented by Frederick Noronha, a freelance journalist based in Goa. He is the co-founder of BytesForAll, a voluntary, unfunded venture focusing on how IT and the Internet can benefit the common man, particularly in South Asia. To join the BytesForAll mailing list sign up at:
https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/bytesforall_readers