This is my old blog

Firefox Zoom

Mat — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:23:20 +0000

Showing zoom amount in the status bar while reducing or enlarging the display size would be a useful feature – 75%, 100%, 150%, etc.

(p.s. Firefox Rules!)

Idea for vacant space in post office’s

Mat — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:47:34 +0000

Here’s an idea for you…

The post office has stopped opperating shops within it’s buildings leaving vacant (but operated) space in urban centers.

Put secure cycle storage units into unused post office shop floorspace.

Please forward it to whoever you think is most suitable.

Thanks from Mat

Covalent Solar Idea

Mat — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:16:21 +0000

MIT spin out, covalent solar have a great product that can turn sheets of glass into solar collectors. A special dye on the surface captures light within a glass sheet. The light travels through the glass untill it reaches the edges and can be fed into long thin photovoltaic cells built into a frame. This allows a large area of sun light to be focused on a much smaller area of photovoltaics (which are expensive).

The improvement idea is simple, to reduce the area of photovoltaics further, mirror all but 1 edge of the glass sheet.

Syringe reuse designed out

Mat — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 10:41:49 +0000

Marc koska shows off his single use syringe design.

The syringe is designed to break after it’s used, making patient to patient blood transfer impossible.

“Simple” innovations to big problems like these are inspirational.

Angry at UK file-sharing policy

Mat — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:57:35 +0000

The audio and video industry are acting like a baby that has had one of it’s toys taken away. Our government is playing mummy and trying to get the toy back for little precious. They need to grow up and deal with their failing business model like adults.

Each download should be considered a free advert for the artist’s next concert or free advert for the films cuddly character or whatever.

The rest of the economy could only dream of such a deep and all pervasive advertising campaign!

Cutting peoples access to a human right, to information, to the internet is not a mature response.

DNA Fighting Illegal Logging

Mat — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 17:44:03 +0000

It’s good to see progress on the illegal logging issue.

By creating a database of DNA samples from legitmate timber sources it should be easy to check if any peice of wood has come from a destructive operation.

Take Back Your Brain!

Mat — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:44:34 +0000

Fight the corporations with their own weapons! Lynn from takebackyourbrain.com suggests running your own personalised campaigns to compete for your own attention and money!

I left this comment:

Hiya Lynn, great blog concept! I just read it all, every post! This idea of carrying a conversation starter is inspired! Your best.

My only quarrel would be with the posts where you talk about buying things as personal advertising successes. They may be successes for you but for the reader they blemish the TakeBackYourBrian.com offering.

But posts about overcoming injury and motivation are superb.

Keep up the good work! Mat

Don’t Abolish all Interest

Mat — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:59:44 +0000

Both Robert and the 7th signatory argue valid points but this issue is more complex.

If you were to lend say $1000, you would want some kind of reward for risking the loan and hopefully your borrower would want to pay you back in full and reward you with a little something to say thanks.

So interest is no bad thing because no-one wants to borrow all the money in the world, only some of it.

The problem is that all the money in the world has been created (printed) and then lent to us through our governments.

So it turns out that collectively, we have borrowed all the money in the world and we have to pay interest to the creators that is impossible to pay because the money to pay was not created.

So only interest added when money is created should be abolished?

Robotic Waste Collector

Mat — Fri, 29 May 2009 14:30:41 +0000

Dustbot – What a great concept! A fleet of automated units that run around town collecting waste on demand.

Late Retirement Propaganda

Mat — Mon, 18 May 2009 11:02:22 +0000

Developed nations face a major demographic problem – Lots of old people on pensions but few young people paying for pensions. The result is huge hole in the funds to pay for pensions.

So what do governments do? They have to force us to work later into life. 10 years extra here in the uk.

This keep working ‘to avoid dementia’ article is the first that I’ve noticed that try’s to put a good spin on working till we drop.

Expect more!