13 3 / 2012
I’m Clarence, a 4G hotspot. At the SXSW music and technology conference this week, one marketing agency is trying something radical: giving wireless hotspot technology to the homeless, or “houseless” as Clarence prefers. These houseless individuals are paid $20 a day by the agency to roam the festival and provide wireless internet to gatherings of people. Controversial and thought-provoking, the project is highlighting the vast lifestyle difference between the poverty-stricken houseless and the newly established internet generation. The gap in access to technology is growing. If you are reading this post, then your life, not unlike mine, probably revolves around the online world. But many people are being left behind in this new technology. The Homeless Hotspots project puts the state of the union right in your face, and more specifically, your internet. Donate a few dollars to Clarence so that you can post on Facebook or check your stock portfolio. Beautifully honest in every way.
Donate or find out more about Homeless Hotspots.
08 3 / 2012
Water purifiers for the third world have the potential to change everything. 884 million people in the world lack access to clean water. It’s estimated that 3.575 million people die every year from a water-borne disease. In fact, a child dies every 20 seconds from a water-borne disease. These numbers are staggering. Fortunately, it’s something that can be fixed through community development. With proper drilling and infrastructure, a clean water system is possible anywhere in the world. Until this happens, innovative solutions like the smart Life Sack can help those in desperate need of food and clean water.
See how to solve the global water crisis.
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08 3 / 2012
This KONY 2012 video has received a lot of attention over the past few days. Clearly, the producers are on to something. A sure sign of a good political movement is criticism. Every political movement has it’s own share of negative feedback. How long until this thing reaches critical mass? Social media is the modern Haight-Ashbury.
08 3 / 2012
Cat toilet training
Cat owners, brace yourselves. Imagine never having to empty that poop box again. Imagine never having to buy cat litter or litter boxes again. Imagine a world where cats use the toilet like everyone else in your house. No mess, no smell.
Cat toilet training already exists but it does not receive near the attention that it deserves. This is a revolutionary, world changing idea that every cat has the ability to learn. Now get up off your paws and move your tail on over to the bathroom and teach your cat something that will have everyone meowing.
Introducing CitiKitty.
07 3 / 2012
Light-sensing toasters
Most toasters time your bread’s cook time using a resistor. A current of electricity travels through your toaster’s circuits as soon as you turn it on. When the resistor reaches a certain voltage, the toaster cuts the power and releases your bread. Unfortunately, toasters rarely get the bread toasted “just right.” Every morning I find myself reloading the toaster for another half-cycle, trying to find the perfect toasty darkness.
Let’s modernize this baby boomer appliance. How about a light/color sensor that determines when your bread is perfectly toasted?
Potential issues: dark rye. This could be fixed by adding a “dark rye” option on the appliance.
See how toasters work today.
07 3 / 2012
Hello world!
Welcome to my new experiment, a good idea. This is a social networking project including agoodidea.org, facebook.com/areallygoodidea, @areallygoodidea, and most importantly, you. We face an array of problems in our contemporary world. Some problems are big, like how to stop the LRA’s violent regime in Africa, while some are small, like how to brew the perfect cup of coffee. The concept here is simple: we work together to promote good ideas that have the potential to change the world. Thanks for reading.
