In an interesting story, the Wall Street Journal covered the homeless population of San Francisco and showed that some of them are almost as connected as someone with a home. This story is similar to how we learned that the homeless population in Washington DC was using cell phones and honestly at the time I more »

It may be something we do not expect, or quite possibly it is something we just do not think about, however, it seems that the homeless population in Washington DC is beginning to make good use of cellphones. A recent story in the Washington Post estimates that anywhere from 30-45-percent of the homeless population in Washington DC are carrying phones. Of course, based on the report it seems they are relying on pay-as-you-go models as opposed to a fancy smartphone, but even that is helping them improve their quality of life.

In the article there are several good examples of how they are being used, ranging from blogging about their experience, to using them in an effort to find a good place to stay or even use a restroom. Of course, there are some that are using them in much more efficient ways such as letting their families or loved ones know they are safe, to keep track of their food stamps and even helping with employment issues.