1.
‘Pillbox By Phone’
Gnomedex ’10 Open Government Hackathon
Lightning Talk
Mark Silverberg / @Skram
mark@marksilver.net

2.
Data
The National Institutes of Health National Library of
Medicine has exposed a ‘Pillbox API’ - an online
database of pill information and photos compiled
from official sources

3.
Why Open APIs Rock
“Your search matched one pill. it is... <netadata>”
“That pill contains xyz which is used for migraine headaches.
Regular dosage is 321mg every three hours.”
A website: useful but... An API: endless possibilities

4.
Technology Overview
VOICE TEXT
Phone
Open Government Data
(Pillbox API) × SMS
IM
Twitter

5.
A Few Example
Demo!
Shape= Diamond
Channels
Color = White
Size = 14 mm
Service Access Number/Name
Product Code: 0093-7247
+1 (202) 559-0911
+1 (202) 559-0911
pillboxrb
pillbox@tropo.im
+99000936 9991429430

6.
A Few Example
Demo!
Shape= Diamond
Channels
Color = White
Size = 14 mm
Service Access Number/Name
Product Code: 0093-7247
+1 (202) 559-0911
One number,
multiple
+1 (202) 559-0911 communication
possibilities
pillboxrb
Call from an iPhone, pillbox@tropo.im
other mobile devices,
or any networked
computer w/ a +99000936 9991429430
microphone for free

7.
IM
Example

8.
Why Use Tropo To Make Government
Data Accessible to the Masses?
• Focus on the data and message, let Tropo
take care of the infrastructure
• Multi-channel platform (Voice, SMS, IM,
Twitter) brings data to the citizen:
• How they want it (preferred method)
• When they want it (available 24/7)
• Do good while geeking out