June 2006 - Social ROI: Stories About Social Entrepreneurship

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!

Dell Raises The Bar For Computer Recycling Programs

NyTimes reports that Dell is modifying its recycling program so that anyone with an old Dell machine can have it recycled for free through Dell. I’ve covered computer recycling before on this blog, and one of the issues then was the boatloads of old parts ending up in dumps in third world countries. To combat… Continue reading Dell Raises The Bar For Computer Recycling Programs

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

The Shake Shack Is Getting WiFi Internet Access

Here’s a snapshot of NYC Wireless volunteers putting up WiFi equipment on the roof of the Shake Shack in Madison Square Park in NYC. I helped out with this install and we anticipate the hotspot to be up and fully functional by the end of next week. The Madison Square Park Conservancy is the organization… Continue reading The Shake Shack Is Getting WiFi Internet Access

“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%

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