In this community, the neighbors all subscribed to the same twitter feed, so they all got the emergency call at the same time, and responded in strength to confront the thieves and catch them in the act. Quite the effective neighborhood watch if you ask me. Strength in numbers.

There are more Twitter users in Kenya than Egypt (which is arguably a richer country). You'd be surprised.

Those guys probably could have been lynched to make an example to other thieves. Mob justice is very effective in African villages where police presence is weak or non-existent.

Perhaps this is how cellphones made their way initially, but the ICT revolution is built on sound business. There has been much investment from the Middle East and other telcom companies such as Vodafone. Cheap, low cost 'African' versions of phones are easily available for as little as $20. Cellphone services such as SMS, telephone banking, are revolutionizing hundreds of millions of lives. The great part is, this is still the beginning of the revolution, the next stage is to wire up everyone for highspeed internet, which is well underway, particularly in Kenya. I think, what you are really talking about is the shadow economy, or 'informal economy'. Laws are very flexible in many African nations, cargo containers full of all kinds of electronics make their way to the shores and docks of major African cities, e-waste included. However, most people would rather buy a store bought version if they can afford it, people like warranty after all. Indeed, there are thriving businesses for second hand cellphones, and even replacement parts and repair. Nothing goes to waste in Africa.

Kerosene is actually expensive as the price can fluctuate (even with subsidies the black market ensures price inflation). Kerosene is also responsible for many early deaths and chronic diseases due to inhaling the poisonous fumes, not to mention the fire hazards. A viable solar cooker would not only be more sustainable, but also safer for the users.

Too many people cutting down the trees day after day means....no more trees.

That is fit for the 21st century. We had a food revolution in the 20th century, where we used massive amounts of fertilizer and massive amounts of water, this resulted in massive amounts of food. But at what cost? We chopped down most of the great rainforests and are quickly depleting what remains of the prime topsoil left in the world. We need a paradigm shift. We have the technology to make maximum use of water, we only need to make the investments needed to reap the savings. There are numerous small scale initiatives around the world, utilizing mangroves, saltwater irrigation, greenhouses, hydroponics. Wastage results in more than 1/3 of food going bad or being thrown away due to market conditions. Much work needs to be done if we are to feed 10 billion humans.

Iridium is useful in conflict areas where governments/terrorists shut down local cellphone networks. Iridium has its uses. I have one here in Egypt for emergencies, as the cellphone networks were turned off here during the last revolution.

@sahara, flat tire, canteen empty, delirious, to follow mirage, please feed Rex.

Heh no, Dell was just an example. Dell, HP, Samsung, all have a huge presence and a reputation for offering quality hardware though. Granted, the Chinese brands are cheaper, but if people can afford it, they do go for the big name brands.