A USB FlashDriveEditor includes a display for reading and writing text files (such as email) from a USB flash drive. It allows files to be copied from one flash drive to another. It uses a standard keyboard. It can also work with additional modules such as for local wireless networks.

See also:

• the ecosystem for "marginal Internet access": Sneakernet, Offline
• our needs: InternetAccess, Internet, Electricity, WorkNets, InternetCafe, Website
• variant or related solutions: BluetoothPhoneIncluder, CommunityWebTV
• considering alternatives: Computer, PDA, Kiosk, MobilePhone, WordProcessor, AlphaSmart, EmailReader, DVDPlayer, Calculator
• evolving and adapting the system: TrashWare, ProjectManagement, Emulator, Regulation
• parts of the system: Hardware (open source hardware systems), AssemblingComputers, Display, ProcessorModule, Batteries, Power, Keyboard, FlashDrive
• extensions: DigitalPhotoFrame, Television, WiFi
• software used by the system: Software, FileSystem
• online software to facilitate best use of marginal Internet access: Offline, TiddlyWiki, FlashDriveContent
• content to use and share and contribute to: FlashDriveContent, Broadcast
• economics: KnowledgeWork, Pricing, GiftExchange, Financing
• our team: AndriusKulikauskas, Ricardo, SamwelKongere
• potential partners: NoahSamara, WorldSpace, YahooGroups
• proposals: KnightNewsChallenge, Hastac, Includer2007

Contents of this page Our need to include those with marginal Internet access    Proposed solution - Flash Drive Editor    Vision and Priorities    Design    Partnerships    Unlikely partners or please prove us wrong     Tasks    Related Pages    Links to this Proposal    AboutThisPage    Questions

Our need to include those with marginal Internet access    

AndriusKulikauskas August 23, 2007 14:12 CET Our Minciu Sodas online laboratory reaches out to serve and include a wide variety of independent thinkers. We have a lot of activity in Africa where our participants have only marginal Internet access. We are exploring solutions that would allow them to leverage online work with offline work. I believe that we also have a great business opportunity to work with a manufacturer who would appreciate their basic need to view, edit and share the files on their flash drives. I share my thoughts about the potential of a "flash drive editor".

In Africa, we have participants like SamwelKongere who walk 5 miles or ride even further so they might access the Internet. They may pay $1 per hour at an Internet cafe for slow access. Yet they benefit significantly from participating in our email working groups. Their relationships have lead to several thousands of dollars of work, computers, video cameras, digital cameras, visitors, travel in Africa and now to Europe. Our laboratory has gained clients for worldwide projects. Many people benefit locally. Samwel is now leading a center with 15 computers where these next three years they will train 3,000 women to use computers and start businesses.

Proposed solution - Flash Drive Editor    

In 2003, our laboratory addressed the problem of marginal Internet access by proposing to adapt our social software (letters, wikis, chats) so that participants might download our activity once a week, read it Offline with a computer at home, and then upload their responses. I have started creating some of this software, for example, we can download our chat transcripts: http://www.worknets.org/archive/ and I will make it easy to download on our letters and wiki. However, in Africa, many of our participants still do not have computers of their own that they can use for free. Used desktop computers can start at $180 and used laptop computers at $300. We have considered how to lower these costs by assembling computers from local and global parts. However, I am realizing that the functionality that we need might be very easy for a manufacturer to meet and good for business as well. I think we might find a manufacturer we might work for to develop this opportunity.

What I think our participants need is primarily a way to work offline with our community's activity, but especially, with email and text files. They are using flash drives which we sent them (here in Lithuania we can now buy flash drives for less than $10 and in China they are less than $5 whereas in Tanzania they start at $30). What they need now is:

1. A flat monochrome text display that would let them read the content of the files on their flash drive. They could then do much of their reading offline.
2. A port to plug in a standard computer keyboard (they cost $10 USD). They could then compose their letters offline, as well as edit texts, enter data and do knowledge work.
3. 4 AA batteries to power this for 100 hours or more. If you have two sets of rechargeable batteries (a four pack is 12 USD), then one set might be recharged using a solar Battery charger for 20 USD. An adapter is then unnecessary.
4. 4 USB ports so that they could share files between two flash drives (imagine an offline file sharing network!) and so they could also add other modules, such as:
5. an optional module, connected to the USB port, that would provide wireless connectivity so that one might set up a local wireless network for local communications, and send SMS, email, attached files locally, even if yet there is no link to the global Internet.

It also seems to make sense to use readily available components wherever possible (such as $10 flash drives or $10 keyboards or $3 rechargable AA batteries) then to integrate special components. (Note that a laptop battery may cost $100 and an adapter may cost $70 and they may need to be purchased with a credit card and shipped globally!). By using readily available components like a standard keyboard it is possible to share parts, buy them separately, and have several of them so that you don't have to lug them around. The kind of Display that we need for text might be the 5.7" monochrome 320 x 640 Wincor-Nixdorf customer display that is part of their cash registers.

The software for the text editor could perhaps be kept on the flash drive along with the contents. Perhaps it might be kept on a separate flash drive.

A total price of $200 would make this an attractive solution. Given $20 for 2 flash drives, $10 for keyboard, $50 for rechargeable batteries, that would leave $120 for such a display plus ports. But I think the price of the display could easily go down to $50 and ultimately $20. The modularity would make this extremely practical as parts could be replaced or shared.

For an additional $200 it would be very attractive to link through the USB a wireless access point that could reach 1 kilometer or so. I think there is great value to being able to send signals locally and not walk that kilometer. Indeed, I imagine there is greater business value in local communications than in global communications.

Sending SMS, email, attached files is I think a good first application for unreliable local wireless networks. The flash drive editors would help Samwel and others to accumulate the content and maintain the regular communications which would allow them to take up knowledge-intensive tasks such as rolling out a local wireless network, assembling computers, customizing software and paving the way for Skype phones as Accton is producing. The flash drive editor allows a company to develop markets that nobody can otherwise because they are too remote. The flash drive editor may open up an explosive "offline file sharing" with simple routines that let people quickly fill up their flash drives with each other's favorite files.

Uses

Emulating things people do on the internet. The system might be used for...

• Email - globally and locally
• Text editing
• Viewing Wiki pages that people have sent
• File sharing
• Sharing and viewing websites and pages.
• Creating local content
• Reading/creating eBooks on relevant subjects (farming, health, IT, Wikipedia, etc)
• eZines (electronic magazines, as text or Wiki to be turned into .pdf)
• Newsletters
• Social networking
• Forums
• Question and Answer sites like Yahoo Answers

• Single user
• Multi-user for shared cost – one processor box could support several users, each with a keyboard, mouse and display.
• Virtual Flash Drive Editor via PC (a PC can support 10 USB keyboards)

Vision and Priorities    

We ought to fill a 'niche' in the computer market, such as :-

1. Very low power (the most important point) 2. Cheap 3. Easy to use 4. Doesn't require the internet - Uses USB Flash Drive for file transport (informal or Sneakernet) and other communications devices like 1KM Wi-Fi. 5. Supports minority languages (discuss sometime by email – non-roman text-fonts, different writing-directions, keyboard, etc)

Do you see it more as a communicator or a text-editor/eBook reader?

Who will use it, for what and where (distance from the net, countries, type of people, etc)?

Are there any other constraints, apart from price and very low power consumption? For example, the operating system, which determines what open-source application software we can run on it (text/email editor, etc).

Variations in our vision

What sort of design do you have in mind? A big display? Monochrome only? What particular purposes?

Andrius:

Ricardo: Batteries, ProcessorModule

Avoiding feature-creep What features and uses are we limiting it to? Explain low-cost of sound in/out.

Design    

• Can you tell me, what stage the USB Flash Drive editor project is at right now?
• Do you have a particular design in mind or are you just getting funding, then getting a project-team to look at all the possible design options (hardware, operating systems, etc)?
• Who do you see developing the USB Flash Drive Editor? (a company, university, your lab, a team of people working together via the internet, etc).
• How many stages and different models do you think it will go through?
• Is your lab just a website or a physical place, an actual laboratory, where hardware and software could be developed?
• Should we go straight for a very low power machine or, as a first stage, produce a design with a cheap collection of parts that still needs mains electricity or quite a lot of battery power, then design a very low power system later? Some people will have electricity and be able to use the first model, others would not.
• Do you think we need to develop new hardware ourselves or just put systems together? See: Computer, Hardware
• I've been looking at all sorts of technology that we could use, for the microprocessor, display, operating system software, etc. Have we reached a stage where you want to discuss that with me or do you need to sort out funding first?
• Who would develop the USB Flash Drive Editor design and organize the manufacturing?
• Do you have a team of people already?
• Would we do much work in advance of funding or would the development organization consult with potential users and draft the exact requirements. Have you done much of a detailed design and costing before submitting the funding applications or is the funding in stages?
• Any need to develop special hardware or shall we just build a system?

Do you have a technical background, in hardware or software, etc? It would help me to know how to pitch my ideas.

• Andrius: I have a Ph.D. in Math and a B.A. in Physics but no Hardware experience.

Partnerships    

Funding Options

Ricardo: I've been thinking about what sort of groups could fund the USB Flash Drive Editor.

• YahooGroups
• SocialEnterprise
• KnowledgeWork
• Sneakernet
• Offline File Sharing Advertisements

Ricardo: Is one of the aims to provide a lot of paid work for you and your lab to give you an income? Andrius: Yes, a main goal is work, but we are also happy to do different work that might open up if somebody else makes headway with this.

Ricardo: The reason I ask is that if you just want to get a USB Flash Drive Editor produced for people in developing countries, and you don't need to keep the work yourself for income, then their could be several ways to get it made that don't rely on EU Funding etc.

For example :-

• Suggesting the concept to companies
• Running a design-competition with a cash prize, in conjunction with a computer-magazine, silicon valley internet/computer organization, Chinese manufacturers organization, computing society, NGO, etc.
• Suggesting the idea to electronic or microcontroller enthusiast websites, like AVRFreak.net
• Suggesting the idea to electronic-hobbyist magazines as a build-it-yourself project. They can do the design, printed circuit board and kit.
• Suggest that companies producing PDAs etc or the Alphasmart, should add USB Host capability, with the ability to read/write files to USB Flash Drive in a standard disk and file format. People in developing countries can send/receive files to a friend with an internet-computer or operate a large well organized 'Sneakernet' email/file-sharing scheme on UBS Flash Drives (see http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Sneakernet).

AndriusKulikauskas August 23, 2007 14:12 CET My thought now is to find partners who would like to make this happen.

I'm working with our participants to meet our own needs by:

• developing our web interfaces (letters, wikis, chat) so that our activity can be easily downloaded and make sure that is indeed useful
• encouraging entrepreneurship by shipping flash drives to Africa for resale
• putting together 100 MB of content to publish on those flash drives to make them more attractive for sale, especially because we will be selling the smaller flash drives
• making sure everybody has a computer, helping them earn them
• learning and thinking through how best to assemble computers and set up wireless networks

I will be engaging manufacturers who we might work with, or especially, work for to develop these opportunities. I am seeing that there is a wider community that we might involve, especially around AlphaSmart and OLPC.

I look forward to our ideas how we might make "marginal Internet access" a reality that we are comfortable acknowledging and making the best of. More than a billion people will be within walking distance of the Internet. We can make that a digital invitation rather than a digital divide. And we can cross the last mile by serving our own local communication needs and working outwards from our homes rather than waiting for the day that somebody finally reaches us. The Internet is a network of networks!

Please write how any of the above might be of interest to you and I will try to include and acknowledge and reward all of our contributions!

Our team (add yourself!)

We invite all who are interested to join Samwel's group Mendenyo at our MinciuSodas lab which is where we'll focus our work, send a blank message to [email protected]

• AndriusKulikauskas
• SamwelKongere - September 22, 2007, Mendenyo The Flash Drive Editor is a great milestone for our African colleagues. I just love to join it will greatly help to get money online and even help others to edit eBooks. People in developing countries can surely raise their incomes, use computers, get a better education, promote to promote their culture or start new hobbies and interests.
• Ricardo at OLPC, Sneakernet: http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Sneakernet
• MariaAgneseGiraudo
• JecelMattosDeAssumpcaoJr http://www.lsi.usp.br/~jecel/jecel.html
• LonnieBHodge http://sinotrading.us/SEO.htm has offered to help, he is near Shenzhen the world center for flash drive manufacturers.

Andrius is trying to find one large funder or customer who would pay for the lab's work, and also find many smaller funders or customers or friends (perhaps a GiftExchange) for funding the various levels of our Sneakernet ecosystem (see KnowledgeWork).

A larger funder for Andrius and MinciuSodas:

• Thank you to Pamela Maclean for alerting us to the MacArthur Foundation and Hastac Innovation Awards http://charitychannel.com/publish/templates/?a=14249&z=26 where we will apply for a $100,000 grant. Application deadline October 15, 2007.
• Andrius will also write proposals due October 31, 2007 to Lithuania's foreign ministry
• for for 20,000 EUR for our experimentation.
• to work for three months next year in the Ghor province of Afghanistan on organizing independent thinkers and overcoming marginal Internet access.
• to organize MinciuSodas in Belarus.
• Knight News Challenge includes a Commercial section for projects like ours.
• Check the Texas Instruments list of funders.
• HTC is a phone maker in SouthAfrica
• There is a Ukrainian phone company that might be interested.
• Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund

• NoahSamara of WorldSpace. Andrius met him at WSIS 2003 and wrote a proposal but did not get a reply. Worldspace International Satellite Radio. See here.
• PeaceCorps
• RedCross
• USAID

• Amazon is the maker of the Kindle EBookReader
• WincorNixdorf makes cash register displays that we might use.
• Coby manufactures several very inexpensive products that can be purchased through Amazon and offer a slightly different set of functionality but show what could be done. See: DigitalPhotoFrame, Television, DVDPlayer.
• National Association of Software and Service Companies, the

• IBM, our best contact is JohnCohn, IBM Fellow, who Andrius met in Vermont. IBM ThinkPlace was retired.
• Quanta (maker of One Laptop Per Child computer, may produce a $200 laptop for the public).
• Any American, Chinese or Taiwanese electronic company.
• Mobile phone, calculator or PDA companies or even a toy company like VTECH.

• AndreaMills of ItalyInnovationLab
• FrithjofBergmann - EastGermany, NewWorkChallenges
• see also: SocialEnterprise
• Inveneo http://www.inveneo.org/ , for 2 reasons :- It's a social enterprise, keen to help people in developing countries. It produces an ultra-low-power PC and may want to make something more affordable.
• RimasVaisnys, NewHaven, Yale - may have contacts
• AlgirdasAvizienis - may have contacts

• Engineers without Borders, USA and they are in other countries as well.
• Design That Matters has MIT connections.

• StankoBlatnik in Slovenia might help find ?
• ACME is a computer component distributor in Lithuania that also assembles Asus computers and makes and sells computer storage media like blank CDs.
• An African or Lithuanian company. Some light assembly jobs, packaging up systems, could be useful.

• Why Games Matter: A Prescription for Improving Health and Health Care enter by September 26, 2007 at Changemakers.
• ISOC?
• Private Sector Development Blog - World Bank
• World Resources Institute and http://www.nextbillion.net

Unlikely partners or please prove us wrong     

Did not reply

• Michael Harling http://www.lindenwald.com/background.htm
• Michael Simons http://www.michaelsimon.com
• Alan Phillips http://www.alanphillips.com
• Martin Woodhouse http://www.olpcnews.com/content/ebooks/fifty_dollar_ebook_reader.html
• Alan Kay http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Kay
• Eric A. Brewer http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~brewer/
• Paul M. Aoki http://www.paulaoki.com
• Kevin Fall http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~kfall/
• Michael Demmer http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~demmer/
• Inveneo: Mark Summer, Bob Marsh, Laura Mellow, Kristin Peterson, Jeff Wishnie http://www.inveneo.org/?q=team
• Koolu: John Hall http://www.koolu.com/content/view/6/217/
• Koolu: Andrew Greig http://www.koolu.com/content/blogcategory/53/256/
• First Mile Solutions: Amir Alexander Hasson, Olufemi Omojola, Rich Fletcher, Alex Sandy Pentland, http://www.firstmilesolutions.com/about.php
• Design that Matters: Timothy Prestero, Lubna Maria Nabi, Peter Fichter, Ousmane Samake, Emmanuel Coulibaly http://designthatmatters.org/about/who-we-are/
• Saul Griffith and others at http://www.squid-labs.com/contact/

Tasks    

Things to do... thank you for helping!

Pages FlashDriveEditorTask Afghanistan Write a proposal to Lithuania's Foreign Ministry to set up a sneakernet Aleutia We should contact the Aleutia team to see if we might work for them as distributors and if we might use some of their parts or design the Includer together or share software solutions. AlphaSmart Contact AlphaSmart if they might manufacture our device; to connect with their African network; to consider if they might add USB flash drive support; purchase one from eBay and send it to Chicago. Arduino Acquire and evaluate the Arduino processor. Atmel Purchase Atmel boards and experiment with them. Bluetooth Experiment with Bluetooth phones. BluetoothPhoneIncluder Using Mobile Phone Handsets with a Bluetooth communication capability as the 'Includer' FlashDriveEditor. Chicago Find people who might provide technical help and might be interested in electronics assembly, especially on the South Side. Chumby Acquire and evaluate the Chumby for use as an Includer. How can an external keyboard be used? Display Ricardo, please, could you write to Kent displays, following up on my letter? It's hard for me to access my emails because my laptop is being fixed. AndriusKulikauskas September 21, 2007 20:09 CET EarthTreasury/Power Calculate our power needs for the keyboard, display, USB drives, processor module. Can we do it with AA batteries? And for how many hours? Electricity Calculate electricity costs in Africa for running a computer. Electronics Start purchasing parts, try to put them together, invite more people on our team. ElectronicsAssembly We need books and websites that explain the basics of electronics assembly. What is involved at various levels of sophistication? We also want to know what are the levels of magnitude of production run sizes and how they affect costs? FlashDrive Contact the USB Flash Drive Association. Send flash drives to Africa. FlashDriveEditorServiceProgram A program for servicing the Flash Drive Editor, involving a network of service-personnel. Freeware Describe Freeware that could be used by Includers. Funder List potential funders for the FlashDriveEditor project as a whole as well as financing individual flash drive editors. HardwareTeam Write up our hardware team Hastac Write a proposal for the Hastac Innovation Awards, due October 15th. Includer Come up with local African names such as Jumuisha in Kiswahili. IncluderWayForwardJuly2008 To establish the way forward for the Includer project, from July 2008 onward. It describes what we would like to do, to capture the exact requirements and constraints for Includer devices, and then develop them. Keyboard How much power does a standard computer keyboard use? Is it possible to add a device that would reduce the power need, for example, by sending power only ever second if there is no activity? Kindle Contact Amazon KnightNewsChallenge2007 Write full proposal due on November 1, 2007 LaptopMotherboardIncluder Think through the LaptopMotherboardIncluder design and try it out. LinuxDevices List Linux Devices that might be used as the basis of the FlashDriveEditor. Manufacturing What books or websites are there where we could learn the basics of manufacturing, especially the kinds of production runs that are done, from small to large, and what they involve, and how much do they typically cost? MemoryCardReadWriter To describe a Memory Card Read Writer interface for the Includer, as a cheaper alternative to USB interface circuitry (for USB flash drives). Nairobi Find money and income for the office in Nairobi. OfflineServices Write a letter to companies such as Google, Yahoo to invite their support (increments of $25,000) that we develop a user interface for offline computers that would work well with their email services and other APIs and could serve as a prototype for a specification that manufacturers might use for Includer devices. PartialSolutions Describe how using a number of partial solutions to a problem is often more effective than trying to find a single 100% solution. Also, how there are 2 types of partial solution; those that are mutually exclusive and those that add together to solve a problem. PdaIncluder Using PDAs as the 'Includer' FlashDriveEditor, in various system-designs. PeaceCorps Find a contact in the US PeaceCorps who might purchase the Includer. PlasticLogic Contact Plastic Logic PresentingTheIncluderIdeaToGoogle Describe how to present the Includer idea to Google Inc. ProcessorModule Identify candidates for microcontrollers, focusing first on sufficient functionality (preferably able to run Linux, but also weaker microcontrollers), then on power consumption, then on price (because we can always push the price down later). Prospects Make a list of friendly potential customers who might order 200 flash drive editors and related participants and service for $120,000. Purchases Make a list of hardware to review and purchase for our electronics team in Lithuania to start building prototypes. Readability Create images with different sized letters and see which ones are readable on which screens and come up with general principles and optimal recommendations. Recommendations Collect recommendations for our proposal. Software What existing programs in Python might we use or adapt for the text editor and the file manager? Is there an offline email editor that might work? What set of programs do we need? Solar How costly would it be to generate 5 watts of electricity from solar power for our flash drive editor, for example, by charging a car battery? TeleTypewriter Explore alliances with makers of TeleTypewriter for the Deaf. TextToSpeech Think through a system for converting emails to sound files. Note that the conversion needs to take place after downloading the text! And so should likely involve open source software or an agreement with a developer. Trademark What are the trademark offices in various African countries, starting with Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda? Do they have online websites? Is it ok if Includer is already used by Gallup? Trashware Ask DavideLamanna to write a letter of recommendation. WincorNixdorf Write to Pia-Maria Goerner, head of Corporate Social Responsibility, and also CC to Kai Jungclaus who is the contact for the BA69. XDrive We might expand on this and consider whether to pursue this thinking further.

Related Pages    

Shared project document area. The USB Flash drive editor project really needs somewhere to share documents. It would be via the internet or on the internet but private to team-members. One option is shared editing and access via Google’s online word-processor. Another option is to use Wikis, but do they support pictures and diagrams?

• Do you have any documents relating to the project already that I could read? Main page is this one!
• Would it be a good idea to set up an area on the internet where we can share documents? Use metadata to add pages to the list below.

Pages FlashDriveEditor Afghanistan Write a proposal to Lithuania's Foreign Ministry to set up a sneakernet Aleutia A computer designed for Africa that is comparable to the Includer is on sale for 279 pounds for and with solar panel and battery for 499 pounds. AlphaSmart AlphaSmart Neo is very relevant device to learn from and work with. AndriusKulikauskas Leader of the FlashDriveEditor initiative as the main business opportunity that the MinciuSodas laboratory is pursuing, and the focal point for the Sneakernet ecosystem, strenghtening our global and local networks and hubs for GlobalVillages. Apprenticeship Ricardo proposes a Distributed Digital Apprenticeship Scheme Arduino Arduino is an open source processor that might be usable for our Includers. AssemblingComputers We support the development of skills for assembling computers. Atmel Atmel boards are a leading choice for us. Batteries We want low power and to be able to use standard AA batteries so that they are easily available. Rechargeable AA batteries are then optional. The AlphaSmart Neo runs for 700 hours on 3 AA batteries. Battery recharging might depend on the Sneakernet. Bluetooth Bluetooth phones may be used to carry, edit and share files. BluetoothPhoneIncluder Using Mobile Phone Handsets with a Bluetooth communication capability as the 'Includer' FlashDriveEditor. Broadcast Consider the broadcast of software and content by regular radio or satellite radio like WorldSpace. Calculator Consider using a TexasInstrument calculator and optional keyboard Chicago We have a base in Chicago at the home of DavidEllisonBey and he needs technical help for his computer and wifi so it would be good to organize people around him, especially on the South Side. Chumby Chumby is a wifi bean bag computer that is open source hardware, costs $180 and might be used as an Includer. Commodore64 Consider the Commodore 64. Computer Computer, ProcessorModule or Microcontrollers to use for the FlashDriveEditor or to use as alternatives. We can start by building on existing high power computers like the NorhTec MicroClient Jr PC from $120. DigitalPhotoFrame It is now possible to buy for $76 a 7 inch (320 x 234) color digital photo frame that stores many images and plays music files and has a USB connection for computers. Is it possible to use such as a display? Would manufacturers fund our work or partner with us? Display We're interested to learn more about the low power Kent displays. EBookReader Alternative eBook readers EarthTreasury/Power How much power is needed by the keyboard, display, USB drives, processor? Electricity In many parts of Africa, 90% of the population does not have electric power. Hence, low power devices (those that can use standard AA batteries) are prized. Electronics We are organizing an electronics team. ElectronicsAssembly We are collecting links to books and websites about electronics assembly. We also have a list of 50 advantages of local assembly. EmailReader We should research devices dedicated to reading and writing emails. Emulator Use a PC to emulate the FlashDrivEditor as we develop it. Note, this could be done through the web browser, both online and offline. Eureka Andrius has concluded that the EU EUREKA program is not well suited for supporting our work. FileSystem We will use the FAT file system as a standard. Financing We need to think about financing that doesn't take money out of Africa. Andrius thought of a Work FlashDrive FlashDrive manufacturers might have a keen interest in our ecosystem and also distributing flash drives is a good way to build our network and test our concepts. FlashDriveContent We are making a list of content to publish on flash drives and CDs. We have bought 40 flash drives and will be adding the content to them and sending them out to our African participants to see what content is useful and how much they can get for the flash drives. Andrius has created software that is archiving all of our YahooGroups letters and zipping them. The usefulness of such content - and responding to it - is a key rationale for the FlashDriveEditor. FlashDriveEditorServiceProgram A program for servicing the Flash Drive Editor, involving a network of service-personnel. Freeware Describe Freeware that could be used by Includers. Funder We're making a list of potential funders for this and other projects. GameBoy Consider using Game Boy Advanced which is already used as an ebook reader. It has a 240 x 160 pixel screen, 1.6 by 2.4 inches, 32 KB memory, 10 hours of continuous play with light on, 18 hours with light off using a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. GetPaidToCreateEbooks Get paid to create eBooks by a supporter, an NGO or government ministry. GiftExchange A way to get more help and boost our ecosystem and explore what is appreciated and open the way for reciprocity and paid work. Hardware Organize standards for open source hardware network. Avoid feature creep in the editor itself. Offload functionality to other hardware modules. Use standard parts like computer keyboards, USB flash drives, AA batteries, televisions, old monitors, as much as possible. HardwareTeam BinarioEtico is available to train our African participants in computer assembly (for Trashware) and electronics assembly (for our FlashDriveEditor) Hastac We're applying for the Hastac Innovation Awards. Includer Includer http://www.includer.org is a name that Andrius proposes and uses for our project. Includer2007 Proposal to Lithuania's Foreign Ministry for work in November and December 2007 to demonstrate the feasability of software and hardware optimized for marginal Internet access. IncluderWayForwardJuly2008 To establish the way forward for the Includer project, from July 2008 onward. It describes what we would like to do, to capture the exact requirements and constraints for Includer devices, and then develop them. IncomeFromSmallComputerRelatedTasks Earn extra income by performing small tasks on a computer for people that you know in wealthier cities or countries, a kind of micro-outsourcing. InfoPad InfoPad was a low power wireless multimedia terminal. Internet The FlashDriveEditor allows people to make good use of the Internet and also to roll it out locally. InternetAccess SamwelKongere writes about measuring and appreciating the different kinds of Internet access. InternetCafe Internet cafes are a key part of the Sneakernet network and their prices drive much of the economics. Keyboard Information about special keyboards for use with PDAs. And power requirements for standard computer keyboards. KnightNewsChallenge2007 News Challenge grant KnowledgeWork A vibrant system of small pieces of knowledge work will clarify what kind of device, like a FlashDriveEditor we'd like to have or build and in what sense it's needed, and would also provide funding or leverage.= LaptopMotherboardIncluder A variant of the Includer in the form of a Desktop PC case and Laptop Motherboard. It provides a Desktop Computer that works on battery power, for areas without mains electricity. Linseed Linseed is a low power Linux-on-a-chip computer board. LinuxDevices List Linux Devices that might be used as the basis of the FlashDriveEditor. Manufacturing We need to learn the basics of manufacturing, especially the kinds of production runs that are done, from small to large, the methods and the prices. We also need to find at least one manufacturer who would be a good partner for us. MemoryCardReadWriter To describe a Memory Card Read Writer interface for the Includer, as a cheaper alternative to USB interface circuitry (for USB flash drives). MoreWaysToEarnExtraMoneyViaTheInternet More ways to earn money using a computer online or offline. Nairobi We want to have an office in Nairobi, led by KennedyOwino, where we assemble the FlashDriveEditors and computers. NoahSamara NoahSamara of WorldSpace satellite radio which needs content is a great independent thinker that we might seek to work for. OperatingSystem Operating system will probably be Linux but for the particular chip set. PDA Alternative ideas can build on PDAs. PartialSolutions Describe how using a number of partial solutions to a problem is often more effective than trying to find a single 100% solution. Also, how there are 2 types of partial solution; those that are mutually exclusive and those that add together to solve a problem. PdaIncluder Using PDAs as the 'Includer' FlashDriveEditor, in various system-designs. PeaceCorps US PeaceCorps is an agency that might perhaps be a friendly customer for the Includer. Phone Consider phones that might be used. PresentingTheIncluderIdeaToGoogle How to present the Includer idea to Google Inc. Pricing A market exists for a 300 USD FlashDriveEditor, especially if combined with the MinciuSodas laboratory's social network services. The price should drop to 75 USD and ultimately 25 USD. ProcessorModule Ideas for Microcontrollers (a computer-on-a-chip with RAM, EEPROM, etc), if we go for a custom-designed processor for the FlashDriveEditor. ProjectManagement Breaking the development process into stages. Currently, Andrius is thinking of a first phase of 20,000 EUR to create 20 experiments at 1,000 EUR and then a second phase of 120,000 EUR to assemble a first prototype and make 200 at 500 EUR and test them in the field and supply one or more large friendly customers. Prospects A list of prospects. Prototypes Write a proposal to Lithuania's Foreign Ministry Purchases A list of hardware to review and purchase. Radio Consider the Open FM Radio project. Readability A page of images for trying out readability on various screens. Recommendations People recommending our proposal! Regulation New hardware may need EMC testing. Ricardo Key contributor to FlashDriveEditor and promoter of Sneakernet. RomasČiupaila RomasČiupaila is an electronics teacher in a high school in Lithuania and may be interested to be part of our hardware team and help train our African visitors. Sneakernet Sneakernet - moving files and email by walking, cycle or vehicle, on flash drive or CD - it's central to the FlashDriveEditor ecosystem and also a concept that attracts natural allies, partners, customers, funders. It's a great first step in all of our FlashDriveEditor efforts. SocialEnterprise We should engage social enterprises as funders and customers. Software Likely, we will use Linux as an operating system and write or adapt a text editor and file manager (perhaps in Python?) that would serve as the interface. Which software is key to start with? What kinds of applications might build on this further? How can people add software functionality later on, presumably, onto their flash drives? Solar Incorporate Solar panels as a technology to recharge batteries for the FlashDriveEditor but also to learn electronics skills. Tanzania JosephatNdibalema of Uyoga reports on the rising costs at Internet cafes in Dar es Salaam. Television It should be an option to use a television as a display. How would we do that? TextToSpeech As part of our ecosystem it would be good to convert emails to sound files for play on MP3 players because they are so available. Trademark We can check if the name we use for the Flash drive editor is already trademarked Trashware Trashware is a movement centered in Italy that can help us with assembling computers and designing the USB FlashDriveEditor. Website How can the Sneakernet and the FlashDriveEditor help one manage a website? WiFi The FlashDriveEditor might catalyze the roll out of local wireless networks. WincorNixdorf Wincor-Nixdorf manufactures cash registers that have displays which might be well suited for our flash drive editor. WordProcessor AlphaSmart, QuickPad, TheWriter are keyboard based word processors (and manufacturers) to learn from and try to work with. WorldSpace We should engage WorldSpace XDrive Ricardo spoke with Andrius in February 2009 about an XDrive capability that offline computers might engage when they get online. YahooGroups We can approach Yahoo groups leaders to help our project in various ways, perhaps by organizing a GiftExchange, where we can offer, for example, archiving of Yahoo groups.

Links to this Proposal    

Flash Drive Editor at One Laptop Per Child

Flash Drive Editor at Appropedia.org

Flash Drive Editor at Unamesa Association

Thank you to Andreas Rudin

AboutThisPage    

• EndeavorLeader=AndriusKulikauskas
• EndeavorTeam=SashaMrkailo, Ricardo
• EndeavorSummary=Design an inexpensive word processor (75 USD or less) for use in Africa that integrates a USB flash drive with a standard computer keyboard and a black and white display that might show 600 characters.
• ProposalLeader=AndriusKulikauskas
• ProposalSummary=Andrius is writing a proposal to design an inexpensive word processor (75 USD or less) for use in Africa that integrates a USB flash drive with a standard computer keyboard and a black and white display that might show 600 characters.
• ProposalStatus=We are assembling partners, all who are interested, and researching the costs for small manufacturing runs.
• PageByRicardo=Design an inexpensive word processor (75 USD or less) for use in Africa that integrates a USB flash drive with a standard computer keyboard and a black and white display that might show 600 characters. This page was started by Andrius, not me, but I'm using this variable so it appears in the table of pages on my Ricardo profile page.

Questions    

Do you have any questions?

Just a note: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portable_apps collects applications that can run from an USB stick. Abiword might qualify as a free (GPL, Open source) word processor. Papyrus is a nice integrated and very small office suite that fits into <10MB, though proprietary. -- HelmutLeitner October 10, 2007 9:19 CET

WilliamWambura, Chat, October 17, 2007: Thanks to josephat,who was able to print out the whole contents of Frash Driver Editor,its a blessed,and encouging thing for him to do so,he has been doing great contribution to see Uyoga growing but never get old,I my self have read the Frash Driver Editor offline and i have come across wonderfull experince,i have cleary understood it,and very much interested,In Uyoga's school. :: this is the hotest topics on our saturday disscusssion and debates,we want to share this with all members and make sure that no one is left behind with Frash Driver Editor.Thnks to Josephat for his Insiparational things,enabling offline members to share,contribute and openn their minds on other altenative purpose thogh the Frash Driver Editor.

Sat, 24 May 2008 12:17:24 UTC Franklin Rose: The software which was created by publisher is wonderfull to work and everyone should use this software for download the articles and others.