LEDs are a safe and efficient (高效的) electronic light source that shines with bright white light, now being used around the world. However, according to the International Energy Agency and the World Bank, more than 1 million people in the world still do not have access to electricity. After sunset, most of them light candles or oil lamps. A company in the Netherlands is trying to change that with its product based on LEDs.

“Now for the first time artificial light or solar LED light is less expensive than kerosene (煤油),” said Camille Van Gestel, head of a Dutch company called WakaWaka.

He said WakaWaka, which means “Shine Bright”, is the most efficient solar-powered light and phone charger in the world today. When fully charged, it shines for up to 16 hours. It is affordable, sustainable (可持续的), and its battery lasts for a long time. It can be set up on any flat surface, hung from a ceiling or even placed on a glass bottle.

Van Gestel said it is intended for the poorest of the poor. “Our primary goal is to reach people who live at the base of the pyramid, and who live on less than two dollars a day.” His company operates like any other business, but some of the money made from selling its products is used to make WakaWaka lights affordable to poor people. He said the initiative (发起) is supported by international non-government organizations.

“The International Rescue Committee was one of the first to actually take the WakaWaka power into Syria to provide light and power for Syrian refugees, and now the WakaWaka is the most valued non-food item in Syria,” said Van Gestel.

In the past 24 months, the company has distributed around 300,000 units in places such as Syria, Haiti, Rwanda, Indonesia and the Philippines. Its goal is to reach 1.2 billion people by 2030.

Standing in line for the latest iPhone at the Apple store, queuing for tickets to the match or even just waiting at the post office might just have got a lot easier.

Japanese car-maker Nissan announces that it has just the thing to relieve the painful legs of tired queuers.

The new system of self-driving chairs is designed to detect when someone at the front of the queue is called, and automatically move everyone else one step forward in line.

The new invention is shown in a company video, which shows a busy restaurant with customers waiting outside. In the video, diners are sitting in a row of chairs, but will not have to stand when the next hungry diner is called to a table. Instead, the chairs, equipped with autonomous technology that detects the seat ahead, move along a path toward the front of the line. When the person at the front of the queue is called, the empty chair at the front can sense it is empty and so moves out of line. Cameras on the remaining chairs then sense the movement and follow automatically.

“The system, which is similar to the kind used in Nissan's autonomous vehicle technology, will be tested at select restaurants in Japan this year,” Nissan said. “It appeals to anyone who has queued for hours outside a crowded restaurant: it rids the boredom and physical pain of standing in line,” Nissan added.

Although Tokyo has some 160,000 restaurants, long queues are not uncommon. Chosen restaurants that meet the criteria will be able to show the chairs outside their restaurants next year. Nissan also released a short video showing the chairs being used in an art gallery, moving slowly in front of the various paintings to let viewers appreciate the art without the need to stand up.

A Pen That Draws in Any Color

The Scribble is a magical pen that can scan colors and instantly reproduce the colors. Hold the Scribble’s scanner up to any color, and within a second that color is stored in its memory. 【小题1】

Who can use the Scribble?

Children will love the Scribble because it can create different colors, replacing even their biggest box of crayons (蜡笔). Besides, anyone working with color in their professional lives, such as artists, will be able to scan and reproduce colors instantly.

【小题2】

Green! One of the most important characteristics of the Scribble is that, since it can reproduce any color, it replaces marking pens, greatly reducing the huge amount of plastic waste.

What’s inside the Scribble?

There will be two different versions of the Scribble, the Scribble K and the Scribble S. The K will be able to reproduce exact colors on paper. It includes a color sensor and a rechargeable battery. 【小题3】The S looks exactly the same as the K, but it is intended for use on screen.

How did we create the Scribble?

We’ve been in the design process for two years and the Scribble has gone through various design changes to get it to where we are now. Because of its small size we have created some ideas never seen before in the color reproduction industry. 【小题4】

【小题5】 Without your likes, the Scribble couldn’t make it so far. Please make sure to bookmark our website and check back often to see the progress as well as the updated times for production and delivery of your Scribble.