It is, basically, Star Search for do-gooder geeks: The Tech Museum of Innovation has conducted its eighth annual hunt for technologies that "make the world safer and healthier, more prosperous and just." This year's 25 laureates, chosen from 450 applicants in 71 countries, will be honored along with microlending icon Muhammad Yunus, and five will receive $50,000 prizes. An exhibition at the museum will also showcase the winning solutions, including Sunlabob's solar-charging stations, which bring power to remote villages and prove that, truly, these are ideas that can get you charged up. -- Chuck Salter
