Univ. of Washington, Microsoft Research (Redmond) and LUMS ran a collaborative distance learning course on "Computing for the Developing-world".  The video on the right shows how the classroom presenter technology and tablet PCs were used to enhance interaction between students across the three sites.

Negroponte is working with the ministry of defense in Colombia to spread OLPC. The Colombians view this as a strategic defense problem, not as a literacy problem - something that needs to be done in areas like Afghanistan and Pakistan. Fasinating talk. "So think of it this way. Think of it as inoculating children against ignorance. And think of the laptop as a vaccine. You don't vaccinate a few children, you vaccinate all the children in an area." - Nicholas Negroponte

Waiting for the "GPhone"? Well keep waiting because it will never come out, atleast not in the form that you thought it would. Say hello to Android instead - an open, and free mobile platform. There is a USD 10 million incentive (or bribe) for developers to start hacking on Android, called the Android Developer Competition (ADC). Applications in service of global economic development are included in ADC. For more information about Android, check out the demo below:

NY Times reviews the features of the $100 laptop, i must admit that some of the features are pretty cool.