World Economic Forum: Davos 2010

It was impossible to turn around in Davos without tripping over some new way to make the world better place with a cell phone. Applications included collecting public health data in Africa, monitoring elections in India, soliciting donations for Haiti earthquake victims and drumming up volunteerism among American teenagers. In a panel discussion about technology and society, Google CEO Eric Schmidt was among those marveling at the possibilities. "People all over the world now have a powerful computer on their belts," he said. That means even in rural and poor areas without computers and access to the Internet, there is a way to reach people and deliver services to them.