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CU’s Android App tweets disaster aid
Sep 28th
PEOPLE TWEET DURING DISASTERS
Just as codes once were developed for public safety communication via citizens band radios, a common language now is being formulated for disaster communication via Twitter — posing a challenge for people who haven’t yet learned or can’t recall it.
Daniel Schaefer, a University of Colorado Boulder doctoral student in communication, recently created a solution to this problem in the form of a software application, or app, for mobile devices. It turns everyday language into a Twitter syntax used during disasters through a special smart phone keyboard.
“Twitter has become popular during disasters because it offers a concise and efficient communication medium,” said Schaefer, who was inspired by the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire near Boulder. “However, a need to standardize the syntaxes used on Twitter has surfaced particularly for the emergency personnel, affected individuals, concerned loved ones, information officers and journalists who use it to provide and monitor information and collaborate on rescue efforts.”
The free app, called the Bucket Brigade Keyboard, is designed for Android devices. It transforms the standard smart phone keyboard display into a keypad of 12 message choices such as “help,” “location” and “request.” When these messages are selected, corresponding tweets — about one’s status, needs and offers to help — are queued for posting online.
“In a disaster, communication and working together can save lives,” said Schaefer. “Just as a bucket brigade fills and passes buckets of water to help put out a fire, this app allows people to fill and pass buckets of tweets to help during a disaster.”
The syntax used in Schaefer’s app — which turns an “I’m Ok” key into “#imok” — is based on a concept devised in 2009 by doctoral student Kate Starbird of CU’s Project EPIC (Empowering the Public with Information in Crisis) research group. The streamlining of disaster-related Twitter communication through Starbird’s idea, called “Tweak the Tweet,” makes the information computationally easier to extract and collate, which can help connect people with needs to responders.
Nearly 3,000 tweets using the Tweak the Tweet syntax were posted in the weeks following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. More than 500 tweets using the syntax were posted in the wake of the 2011 tornado in Joplin, Mo.
During those instances, users manually entered text that now can be deployed with the touch of a button through the Bucket Brigade Keyboard.
The app not only empowers people with a standard language, but also is designed for convenience using accessible technology, according to Schaefer.
“People are going to be holding smart phones during disasters,” he said. “They’re not going to be going to laptop computers or cafés with time to look up the syntax.”
Schaefer entered the Bucket Brigade Keyboard in the Federal Communications Commission’s Apps for Communities contest. The challenge calls for apps that help local government deliver quality-of-life-improving information to populations that are typically disenfranchised or disconnected from broadband communications.
The Bucket Brigade Keyboard has been downloaded in 20 countries.
Schaefer says a planned update to the Bucket Brigade Keyboard will add more Twitter shortcuts to the app, as well as auto-fill and auto-correction features.
For more information on the Bucket Brigade Keyboard visit https://market.android.com/details?id=com.bucketbrigade.softkeyboard&feature=search_result. For information on the Apps for Communities challenge visit http://appsforcommunities.challenge.gov/.
-CU-
Meeting of the Minds “Live Stream” on Boulder Channel 1
Sep 22nd
Meeting of the Minds Broadcast
Next Session- 11:00 AM MT, USA “Is IT Innovation the Sustainability Game Changer?”
Speakers: Nicola Villa, Emilio Frezza, Josep Roig, Ger Baron
MEETING OF THE MINDS
Discussion Forum for Meeting of the Minds Live Streamed Sessions
Meeting of the Minds Live Streaming Agenda
September 22 2011 | ||||||||
8:45 -9:55 AM Mountain Time, USA | Session 2: Changing Cities- Changing Cars |
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11:00 AM12:00 PMMountain Time, USA | Session 3: Is IT Innovation the Sustainability Game Changer? |
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1:35 PM -2:35 PMMountain Time, USA | Session 4: New Urban Revitalization Strategies |
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3:05 PM -4:05 PMMountain Time, USA | Session 6: How Far Will Energy Efficiency Take Us? Implementation Roadmaps for the Coming Retrofit Revolution |
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September 23 2011 | ||||||||
8:45 AM -9:45 AMMountain Time, USA | Session 7: City Learning |
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10:50 AM11:50 AMMountain Time, USA | Session 9: Sourcing Urban Innovations from the Bottom Up + from the Top DownEmpowering City Dwellers Through Open Source/Smart Apps |
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11:50 AM12:50 PMMountain Time, USA | Session 11: Transforming Lighting/Physical Assets of the City – A Big Step on the Path to Sustainability |
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Technical Assistance
Boulder: Climate Reality Project video story
Sep 18th
Video streaming by Ustream
You made today a success
POSTED BY MAGGIE L. FOX, PRESIDENT & CEO
In the months that went into planning 24 Hours of Reality, I saw firsthand the passion and energy of our Climate Presenters, staff and partners around the globe who are calling attention to the climate crisis and working to solve it.
Today, I was honored to see your passion and your energy. I can’t thank you enough for making 24 Hours of Reality a global success.
By the time our chairman, former Vice President Al Gore finished his presentation, the 24 hour long event had 8.6 million views.
I am incredibly proud that so many people around the world participated, but it’s also important to remember the individual actions it represents. There are countless stories of impressive grassroots mobilization. A company in Tel Aviv hosted a watch party at their headquarters. A group of graduate students in Athens, Georgia rented out a popular local movie theater. People across the world joined hands to say: Climate change is real, it’s happening now and the time to act is now.
But this is just the beginning. There are important actions you can take today:
Request a presentation. There are more than 3,000 trained Climate Presenters around the globe. Organize an event and invite a Presenter to come to your community.
Go local: Team up with our partners around the world and help solve the climate crisis. Visit our website to find a partner organization near you.
Moving Planet: On Sept 24, hit the streets with http://350.org for a global day of action. Find an activity near you.
Check our comprehensive video library to watch highlights from 24 Hours of Reality.
It is up to you to continue to stand up for reality and share the truth about the climate crisis. We will succeed because we must.
Posted by Maggie L. Fox, President & CEO