Sunday, July 20, 2008

Some Interesting Gadgets Which Would Make Life Better for the Third World

Many parts of South Asia suffer from miserable electricity supplies. Even the capitals of India and Pakistan, Delhi and Islamabad respectively, often suffer from power failures of several hours a day. And this is a part of the world where people are addicted to television for both entertainment and for the news. I have some good news for them: Sharp, the Japanese television house has introduced a solar powered flat screen TV which they could buy and use. The press release is here: http://sharp-world.com/corporate/news/080704.html

Green Daily talks about a pedal powered ambulance which, after modification, I think, would make for an excellent high tech substitute for a cycle rickshaw in South Asia: http://www.greendaily.com/2008/07/11/concept-pedal-ambulance-for-off-grid-911/ The vehicle looks certain to be more comfortable both for the passenger as well as for the rickshaw puller as it was originally conceived as an ambulance. One more way of showing fossil fuel the fist? You bet! And one more way of providing employment to the legions of unemployed and uneducated people in that part of the world? Yes!

As mroe good news keeps coming in, I hope some of you readers have entre-preneurial ideas of your own to try and market these products and make money while saving the earth. Let's have some sheikhs from the non-oil based energy sector. All power to you!

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