Readymade News

Product Innovation & Design Awards

Its Awards season again, time to break out the Tuxedo.

Yesterday I helped judge an innovation competition at Pretoria University's Engineering School. Tonight I'll be attending the awards ceremony for the 2006 Disa Design Excellence Awards. The Technology Top 100 entries close this week. Currently open for entries are the Prototype Awards and Chicago Athenaeum Good Design Awards.

Bicycles in Africa

In Africa cheap customized load carrying bicycles help people get jobs, start entrepreneurial businesses, and transport themselves and their families, using the greenest power source around - human power.
Here are some examples; XAccess (Xtracycle Access Foundation) models include the Longtail and the Bigga Boda bicycle which is a two passenger taxi and features a reed woven seat. Re-cycle, a UK based initiative which donates used bicycles to Africa and Afribike  which has a cargo tricycle as one of their projects. The Bicycle Ambulance is designed to help transport patients from their homes in outlying farms or villages to hospitals or clinics. It consists of a removable stretcher and a trailer frame that is light enough to be towed by a bicycle, or even pulled by a person, if need be.
AfriCart is a local cart made with bicycle wheels and a simple wooden frame by carpenters using hand tools and low-cost materials.

New high-strength heat-resistant bioplastic from Mazda

Mazda has developed an exterior surface quality, high-strength, heat-resistant plastic (bioplastic) made of natural materials. This newly-developed bioplastic is made of 88 percent corn and 12 percent petroleum.

source; treehugger and automotoportal.