Google, Cisco to help fight global poverty

clipped from www.theage.com.au The United Nations teamed with technology giants Google and Cisco Systems to launch a new website on Thursday that will provide data and a bird's eye view of global efforts to fight poverty and meet UN  development goals by 2015. The Millennium Development Goals, which world leaders approved at a U.N. summit in 2000, provide the latest statistics on health, education, malnutrition, women's equality and other measures that contribute to poverty. On one portion of the new site, a web surfer can also use Google Earth's map and satellite imagery to fly anywhere on the planet and "explore" the places where work is being done to achieve the goals. "They can see successes and celebrate those, and observe failures or shortfalls ... and redouble their country's commitment to pursue those efforts. So it's very exciting for us," said Michael Jones, chief technologist for Google Earth and Maps.