Google now has street maps for some cities in India. Check out this map of Bangalore.

Rather exhausted at the moment and about to run for the third of four flights in as many days, so just pictures from now. Update later.

I’m delayed uploading the event pictures, largely because spare time at even weekends is running low. I also spent more time listening than taking pictures, so there are very few here. The next event is the Global Voices Summit in Delhi this coming weekend. That makes it five (un)conferences this year. Perhaps a summary is in order.

Solar-powered concept vehicle by Syed Sajjad Ahmed, spotted December 7, 2006.

Last evening, we saw this strangely decorated vehicle outside our apartment. We went down to get a closer look when the driver stepped out of the neighbouring building. He looked like a typical rickshaw driver dressed for cold weather, but spoke English and introduced himself as Syed Sajjad Ahmed, the vehicle’s inventor.

Syed’s solar-powered rickshaw isn’t a commercially operated vehicle. It’s a prototype for which he is seeking funding to continue development. He’s been sponsored so far by the Centre for Environment Education and UNDP GEF’s Small Grants Programme, but needs more. The current iteration cost Rs 1 lakh to build and is only 50% there. It needs technical and mechanical refinements, a commercial trial, and a cosmetic upgrade.

Despite the impressive looking solar panels, it is not fully solar powered. The rickshaw has a battery that receives its primary charge from the mains, just as with any other electric vehicle. The panels however provide up to 30% of the vehicle’s average daily requirement, which is pretty significant. Syed says it’ll run up to 50 km at 25 kmph on a single charge, extending to 100 km a day with intermittent recharges and solar backup.

If you’re interested or otherwise want to know more, contact Syed. He’s reachable at +91 92431 94596 or at muzakkir01@yahoo.co.in.

Someone at Barcamp left a message in my shared folder suggesting I not share it because it was potentially dangerous.

Thank you for your concern, but I really do think I know what I’m doing. My shared folder is for sharing at such public occasions. I’d rather trust that people will in general behave well than fear that it is dangerous. Danger to whom, anyway? And how? Because it could be used to propagate viruses? My setup is immune and I can’t empathise with anyone who wilfully uses an insecure environment. Or dangerous because confidential data may be stolen? In other words, assume that I’m a moron?

I’m not sure what’s more annoying:

1. People stupid enough to put confidential data in publicly accessible folders, creating the need for such caution.
2. People who think they’re being helpful by leaving such messages.
3. People so paranoid that sharing anything with them involves jumping through security hoops.

At Barcamp Bangalore yesterday, Siva Prasad presented on applying the Web 2.0 model to microfinance. The discussion rambled a fair bit as everyone who knew anything about microfinance tried to get their voice heard, with topics ranging from how microfinance is overrun by scam funds to how mainstream finance institutions are elbowing their way into the scene (I did my bit of hollering too).

To Siva’s credit, he managed to stay on track, describing the parallels in social structures in microfinance and Web 2.0 and how they may be potentially merged. This didn’t go down well with the crowd, who couldn’t accept that a borrower so poor as to be satiated with a Rs 3000 loan would get onto a website and “network” with potential lenders. Siva presented examples, but I came away feeling this was yet another frothy idea that wouldn’t survive reality.

So much for dismissal.

This morning my randomised podcast queue turned up an interview with Kiva cofounder Premal Shah on Venture Voice. Kiva was one of Siva’s examples.

Turns out Kiva is a front-end to several microfinance intiatives (MFIs) around the world. You can go to the site, look up profiles of borrowers along with the MFI representing them, and loan money. Lenders do not earn interest and return of the loaned money is not guaranteed, though Kiva has had 100% returns so far. There are no transaction charges. Kiva has a special deal with PayPal to this effect, and itself takes no cut, instead surviving on the interest earned and on explicit donations by lenders. (US taxpaying donors get a deduction as Kiva is a 501(c)(3) status charity.)

Does this work? Kiva keeps lenders updated on progress made by borrowers, but is this a sufficiently strong incentive to bring lenders to the site, given they earn no interest? I’m curious. I registered on the site and loaned $25 to a farmer in Uganda, thereby upping his request fulfillment to 90%. I’m going to follow up with a similar amount for the next few months and see how it works out.

In the interview, Premal Shah says that they’d like to offer a floating interest rate in future. If this happens, it’ll be very cool.