Pocket microscope – turn a cellphone into a microscope for $10

The #1 innovation of 2011 – the pocket microscope – is a marvel of the cellphone age. For $10 a phone can be turned into a laboratory and offer poor areas – with no hospital – access to sophisticated medical tests. From The Scientist: Diagnosing malaria or other blood-borne illnesses used to require analyzing cell slides under …

The high-tech gear for climbing Mount Everest

In 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to reach Mount Everest’s summit. According to National Geographic “the expedition had climbers carrying loads approaching 44 pounds apiece. Today, ultralight gear cuts significant weight from a climber’s load—often half the weight, or less, of Hillary’s pack load.” Here are the high-tech pieces that …

The state of media on the rez – American Indians in 2012

American Indians and Alaska Natives typically live in more rural and isolated locations of the United States, areas that generally have waited longer for internet broadband access. Many tribal lands still have only very limited connectivity. As a result, many Native people have moved straight to mobile internet, accessing digital content through cellphones that do …