theStearns

BoGo Lights are solar powered flashlights with rechargeable batteries that last for 750 to 1,000 nights of individual use (photo by BoGo Light)

The average family in the developing world can spend 20 to 30 percent of their disposable income to purchase sources of illumination. A solar powered renewable light source significantly reduces or eliminates this cost for families who live on $1 to $2 per day.

Two billion people living in the developing world rely on kerosene lanterns, candles, and single-use battery flashlights for light at night. Not only are these options expensive, dangerous, and harmful to the environment, they also negatively impact health, education, and security.

You can provide light to those in developing countries who need it and get a BoGo light for yourself. Check out the Buy One Give One offers for the Mini-BoGo Light or the larger SN2. You can even choose where you want to send your donated light.

The BoGo Light is a handheld solar powered flashlight with rechargeable batteries that provides light for years. When the energy is exhausted, simply replace the three standard AA rechargeable batteries and keep going. Most flashlights are made by companies that sell batteries. A great way to power battery sales is to offer disposable flashlights with a short life measured in hours. BoGo Light life is measured in years and they are reusable.

Mark Bent founded two companies–SunNight Solar to sell solar lights to commercial and government clients; BoGo Light as a non-profit organization to provide lights to charities and under-developed countries. He has partnered with the World Bank on a program called Lighting Up the Bottom of the Pyramid.

Re-manufactured hybrid battery in a first generation Toyota Prius, view looking into trunk with rear seat removed (photo by Javier Escalante at Raul's Automotive in Austin, TX)

It’s what every hybrid vehicle owner fears: having to replace the expensive hybrid battery buried somewhere in the back of the car. Our 2002 first-generation Toyota Prius has 130,000 miles and all symptoms indicated it was time.

We spent a lot of time researching the differences between Gen 1 and Gen 2 Prius batteries and read up on Toyota options, memos, recommendations, and pricing. Pricing diversity across Toyota dealers is concerning. For a Gen 1 Prius, $4,000-$6,000 will buy a new curiously somewhat obsolete hybrid battery that, like the expired battery, is prone to leaking cells and corrosion (those issues were addressed with the Gen 2 battery but Toyota has not passed all those improvements to the Gen 1 version). Some dealers require replacement of more than essential hybrid battery components while others try to convince us the hybrid battery is not the problem and lobby for more analysis. We spent $200+ on various Toyota dealers’ interpretations of inconclusive data held within our Prius on-board computer.

After talking with several Toyota dealers and probing online, we select Re-Involt Technologies in North Carolina. They have a unique innovative method of re-manufacturing Gen 1 and Gen 2 Prius batteries, but more importantly they’ve updated the Gen 1 battery with some Gen 2 enhancements, plus common sense elements of their own design. We couldn’t find a repair facility in Houston so with help from Re-Involt we shipped the battery and moved the car to Raul’s Automotive in Austin, TX. Javier with Raul’s and Tracy with Re-Involt kept us informed at every step along the way, from battery exchange and shipping to installation and road test results. Javier even emailed photos taken during the Re-Involt battery installation.

The results speak for themselves: we saved money, had the pleasure of dealing with motivated independent businesses, kept a battery out of the landfill, and early reports indicate the self-diagnosed performance issues have been resolved.

Raul's Automotive mechanics lift the 130+ pound hybrid battery into place (photo by Javier Escalante at Raul's Automotive)

Every galaxy in the image is in its proper distance as viewed from the telescope line of sight.

Over the years as audio and video quality improved we may have forgotten early sample rates, bit depth, file sizes and other characteristics that contribute to audio quality. Listening to an 8-bit rendition of Pink Floyd’s Money from the Dark Side of the Moon album may help put progress in perspective.

Infographic (by Phil Gyford)

The image above is self-explanatory. Somewhere in a prior career, a university faculty member who had obviously struggled with one of my published graphic depictions of data suggested I get and read the book Envisioning Information by Edward R. Tufte. It helped a lot.

A rare night launch early this morning at 5:21 Central Time for space shuttle Discovery hauling a crew of seven along with 10 tons of equipment for a 13-day mission. The 131st shuttle launch is the 33rd mission to the international space station (ISS) and only the 35th, and potentially last, launch in darkness. An easily visible ISS passed 220 miles above the launch site 15 minutes before blast off. This mission holds the record for the most women in space at the same time.

Seated are STS-131 Commander Alan Poindexter (right), commander; and Pilot James Dutton. Standing from the left are Mission Specialists Rick Mastracchio, Stephanie Wilson, Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Naoko Yamazaki and NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson (photo by NASA)

Only three more scheduled launches to go before the shuttle retires this year. Curiously, space travel still doesn’t seem to impress many these days. Fox News was the only news channel I found that provided coverage beginning more than two minutes before launch and as a bonus had a real astronaut on hand to provide commentary. Live video during launch from a camera mounted on the side of the external fuel tank and in the shuttle bay, three planned space walks scheduled for more than six hours each, solid rocket boosters generating more the five million pounds of thrust, and 0 to 17,000 miles per hour in six minutes are all just too pedestrian.

Kryssningsfartyg sign in Sweden (photo by Kenn Stearns)

This morning I was browsing photos from international travel looking for a Photo of the Day candidate. I came across the Kryssningsfartyg sign above and went to Google for a translation. Search results led to a translated Wikipedia page. It was a relief to learn “cruise ships have no tires” in Sweden.

Machine translation still have some issues.

Aromatic flowers on display in a restaurant entry area (photo by Kenn Stearns)

The scent of fresh flowers is distinctive. The appearance of floral arrangements is pleasing to most which is why they’re featured prominently in weddings, funerals, and to sell products. From marketing a property for sale to adorning hotel lobbies, fresh flowers signal elegance, beauty, love, celebration, devotion, and class. But neuromarketing is not about flowers – it’s about sales.

Last weekend I caught a story about Muzak on one of the morning television news shows. It was about how the 70-year-old company was overcoming adversity, recovering from bankruptcy, changing with the times, and doing everything they could to shake the elevator music stereotype. But what caught my attention was their new scent service.

Turns out Muzak signed a multi-year deal with Charlotte, NC-based ScentAir Technologies to distribute their patented environmental scent systems. The leading provider of aroma marketing solutions teaming up with the leading provider of business music to offer a “myriad of original retail experiences.”

Using Smell To Sell

Retailers use scents and music to affect customer choices. Consumers’ moods can be changed by what they hear and smell.  The Scent Marketing Institute is “the only professional organization dedicated to supporting scent-related marketing strategies.” There’s even a SCENTworld annual conference. Researchers have proven consumers feel as though time moves slower in a scented environment and their mode can be improved. A scent delivery system can prompt customers to feel better, be happier, look longer and be willing to pay a higher price. And that can improve the chances of a sale. So what exactly is the smell of success? That depends on what you’re selling.

Westin Hotels & Resorts scents lobbies with a fragrance named White Tea. NCP in the United Kingdom scents the stairwells in their parking garages and a page of their website is dedicated to the effort.  De Beers uses a scent mix of citrus, floral, and green tea to move more diamonds. Verizon Wireless used the scent of chocolate to market the LG Chocolate phone. Samsung reportedly uses a hint of honeydew melon to stimulate electronics sales in their flagship store in Manhattan. Sony scents their Sony Style stores, shopping bags, and even the hard plastics encasing their products. Yes, there are companies such as ScentSational Technologies that specialize in “retro-nasal olfaction,” adding scents to packaging (cups, closures, bottles, containers, etc.) so products smell, taste, and ultimately sell better.

This adds a whole new dimension to “scratch-n-sniff.” What about that new car smell? The Australian firm Atmosfera provides a “new car smell” product for used-car dealers to spray in vehicles. Or they’ll help create the smell of luxury by providing Scent Diffusers that emit essences of maple, birch, and leather. The smell of talcum powder can make us feel nostalgic and safe. Cedar and leather make us want to spend more. Cucumber makes us think the room is larger but barbecue makes us feel the space is smaller. Peppermint and citrus makes us feel alert.

The next time you make a purchase and later find yourself saying, “What was I thinking?” it may have been more about what you were smelling.

The parking meter was invented in 1935 and first appeared in Oklahoma City on July 16, 1935 (photo by Kenn Stearns)

When I catch sight of a parking meter for some reason I think about Paul Newman in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke. He gets arrested and is ultimately sent to prison for cutting the heads off parking meters. Speaking of 1967, there’s also The Beatles song about Lovely Rita, a meter maid  based on Meta Davis, the woman who issued a parking ticket to Paul McCartney outside Abbey Road Studios. A year earlier, Bob Dylan recorded Subterranean Homesick Blues that included the lyrics:

But users, cheaters
Six-time losers
Hang around the theaters
Girl by the whirlpool
Lookin’ for a new fool
Don’t follow leaders
Watch the parkin’ meters

American lawyer and publisher Carl C. Magee invented the parking meter in 1935. Although Magee died nine years later, his original design of a coin acceptor, dial, and flag remained mostly unchanged until the ’70s. Digital versions showed up in the ’80s. By the ’90s new solutions were appearing.

Pay and display parking meter alternatives are gaining favor these days, particularly in major cities that are implementing centralized “multispace” solutions that accept credit cards. Almost four years ago New York City retired its last spring-loaded, single-space parking meter. It looks like technology will render the parking meter extinct. To hold the memory close, check out the heartwarming Oklahoma Moment video below…

I’ve been using Phanfare for years. I’ve tried Yahoo!’s Flickr, Google’s Picasa, Hewlitt Packard’s snapfish, Fox Interactive’s Photobucket, and others from Bilddagboken to Zoomr – none delivered the combination of work flow and presentation flexibility that I needed. From an iPhone app called Photon to customizable slideshows, Phanfare delivers most of what I need.

About a year ago Pattie Maes and Pranav Mistry demoed SixthSense at TED. A friend sent this video as a “demonstration of what technology will likely look like in 10 years.” Will we all be wearing personal interest tags, willing to “draw” a circle on our wrist to determine the time, and fulfilling our Tom Cruise-like fantasies from the film Minority Report? What do you think?

Amazon Kindle and a cup of coffee on a tray table in the down and unlocked position (photo by Kenn Stearns)

About two years ago Amazon.com introduced the Kindle, an electronic-book reader that according to CEO Jeff Bezos has been purchased by “millions” of consumers. Barclays analyst Doug Anmuth predicts Amazon will sell more than three million Kindles this year.

Amazon offers best seller e-books on the Kindle for $9.99 to the “dismay of publishers” according to an article in today’s Wall Street Journal. Apparently to the glee of publishers, earlier this week Apple announced plans to gamble on a new tablet device (see Gadget Gamble) that takes them deeper in the electronic-reader space (Kindle for iPhone, yep there’s an app for that). Apple’s anti-consumer move with publishers Macmillan and now Hachette Book Group was to curiously advocate for higher e-book prices: $12.99 and $14.99. An electric tingle of excitement shot through the lethargic publishing industry – publishers can’t wait to force Amazon to raise their e-book prices.

Amazon stopped selling Macmillan both traditional and e-book titles last weekend while they wrestle with the publisher. If I were ever interested in reading Tatiana de Rosnay’s “Sarah’s Key” or  Andrew Young’s book about John Edwards, these and other Macmillan books won’t soon be in my Kindle queue. In a show of solidarity with Amazon I must also avoid any Hachette Book Group title (damn! I’ll miss Robyn Okrant’s “Living Oprah”).

Whether you love or hate Apple, one thing we can all agree on is their products and services always seem to come in at a higher price point. Thanks to Apple, my e-books will be more expensive. Here’s hoping book publishers become as relevant to books as music labels are to today’s performers. What if Madonna one day writes a book about dumping Warner Music in 2007 for a $120 million non-traditional deal with Live Nation? If she published directly with Amazon for another non-traditional deal, I’d buy that book for my Kindle.

Apple.com before and after iPad

What has 3G wireless capability, weighs 1.5 pounds, is half an inch thick, and will let users buy books, music, and video from iTunes? No, it’s not an iPhone. The almost 10-inch touch-screen and top-end $800+ price tag come with the new iPad.

One day before the iPad release, a series of related patents showed up at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. These newly-granted patents include:

• bandwidth detection – for multimedia conferencing applications
• proximity – sensing and performing an action when an object is close
• color management – a method for managing the color of certain “content elements” to render colors more accurately and to address how certain displays change over time
• image delivery – a dynamic method to measure users’ network access speed to deliver pre-rendered content

Critics say the iPad announcement is a bit of a disappointment because the iPhone appeared to have more functionality. Analysts seem divided but generally interested – some expect iPad adoption to grow over time like the iPhone while others say the price point is right for Apple to generate a significant new revenue stream. These and other patents suggest Apple could spice up iPad and other product offerings in the near future. Bring it on Mr. Jobs.

Godzillatron at the Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (photo by Kenn Stearns)

When the University of Texas at Austin decided to invest $160+ million in a new stadium it seemed only fitting the $8 million allocated for “audiovisual improvements” should include the largest high-definition video screen in the world. After all, this is Texas. Advertising on the screen at times fills more than 50% of the viewable area leading some to refer to it as “Adzillatron.” Non-stop audio from the device frequently drowns out the school’s popular band which was coincidentally repositioned to temporary bleachers directly below the display.

The “scoreboard” is 55-feet high by 134-feet wide totaling 7,370 square feet. With a pixel resolution of 2064 x 848, the screen delivers 4.4 trillion color capability. It weighs 52 tons and was assembled from 36 large pieces that were transported on flatbed trucks to Austin from the manufacturer Daktronics in South Dakota. The screen is no longer the largest in the world but remains among the loudest and can be “enjoyed” by virtually everyone in the stadium, except the band.

BookBook is a one-of-a-kind, hardback leather case designed exclusively for MacBook and MacBook Pro

Apple’s award-winning designs are elegant and successful.  That’s why I was struck by the BookBook case for the MacBook and MacBook Pro. This “must-have” accessory is unique but I’m not so sure about the claim it will “enhance the Mac experience.” The vintage leather book design “protects you from being like everyone else.” It does sport a certain coolness factor – what if everything new could be old again?