

New Apps for the Bottom Billion - easy
http://www.technologyreview.com/communications/40364/

======
bkirwi
> this form of payment for a person working just two hours a day every day
> could equate to about $21 a month—12 percent of the average monthly wage in
> the region.

Unless the average person in the region works 2 / .12 = 16.67 hours per day
every day (do they?) this is a pretty raw deal.

------
almost
Not long ago this was a big new feature being advertised for new phones.
"Look! Picture messaging! Isn't that amazing" and already it's so old it's
been forgotten. The world moves so fast!

------
nextstep
I'm pretty sure the bottom billion still don't own cellphones. But this is a
smart idea for the bottom billion of cellphone owners.

~~~
mkr-hn
It was 5 billion in 2010:
<http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13970_7-10454065-78.html>

Life for the average person in the bottom billion isn't great, but it's
getting better.

edit:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_number_of_mobile_phones_in_use)

