Just…like….wow!
Do you want to know what’s keeping car industry execs awake at night right now? It’s not oil prices, it’s the convergence of open source and 3D printing technologies. Sure, right now the whole idea of DIY cars is a pipe dream, but look forward a decade or so and you can easily see a situation where car production goes completely local.
Young children who live in extreme poverty often have to wear shoes that don’t fit.or go without shoes altogether. The non-profit Because International saw the problem and is doing something remarkable about it. The Shoe That Grows is an adjustable shoe that can grow five sizes to accommodate a growing child’s feet. Adjustable in the front in three places, straps at the front and rear of the shoe alter the shoe’s length, and the rubber sole bends up as needed….
Everyone’s got an old laptop or desktop PC lying around in an attic or cupboard somewhere. That’s just how it goes. Most of the time, it sits there because it runs like a dog, and no-one can be bothered to fix it, or junk it. But now you have a rather cool way to bring your old machine back to productive life.
![LXLE Linux – revive that old PC! [Freeware]](https://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/lxlelinux.jpg)
We don’t often comment on TV entertainment, but we’re having to give it up to the team behind the Silicon Valley comedy. We’re on series two of this geeky startup comedy show now (and series three has a green light), and the writing remains top class, even if you really need to be a valley nerd to appreciate all of the in-jokes.
![Hooli XYZ – great marketing shows that TV still has it [ok, so you’ve got to be a bit of a geek]](https://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/hooli.jpg)
If you’ve ever wished you could revert back to a simpler way of living and avoid all the complications of our tech fuelled world, then this is a site which you’ll want to visit. The Maya Pedal is a place dedicated to bicimaquinas, or pedal powered machines.
It’s a fact that our civilization relies on the constant flow of water down the main rivers in each country. We build cities near them, use their water for our industrial systems, and enjoy their beauty in our leisure time. But how many of us think about the source of these majestic water flows? Well here’s a great set of images highlighting the source of 15 of the world’s biggest rivers for you to enjoy.
Tomorrow, Saturday 28th March 2015, at 8.30pm local time wherever you are, the lights will be switched off all over the world for a symbolic 60 minutes, to mark Earth Hour. Described as a ‘worldwide grassroots movement uniting people to protect the planet‘, and organized by the World Wildlife Fund, it basically gives everyone a chance to demonstrate their concern for the state of our planet in whatever small way they can.
An enterprising Italian company has come up with a product that could transform the way we live, by opening up dark gloomy spaces in an amazing way. The trick lies in making artificial sunlight seem incredibly real using some very clever technology and materials. Suddenly your dreary basement den can be as beautifully welcoming as a rooftop dormer loft conversion, and all year round too.
Everyone knows that 3D printing is still at an extremely early stage of development, just baby steps really. But it’s clear that eventually the process of printing things on demand will change the world beyond all recognition. It will make the mobile phone revolution look like nothing. Think we’re joking?
In case you haven’t yet heard, two intrepid Swiss adventurers have just set off on a round the world flight in a solar powered plane which will use absolutely no extra fuel on the journey. The 17,000 solar panels will charge up some on-board lithium ion batteries to keep the plane aloft during the night, and they will simply keep going until they complete the whole journey around the globe.
When it comes down to it, backing up our smartphones is more than just sensible, it’s probably essential. Especially with the risks of loss, breakage or theft, and even upgrading a phone goes so much smoother if you can take your familiar running data with you. And the backup built into Android sucks. So how nice to report on a superb new app which we’ve been using recently to make this process totally painless.
![Easy Backup & Restore – this brilliant free Android backup app is the best, no question [Freeware Review]](https://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/easybackuprestore.jpg)
Let’s just get one thing out of the right now, shall we? All those clever folk sneering at the wave of Android TV boxes flooding the market right now need to wipe the smirk off their faces, because these things are here to stay, and they’re getting awesome. For those who’ve just arrived from Mars, these small boxes hook up to your TV via the HDMI socket and deliver games, Internet, and TV entertainment using the WiFi network in your home….
![Tronsmart Draco AW80 – awesome OctaCore TV Box sets a new level in amazing [Review]](https://www.redferret.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/tronsmartdracoMain2.jpg)
If you’ve ever wondered if we would ever be able to view 3D without having to put on those stupid glasses, then you’re in for a treat. Sure it’s not a total full complete 3D experience, but this SplitDepthGIFS sub from Reddit features some rather awesome moving images which will keep you entertained for far too long.
There’s no question that we waste a huge amount of energy every day, which is not fair on the planet or on our pocketbooks. The problem is it’s hard to identify easy wins, where we can make savings which are significant and yet don’t adversely impact our lives too much. Now a Swedish company has come up with an ingenious system which promises to completely overturn our shower waste and give us a better shower at the same time.
There are tons of interesting hotels located across the globe nowadays, some which are very beautiful indeed. And then there are the novelty hostels, like tree houses, tubes, caves and ice warrens which are designed to appeal to quirky travelers who have seen it all. Which is probably where this delightful Australian project sits to be honest.
