Ken Banks: Cell Phones on the Frontlines

June 25, 2009

I have to say, this Wide Angle assignment was a tough one. In my nearly 6 years of covering technology now, I have to say I've come across quite a few people who have very, very cool jobs. But few people with those cool jobs have the drive, energy and determination that the man at right does. This is Ken Banks, and his online home is kiwanja.net. The tagline for the site says it all: "where technology meets anthropology, conservation and the development." Ken is as close to a true "renaissance man" that I've come across in my forays into technology across the globe. His interests seem as wide and varied as his abilities. And the fact that he's managed to somehow combine those interests and abilities into a career is, even to this jaded journalist, inspiring.

I've done stories on a number of Ken's efforts in the past few years. The one that really grabbed my attention is a project Ken's been working on called FrontlineSMS. So, for this Wide Angle Podcast, I begin by asking Ken to describe FrontlineSMS in his own words:

(Picture comes courtesy of Ken's friend, another guy with a cool tech job, Erik Hersman)

GET MORE OF THE WIDE ANGLE
Cool tech job wanted:

Profile: Chasing the Sun

Q&A: User Experience Researcher

Q&A: Hacker/Consultant/Garbage Man

Q&A: Extreme Tool Maker

IM Interview: Ways of the Master Inventor

Planet Green: How to Find a Green Job

Comments

[Don Rideaux-Crenshaw]

Is there a transcript of this? I have a discussed this with a hearing impaired friend who sees potential application. He'd like to read the full interview and I'm to busy/lazy/fat-fingered to type it myself.

[Clark Boyd]

Unfortunately, there is no transcript available for these podcasts...