The Straw That Could. And Should.
December 19th, 2007 by 5cents
Time magazine recently selected Apple’s iPhone as its invention of the year. While the iPhone is a breakthrough mobile device, I was upset at Time choosing a gadget with such a small global reach as its annual halo invention. Instead, I’d like to rave about Time’s 2005 invention of the year, the Lifestraw from Vestergaard Frandsen Group. Yes, this is about three years late, nevertheless, this little straw that could is even more relevant today than it was in 2005 (and a new version just came out).
Studies show about a billion people worldwide do not have access to a reliable source of safe drinking water, something most in the developed world take for granted. Africa comes to mind first given the general public perception of a continent devoid of anything liquid but the problem affects most third world countries (including India which, paradoxically Read On! »
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You know how I keep going on about Firefox for PC users? Well, aside from the extensibility of the browser, the inherent security that comes from being open source and the fact you aren’t furthering the lumbering monopolistic entity that is Microsoft Corp, here’s further confirmation that they are indeed the best internet browser out there. You see, while their old icon was pretty nifty and arresting to the eyes, they decided an overhaul was in order to make it more human, more personal, more in touch with our inner selves so to speak. What do I think of the new design? Well, it’s certainly warm and cuddly. I don’t know what it is, but it makes me feel utterly safe and comforted while surfing the net. See the new logo inside and get Firefox 2 
Apparently the Jappos are good for more than ultra-reliable but boring cars, origami, robots and anime. As part of a drive to reduce disposable containers and packaging, they’ve called upon the art of Furoshiki which involves using a simple square piece of cloth to fashion a carrying case. It’s all along the vein of origami and while some might seem obvious, others are really quite clever. It’s just the sort of thing that we need to be doing in order to save this planet from destruction. I can totally see this as a new fashion statement for those eco-friendly types. Hint: Choose some sort of designer cloth (Louis Vuitton or some fine leather) and give it to your girlfriend/mother/sister along with the diagram below. She’ll be the first on the block to rep this style. Makes you wonder how much smarter than us the ancient peoples really were. Remember, you heard it here second (I cant remember where I originally got this image from, sorry). High res pic after the jump. 
Some of you may be familiar with Isabell Dinoire, a Frenchwoman from Amiens on the River Somme in Northern France. Just over a year ago, Isabell was mauled by her dog in a horrific attack and lost her nose, lips and chin. Surgeons operated on her shortly after and using borrowed skin from a brain-dead donor, grafted the missing pieces on to her.