On our radar: From Crowdfunding homes for the homeless to the failures of EdTech

Crowdfunding

Nonprofit Crowdfunds Homes For People In Need, Gives Donors Updates On Families They've Helped (via The Huffington Post)

Great, layered use of digital technology for social impact – from telling the story, to collecting donations, to delivery, to ongoing engagement and feedback. Hats off to Atlanta-based non-profit New Story.

Charity digital

Digital consultant Julie Dodd shares expert insight on The New Reality (via Charity Digital News)

Julie Dodd discusses the key themes and headlines of her recent charity digital report. Worth a watch.

Open Data

Making open data work for you: case studies (via the Local Government Association)

Very handy collection UK local government open data case studies.

Edtech

Searching For The Next Wave Of Education Innovation (via TechCrunch)

“I’m going to come right out and say it: few areas have been as hopeful and as disappointing as innovation in education.” Discuss.

Analytics

IBM uses Big Data and Watson for Wimbledon Cloud Analytics (via The Inquirer)

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2350451/ibm-uses-big-data-and-watson-for-wimbledon-cloud-analytics

Strawberries. Cream. Cliff Richard. Real-time data anayltics. What could be more British?

Corporate responsibility

Corporate ethics? There's an app for that (via Fierce Mobile IT)

Ford reveals its mobile app that provides corporate ethics policy guidance to employees on their mobile phones.

On our radar: from non-profit data visualisation to digital clinical trials

Data visualisation

How to Visually Show Your Impact to Funders with Silk (via TechSoup)

Another free online tool for charities to demonstrate their impact visually. Worth a look.

Open data

Open data as anti-poverty tool must get smarter (via Thomson Reuters Foundation)

“While there has been a whole lot of time and money spent on the technology to digitise, standardise and publish data, less time has been spent on identifying what problems open data can solve.” Discuss!

Digital health

Doctor on Demand raises $50M for video visits, 23andMe CEO invests (via MobiHealthNews.com)

More serious US investment in telemedicine approaches. Over 200 US employers have signed up to this particular on-demand consultation service.

Topol: Clinical trials offer exciting examples of convergence of digital health and drug development (via MedCityNews)

So, might the ongoing rise of such digital tools significantly reduce the cost of clinical trials?

Digital strategy

The Best Digital Strategists Don’t Think in Terms of Either/Or (via Harvard Business Review)

Want high-tech or high-touch? Profit or purpose? Think again.

Social enterprise

Verb, Inc. Secures $2.3 Million in Seed Funding to Drive Social Entrepreneurship (via CSRwire.com)

Interesting platform approach to connect large corporations and foundations with social entrepreneurs globally.

On Our Radar – From visualising refugee data to the city as Startup

Data visualisation

UN Mass Migration (via public.tableau.com)

Compelling Tableau data viz on number of refugees are fleeing war and poverty for safety and economic opportunity.

City innovation

City Governments Are Collaborating With Startups, and Acting Like Ones Themselves (via Smisthsonian.com)

Lots to learn from city innovation teams across the pond. Removing barriers to fruitful collaboration is clearly the key.

Machine learning

£400m savings available from machine-to-machine tech (via PublicTechnology.net)

Two thirds of urban councillors are not aware of Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems. What might change that?

Digital giving

Feeling charitable? eBay unveils donation feature in latest app update (via Digital Trends)

Always great to see digital giving options appearing as part of wider, more everyday services. Well done, eBay.

Crowdfunding

The FTC goes after its first failed crowdfunding campaign (via TechCrunch.com)

It's been coming, and it won't be the last. If you raise $122,874 online, your backers expect you to deliver.

Call Data Records

How mobile phone data reveals the true toll of mass layoffs (via MIT Technology Review)

Analysis of anonymised mobile phone data (and in many cases, social media streams) are proving very fruitful in learning all sorts of potentially important things about societal changes.

Digital media

Podcasts are saving NPR (via wired.com)

As big podcast fans, it’s good to see that the podcast revival is having some broader benefits.

On Our Radar: From car park shaming to mobile financial advice

Crime

Call Out Poorly Parked Cars With the App 'TowIt' (via City Lab)

Sensor-laden mobile phones are starting to become the eyes and ears of many civil and law enforcement agencies.

EyeWitness app lets smartphones report war crimes (via BBC news)

Another example of mobile phones being adapted to assist with front-line issues.

Data security

Startup Aims to Scour the Dark Web for Stolen Data (via MIT Technology Review)

A new approach in the fight for data security.

Drones

Are Conservation Drones Militarizing Wildlife Parks? (via ictworks.org)

Are the skies getting too busy with do-good UAVs?

Data visualisation

This Animated Data Visualization Of World War II Fatalities Is Shocking (via io9.com)

This 15-minute data visualisation is as powerful as they come.

Financial inclusion

Wells Fargo taps mobile to connect financial advisors with consumers (via Mobile Commerce Daily)

Wondering what business model might underpin a similar product for those in financial crisis?

On Our Radar - from big data supporting football talent to the questionable commodification of human activity captured by apps

Data

Premier League uses data to nurture English football talent (via BBC)

A number of football academies have introduced data-based initiatives to ensure talented young players aren't discarded before they realise their full potential.

An Open Marketplace for Algorithms 

Algorithmia is a platform and marketplace that will give algorithm developers in academia and elsewhere a way to share their work with anyone.

Drowning In Big Data - Finding Insight In A Digital Sea Of Information

A good overview of the big data agenda if you're catching up. We also spied a new catch phrase....'Tomorrow’s generation will be born into the age of big data.' 

Innovation

The Whirlpool Economy (via The Long and Short)

We enjoyed Charles Leadbetter's well framed piece The Whirlpool Economy, in which he argued that we are living at a unique time when prolonged stagnation and rapid innovation combine with rising inequality. This piece follows ups with some interesting responses.

Sharing economy

How the sharing economy could help the poorest among us (via Fast Company)

According to a new paper from N.Y.U. researchers, it's people living on below-average incomes who stand to gain most from sharing high-value assets.

Apps

The Most Anticipated Apple Watch Apps (via Forbes)

As the most high profile wearable to date hits the shops, which apps are going win out?

When apps are driven by the market, there’s only one winner. It’s not you … (via The Guardian)

Interesting piece on the commodification of human activity captured by apps on the market.

On Our radar: From anti-robot rallies to the White House’s Chief Data Scientist

Persuasive technology

Technology and Persuasion (via MIT Technology Review)

Lifting the lid on the quietly persuasive powers of tech all around us.

Data Science

DJ Patil Talks Nerdy To Us (via FiveThirtyEight.com)

Thoughts from the White House’s Chief Data Scientist.

Technology adoption

Convincing Skeptical Employees to Adopt New Technology (via Harvard Business Review)

A range of simple ideas to try to add rocket fuel to your internal tech take-up plans.

Anti-Tech Backlash Could Be Coming Soon To A City Near You (via TechCrunch)

Put. The. Google. Glass. Down.

Digital democracy

Budget heralds digital step-change for councils (via PublicTechnology.net)

Andrew Hawkins outlines some of the challenges ahead in progressing the local digital agenda.

Digital fundraising

5 Nonprofit Peer-to-Peer Fundraising and Crowdfunding Trends for 2015 (via Fundraising Success)

“One thing that became clear to us in 2014 is that we live in a peer-to-peer world.”

Marie Curie’s Claire Hazle on the charity’s digital strategy (via Charity Digital News)

Nice interview with @clairerosehazle on how the terminal illness support charity devised and launched their digital transformation plan.