posted by admin on Apr 20

Would you like to own a pocketful of notes that were worth nothing?

Well, there are plenty of people around the world who are happy to do just that! The idea isn’t to not pay for goods and services – it is to not pay for something they are already paying for.

Still none the wiser?

Well, if you were collecting your drivers licence – would you want to pay the clerk extra for just giving it to you? Would you want to pay a passport agent to simply ‘check’ you through customs?

But they want a note from you for the privilege – so what are you going to do?

They know that what they are asking for is illegal – but they are making an easy buck. So now do you see why people are carrying zero currency notes?

photo credit: marksdk

Zero Gain:
Imagine the embarrassment of that official when you wave a giant Zero note in front of them for everyone to see – rather than folding it neatly in half and sliding it across the counter. Officials can go to jail for requesting ‘tips’ like this.

The organisation behind the most notable of these notes (the Zero Rupee) are 5th Pillar – an organisation against corruption in a democratic society. But India is not alone in the fight against corrupt officials; Argentina, Belize and even the United States are using similar notes to try to win support – and make accepting bribes totally unacceptable.

The notes are designed to look just like an existing note from whichever country – but with the Zero wording and figure as well as comments which refer to the fact that they are against ‘bribes’.

Obviously – these notes will not always be appropriate to use – particularly if you are a lone traveller and in a particularly remote area – but for everyday residents, these can make a huge difference.

You are more than welcome to make a donation to the organisation – even if you are not using the notes yourself – as they are distributing them free of charge to ordinary people!

They might be worth nothing to use – but they cost money to design, create and distibute. See the 5th Pillar website for more details.

And if you get your hands on one while travelling – don’t stick it in a box as a souvenir – keep them in circulation, doing what they were designed to do!

posted by admin on Apr 9

Would you like an implant that could type for you and change the TV channel?

They have been using brain waves to move objects for some time – but only the very basics – and you have to wear a giant cap with dozens of wires coming out of it. Not so practical.

Yet, now medical advances have allowed for more complex signals to be collected from the brain, and then translated into actual letters! Imagine what this could lead to.

The hindrance to this technology was always that the signal had to be picked up through the skull and hair so were therefore much weaker than if attached to the brain itself – a bit like trying to get wi-fi too far from the source.

Get Inside:
So by moving the sensors onto the surface of the brain itself – these signals can be greatly enhanced to make more things possible.

Wireless technology has already shown us all the amzing things that can be done by very small handheld gadgets – so why not make something run by your brain rather than the ether!

By attaching electrodes to certain areas of the brain – your electrical thoughts can be harnessed in exactly the same way that your body does it already. We know which parts of the brain fire when you move your finger, have a dream, react to a fright and even when you smile – so why not find out how the brain reacts to certain words, letters and pictures?

Imagine the achievements of an arthritic author if the could type their essays with just their thoughts? Think of that disabled shopper able to steer themselves around the malls just by thinking ‘left’ or ‘right’.

Get Outside:
And it wouldn’t just be about filling the gap for people who had physical barriers – what about people working in certain industries being able to complete forms or procedures online by just thinking.

There is the potential for this to become some sort of implant for communication, security access or identification. It could all be a bit Sci-Fi – but if the technology is there for one reason – why not see if it can be applied elsewhere…..

You can already play simple games by ‘thinking’ of your moves – but this new technology taps straight into the brain interface and allows the same type of reaction as a mouse click on a computer.

By setting up a control system in the brain that reacts to a thought or a sound, you can then link it up to any type of technology that just needs a click to operate it.

And we all know the freedom that the mouse gave us!

posted by admin on Mar 30

Ever heard of a cockerpoo, a puggle, a jackabee or a maltipom?

No, neither should you ever – the world has gone mad for doggie fashion!

Breeds of dog were origingally created because there was a need in the community for that particulat set of skills, for example; a dog that is waterproof, a dog that can fit down rabbit holes, a dog that can chase prey or a dog that will fit on your lap.

Nowadays though, it seems as though the trend in ‘getting what you want’ had enetered the world of dogs.

Not only are they made to fit a purses or prams, but now they are made to not be the original dogs anymore! People want new breeds – and they want them now!

The only problem is that dog breeds aren’t created overnight, there has to be a series of inbreeding involved and years of purifying afterwards – however not so with these designer breeds.

photo credit: Jorge Quinteros

These new ‘breeds’ are not anywhere near to being real breeds – and unfortunately never will be (well not for another 50 years or so with correct breeding).

Designer Breeds?
You see, these dogs are simply cross breeds; the definition of which is a dog from 2 known parents. So a pug father and a beagle mother will give you a puggle (50% pug and 50% beagle or thereabouts). They are unique.

The problem of course is that if you breed these dogs again with their original breeds (either a pug or a beagle) – they won’t be puggles anymore. They would be pugs with a hint of beagle, or beagles with a hint of pug!

photo credit: findingtheobvious

You could of course try breeding them with other puggles – but this is where the haphazard breeding will begin.

Just as when you breed any 2 dogs of any breed, they will inherit more than 50% of 1 parent and less of the other – but when they are known breeds the differences aren’t really noticable. I mean if you breed 2 german shepherds the young will all look just like german shepherds.

However if you mate a puggle which was 75% pug with another puggle which was also 75% pug – then your puggle puppies will be a bit more pug than puggle. Now imagine every other puggle owner doing the same and you can imagine a whole world filled with mongrels – defined as a dog of mixed parentage.

They will either be more beagle or more pug – and no doubt someone down the line will have added in a hint of poodle (which seems to be the common designer breed) and a snip of bichon (another designer favorite) and you won’t know what on earth the puppies are supposed to be.

The End Result:
So, should we be able to just mix everything up like this? Or is it making a mockery of the hundreds of years of professional breeding to find the perfect dog for problem A.

Some might say that we dont need dogs for ‘hunting’ or ‘chasing’ anymore so those breeds don’t serve a purpose!

But then others would say that without all those different breeds for hunting and chasing – there wouldn’t be the parent breeds of these designer dogs to choose from. I mean if breeds are obsolete in todays climate then you won’t be able to find yourself a cute breed to cross with another breed in the first place!

Some would say that pedigree dogs are so imbred that they have diseases that are man-made and can’t be cured – and others would reply that only bad breeders pass on those traits.

I think that we like certain dog ‘breeds’ because they show certain qualities or a have a certain appearance -but if all the dolly-dimwits who think that dogs are for carrying around and dressing up in ‘outfits’ started breeding these dogs – then I dread to think what domesticated dogs will look like in 30 years time!

Good breeders and vets already have enough trouble making sure that dogs are born healthy and happy these days – let alone clearing up after a few thousand amateurs have a go!

photo credit: akarmy

posted by admin on Mar 24

No longer does losing your dog involve racing round parks shouting its name as loud as you can!

Gone are the days where face-to-face communication was the only way to get anything done in a hurry! Technology has moved on so far now that something that used to take hours (and lots of money) can now be done in the click of a button – and this includes hunting down your lost dog!

There have been milestones along the way – but not everyone has jumped on board!

Dog Collars:
The simplest way to identify your dog – and sometimes a legal requirement anyway – is to have a tag on your dog’s collar which clearly details your best contact details. And by ‘best’ I don’t mean all your contact numbers – I mean the phone that you are most likely going to be holding or right next to when your dog goes missing.

I mean, if you are still out in the park when someone finds your dog – what use is your home number?

photo credit: s8an

Microchipping:
Next step was the implanting of a traceable device actually inside your dog! This means that if your dog escaped while not wearing a collar (or you didn’t put one on your dog for whatever reason), then a vet or rescue centre could scan your details from this ‘chip’ and then you would receive the call.

As long as you had kept your contact details up to date – you could be reunited within the day.

However – in some countries they don’t use the microchip as the main way of tracing pets – they rely on tattoos to do the same job – so make sure you know which one is active where you live or travel!

The Problems:
Even if your pet is chipped and/or collared there is still the inevitable panic – and the urge to contact every single rescue centre, pet shop, animal surgery and boarding kennel in the area.

Obviously – when your pet arrives at an animal centre, the first thing they will do is scan if for a chip or look for a collar or tattoo. So your first step should be to call your microchip or tattoo firm to check they have your latest cell number.

Then rather than calling all the people mentioned above and spending 5 to 10 minutes with each of them describing your pet and answering a battery of questions – you could just call 1 firm.

PetAlert Schemes:
The problem of lost pets is so widespread that there are now companies that specialise in helping you find your lost pet – and I don’t mean Pet Detectives.

These companies take the hassle out of you having to ring round people yourself – they do it for you in an instant. Basically, they have made contact with all the relevant businesses and charities in your area and can distribute your and your pets details and image to them all by fax or text as soon as you report them.

This way, rather than your details being filed away in a generic Lost Dog file – these messages will be treated as urgent rather than general. Charities don’t have time to make a big ado actively helping to find lost pets – and vets usually have more pressing matters to attend to – but with this bond, things could work a lot smoother.

They are a one-stop-shop for all things lost!

posted by admin on Mar 9

Here are some more great eco inventions that make things easy!

I have said in previous articles that eco inventions should be the same – if not better at doing something than existing (and not so green) alternatives.

We shouldn’t expect people to go out of their way to achieve something green – it should be given naturally – and without losing quality or offering less.

So, in that vein, here are a handful of eco ideas that I think can make your life not only greener – but easier too!

The Hundred Dollar Laptop:
This invention caused a stir when it was launched back in 2005 – the XO – but it had since been improved and improved again – now the XOXO.

It can now be charged by many means including solar; it uses only a fraction of the energy of a normal laptop; has black and white mode for use in bright sunshine; instant connection to the network and touch-screen keyboards!

Folding Bikes:
Rather than the rather bulky folding bikes that have been around in the past – the Strida 3 folds up into a wheeled walking stick! This way, you can easily cycle when the conditions are right/safe/dry, but fold up your wheels when things get too busy/congested/wet!

Easy to carry on and off of public transport too – and you can leave it in your hallway when you get home without hitting you shins on the pedals!

Whole House Switch:
There is a lot of talk about making sure that nothing electrical is left on stand-by and switching this and that off all the time – but it’s not easy keeping on top of everything the family use in the morning before heading off to work yourself. So in comes the One Switch.

One single switch that will switch off all your non-essential electricals by your front door. No need to run around your bedrooms and offices looking for red lights to eliminate – just one click and your electricity use is virtually set to zero!

E-Wash:
Washing with nuts instead of detergent! This slim-fit washing machine is designed specifically to work with soap nuts rather than detergents and conditioners etc – making it a great eco-friendly alternative to most large washers and driers.

It holds the same load but fits into a smaller space – leaving more room in the home for other things – plus you can get by with as little as 1kg of soap nuts washing your clothes for a whole year! Double bargain!

Can you think of any more?