I'm now in India, where I'll be spending 6 weeks undertaking my dissertation with Microsoft's research lab. The lab is very much like a university research department, just without teaching. The academics work on a range of basic and applied research, mostly whatever interests them, some of which might one day be commercialised. The office is great - lots of very smart people working on cutting-edge innovations.

I'll be working in the Technology for Emerging Markets group, which, as the name suggests, researches the technological needs and aspirations of people in emerging-market countries, particularly those for whom access to computing technologies remains largely out of reach. Much of the work here is social-science based, in fields as diverse as economics, anthropology and ethnography. My work will involve analysing the commercial viability of a recent innovation that aims to significantly lower the cost of computing in emerging markets. Seeing the poverty in India on a daily basis brings home the significant positive social impact this product will have if/when it comes to market.