Vodacom in hosting a workshop with NGOs on 16 July 2009 in Cape Town to discuss a new concept in mobile application development for social impact - the Betavine Social Exchange.

All NGOs - or those working in the development sector - are invited to join Vodacom to find out more about the Betavine Social Exchange, and to contribute to its development and deployment in South Africa.

SANGONeT is assisting Vodacom in facilitating a workshop with NGOs on 14 July 2009 in Braamfontein to discuss a new concept in mobile application development for social impact - the Betavine Social Exchange.

Vodacom will also be holding a similar event in Cape Town.

Africa’s poor and vulnerable communities rarely have the opportunity to share their valuable experience and learn from others in broader or more formal exchanges of knowledge on climate change adaptation. The AfricaAdapt network, which is funded by the joint UK Department for International Development (DFID)/International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Climate Change Adaptation in Africa Programme , is launching its new Knowledge Sharing Innovation Fund promoting new ways of sharing knowledge that can help address this problem.

Google has unveiled a new service designed to provide information via SMS to cellphone users in Africa, where mobile handsets are prevalent but Internet penetration is low.

In a blog post, the company points out that, "At Google we seek to serve a broad base of people - not only those who can afford to access the Internet from the convenience of their workplace or with a computer at home."

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is currently accepting applications to its annual Access to Learning Award, which recognises the innovative efforts of public libraries and similar institutions outside the United States to connect people to information and opportunities through free access to computers and the Internet. The award is given by Global Libraries, a special initiative of the foundation’s Global Development Programme. The recipient of the Access to Learning Award will receive US$1 million.

The editor-in-chief of technology magazine Wired has apologised for failing to cite online encyclopedia Wikipedia in passages in his new book, the ironically titled "Free".

Chris Anderson, points out on his blog at www.Wired.com that, “This is entirely my own screw-up, and will be corrected in the ebook and digital forms before publication."

Communications Minister, Siphiwe Nyanda, says information communication technologies (ICTs) costs are still too high and possible collusion will have to be dealt with.

Nyanda warned that if engagement with private telecommunications operators is not effective in bringing down costs, the government will have to resort to regulation and legislation.