The world needs a humanist vision

In this note I'll tackle the question of innovations in developing countries through an amazing and commendable initiative. It is the story of a former professor of physics at Oxford University, Joshua Silver, who has understood that the populations of developing countries get the same physiological needs than that of developed countries only with a different approach. The sight of people in the developing world decreases as fast as the sight of those who live in developed countries. Living in a developed country, I know how it takes time and costs money to get glasses. I also know both optometrists and opticians are the main interlocutors who take care of this need. The issue developing countries face is that there is not enough opticians because of economical purposes. Joshua Silver resolved this problem by thinking differently. He found a new approach based on a "tremendous glimpse of the obvious" as he called it: optometrists and opticians aren't necessary to provide glasses. For this, he designed adaptive eyeglasses which allows wearers to adjust them like they need!

The innovation is contained in the lenses which are fluid-filled and membrane-like. Wearers change the volume of fluid by figuring out with two syringes placed on each side of the spectacles which shapes the lenses. In this way, wearers modify the focus of the lenses for a better sight. After they are fixed accordingly, the membranes are sealed by twisting small screws and the syringes are removed. It is so simple that everybody can wear them after a short training. What will this basic invention change in the life of several thousands of people? All! For example, Silver met a 35 year old man who has worked as a tailor but who had to retire due to his deteriorated sight. Thanks to these glasses, he can work for the next 20 years. Finally, it’s a population who can live again.

In this project the core problem refers to the way the glasses can be sold. As a test, 30,000 pairs of spectacles have already been distributed in 15 countries. Silver plans to distribute one million of these pairs in India this year and 100 million pairs annually within a few years. It represents a huge market but not easy to reach. Currently, the glasses are being distributed by an NGO. By enrolling governments who are involved and the UN, it is the main model to adopt and it already worked. As an example, Procter & Gamble designed PUR a water purification solution. Despite of the 3 million people dying of sickness generated by a lack of drinking water there was nobody to buy PUR packets. So, P&G decided to sell them to NGO at the cost price (0,04$ for a packet). In 2006, 57 million had been sold in comparison to the 3 million with the commercial approach. P&G gives value to this market, integrating it in its Corporate Social Responsibility practices.

In any case, Silver isn’t taking any profit yet and I don’t think he will in the future. Like Joshua Silver and Muhammad Yunus, the world needs more visionaries who come up with new products suitable for developing countries which would make the world more conscious of life outside of their own.

The extreme shepherding

What happens when four crazy Welsh hill farmers decide to plug one-hundred sheep with one-hundred times more LEDs ? An awesome choreography of dancing sheep in the night.

Microsoft’s vision for 2019

This is a foresight video from Microsoft :

<a href="http://video.msn.com/?mkt=en-GB&playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:a517b260-bb6b-48b9-87ac-8e2743a28ec5&showPlaylist=true&from=shared" target="_new" title="Future Vision Montage">Video: Future Vision Montage</a>

Awesome isn’t it? So, as usual this kind of technological dream seems unrealistic. I guess it won't reach the market in 2019. Do you know how long ago the first electronic paper we see in the video was invented? Almost 40 years ago!

The unusable hands-free cell phone holder

Among all the innovations we can find on the market, the Cell-Mate is no doubt one of the most useless. The Cell-Mate is a hands-free cell phone holder with the same benefits as a cell phone hands-free headset. You can use your hands at the same time that you are calling. The principle is easy to understand: Cell-Mate is like a hair-band in that it grips your phone to your ear.

Don’t ask to me how you can pick up because I have no idea. Furthermore I wonder the kind of face people make when the phone is ringing so close to their ear. Maybe after this they should form a plan to sell hearing aids…

Light-emitting diodes help public authorities to reduce CO2 emissions

It is known that the better way to reduce CO2 emissions is to innovate sustainable energies like solar, wind and biomass. Another way to stop pollution is not in the difference of production, but in consuming less. Although not completely obvious, lighting is responsible for over 20% of world electricity consumption. Most of this is consumed in non-domestic applications, thus it is necessary to find a more resourceful approach.

With the improvements of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), it could be effective for public authorities (who have committed to reduce CO2 emissions) to achieve their goal. At the same time it is an opportunity for the manufacturers of LEDs to reach new markets. Several projects led by public authorities are beginning to emerge with the aim to substitute incandescent lamps with white LEDs. As an example we can quote the city of Darmstadt in Germany which is testing new streetlight equipped with white LEDs. The project involves both HEAG and Siteco as technologic suppliers and Darmstadt’s citizens as users.

A LED is a semiconductor diode embedded in an epoxy lens in which currents flow one-way through. There is a difference of potential at the two sides that enables it to emit a photon at the top of the lens providing light. Advantages are both economic and ecologic due to a lower consumption of electricity. However, studies forecast that usage of white LEDs for streetlight markets will take off in ten years.

Until then these lights are used only for car headlights and on the back of some cell phones. Even though there are no streetlights for the moment we can see LEDs lit in the street by the following street art clip. A Graffiti Research Lab creation!

Easyswap : the “social Ebay” web service marketplace

Easyswap is the first web service marketplace based on Local Exchange Trading Systems (LETS). It was launched on October 29th 2008 with the aim to offer a different approach other than market economy. This initiative has been undertaken in Switzerland by an association supported by the city of Lausanne.

Users can exchange goods and services with a fake currency, “the swap” as it named. As a referential point : 1 swap = 1 CHF (the local currency). There are three ways to obtain money :

1. You can sponsor a friend (30 swaps)
2. You can sell goods and services (a price that you set)
3. You can receive it through your company if it sponsors Easyswap (apart of the amount shared between employees)

Furthermore, the first 2,000 subscribers will receive 40 swaps to start with.

Easyswap promotes the availability of free time through the sale of services and allows people to sell their unused goods. Due to its nature, the web service works at a local-range. If it succeeds in the future, Easyswap will be available in other countries.