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Microsoft Redeems Itself!
My post last Thursday criticized Microsoft’s potential release of a stripped down version of its forthcoming Windows Vista operating system for emerging markets. I thought this was the wrong approach; rather than strip features out, Microsoft should be figuring out which applications to add...
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Rounding up the herd of $100 laptops
If you’ve been watching news of the $100 laptop in the last five months, your head is probably spinning. Not to worry. I’ve rounded up the various NextBillion activity capsules and blog entries just for your pixel-strained eyes.Barebones PCs : Asiatotal , AMD Personal Internet Computer,...
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Safe Water for Indian Slums? Let It (Cash) Flow
The Acumen Fund Blog today reports a new for-profit water services project launched in one of India’s poorest urban neighborhoods. The provider, Heritage, receives strategic management support and assistance raising capital from the Acumen Fund. I am excited to hear companies saying that "...
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Another Misstep for Microsoft?
Over the weekend, Microsoft posted information about the six editions of Windows Vista it plans to offer -- only to remove the information from its Web site a day later, saying it has yet to make a final decision. Interestingly, one of these editions appears to be a more limited version aimed...
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Insights from the field: Interviews with social entrepreneurs
Rob Katz, a NextBillion staff writer, recently interviewed Martin Fisher, co-founder of KickStart, and Upendra Bhatt, co-founder of Aavishkaar, in writing an article for GreenBiz.com. KickStart and Aavishkaar are, dare I say, two of the most innovative and robust businesses operating at the...
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Acumen Fund Launches Blog
We?ve talked about Acumen Fund before here at NextBillion ? the non-profit venture fund that supports BOP enterprises delivering critical goods and services to the world?s low-income communities through investments. Like us, they too believe in using entrepreneurial, private-sector...
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Small Grants from a Big Institute
Thirty Chinese NGOs recently won awards totaling $650,000 from the World Bank. The winning ideas included projects that supply environmentally sustainable bio-gas to single mothers, create support networks for waste collectors, and establish community service centers to teach deaf youngsters...
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Ms. Smith Goes to the BOP – To Design
Interested in design for the base of the pyramid? MIT?s Amy Smith is your kind of person. Ethan reminded me about Dr. Smith?s work designing ?really simple things needed by an enormous number of people? with his blog post from the TED Global conference in California.I was lucky...
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