As a proud member of the latte (actually, double espresso) sipping liberal elite, I spent my Sunday morning reading the New York Times magazine. What caught my eye was an article about a cultural anthropologist (employed by Nokia) who travels around the world to see what features the poor and illiterate need on their cell phones. The results are surprising and not so surprising. Here are some suggestions for the dream cell phone:
- Land mine detector so that owner can safely return to his village- Liberian refugee
- Weather forecasting capability- Mumbai slum dweller
- GPS system that points to Mecca for prayers- Muslims
- Water bottle-shaped phone so that it can hold fresh water and float during monsoons
- Air quality monitor- Rio favela resident
- A "peace button" that would instantaneously end all gunfire in the neighborhood
CKY
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