Bernie Goldbach at Coder Dojo | Image from my iPad
THE MIND BOGGLES when looking at the sheer size of Apple's cash pile. I have a few ideas that great company--the one that changed the way I've built the soundtrack of my life--might consider supporting with chunks of change.
—- Support the development of technology that contributes to and measures social change in the field of education. Start with the ibooks, Apple, and be a leader in giving away more things to read as well as giving away cross-platform technology authors can use to create written works. Put real support behind the Open Street Map Foundation instead of just leeching off it.
—- Support innovative design as it applies to social change. We need the hand of Apple behind the development of assistive devices for the aging. We need to see something like the Apple Car or some form of alternative transportation. We need to see Apple presenting how renewable energy powers its newer data centres.
—- Support the distribution of information relating to social issues. I'd like to see Apple as a major philandropist in support of social thinkers who use iTunes to express their advocacy, their social research, their community-building tools, and their credible programmes.
Disclosure: We currently have three iPods and two iPads in the house. Our 4yo is growing up learning creative things served through the Apple Store, as regular readers can see from my blog.
Related Link:
Paul Klein -- "Where is Apple's Social Purpose" on Forbes, April 12, 2011.
Cynthia Figge -- "Can Apple's Employees Drive Better CSR" in Triple Pundit, Apple 8, 2011.
Bernie Goldbach curates links about Apple.