Banish The Digital Divide!

That’s what YellowSheepRiver wants to do. They are all about selling low cost linux-based computers, according to this Wired story: YellowSheepRiver Municator is selling a new Linux-based desktop for about $150. Like Nicholas Negroponte’s One Laptop per Child project, makers of the Municator say they want to banish the digital divide. The article compares the… Continue reading Banish The Digital Divide!

Larry Ellison Bucks The Trend, Decides NOT To Give $115 Donation

This news wouldn’t get much coverage at another time, but because of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet’s recent announcements, Larry Ellison’s decision to renege on a $115 million gift to Harvard is getting healthy coverage. For a minute there, I thought that the charity trend would catch on with business leaders the way that driving… Continue reading Larry Ellison Bucks The Trend, Decides NOT To Give $115 Donation

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CentroMigante Wins Development Category at MIT Business Plan Competition

Catching up on my reading and saw a good post on CentroMigante winning the Development category at MIT’s Business Plan Competition. CentroMigrante combines developmental architecture with a self-help business model to offer a sustainable solution that provides clean, safe and affordable urban housing for impoverished, transient job seekers in developing countries. World Bank’s Private Sector… Continue reading CentroMigante Wins Development Category at MIT Business Plan Competition

Warren Buffett Gives Away Most of His Fortune To Charity

The news about Warren Buffett giving away most of his fortune to charity his the wires over the weekend. Here is an article from Yahoo News: Warren Buffett, the world’s second-richest person, is donating about $37 billion — more than 80 percent of his fortune — to foundations run by his friend Bill Gates and… Continue reading Warren Buffett Gives Away Most of His Fortune To Charity

“Nearly all homeless people have e-mail addresses”

This Wired article discusses how computers and the internet are changing the lives of homeless people. While people living in shelters and alleys have found it difficult to cross social divides, the digital divide seems to disappear on the streets. Nearly all homeless people have e-mail addresses, according to Michael Stoops, director of the National… Continue reading “Nearly all homeless people have e-mail addresses”

U.S. Charitable Giving Rises 6%

From Businessweek: American contribution to philanthropies increased by 6.1% in 2005, according to the 2006 Giving USA report, released June 19. Nearly half of the additional funds were earmarked for relief for a host of natural disasters, most notably Gulf Coast hurricanes, as well as tsunami devastation in Southeast Asia and an earthquake in Pakistan.… Continue reading U.S. Charitable Giving Rises 6%

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The Social ROI of Podcasting Technology

I like to spotlight organizations that use technology to improve society, and I can’t think of a more prototypical organization than The Conversations Network. I found this organization through WorldChanging. The Conversations Network is a non-profit online publisher of recorded lectures, conversations and interviews that include a wealth of worldchanging topics… Now partnered with the… Continue reading The Social ROI of Podcasting Technology

Using Nanotechnology to Desalinate Water

Some interesting news came out of Lawrence Livermore Labs recently that applies nnanotechnology to a desalinization process, making sea water safe to drink. A few articles already exist on this, so I’ll just link to them here. Lawrence Livermore Press Release: Nanotube membranes offer possibility of cheaper desalination Nanotechweb: Carbon nanotube membrane filters fast WorldChanging:… Continue reading Using Nanotechnology to Desalinate Water

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