Lantern connects you to the world's information without an Internet connection
The world's information has just found a new home: it's called Lantern, a small portable device that connects to satellites to download a living archive of content. There are no associated data charges, so the only cost is that of the device itself. The satellites offer one-way Internet no matter where a person happens to be, making the Lantern a sort of library for the human race.
Or, as the startup likes to say, "humanity's public library." Rather than going to rent out a physical book, users can download from Lantern's content base which is cleverly called the Outernet (also the company's name). There are three tiers of content:
The device periodically downloads packets of information to store locally, which the user can then decide to save or delete. This means that the repository of information is accessible at all times as a sort of regularly-updated hard drive. At the moment, the device is only one-way so there's only pulling — no pushing — of information.
As Lantern doesn't have a screen, the user needs a Wi-Fi enabled device in order to be able to connect to that information. That's a serious limitation when it comes to third-world access, but works well for those in North American and Europe as part of a comprehensive disaster kit.
The small tower-shaped device is made to work without electricity by using onboard solar panels and can be deployed across the world in areas that might not have access to regular sources of power or any Internet connectivity at all.
For those times when cell towers have been affected by a natural catastrophe, a user would be able to access the latest news, as the service prioritizes disaster news and information for exactly that reason. This is an inspiring product that promises a rare double win for both those in developed and undeveloped countries. While the team accepts suggestions of what should make it into humanity's library, there are clearly concerns about how the company determines what information is essential.
Outernet has promised to deliver a real-time feed of what's being pushed to the devices and currently offers a searchable list. Some examples of Lantern content are information on disaster preparedness, a schedule of shortwave BBC shows, homeschool resources and a lot of diverse DIY content like how to repair a bike There's no Harry Potter or Fifty Shades of Grey, just good old fashioned know-how.