Start up Kenya

Interesting article about the growing tech scene in Nairobi. I hope it heralds the start of a new wave of digitally literate Africans able to compete on an equal footing with the rest of the world. 

However, to participate in the digital revolution, and share in the jobs and wealth that it is creating, Africa needs to be running with the cutting-edge technology, just like its competitors in Asia, the Americas and Europe. Currently, Africa has the lowest number of telephone lines, computers and Internet connections per capita in the world. The digital divide is particularly acute in rural areas, where there is a lack of telephone lines and electricity.

Technology may provide some of the answers. Take the Aakash tablet computers being trialled in India. At just $35, these touch-screen computers, said to support web browsing and video conferencing with a three-hour battery life and two USB ports, look like a great improvement over the wind-up $100 laptop of MIT Media Laboratory founder Nicholas Negroponte, who set up the non-profit One Laptop Per Child group. Although designed for developing countries, the technological limitations, particularly concerning connectivity, and small screen meant it was not much more than a children’s toy. Questions remain, however, over how the Aakash will perform. Africa, as elsewhere, needs sophisticated modern technology.

The public sector has a role to play, through iniatives such as the “Case des Touts Petits,” or Children’s House in Senegal, which is the construction of pre-school centers in villages which equip toddlers with their first exposure to hand held digital toys and games. Another initiative is the cyberhut, or centres equipped with computers and internet connections being set up across Senegal to allow villagers to communicate with the world, and to train young people. The private sector is also stepping in, installing underwater cables in West Africa that bring faster internet speeds.

There is still much work to do, however. In Africa there is one fixed broadband subscriber per thousand people, compared to 200 in Europe. Africa also has the highest relative price for information communication technology services in the world, despite having the lowest income levels.

Edinburgh and gold post boxes

Edinburgh has two gold postboxes, I'm proud to say, reflecting the double victory of Sir Chris Hoy. It's also buzzing at this festival time, and bigger than I ever remember it. Still, the magic is still there, no matter how much the locals complain. Particularly for folks from larger cities, the novelty of being able to walk almost everywhere and bump into friends whilst constantly surrounded by an overwhelming choice of art and culture is just fabulous.

No work in Workington

When I arranged to spend a few days in the Lake District as part of a Demos reseach project I am working on, I did not expect Workington. Pretty and quaint it is not. By the sea, it must have been a pleasant place some time ago, and I had a lovely jog by the sea (past this statue). But the high street is one of the saddest I have ever seen. When Thatcher closed down the inefficient mines, she didn't think of what the people who worked in them would do. After the major industry closed down, the asset stripping began. Stranded in a remote rural location, the people have not recovered. I can't help thinking that while the mines may not have been inefficient, it was perhaps more wasteful to close them down before thinking of an alternative. For if the mines were subsidised then, the people are more subsidised now. And a life lived on benefits is not a happy life. As the contractors in my hotel remarked, "this place has had the arse torn out of it."

Dessigny, Disney and castle

The guide at the Mont St Michel had an interesting comment on a glass window. Don't you think, she said, that the rounded edges look like Mickey Mouse ears? Her point being that the land of Dessigny (famous for butter), has given birth to a son who emigrated from Normandy to Ireland, producing a son who crossed the sea to America. He became Walt Disney. Could the inspiration have passed down the generations? Certainly, the ancient castle is as enchanting as any Disney castle can be. But perhaps the real inspiration came from tales of the hoardes of tourists (and their tourist dollars) pointy turrets can attract.

Shaking the environment debate

A contraversial debate at London House today by Matt Ridley, journalist, writer, biologist and businessman. According to him, we should stop worrying about global warming and environmental unsustainability because as we get richer, we are bound to find the technology to counter it. The distinguished audience, many of them climate chane scientists, didn't like it, repeatedly questioning his data and assertions. I like it when British people get into heated debate - we avoid it far too often in my opinion. Although when Ridley heaped praise on GMOs without mentioning any of the many many doubts about the benefits of this technology, he lost me.

I salute the GLA for hosting an interesting series of debates during the Olympics, allowing visitors and the business community to admire fantastic views of the city amid intellectual stimulation. Boris was his jovial best, entertaining the crowd at a reception following the debate by saying that Britain may be behind France in Olympic medals, but thanks to initiatives like RE-FIT, the one area London won't be lagging, is lagging itself. Despite myself, I laughed!

Young people and place shaping

So much has been said about the legacy of the Olympic Games, but not often enough by the people supposed to benefit. After a very interesting presentation by the Stratford Renaissance Partnership, Nick Edwards of Fundamental Architectural Inclusion ran a very interesting tour. It was not so much what he showed us, but what he told us of the young people who he's helping getting involved in place shaping, notably running a Legacy Youth Panel for the LLDC. The aim is not only to help them influence the masterplans, but also (given how few of these plans see light of day) to keep feeding into the development process. Unfortunately, there is not much money for this kind of activity, however inspirational.

I was chatting to Nick about the possibility of some of the youngsters he has engaged give tours of their own neighbourhoods. I bought my apartment in Paris' 20th district after going on such a tour of what was then an overlooked working class area of Paris (whose popularity has risen since I wrote this:!!!) The tours of alternative quartiers of Paris are quite popular and I think there could be a real demand for them post Olympics (Old and New Stratford, Hackney Wick).