Last week at the Hacker Dojo in Mountain View, Calif., developers partnered with Google, Yahoo, NASA, and the World Bank to exchange ideas and work on solutions for responding to natural disasters and other emergencies.
Random Hacks of Kindness is the first in a series of planned events that seek to use technology to solve real world problems related to crisis and disaster relief. By first working with governments and non-governmental organizations to better understand the immediate needs of rescuers and communities following a critical emergency, these programmers are work directly to solve communication issues and to better facilitate the exchange of information and resources in times of need.
Often, information comes from a wide array of sources during emergencies, including governments, rescuers, and victims in local communities. Successfully organizing the incoming content and delivering information back to the proper resource is a critical part of providing aid to victims.
Former IBM employee Bruce Buckelew has made it his mission to eliminate the digital divide in Oakland, Calif. By refurbishing donated computers and giving low-income families access to technology, the Oakland Technology Exchange (OTX) is providing access to the educational, health care, and employment resources available on the Internet that so many people take for granted.
In addition to providing computers, OTX provides training and technical support to the community, teaching basic computer skills to parents and children, giving them access to the technological knowledge and skills and a path toward self-sufficiency.
This video, shown in slow motion and taken with a Canon 5D Mark II, depicts a pendulum of fire, one of the featured installations at The Crucible's Fire Arts Festival last week in Oakland, Calif.
Now in its ninth fiery year, the Fire Arts Festival is an innovative fundraiser for an industrial arts education nonprofit called The Crucible, a community that promotes creative expression and the reuse of materials.
The Crucible's Fire Arts Festival kicked off Wednesday in Oakland, Calif., and will continue through the Saturday. CNET News will be there to bring you a more in-depth look at the festival. But for now, here are a few photos from Monday evening's setup to whet your appetite.
The Crucible's Fire Arts Festival is being held at a new, larger site this year in west Oakland, where preparations were under way Monday.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
Elite Yelpers were invited to watch the setup and rehearsal Monday evening, where they lined up for the taco truck and free beer.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
The Fire Arts Festival is The Crucible's largest fundraiser, and this year will feature the world premiere of Dan Cantrell's The Rootabaga Opera.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
The festival will transform the empty lot in west Oakland into a fiery field of belching metal sculptures and incandescent art.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)
When the doors of the Apple store in San Francisco finally opened June 19, the line for the new iPhone 3GS wound up the stairs and across the glass walkway.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)Full Frame is CNET News' new venue for showcasing large format photography, video and multimedia slideshows which tell the stories behind the technology. We will explore the people, places, and gadgets that pervade geek culture, providing a rich look at some of the best imagery from inside the tech community.
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