It has already conquered the web, becoming one of the most powerful companies in the world in the process. But now internet giant Google is taking on a new challenge, joining the launch of a system aimed at helping some of the world’s poorest people – by pumping information to their mobile phones. The project – known as AppLab – is launching today in Uganda, giving millions of phone users access to health advice, farming tips and trading services using only a mobile handset. The system allows users to send a text message asking for information on a number of subjects, with the answers returned by SMS in a manner not dissimilar to a web search.
