Worldreader, a non-profit organization aiming to bring reading through ebooks to the developing world, working with biNu, have just added a mobile phone app to their offering.  Using cloud technology, this opens access to free ebooks to millions of mobile phone users in developing countries.

Note added later:

I have just heard from Worldreader that the guys from BiNu are in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress as they are in the running for the prize for the most innovative mobile App – against giants such as Google Wallet and similar.  I shall let you know what happens as soon as I am told…  Watch this space!

Yet another note added even later………

I am sorry to have to report that BiNu did not win the prize.

Now read on

Up till now, Worldreader have worked at a local level in several African countries by placing Kindle ereaders into rural schools, with enormous success, but they have just made a quantum leap in their reach by means of a new App developed by an Australian App developer – biNu – who have developed a networking platform for mobile phones and low end smart phones, which enables them to be used as ereaders, accessing ebooks in a cloud system.

This simple statement conceals an incredible step forward in providing ebooks to the poor of the world, and will enable Worldreader to reach untold number of people once this scheme has been fully implemented it seems to me.

As Worldreader co-founder Colin McElwee puts it:

“Long-term, technology will help create a real culture of reading in parts of the world where that has not been possible before.  Mobile phones are central to technological and educational development in countries in Sub Saharan Africa– especially in rural areas, where there is little to no infrastructure.”

Having lived in Angola, and seen for myself how everyone has a mobile phone, often several, this is a platform that will really open things up for Worldreader.  The mobile phone is a ubiquitous device in Africa, and also in all of Asia too, where many people also have a very limited access to books.

biNu’s App is described as follows in a press release they have issued on this topic:-

biNu’s patented technology utilizes cloud computing to create a virtual smartphone experience that provides instant discovery, switching and sharing of apps, within a social network and messaging platform. biNu is 10x faster and 10x more efficient on data usage than standard mobile browsers and is an obvious choice for anyone looking to fully utilize their mobile phone – particularly in emerging economies where mobile phones are the primary Internet access device. The beta version of the Worldreader App for biNu is available immediately and gives biNu users instant access to a cloud-based library of digital books from local and international authors.

In plain English, this means that if Worldreader place ebooks into their cloud library, anyone with this App will be able to read the ebooks on line using only their mobile phone connection.

Working with locals to make it all relevant:

Given that Worldreader work closely with local authors, publishers and education ministries, the ebooks that they will place in the cloud will be heavily biased in the direction of the country they are operating in,  i.e highly relevant to the readers.

This is truly an amazing development in their work, and an extraordinary example of how good willed technology companies working closely with groups such as Worldreader can have an enormously beneficial effect on how people live.   As you can see, I am very pleased to hear of this development in the work of Worldreader, and equally happy that this relatively small Sydney based company have come up with such a very useful App, and given it to Worldreader to use.  There are good people in the world still.

Link to Worldreader: www.worldreader.org

Link to biNu:  biNu

Other posts about Worldreader:  I have written many posts about the work of Worldreader over the last couple of years, so if you are interested, use the “search” window at the top right of the screen to find them.

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