Tech Awards recognize innovation

Silicon Valley, the launch pad of technology dynamos like the iPhone and Google's search engine, recognized innovations of a less flashy sort that may still prove to be game-changers. The Tech Awards, a humanitarian program recognizing technological solutions aimed at worldwide challenges, honored five winners Thursday for their work addressing problems in the environment, economic development, education, equality and health. The winners each received $50,000 on Thursday night at a black-tie gala that also honored former Vice President and Nobel Prize Winner Al Gore for his humanitarian work. While the monetary award was nothing to sniff at, the bigger prize was the ability to absorb the winning ways of Silicon Valley and its culture of innovation, said organizers. The winners were plucked from a pool of 700 submissions and were part of a group of 15 finalists who spent a week in the region, learning from academic, industry and venture capital leaders.