Stay connected despite internet blackout; Egypt - listen up!

Stay connected despite internet blackout; Egypt - listen up!

www.nydailynews.com

Google, its newly-acquired voice messaging service SayNow, and Twitter have teamed up to help Egyptians tweet reports about protests, violence and hunger – despite Egypt's Internet blockade and conflicting reports of renewed cell phone service shutdowns in the country.

According to Google's blog, the tech companies have taken advantage of the fact that landline service remains largely intact in Egypt. The new service allows users to send tweets via voicemail messages. According to Google, afte

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is an excellent means by which Egypt - and anyone facing media blackout of any form - can stay in touch.

I was wondering how long it would take for someone to offer such a service - I'm very surprised the Google has anything to do with it!

I wonder whether social issues are newly high on the agenda of big business following the Saudi conference (which included mention of extraterrestrial intelligence)...

More thoughts to follow, as soon as I get my head around it..!


EDIT TO ADD - a search didn't return anything, apologies if it's been mentioned elsewhere - I figured it's important enough to merit a thread in its own right.

www.nydailynews.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

According to Google, after users call the service and record their voice messages, the message will be tweeted out into cyberspace along with the hashtag #egypt.

"We hope that this will go some way to helping people in Egypt stay connected at this very difficult time," SayNow co-founder Ujjwal Singh and Google product manager AbdelKarim Mardini wrote.

same source as news article - continued from where the quote broke off in OP.

And if you want to get a tweet out? Simply:

To use the voice-to-tweet service, call one of the following international phone numbers:

+16504194196
+390662207294
+97316199855

I watched a piece about this 'voice twitter' thingy on CNN today!

Great work of Google to step in and help the people of Egypt IMO!

reply to post by Chevalerous


I heard a piece about it on a radio station here in the UK this afternoon - I'm very surprised that no specific news about it has been brought to the wider attention of ATS!

A lot of the threads are moving so quickly, that key bits of info like this probably get buried amidst a flurry of posts... I'll keep bumping this up in the hope that it's useful.

As I said in the OP, I'm amazed that Google are being so 'charitable' in getting a working solution out. Such tools will keep the social movement alive when other communications are down.

Hmmm.. Sponsoring the overthrow of governments... Google are initiating a coup d'etat to take over the world?

Originally posted by FlyInTheOintment
And if you want to get a tweet out? Simply:

To use the voice-to-tweet service, call one of the following international phone numbers:

+16504194196
+390662207294
+97316199855

If your cellphone isn't disconnected...

but yeah, google of all companies offering this. I can't help thinking they do it more for future PR than to be the good samaritan. Not that it matters right now though. let's hope people will be able to use it and that it won't be blocked out anytime soon either. Blocking a phone number is easier than blocking a website.

Reminds me of how "buzzers" (remember those one-way text-messaging beepers?) used to work.

danjourous stuff indeed found some relevent links.


ATS thread on building a decentralised internet


extending wireless range via satalite dish


lifehacker on egypt