[linuxola] Interessante Links

[Andreas Rudin]

Hallo zusammen

Ich habe gerade auf der WSFII- Mailingliste zwei spannende Links 
entdeckt, die auch für unsere Projekte in Afrika interessant sein können:

RADIO ADAPTED FOR THE DEVELOPING WORLD;

Adapted Consulting Inc. Launches its New Open Source Radio 
Station OpenFM
TORONTO, ON  August 21, 2007  At midday in the Sahara, 
several dunes past Timbuktu, the sun is blistering hot. 
During the months when the Harmattan winds blow, the air is 
dense with sand. The strong winds blow constantly, so that by 
day's end everything is left covered by a think reddish 
film of dirt on the floors, the furniture and, in the case 
of a radio station, all of the electronic equipment. Such 
conditions present their own unique set of challenges. So 
when Adapted's Co-Founder, Frédéric Renet, couldn't 
find a commercial radio that was right for this situation - 
durable, energy efficient, easy to repair and affordable - 
he decided to build his own. From this first design created 
to withstand the harsh climate of Mali comes Adapted's OpenFM.
    OpenFM is a low power, affordable open source FM radio 
station created for use in remote areas.  The system has been 
designed with harsh weather conditions in mind; it is able to 
withstand heat, dust and humidity with little manual 
intervention. It functions on solar power and so is 
particularly suited for rural environments that lack 
dependable electricity. OpenFM consists of a low power FM 
transmitter; antenna; low bandwidth, low power computer; 
mixing board; and open source audio software.The open source component of the OpenFM is perhaps the 
station's most innovative attribute. The design has been 
registered using the creative commons license, which means 
that the blueprint of the device is available to those who 
wish to create their own OpenFM or amend the equipment.
As fellow Adapted Co-Founder, Ian Howard, explains: The 
ability of the local engineers to modify this equipment so 
that it can better meet the needs of the community and so 
that it can be maintained locally is a great improvement in 
the sustainability of a radio station. A broken transmitter 
no longer needs to be shipped back to the UK for repairs. 
Rather, a simple component can be replaced locally.
OpenFM is a part of Adapted's broader FM Radio Development 
Program. In building a sustainable design for rural areas, 
Adapted's team realized that a traditional business model  
would not work.
Adapted instead re-thought the model and, inspired by the 
open source software used on many of their devices, decided 
that the design needed to be open. 
As a service provider first and foremost, Adapted focuses on 
offering complementary services to OpenFM and other products.  
At each project site, Adapted starts with a needs assessment 
and then seeks to address these needs by offering training in 
business model development; market analysis; technical 
training for engineers and radio staff; and joining with 
partners to provide journalistic training. 

About Adapted Consulting Inc
Adapted utilizes technology and business innovations to 
create sustainable opportunities and enable social change. 
Adapted's expertise is founded on private sector and 
international development experience in many countries, both 
in the developed and developing world. Adapted applies 
knowledge to under-developed markets by adapting technologies 
and business methods to meet the needs of local communities 
and contribute to lasting positive impact. For more 
information on Adapted, visit their website at 
http://www.adaptedconsulting.com 

Weitere Infos:

http://openfm.adaptedconsulting.com/


Dann noch eine Info von Freifunk:

Most of the information about Freifunk is unhappily only available in 
german language.

Now, at the Chaos Communication Camp 2007 near Berlin, a polish Blogger 
was interviewing us - some people from Freifunk Leipzig, Sundhausen and 
Berlin - during our own weekly FM-Radioshow in english. The interview is 
converted to mp3 and available via Streaming (part2) or Download.

Radioshow #22: http://www.public-ip.org/sendung-181.html
Streaming: http://www.public-ip.org/rundfreifunk/249.m3u
Download: http://public-ip.org/tracks/rundfreifunk/786.mp3

Liebe Grüsse

Andreas


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