In their recent speech from the throne, the Canadian Government indicated their intention to raise foreign ownership limits with regard to the telecom industry. This is a decision long overdue, although one that requires balance and diplomacy when it comes to achieving the desired goal, something that the ruling Conservative Party has not been able to accomplish.

On the one hand they want to increase competition so as to lower consumer's monthly bills, yet on the other hand they also want to spur innovation by allowing existing companies access to foreign capital investment.

The demand for Internet and mobile networks is growing far faster than companies had anticipated and they will need to continually invest and expand their infrastructure which requires a lot of capital. The fear is that without foreign investment there would be further consolidation so as to pay for ongoing upgrades.

Once again Canadian democracy is in crisis, as our government has prorogued parliament to avoid a scandal concerning the torture of detainees in Afghanistan. Public opposition has found a home on social media like Facebook and Twitter, which pose a challenge and opportunity for creative leaders to emerge and possibly even rescue our democracy from death's door.

The nature of a minority government like ours is that no single party controls the lower house of Parliament, and as a result gory details about the use of torture in Afghanistan were about to be revealed due to the diligent work of the opposition parties. In proroguing Parliament, Prime Minister Stephen Harper is able to prevent (or more likely just delay) the public from learning more and thus ensure the survival of his government for at least another two months.

A crisis like this presents an opportunity to expand the democratic process and include more people in politics as a whole. However, it's hard not to snicker at the fact that joining a Facebook group to show opposition to something has become the ultimate cliche. While such a group does raise awareness and cross over into mainstream media with front page headlines, I am not alone in wondering whether it actually accomplishes anything.

Even worse, why is the alternative to this kind of virtual action doing absolutely nothing? It's as if it has already become such strong orthodoxy that if you don't join, or even worse complain, you're regarded as a nay-sayer and are also responsible for providing alternatives.

The justification for this staid strategy is that it helps to raise awareness and provides an outlet for new initiates to the political process. However I don't believe that awareness alone makes a difference, but rather it is the larger process of mobilizing to action, and evading marginalization.

After many weeks of anticipation I was finally able to obtain a Nokia N900, the new Maemo Linux-powered tablet computer. This is the device I wanted fifteen years ago, when the web was just taking off. While it resembles the smart phones that currently dominate the mobile marketplace, the N900 is more like a mobile computer because it runs on an open source operating system that potentially enables it to evolve faster than others.

When buying any new technology an important evaluation metric to is the health of the supporting community, including user groups, developers and the companies around it. This logic is even more important when it comes to open source projects, as community health and dynamics are explicitly tied to their usability and the direction of future development.

A few months ago I was fortunate to get my hands on a Google/HTC Android Dev Phone. I got this device by registering as an Android developer and buying an unlocked phone. I always buy phones independent of any carrier as I often find that unlocked versions have far more features than branded devices you'd get from a mobile carrier like Rogers.

What fascinates me about Android is that it's open source, and from an innovation perspective has the potential for speedy evolution, as apps and improvements are contributed from diverse development communities. Unlike the iPhone, Android is open, and therefore easier for developers to contribute and make it a better platform with better applications.

However in order for these benefits to be realized, the phone running Android software needs to updated regularly. This was the primary reason I paid extra to get an unlocked version, so that I would be able to update the device myself. Unfortunately not everyone is willing to jump on the learning curve to do this, so the vast majority of Android owners bought their device from their carrier.

This creates a bottleneck, in which the owner of the device is dependent upon their carrier to approve an update. Here in Canada, if you have an Android phone from Rogers, this means you've been out of luck, and may be so for some time to come.

I've written previously about the power of crowd sourcing via bulletin board collaboration, as people work together to find the answers to difficult problems. This lack of Android support from Rogers was brought to my attention by Michael Schmidt who as a member of AndroidForums.com has worked to find out why Rogers has been so sluggish to make updates available.

Even worse, Rogers customers who have Android devices are also not able to access paid apps in the Android Marketplace. So in buying a device with the potential to experience the latest and greatest in mobile technology, they are limited if not blocked by their carrier! Talk about poor service.

Android is a neat platform, that has a lot of potential. The problem however is that it faces obstacles, and Rogers' failure to properly support it is a substantial one. Enabling openness is a smart way to harness the innovative potential of the internet.

At some point you have to assume Google will bypass carriers like Rogers and even manufacturers like HTC to offer their own device that connects to their own networks.

In the meantime I've picked up a Nokia N900, which runs Maemo Linux, and is even more open than Android. Will write a review soon.

I do a lot of work with World Vision Canada and have this week met with some great people working on an innovative project that could have significant impact above and beyond their initiative. It's called "Last Mile Mobile Solutions" and it's a partnership with FieldWorker Mobile Technology Solutions to produce mobile units that speed up, and digitize, the process of food distribution in poverty and crisis relief programs. Here's a video that illustrates the technology and its potential:

This quote from the website contextualizes the potential for innovation with this device/concept:

LMMS replaces an intensive manual, paper-based process. Crucial information is captured using handheld computing units that wirelessly transmit that information to permanent database storage, analysis and reporting. The mobile features enable staff to roam and send and retrieve data that they need. Bar-coded identity cards link beneficiaries to a wireless data management system, which enables faster and more efficient field operations. Preliminary results indicate a 75% reduction in beneficiary processing and verification times at food distributions. LMMS eliminates the reliance on paper-based systems, automates calculations and delivers faster web-based reports to donors and stakeholders. The project is an example of how the humanitarian and private sector have combined their respective strengthens to achieve substantial impact in improving efficiency and accountability in humanitarian action.

Update: Jay Narhan has setup a blog dedicated to the LMMS project.