BE MY EYES.

• Author: Krayewski, E.D.
• Position: APP - Brief article - Product/service evaluation

Be My Eyes is an app newly available for Android (and available for iPhone since 2015) that connects blind people to volunteers willing to help them with small tasks. It's the latest fascinating demonstration of how voluntary tech-enabled networks can solve problems.

The app, which boasts more than 600,000 volunteers and nearly 50,000 blind customers, requires little commitment. In the first week after I downloaded it and signed up, I received no requests. A video tutorial explains it can take weeks to receive a request, and not to worry if you can't answer it, because...