Everyblock's code has been released under the GPL. Everyblock is a site that aggregates and geocodes local data -- news, crime, fire, restaurant inspections, and lets users define their interests down to the block-level.From O'Reilly's Radar:

"Django fans, Python geohackers and anyone who wants to build a local data aggregator are going to be thrilled. Adrian was one of the co-creators of Django and was one of the first Google Maps Mashup creators."

Recently, I presented at a workshop on telecommunications, open source and mobility at the First Caribbean Regional International Telecommunications Society Conference in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Key points in this workshop were:

• The network's value proposition can be fully realized only if it remains open and unencumbered. 
• Setting up independent, yet interconnected PBXs using Asterisk: small ones with AstLinux, large ones with Trixbox.
• Asterisk and the OLPC project. Setting up local phone networks in villages, schools, communities.

Slides are up at  http://www.slideshare.net/sverma/open-connect-network

From their site:

"I'm very pleased to announce that the Nonprofit Starter Pack is released today as an open source software project! We've heard feedback from our community of users and partners and decided opening up the code and processes around the Nonprofit Starter Pack was the way to maximize the benefit to the nonprofits we serve. In this post I'll let you know why we're open sourcing, what we hope to accomplish, and how we're going about it. I'll also be asking you to join in our effort to help nonprofits using Salesforce.com be as effective as possible."

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Passing along an interesting project link  http://code.google.com/p/openpub/wiki/OPDS. From their site:

"This document describes the Open Publication Distribution System (OPDS) an application of the Atom Syndication Format intended to enable content creators and distributors to distribute digital books via a simple catalog format. This format is designed works interoperably across multiple desktop and device software programs for acquiring and consuming eBooks ("Reading Systems"). The focus of this document is to outline the requirements for preparing catalogs for use by compatible Reading Systems; formal compliance requirements for Reading Systems will be documented elsewhere. This application of Atom was initially defined and implemented by Lexcycle for the Stanza application."

It answers the long-standing question of what format to use when creating content for computer-based or computer-mediated learning environments.

Laconica is a FOSS microblogging platform. 

Laconica (pronounced "luh-KAWN-ih-kuh") is a Free and Open Source microblogging platform. It helps people in a community, company or group to exchange short (140 character) messages over the Web. Users can choose which people to "follow" and receive only their friends' or colleagues' status messages. It provides a similar service to sites like Twitter, Jaiku, and Plurk.

Want to try Laconica without installing anything?> Try identi.ca

How small can a Linux distro be? Very small. We've had distros that fit on a 1.44 MB floppy and are used for routers. For a desktop/GUI type distro though, the smallest I've seen is DSL - Damn Small Linux. I found another one a little while ago. Tiny Core Linux:

"Tiny Core Linux is a very small (10 MB) minimal Linux Desktop. It is based on Linux 2.6 kernel, Busybox, Tiny X, Fltk, and Jwm. The core runs entirely in ram and boots very quickly."

I just set up an account for creating torrents for legal use at LegalTorrents. I created a DVD recently with OLPC photos for a long-running (almost 1 hour) slideshow. At 1.6 GB, http downloads would be a pain. Torrenting is the way to go, but most torrent sites are loaded with pornographic ads - not something I appreciate. So, I went looking for creative commons style torrenting. Found legalTorrents. After a few e-mail exchanges, my account was set up. My OLPC Photo DVD is now torrenting away from their site. Its much faster than my wimpy home DSL upload. http://beta.legaltorrents.com/torrents/569-olpc-photo-dvd

Download, burn, and loop away!!!

What: OLPC-SF June 2009 meeting

OLPC-SF will meet on June 13, 2009. Items on the agenda:

• Meet and greet - 10:00 am to 10:30 am

• Project Updates - 10:30am:

• Newbies: How to get involved

• Repair Center updates

• Lending Libraries

• OLPC Photo DVD

• Deployments - 11:30am

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Why?

Short version:

This project is the result of a desire to see if photo DVDs can indeed be made using only Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) and Creative Commons (CC) licenses. 

Long version:

At the end of Spring semester, after I turned in all the grades, I started to think about one of my courses - Multimedia business application development (http://www.sfsu.edu/~bulletin/courses/29446.htm). Due to severe budget constraints (meaning no money!!!) and a desire to use new and different things, we have been trying to use only FOSS and CC titles in this course.

I wanted to see if I could use FOSS and CC to complete a real project. For some time now, I have been thinking about creating a looping photo DVD for a whole bunch of OLPC photos from around the world. Personally, I find these inspiring. I find it very energizing to see children using these green windows (no pun intended) to the world to discover, explore, reflect and eventually, learn. Hopefully they will begin where we falter.

I saw this digital photo frame at a store the other day, and thought "Wouldn't it be neat to have a looping slideshow that can be displayed easily at conferences, conventions and expos?". After all, a picture is worth a thousand words! That's a little over 7 full tweets!!! So, putting my plan into action, and trawling through the treasure trove of FOSS and grabbing photos and music from Flickr and ccmixter.org - both CC friendly sites, and a little help from flickrfs, audacity, dvd-slideshow, openoffice, Ubuntu and a near-binging desire to get this done right after Spring semester ended, I now have a shiny 1.6GB DVD iso.Part of it is online at http://www.vimeo.com/5048488

On behalf of Information Management Systems Association or IMSA (disclaimer: I'm their faculty advisor):

"We are pleased to announce Drupal Camp San Francisco (a.k.a BADCamp). This will be a single Saturday event at the SFSU downtown campus at 835 Market St, 5th floor. The event will be hosted by the Information Management Systems Association, iMSA, http://imsa.sfsu.edu."

See attached flyer for details, and please pass along to anyone who may be interested.