Mobile, social change for good, two challenges

I’ve just been alerted that NetSquared currently has not one, but two mobile-based technology Challenges open for submissions from around the world.  They are:

* UC Berkeley Human Rights Center Mobile Challenge
The Human Rights Center is sponsoring a challenge to encourage innovations for applying mobile technologies for human rights investigations and advocacy. Through a NetSquared Community vote, 10 finalists will be chosen. All 10 finalists will be invited to present their ideas at an international conference, “The Soul of the New Machine: Human Rights, Technology, and New Media,” at UC Berkeley, May 4 and 5, 2009. A panel of judges, selected by the Human Rights Center, will choose three winners, to be announced at the conference. Winners will receive cash awards of $15,000 (first place), $10,000 (second place), and $5,000 (third place) to implement their ideas. You can learn more and participate at: http://netsquared.org/ucb-hrc

* N2Y4 Mobile Challenge
N2Y4's Mobile Challenge calls for your world-changing ideas of how mobile applications can help citizens, groups and others create a better world for everybody.  NetSquared and their Challenge Sponsors invite submissions of innovations in mobile technologies for use by civil society.  Through a NetSquared Community vote, 14 Featured Projects will be selected to participate in this year's NetSquared Conference.  Two representatives from each of the 14 Featured Projects will be invited to present their ideas in person at N2Y4, May 26-27, 2009 and compete for cash prizes. You can learn more and participate at: http://netsquared.org/n2y4

So if you’re interested in using mobile technology for the greater good of society, then one of these might just be the challenge you’ve been looking for.

Technorati Tags: mobile,charity,not for profit,challenge,competition,social change

Fancy getting your hands on some fab mobile goodies?

Then please support MIReview Christmas Presents. It's a great idea. The Mobile Industry Review team gets sent a lot of free mobile stuff to try out and instead of keeping it themselves, they're raffling it off for charity. All you need to do is donate a minimum of £5 to the cause (or whatever the equivalent is in your currency), then you will be entered into the draw to win one of several fab prizes including a netbook, several handsets, bluetooth headphones, free Spinvox accounts, bluetooth headsets and bluetooth car speakers.

The team are supporti ng two charities this year - Childline and the UN Foundation and you can donate by clicking the links on the site, or by emailing Ben as he can sort out alternative payment methods with you if you prefer such as Paypal.

Anyway, you know it makes sense. Click on the link. Donate the money. Spread the word. And keep your fingers crossed you win one of the lovely prizes in the safe knowledge that your small donation has helped change someone's life for the better.

Free Pollen Count text messages from Asthma UK

Just spotted this via Brand Republic. Asthma UK is offering folks free tips on controlling their asthma including a free text message service to advise sufferers when there's likely to be a high pollen count.

I don't suffer from asthma, but I do suffer badly from hayfever (last year was *really* bad) so I've signed up to get the text alerts. However, from experience, I know pretty quickly how high the pollen count is by how snuffly I am as the effect on me is pretty immediate. And there's a limit to how many anti-histamines a girl can take without falling asleep.

Maybe it's time I did the Tony Robbins detox again*? After doing that a few years ago I stopped getting hayfever.. well until my body retoxed a few months later at least!

*The gist of it is over 10 days you eat nothing with a head (fish, meat, honey, dairy), no irritants (vinegar, onions, salt), no sugar, no caffeine, no alcohol, salad with every meal, don't mix proteins and carbohydrate at a meal, don't drink 20 mins before, during or up to 20 mins after a meal, nothing but raw fruit or veg before midday and exercise 6 days out of 10.