rtc

 (clique aqui para a versão portuguese)

The following list shows the hard- and software necessary for building up the necessary infrastructure for the research/field work.

Hardware

second hand Desktop or Laptop

• with network and USB connection
• low hardware requirements
• a Desktop can be assembled from spare
  parts

second hand mobile phone

• with USB data connection
• capable of receiving sms
• capable of receiving mms [optional]

pre-paid sim card for mobile phone

• ie. Tim Pré-Pago, Oi Cartão, etc

USB data cable

• in order to connect mobile phone with computer

charger for mobile phone [optional]

• mobile phone may be charged via USB

sd-card reader [optional]

• provides possibilities to copy media
  from cameras and other mobile phones to the computer
• must support micro-sd, sd, etc

Software

The necessary software is supposed to be free software only. No proprietary software will be used. 

operating system

• latest Ubuntu

mapping and reporting platform

• Ushahidi 
  • runs on computer and provides means
    to display a digital map and to insert received reports into that map
• FlickrMaps [optional]
  • Flickr provides mapping functionality with geotagged images
  • pros
    • images can be uploaded under creative commons licence
    • is super popular thus a wide audience can be reached. flicr may not be usable for analysis but can be used as one means of publication, raising public awareness
  • cons
    • is limited to pictures and corresponding text description, thus no videos or text only can be uploaded
    • doesn’t offer a timeline in order to perceive changes over time
    • is owned by yahoo thus is subject to their terms of usageand depends on their infrastructure
    • can only be used with internet connection

SMS gateway software

• FrontlineSMS 
• automatic download of SMS to the computer from the mobile phone
  that is connected to it
• automatic forwarding of received SMS content to Ushahidi
• can send SMS as well [optional]

browser

• ie. Firefox
• in order to display and use Ushahidi

webserver

• XAMPP package 
• necessary to host Ushahidi on computer
  locally and thus providing the means to display and use Ushahidi in browser

caching server [optional]

• ie. polipo  proxy/caching server
• if no internet connection is
  available this caching server provides the parts of the digital map
  that are normally downloaded from internet directly

maps

Ushahidi can make use of various maps
such as googlemaps or openstreetmap.

googlemaps

pros:

• has good map information in terms of
  available streets and satellite images
• seems to be better supported by
  Ushahidi
• is free of charge to use

cons:

• is provided by G00gle thus the map is
  not free in terms of free software
• cannot be edited in case the provided
  geo information is wrong or not available

openstreetmap

pros:

• is free of charge to use
• is editable in case of missing geo
  information such as streets
• is community based
• is free in terms of free software

cons:

• doesn’t provide full street
  information of São Paulo. For example street information of Zona
  Norte or Zona Sul are only partly available or not at all (missing information can be added easily anyways)
• doesn’t provide satellite images
• is not that good supported by
  Ushahidi

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