Kerosene, according to the fact sheet provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO), can effect the lungs, brain, skin, eyes, and cause other behavioural issues – burns from the fuel is a dangerous side effect also.  For students in the third world however, kerosene fuels their study time.  Providing a flickering, acrid light to do their sums by.  So what’s the solution? Continue Reading

So there I was. Seated and sweating bullets. You see, I’d been asked some questions about the future by a journo of the future. He asked about the collision of technology and “eco-friendliness” in the years to come – and as usual that got me to thinking. How should a household step into a tech savvy green future. What would my GHP or “Green Home Philosophy” be? Continue Reading

On one hand they can be amazing. Free cooling during summer. Casting flickering dashes of light onto the floor below. Making great use of the phrase “hot air rises*”. But like they say, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch**”. We’re talking roof turbines people – those 70’s inspired spinning domes on our roof. Continue Reading

Although he cites other reasons for his stunning photography, Mark Tipple’s work portrays the beauty and power of nature as well as the synergy we humans and mother ocean share. His skillful compositions don’t fail to stir emotions, especially for those of us who grew up surfing, or in my case getting smashed by the waves. His imagery is joyful, powerful and playful – they could also serve as a reminder of what we could lose if we don’t take care. Continue Reading

We, as subservient members of the British Empire, love to quaff a cuppa at any time of the day with nary an excuse needed. Whether it be by mug, cup, infuser, or pot – we’re loving it. We’re saying pass the honey, honey. Pass the sugar, sugar. And pass the tea, bag. And getting slapped. But we still come back for more. But the big question is – what is the true cost of that boiled happiness?
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We recently mumbled about the remarkable Arduino project. An open source hardware system that lets you create all manner of remarkable gizmos and creations to leave your mark on the world. At the core of the Arduino scene is a little Aussie company called Freetronics. They make some of the most forward thinking Arduino products on the market – all from downtown Croydon Hills, Melbourne, Oz. Let’s have a natter with one of the co-founders, Jonathan Oxer. Continue Reading

With all of this technology available to us and everyone’s wanton desire to be a sticky-beak it’s no wonder that these two things have collided. Enter Pachube. I’ve no idea how to pronounce it but it might just open up a a whole new world of water cooler discussion at the least, or on the other hand it might just tell you if the winds of change are going to kill you. Intrigued?  Continue Reading

Picture if you will the evolution of our species.

In a very Homer-esque (Simpson rather than Iliad) way we’ve evolved to a point and are now devolving. We were once hairy cavemen dragging home our tapas at the point of a blunt club and now we are mere couchmen, nursing our irradiated Lite’n’Lazies on our rotund bellies, fueling our demise via coronary artery blockages.

Where did our ingenuity go? Why do we now buy rather than jury rig? Continue Reading