Generating Elecricity from Foot Traffic

This is brilliant! What a GREAT way to generate electricity. I wonder how expensive it is to roll this out to every metro area. Imagine putting this at the entrance to metro stations in DC. I bet you could at least power the metro with the foot traffic.



More info here:

Check out the power generated by people stepping on floor tiles.

Google Launched "Near me Now" on Android

Now that I'm a new Android user, I love this feature. Especially since I've gotten over how creepy it is that Google knows where I am every minute of the day (when I have my phone on). The creep factor is negated by the fact that I really like to use my phone as a GPS and to find where the closest Starbucks is to me in a new city.

More about the Google announcement about "Near me Now" on the Fast Company blog.

Filipino Prisoners Dancing to Queen

Supposedly as a part of their rehab. The beginning is slow, but stick with it, it's worth it.

Rocket Fuel Found in Infant Formual - Kids at Risk

CDC has found the rocket fuel chemical (perchlorate) in 15 brands of powdered infant formula. Combined with existing perchlorate drinking water contamination in 28 states, infants are at risk. Environmental Working Group asks for EPA action. http://www.ewg.org/Rocket-Fuel-In-Infant-Formula/TakeAction

Beautiful 404 pages

I just loved some of these 404 Error Pages and had to share. I copied my favorites below, but you should really see them all.

Mercury Found in High Fructose Corn Syrup

My family members are diabetic, so I've been irritated by the corn industry's new TV commercials that say "high fructose corn syrup is fine in moderating".

Yeah right.

Turns out they've been creating the stuff with mercury.

"Mercury is toxic in all its forms. Given how much high-fructose corn syrup is consumed by children, it could be a significant additional source of mercury never before considered. We are calling for immediate changes by industry and the [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] to help stop this avoidable mercury contamination of the food supply," the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy's Dr. David Wallinga, a co-author of both studies, said in a prepared statement.

Full article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/26/AR2009012601831_pf.html

And here are products that have mercury in them:
Product Name Total Mercury Limit of Detection (ppt)
Quaker Oatmeal to Go 350 80
Jack Daniel’s Barbecue Sauce (Heinz) 300 100
Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup 257 50
Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce 200 100
Nutri-Grain Strawberry Cereal Bars 180 80
Manwich Bold Sloppy Joe 150 80
Market Pantry Grape Jelly 130 80
Smucker’s Strawberry Jelly 100 80
Pop-Tarts Frosted Blueberry 100 80
Hunt’s Tomato Ketchup 87 50
Wish-Bone Western Sweet & Smooth Dressing 72 50
Coca-Cola Classic 62 50
Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt 60 20
Minute Maid Berry Punch 40 30
Yoo-hoo Chocolate Drink 30 20
Nesquik Chocolate Milk 30 20
Kemps Fat Free Chocolate Milk 30 20

The whole list is here: http://www.healthobservatory.org/library.cfm?refID=105026

Looking for a coffee in a strange city that isn't Starbucks?

I had to share a new tool that will let you look up non-chain coffee shops, bookstores and theaters. It's called Delocator.