Development Seed

Blog

  • Eric Gundersen
    Mar 11, 2010
    2 comments
    Offline Mapping Visualizations with Maps on a Stick
    A simple tool for offline mapping and custom data overlays
    We just released Maps on a Stick, a simple client-side mapping tool that lets you access map tilesets and mash them up with information while you're offline. Maps on a Stick runs on either a USB drive or directly from a hard drive and allows you to...
  • Bonnie Bogle
    Mar 9, 2010
    2 comments
    Open Atrium Improving Team Communications On the Ground in Pakistan
    DAI using Open Atrium to help their GIS teams in Pakistan communicate
    Development Alternatives Inc. (DAI), one of the leading international development contractors, has deployed Open Atrium to help its GIS team in Islamabad communicate with its office in Peshawar and headquarters back in Bethesda on a capacity...
  • Eric Gundersen
    Mar 3, 2010
    Discussing Information Flows During Election Observations
    Citizen Technology and Election Accountability Conference in Nairobi, Kenya
    National Democratic Institute's conference on Citizen Technology and Election Accountability here in Nairobi just wrapped up. The two days brought together election experts and technologists from all over the region. Much of our discussions focused...
  • Ian Ward
    Feb 5, 2010
    7 comments
    Open Atrium for Disaster Response
    Helping field offices collect data and produce reports
    We just deployed a custom micro-distribution of Open Atrium for the Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) Emergency Operations Center network, the World Health Organization's main arm in the region. This Spanish-only package ships with custom...
  • Eric Gundersen
    Dec 17, 2009
    7 comments
    Opening Afghanistan's Election Data: An Open Source Data Browser
    Managing News as a rich data browser for monitoring and evaluation
    This morning the National Democratic Institute opened up their Afghanistan election data browser to the public. This is a massive liberalization of election data that previously had been baked into PDFs. The tool allows users to browse the raw vote...
  • Robert Soden
    Dec 16, 2009
    Mobile Data Collection Workshop Gets Decision Makers Collaborating with Technologists
    Presenting on Managing News and SlingshotSMS
    Last week I got the chance to present some work we're doing on Managing News and SlingshotSMS at the Innovations in Mobile Data Collection for Social Action workshop in Amman, Jordan. It was an eye-opening event that brought together representatives...
  • Robert Soden
    Dec 7, 2009
    1 comment
    Mobile Data Collection in the Middle East Workshop
    Using Managing News and Slingshot SMS for data collection
    I just landed in Amman, Jordan, for the three day "Mobile Data Collection in the Middle East Workshop." I'm joining a group of about 50 developers, analysts, designers, and representatives from NGOs and foundations that Katrin Verclas from...
  • Robert Soden
    Oct 26, 2009
    1 comment
    OpenStreetMap Off the Grid
    Inclusive approaches to mapping with open source tools in a rural development context
    I spent the last few days working with a group of rural development specialists from UNITE and KAFRED in Bigodi, Uganda incorporating OpenStreetMap and Quantum GIS into their projects. The goal was to quickly identify a workflow and some best...
  • Robert Soden
    Aug 13, 2009
    Dry Run of SlingshotSMS for Situation Monitoring
    Integrating a lightweight SMS server with Drupal
    We finished up our simulations at Camp Roberts with a dry run of SlingshotSMS, a lightweight SMS server written in Python that listens for incoming messages and provides an HTTP service for a RESTful interface that we were able to integrate with...
  • Bonnie Bogle
    Jul 7, 2009
    Open Development Camp: Pushing Transparency in International Aid
    This Friday, July 10th, development and technology folks will be getting together to talk about how international aid can become more transparent, open, and collaborative at Open Development Camp. At the event, people will be discussing initiatives...