Technology seems to have a lot of downfalls -- E-waste, toxic conditions for laborers, rising prices -- but if people learn to take advantage of the technology, they can help make the world a better place. Here's a compilation of mobile apps -- with the help of EarthTalk and Mashable, a culturally relevant list-making website -- that can help make your life, the life of those around you, and the world a better place.
The American Lung Association's State of the Air app shows live color-coded air quality maps for any U.S. location and includes both ozone and particulate pollution counts. The app also provides air quality alerts, short-term forecasts and opportunities to learn more about air quality risks and ways to contact lawmakers to push for more stringent pollution regulations.
Another way to find out who's emitting what nearby is via aMobileFuture's Pollution, a free app that compiles information from various pollution databases around the world and then shows users which big polluters are emitting what. Coverage includes 1,380 cities, mostly in Europe and the U.S.
Adair Systems' 99 cents GasHog app makes it easy to track a car's fuel efficiency. Enter the odometer reading and amount of fuel added each time you refill the tank and the app calculates the fuel economy of the previous tank and compares it to historical averages. The app also offers tips for improving fuel economy.
Avego's free CarmaCarpooling app matches nearby drivers with riders to share the commute and the expense. At the end of the trip, the rider can send a payment through the system to the driver to cover a share of gas and wear-and-tear.
Donate a Photo allows app users to share a photo and make money for a charity of their choice. With every photo you share, Johnson & Johnson donates $1 to a cause of your choosing. The Donate a Photo app, available on iOS and Android, also lets you follow your friends' photos, so you can keep up with your social life.
Did you know that with the money you save cooking three of your own meals, you could fund someone's HIV medicine for three months? Instead is an iOS app that shows you how much you can save with simple tweaks in your lifestyle. Once you make those cheaper decisions, Instead encourages you to donate to a nonprofit out of your savings.
Another popular app is Light Bulb Finder, a free app designed to help ease the transition from incandescent bulbs to energy-efficient replacements. Users enter their ZIP code -- the app automatically inputs average regional electricity rates accordingly -- and then choose which type of fixture, size/shape and wattage bulb(s) they are looking to replace. The app then suggests options that use less energy and shows how much money the user can expect to save with the newer bulb(s).
General News on 04/16/2014