When people think of drones, often what come to mind are the military, the Middle East and espionage. The media largely focus on these applications, but drones and the mobile technology powering them are increasingly being used to solve intractable global problems: identifying poachers, sending supplies to sites of natural disasters, innovative video storytelling, and expanding Internet access to countries and populations lacking connectivity, for example. As their manufacturing costs drop and capabilities increase, drones are becoming a more practical and effective technology for helping people.