Month: September 2005

Light Bag

lightbag_interiorWell, it finally happened. Just like the invention of calculus, there are times when circumstances are just right to lead to important breakthroughs in science, frequently by more than one person at the same time. This time: the handbag.
 
A good friend of mine had this idea, maybe 8 or 10 years ago, but never could get it to market. Just like Rosanna Kilfedder, a 24-year old design student at London’s Brunel University, he noticed young ladies in nightclubs and other dark environments using lighters, mobile phones, etc. to try to find something in their purse. What’s particularly clever about Rosanna’s solution is instead of an actual bulb, her SunTrap handbags use an electroluminescent lining and a solar cell is built right into the bag.lightbag_exterior
As a bonus, the purse’s internal battery can be used to charge your mobile phone or PDA, too! They’ll be on sale on her web site in the near future.

“The Customer is Always Wrong”

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has published a guide that translates various online music stores’ marketing messages into a true picture of the limitations those restrictions impose and how those restrictions differ from your legal rights under current copyright law. They review Apple’s iTunes, RealNetworks, Microsoft’s “Play for Sure“, and Napster 2.0. Before buying crippled music from one of these services, check out EFF’s guide, The Customer is Always Wrong.

Hurricane Katrina aid

lemon_aidMy nephew and some of his friends ran a lemonade stand this weekend. All the proceeds went to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
They called it, naturally enough, Lemon-Aid. Despite the fact that their sign asked for “dontations”, they raised over $400.
I’m really proud of them.
And their parents, too, for teaching them while still so young, that they can make a difference.