Off grid solar satellite television.

UK-based solar company Azuri Technologies and Kenyan satellite TV provider Zuku launched the service in Kenya in December. A solar panel is fixed to the roof of a customer's home, and connects to a battery which powers a range of appliances, including lamps, a mobile phone charger, and a 24-inch (61cm) TV which accesses Zuku's Smart satellite TV service. Users pay an upfront fee of 4,999 Kenyan shillings (£39) for the system, and thereafter pay 149 shillings(£1.15) per day. By the end of two years on this payment schedule, customers own the kit outright. While solar power products have been available in Kenya for several years, and some free-to-air terrestrial TV stations have been accessible in rural areas, this is the first time off-grid households have had access to a full range of satellite pay-TV channels.All powered by the sun. AzuriTV provides lighting in their home, including a security night light, as well as access to world news and entertainment. Azuri aims to go beyond lighting and to provide each customer with TVs, internet access, entertainment and a range of services. continue

Virtual reality and entertainment.

Imagine finding yourself on a futuristic stage with rock legends Queen as they blast out their greatest hit, Bohemian Rhapsody. A neon-rendered Freddie Mercury struts around you. Well, now that fantasy experience can be a reality - albeit a virtual one.

 Last year Queen collaborated with Google Play and Enosis VR to create a 360 degree virtual reality (VR) take on the groundbreaking video for the band's 1975 hit. 

 This video is is often credited with fuelling the boom in pop videos that characterised the 1980s. The interactive app uses 2D and 3D animations combined with motion-captured ballet dancers to immerse the viewer in the late Freddie Mercury's"subconscious mind". continue

Foods can improve your gut bacteria.

The gut microbiome - the diverse community of bacteria that inhabits our intestines . Almost every day we come across headlines claiming that it has the power to influence our health in new and surprising ways, whether it's our weight, our mood or our ability to resist infection. Unsurprisingly, given this explosion of interest in our inner ecosystem, our supermarket shelves and pharmacies now stock an array of probiotic products - products containing live bacteria and yeasts - that claim to be able to influence our gut microbiome for the better. But is any of this actually possible? see

Cats may be as intelligent as dogs.

Japanese scientists say cats are as good as dogs at certain memory tests, suggesting they may be just as smart. A study - involving 49 domestic cats - shows felines can recall memories of pleasant experiences, such as eating a favourite snack. Dogs show this type of recollection - a unique memory of a specific event known as episodic memory. Humans often consciously try to reconstruct past events that have taken place in their lives, such as what they ate for breakfast, their first day in a new job or a family wedding. These memories are linked with an individual take on events, so they are unique to that person. Saho Takagi, a psychologist at Kyoto University, said cats, as well as dogs, used memories of a single past experience, which may imply they have episodic memory similar to that of humans. Episodic memory is viewed as being related to introspective function of the mind; our study may imply a type of consciousness in cats,continue

Climate Change And Large-Scale Adoption Of Big Data Hydroponics.

Climate Change And Large-Scale Adoption Of Big Data Hydroponics.Food and water (in)security, changing weather patterns, and shifts in global demographics REQUIRE large-scale adoption of advanced hydroponics. Why? Because Global Food Systems are under attack and advances from agricultural mechanization in the 1920s and the Green Revolution from 1940-1960 have largely been exhausted. Farmers and ranchers are already facing devastating impacts from the realities of Climate Change – including severe floods, extreme heat and drought, and increased pressures from changing disease and pest patterns. This has resulted in protein unavailability and further malnourishment in many of the developing nations .continue

Beans and Sustainable Agriculture:.

Pulses are an amazing protein and might save the Planet,Pulses like chickpea and pigeonpea contribute towards the new Sustainable Development Goals to reduce poverty and hunger, improve health and gender equity, promote responsible consumption and help adapt to climate change. Beans as a means for sustainable agriculture for the following reasons; 1)Lower Carbon footprint. 2) Water . 3) Nitrogen Fixing & Soil Microbial Diversity. Pulses have a lower carbon footprint in production than most animal sources of protein. One study showed that one kilogram of legume only emits 0.5kg in Co2 equivalent, whereas 1kg of beef produces 9.5 kg in CO2 equivalent . Lentils are one of the foodstuff that contributes the least emissions, far fewer than turkey, salmon or other common sources of protein. How do Beans reduce Carbon Emissions? 1)Low water use results in low energy use. 2)Reduces nonrenewable energy in the entire crop rotation by 22-24%. 3)Pulse-Pulse-Wheat cropping has 34% less carbon footprint compared to a Cereal-Cereal-Wheat cropping pattern. 4) Better farming practices, including use of pulse crops, can lower the average carbon footprint by 24 to 37%. 5) Nitrogen fertilizers contribute to carbon footprint as its energy footprint is over 7.5 times more than other fertilizers such as phosphate and potash. 6) Pulses help reduce use of chemical fertilizers by fixing nitrogen. continue

Sustainability and Global Food Systems .

Farmers and ranchers are already facing devastating impacts from the realities of Climate Change – including severe floods, extreme heat and drought, and increased pressures from changing disease and pest patterns. Major advantages of conservation agriculture are:1)Reduced wind and water erosion of topsoil. 2)Increased water use efficiency through improved water infiltration and retention. 3)Increased nutrient use efficiency through enhanced nutrient cycling and fertilizer placement adjacent to seed. 4) Reduced oscillation of surface soil temperatures. 5)Increased soil organic matter and diverse soil biology. 6)Reduced fuel, labor and overall crop establishment costs. It’s a win-win situation for the environment AND the economy when it comes to introducing legumes into agricultural systems, says new research,Good for you, good for the planet, and good for the smallholder farmer. Pulses like chickpea and pigeonpea contribute towards the new Sustainable Development Goals to reduce poverty and hunger, improve health and gender equity, promote responsible consumption and help adapt to climate change. continue