posted by admin on Jul 11

If you farmland is flooded – how can you still grow crops?

Well there is one solution that will no doubt help millions of people all across the globe in these times of climate change and rising sea levels – a floating farm!

Many communities around the world inhabit wetland areas and have developed raised housing and methods of transport and livelihoods that make the most of existing circumstances – but growing crops on water?

That really is something quite amazing - and sustainable!

The Idea:
Well, areas of India and Bangladesh for example have annual flooding – but it’s lasting longer and longer these days – and coming when it’s not expected, ruining crops and homes, and leaving farmland underwater and families without anyway to feed themselves.

So, why not farm on the water itself?  Well it’s not as difficult as you might think, and as this is only a temporary solution it doesn’t need to be highly advanced and permanent.

Basically you can build up layers of floating vegetation mixed with fertiliser and stabilizers and you have a raised bed for growing anything.  And as long as you tether it to your home or river bank – you can grow your crops! 

Even if the water levels rise again – your crops do too, so they are not destroyed!  And when the water finally falls back to earth – your crops are already on a bed of fertile compost!

When the water level falls, you can transplant your seeds back into the now fertile soil (enriched with sediment from upstream) and grow them to maturity.  Maybe you could even sell the excess at a local market increasing your income.

The Implementation:
A small charity called Practical Action is working with communities in Bangladesh and has already helped hundreds of families do just this.

Their solutions are simple and cheap to construct for the local communities as they are made from local ‘ingredients’ and are not huge in size.  For example they base their ‘raised beds’ on an initial layer of water hyacinths strengthened with a layer of bamboo strips on top, then bound in place by a further layer of water hyacinth on top so the roots create a sturdy platform.

On top of this solid base is a layer of animal dung and earth – both plentiful in the area – in which to grow the actual crops.  And watering them is not a problem!

The Future?
This is already a lifeline to so many people in Asia, but it could help with innovations across the globe.  If the future is to bring more flooding and adverse weather to many countries – it’s great to know that there are people out there already working on the solutions.

Some of these recent inventions in areas that are already experiencing problems can be the basis for future inventions and inventors to plan for similar scenarios.  Planning for crops that can grow on water could lead to new crops, new farming methods and new lifestyles.

It could also be the first step towards living on water and building flood resistant homes, crops and energy stations!

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posted by admin on May 31

Well, don’t get your hopes up for a life-size human whizzing around the lounge for this one!

These new little home-helps are highly intelligent beings – well, in terms of being able to react to their environment and working around obstacles. So instead of you running your vacuum around table legs and under the sofa – these little critters do it for you.

Sound’s like a great invention for all of us who hate the job, but wait a minute – these things aren’t cheap (at around £400 each) and that might not be such a great investment if you live in a small flat either!

So, What Are They?
Well, these vacuums are around about the same size as a flattened ten-pin bowling ball and can have an array of exciting features crammed inside.

A million times better than the old-fashioned and bulky looking ‘dust busters’ from the 90′s, these new gadgets will be a welcome addition to the house.

Now, you may think that these little critters could cause havoc around the home, bump into everything, trip you over, trail leads around the room and even fall down the stairs!  But no such things will happen – they are too clever!

They are packed full of wireless technology and sensors to make their job 100% simple and cable-free – like the fact that they can be ‘fenced in’ by infrared beams to make sure that they don’t leave a certain room or cross onto unsuitable surfaces.  This way you can keep them vacuuming up dust in the places that need it the most rather than run off all over the place – wasting time and energy!

Set low to the ground and having no trailing cables, these vacuum bots can whizz around under sofas and beds, beneath the kitchen table and chairs and even the coffee table and footstools without getting caught up or stuck.

They even remember where they have been, so can ‘size-up’ the room from memory technology to make sure that they cover the whole room before moving on to the next room – I mean what’s the use of a vacuum that only does half the room?  And, that means it can do the room – or whole floor – while you aren’t even home!

What To Look Out For:
Obviously, just like any normal vacuum, you will still need to look out for the actual benefits before investing – unless you want it just for show of course!

How much dust does it pick up – as it won’t be able to get into all the nooks and crannies along the way.  And, of course, it will never be able to clean the stairs, furniture or kitchen spills.  So, you would still need to keep hold of your old vacuum anyway!

Noise, size and time taken to get the place clean are all important factors too – but I’m sure things will improve over time with user comments and future technology.

And, there are some that have both automatic and manual modes, where you can control the beast – maybe even voice-activated (!)  You can set the start time for the day – or for the whole week if you want to!

Conclusion:
It all depends on the layout of your home and the size of it really.  Some are not so good at avoiding obstacles, so you could set it to work for 30 minutes – but 4 minutes in it gets caught by a kids toy or the dogs bed!

Appearance is also a factor, and some are much more shiny and modern whereas others are more practical and look a bit like squashed portable stereos from the ’80′s. 

But, whatever your thoughts on these new gadgets – you really need to see one for yourself before you take the plunge.  But don’t throw out the old one quite yet!

posted by admin on May 16

Spring is in full swing – and there is plenty of news in the technology world – and here are just some of the latest inventions and gadgets…….

So, lets get started with a great intro in to the world of science, with Tisha Dotson thorough listing of: 50 Excellent Science Blogs Anyone Can Appreciate. And many of these I already read myself!

And if it is engineering you are interested in, then take a serious look at Jennifer Kingsley post about the different areas of engineering that are out there – and there is quite some choice: 50 Free Open Courseware Classes About Every Type of Engineering.

And to follow, Angelita Williams has her list fo the 100 Best RSS Feeds to Follow Engineering News, and Olivia Davis lists for us the 50 Great Green Architecture & Design Blogs.

And talking of technology and engineering – take a look at the amazing Developments in E-paper Devices by Marco Gustafsson.

Glory Scott enlightens us to the Medical Industry with his short guide to the 25 Notable Start-ups Changing the Medical Information Industry and what they are offering both business and customers like yourself.  And Jennifer Kingsley stays on the medical front with her second entry this month – with her extensive article detailing 17 Ways Mobile Computing Is Changing Medicine and Healthcare. An interesting read indeed!

And finally, the apps: Engelbert Hudson gives us his 25 Essential Free iPhone Apps for e-Learners.

See you in June……

posted by admin on Apr 10

If you have too many shoes and not enough space – then check out this fancy new invention!

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a special shoe department in their wardrobe – but we all have too many shoes!  So where do you put yours without squashing them all in a pile or using up shelf after shelf of space?

Well, luckily for you Danilo Torro has designed the perfect product to help you out – and it’s called the Shoe Wheel.  Just think of a miniature Ferris wheel and you are nearly there.

The Shoe Wheel:
It’s clever design allows for all your shoes (up to 30 pairs) to be stored in the same place, based on the fact that shoes are thinner at the toe and then get bigger.  So if you place your shoes into each compartment toe first, they will sit neatly in the ‘wheel’.

As they are held in place securely by the expandable pockets, it doesn’t matter if they are then moved upside-down in the wheel as you search for another pair.  And even this is made totally easy too, as the sides are clear vinyl – allowing you to see every single pair of shoes stored inside the wheel!

It comes in several different colors to suit all styles (including pink) and can hold shoes up to size 11 (44) – and they do a slightly different model (the shoe pod) if you need space for up to size 14-plus.

And There’s More?
This ingeniously designed storage unit will only take up a small part of your closet or hallway, as it is only around a foot wide – so no wider than your shoes would be in the same place anyway!  And it’s only around 75cm high and wide so will take up a lot less room than a shoe rack that holds the same number of shoes!

The great bonus is that it’s on wheels, so you can wheel it from the closet over to the bed or chair or bathroom to make choosing the best shoes even easier – you don’t need to keep walking backwards and forwards to the mirror with every pair – just wheel them all over there with you in the first place!

And, it even comes in a miniature version for kids – called the Rakkiddo – which holds up to 20 pairs of tiny shoes!  A great space saver for the kids room!

posted by admin on Apr 7

This is your last chance to get into the Gadget Show this year!

There are only tickets left for the opening of the show this afternoon – basically you have about an hour to buy your tickets, and up until 5pm this evening to get in the door!

The show – one of the largest of it’s kind in the UK has sold out in record time – not surprising really considering what they have on offer for the visitor!

I won’t go into too many of the details here now (maybe a catch-up in a few days) - otherwise you won’t make it there on time………

So, visit their Official Site asap – and order your tickets now!  

Maybe I’ll see you there?