Think Ahead

Let's Think Ahead highlights creative businesses, modes of thinking, and technological breakthroughs that are positively changing our future in order to encourage entrepreneurs and global creativity
(via Huge Soccer Stadium Going Solar - CleanTechnica) One of the largest soccer stadiums in the world, the Estadio Maracana, in Rio de Janeiro, is going solar. Over 1500 photovoltaic panels will be installed on it’s roof by Yingli Solar and as Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup, they have affectively made a statement to the world. Solar is here, it is affordable, it is sensible, and it is efficient. Most importantly, we believe in it so much that we are putting the dollars down to install it in the building that will host the finals of the 2014 World Cup. Solar energy is no longer an economic question or environmentalist pipe-dream. It is a sensible business maneuver that is slowly powering the world.  -David Beiner

(via Huge Soccer Stadium Going Solar - CleanTechnica)

One of the largest soccer stadiums in the world, the Estadio Maracana, in Rio de Janeiro, is going solar. Over 1500 photovoltaic panels will be installed on it’s roof by Yingli Solar and as Brazil prepares to host the 2014 World Cup, they have affectively made a statement to the world. Solar is here, it is affordable, it is sensible, and it is efficient. Most importantly, we believe in it so much that we are putting the dollars down to install it in the building that will host the finals of the 2014 World Cup. Solar energy is no longer an economic question or environmentalist pipe-dream. It is a sensible business maneuver that is slowly powering the world. 

-David Beiner

3 weeks ago - 3
(via LOYAL3) Ideas around crowdfunding and customer participation continue to evolve and LOYAL3 is forging the next step in that evolution. First, customers can buy stock in a company with three clicks without leaving Facebook. They can also invest as little as $10. LOYAL3 believes investment through Facebook means more “investors”, which in this case will become more loyal customers who are incentivized to talk about the brand through their social networks due to their ownership stake. Consumption continues to become increasingly inclusive and participatory. The success or failure of LOYAL3 will be a good barometer as to whether this is in fact part of our new economy, as oppose to a passing fad. My gut say’s it is.  -David Beiner

(via LOYAL3)

Ideas around crowdfunding and customer participation continue to evolve and LOYAL3 is forging the next step in that evolution. First, customers can buy stock in a company with three clicks without leaving Facebook. They can also invest as little as $10. LOYAL3 believes investment through Facebook means more “investors”, which in this case will become more loyal customers who are incentivized to talk about the brand through their social networks due to their ownership stake. Consumption continues to become increasingly inclusive and participatory. The success or failure of LOYAL3 will be a good barometer as to whether this is in fact part of our new economy, as oppose to a passing fad. My gut say’s it is. 

-David Beiner

3 weeks ago
(via Chicago Car Sharing Program I-GO Launches Largest Solar-Powered EV Project in U.S. - CleanTechnica)  I-Go, a Chicago based car sharing service is placing solar charging stations that will exclusively power electric vehicles in seven different areas of Chicago. This will save I-Go members 17,000 gallons of gasoline a year. Car sharing enables collaborative transportation and reduces a cities carbon footprint, combining this with solar powered electric charging stations effectively creates a nearly carbon-neutral impact for all members of I-Go. Great idea and great to see it going into action.  -David Beiner

(via Chicago Car Sharing Program I-GO Launches Largest Solar-Powered EV Project in U.S. - CleanTechnica)

 I-Go, a Chicago based car sharing service is placing solar charging stations that will exclusively power electric vehicles in seven different areas of Chicago. This will save I-Go members 17,000 gallons of gasoline a year. Car sharing enables collaborative transportation and reduces a cities carbon footprint, combining this with solar powered electric charging stations effectively creates a nearly carbon-neutral impact for all members of I-Go. Great idea and great to see it going into action. 

-David Beiner

4 weeks ago
(via In Mexico, scheme exchanges rubbish for fresh produce | Springwise) Mercado de Trueque is the new name for Mexico City’s latest advancement towards reducing waste and benefitting local farmers. Every Sunday at Chapulepec park, residents of the city are exchanging recyclable materials in exchange for “green points”, which can be used to purchase food from local farmers at the market. The new initiative was organized by the government and demonstrates productive steps other municipal governments can take to encourage waste reduction and bring business to local famers. In a place like Mexico City, one of the largest cities in the world, this is incredible. Now other large cities can follow the lead. -David Beiner

(via In Mexico, scheme exchanges rubbish for fresh produce | Springwise)

Mercado de Trueque is the new name for Mexico City’s latest advancement towards reducing waste and benefitting local farmers. Every Sunday at Chapulepec park, residents of the city are exchanging recyclable materials in exchange for “green points”, which can be used to purchase food from local farmers at the market. The new initiative was organized by the government and demonstrates productive steps other municipal governments can take to encourage waste reduction and bring business to local famers. In a place like Mexico City, one of the largest cities in the world, this is incredible. Now other large cities can follow the lead.

-David Beiner
1 month ago - 65
(via A ‘Vertical Greenhouse’ Could Make a Swedish City Self-Sufficient - Environment - GOOD) In 2013 the Swedish city of Linkoping will become home to a 17 story vertical farm. Designed by agricultural design firm Pantagon the new “plantscraper” will enable the city to become self sufficient. All produce will really be local. The new skycraper comes with environmental benefits in addition to lowering food costs. Because the produce will be grown in a controlled environment their can be higher and year round yields while future urban farmers will be albe to use less water, energy, and pesticides. With 80 percent of the worlds population expected to live in cities by 2050 vertical farms will have to become more common. It is great to see Sweden work with Plantagon to make this a reality.  -David Beiner

(via A ‘Vertical Greenhouse’ Could Make a Swedish City Self-Sufficient - Environment - GOOD)

In 2013 the Swedish city of Linkoping will become home to a 17 story vertical farm. Designed by agricultural design firm Pantagon the new “plantscraper” will enable the city to become self sufficient. All produce will really be local. The new skycraper comes with environmental benefits in addition to lowering food costs. Because the produce will be grown in a controlled environment their can be higher and year round yields while future urban farmers will be albe to use less water, energy, and pesticides. With 80 percent of the worlds population expected to live in cities by 2050 vertical farms will have to become more common. It is great to see Sweden work with Plantagon to make this a reality. 

-David Beiner

1 month ago - 10
(via QANTAS Looking to Sustainable Aviation Fuel With First Flight - CleanTechnica) Whether the reasons for airlines moving towards an oil-free industry are environmental or simply a reaction to their bottom lines doesn’t matter and QANTAS just took a huge step towards creating a sustainable aviation industry. Early this morning QANTAS flight 1120 flew from Adelaide to Sydney, powered exclusively by recycled cooking oil. This is just one fuel source QANTAS will be further testing but the dollars are moving towards transforming the way we fly. It’s hard to imagine cooking oil will be the answer. Even if one wishes to imagine a utopian airport, in which restaurants seamlessly deliver fuel to your plane and the waste from your McDonalds purchase literally powers your flight, the volume needed to power the aviation industry would probably outpace cooking oil production. Either way, it is a vital step in what will be a long-term transformative process.  -David Beiner

(via QANTAS Looking to Sustainable Aviation Fuel With First Flight - CleanTechnica)

Whether the reasons for airlines moving towards an oil-free industry are environmental or simply a reaction to their bottom lines doesn’t matter and QANTAS just took a huge step towards creating a sustainable aviation industry. Early this morning QANTAS flight 1120 flew from Adelaide to Sydney, powered exclusively by recycled cooking oil. This is just one fuel source QANTAS will be further testing but the dollars are moving towards transforming the way we fly. It’s hard to imagine cooking oil will be the answer. Even if one wishes to imagine a utopian airport, in which restaurants seamlessly deliver fuel to your plane and the waste from your McDonalds purchase literally powers your flight, the volume needed to power the aviation industry would probably outpace cooking oil production. Either way, it is a vital step in what will be a long-term transformative process. 

-David Beiner

1 month ago - 1
(via First ever hyper-local crowdfunding platform | Springwise) As crowdfunding sites such as kickstarter, indiegogo and kiva become more common, a new group of hyper-niche crowdfuding sites are popping up. LocalAnt.com claims to be the first ever, “hyper-local”, crowdfunding platform. Local Ant focuses on one business a week, as oppose to other sites which have no such restrictions By making crowdfunding extremely local, users may be more inclined to finance local business as they can quickly reap the benefits of a local businesses improvements. For example, if a cafe near you is raising money for outside seating, you can be part of that project and quickly reap the benefits in your everyday life. The crowdfuding market has become overwhelming, but Local Ant provides a fresh twist.  -David Beiner

(via First ever hyper-local crowdfunding platform | Springwise)

As crowdfunding sites such as kickstarter, indiegogo and kiva become more common, a new group of hyper-niche crowdfuding sites are popping up. LocalAnt.com claims to be the first ever, “hyper-local”, crowdfunding platform. Local Ant focuses on one business a week, as oppose to other sites which have no such restrictions By making crowdfunding extremely local, users may be more inclined to finance local business as they can quickly reap the benefits of a local businesses improvements. For example, if a cafe near you is raising money for outside seating, you can be part of that project and quickly reap the benefits in your everyday life. The crowdfuding market has become overwhelming, but Local Ant provides a fresh twist. 

-David Beiner

1 month ago - 1
(via In France, site rewards participants for eco-friendly behavior | Springwise) CiteGreen, an emerging start-up in France, rewards users with discounts and promotions for eco-friendly behavior. After creating an account and completing specific green tasks users earn points. These points are than exchanged for rewards from CiteGreens eco-friendly partners. While the idea is interesting and socially beneficial, the question remains whether gamifying good behavior creates a permanent behavior change and if rewards are enough to permanently instill greener behavior. The site could do more to educate users on the positive affects of eco-friendly behavior. Without the aspect of education, I wonder whether the positive feeling from rewards wares off if the user does not also realize the larger importance of their actions. Regardless, CiteGreen is definitely an interesting and beneficial idea that can be improved upon.  -David Beiner

(via In France, site rewards participants for eco-friendly behavior | Springwise)

CiteGreen, an emerging start-up in France, rewards users with discounts and promotions for eco-friendly behavior. After creating an account and completing specific green tasks users earn points. These points are than exchanged for rewards from CiteGreens eco-friendly partners. While the idea is interesting and socially beneficial, the question remains whether gamifying good behavior creates a permanent behavior change and if rewards are enough to permanently instill greener behavior. The site could do more to educate users on the positive affects of eco-friendly behavior. Without the aspect of education, I wonder whether the positive feeling from rewards wares off if the user does not also realize the larger importance of their actions. Regardless, CiteGreen is definitely an interesting and beneficial idea that can be improved upon. 

-David Beiner

2 months ago

How does a luxurious chocolate shop reinvent itself, properly use social media in connection with the greater world, and open up its brand to a range of hyper-connected followers? Choclatier Anthony Berg has done it with a new pop-up store called the Generous Store. At the Generous Store customers don’t pay with cash, they pay by committing to do a good deed and the commitment is sent to a friend via Facebook upon purchase. Using social media in connection with the real world is the intersection that all brands need to find as the use of social media matures. Anthony Berg is a great example of how brands can market themselves in novel ways and they got some people to act a little nicer while they were at it. 

-David Beiner

2 months ago

The internet continues to accelerate the adoption of collaborative consumption and a new start-up called rentstuff.com is another service allowing us to own less and have more. On rentstuff.com an individual can post something for rent or look to rent something. The owner of the item can charge whatever cost they believe is adequate. Rentstuff.com is furthering the ethos of collaborative consumption and if it is successful, more services like rentstuff.com will become available. 

-David Beiner

2 months ago

20 Great Ways Libraries Are Using Pinterest

world-shaker:

A really great list (with supporting resources). Here are the first four:

  1. Pinning book covers. Many librarians are capitalizing on the visual power of Pinterest to show off book covers, especially those from new books, special collections, and kid-friendly material. It can be a great way to attract readers to books they might not have otherwise checked out.
  2. Showcasing historic archives. Libraries often have much more than books in their archives. Take the San Francisco Public Library, for instance. They’re using Pinterest to show off amazing historic images of the city, from photos of old library branches to some unbelievable WWII images of the bay.
  3. Creating reading lists. Pinterest makes it simple to create visually appealing reading lists for just about every topic under the sun. Some common lists include books made into movies, librarian recommendations, and kid-friendly fare.
  4. Sharing new acquisitions. Want to keep patrons in the loop about the library’s latest books and media? Pinterest is turning out to be a great way to do that, and many libraries are logging on and sharing their latest and greatest. Fullerton Public Library is one such library getting on the Pinterest bandwagon, and they have boards for new acquisitions in fiction, non-fiction, young adult, children’s, and downloadable media.
2 months ago - 162
A Spanish based start-up called Spotfav is finally bringing us hyperlocal weather reports in real-time and providing the foundation for future weather apps. Through the Spotfav app one can click on a location and through a webcam, view the weather in real time, along with comments from people in the area. Hyperlocalized weather reports will be the only way you look up the weather as time progresses, and why not? Is it sunny or cloudy by the beach? Just click and check as if you were there.  -David Beiner

A Spanish based start-up called Spotfav is finally bringing us hyperlocal weather reports in real-time and providing the foundation for future weather apps. Through the Spotfav app one can click on a location and through a webcam, view the weather in real time, along with comments from people in the area. Hyperlocalized weather reports will be the only way you look up the weather as time progresses, and why not? Is it sunny or cloudy by the beach? Just click and check as if you were there. 

-David Beiner

2 months ago
(via Plastic-Eating Fungi Found in the Amazon May Solve World’s Waste Problem) On a recent trip to the Amazon a group of Yale students and professors discovered several fungi that could help solve part of our mounting waste issue. The fungi degrade polyurethane, a main ingredient in plastic, and live off of it. Using nature to solve environmental issues poses a huge opportunity that we should continue to tap into. Hopefully we will soon be sending these fungi to areas that need it, like our oceans and landfills in order to create a cleaner world.  -David Beiner

(via Plastic-Eating Fungi Found in the Amazon May Solve World’s Waste Problem)

On a recent trip to the Amazon a group of Yale students and professors discovered several fungi that could help solve part of our mounting waste issue. The fungi degrade polyurethane, a main ingredient in plastic, and live off of it. Using nature to solve environmental issues poses a huge opportunity that we should continue to tap into. Hopefully we will soon be sending these fungi to areas that need it, like our oceans and landfills in order to create a cleaner world. 

-David Beiner

2 months ago - 1
Our lights are nonchalantly turned on and off, affording us extended productive hours on a daily basis. Halfway across the world someone blows out their kerosene lamp and their productive hours vanish. In a decade of technological decadence epitomized by the rise of app stores and ipads, millions still live without basic electricity and there is a gaping opportunity for renewable energy, a decentralized grid, and a bright future. Various companies such as Mera Gao Power, an American company operating in India, exemplify the opportunity in installing solar power systems in remote areas. Kerosene lamps causing lung diseases are replaced by just four panels per system and provide enough energy for lights as well as mobile charging. Batteries connected to the panels can store up to two days of power and the system produces enough energy to power about a hundred homes. Through their micro grid system Mera Gao is electrifying villages, meaning adults can work longer hours to more affectively provide for their families, but more importantly children can study or read into the night, a convenience often overlooked, but essential to the nourishment of an educated society.  -David Beiner

Our lights are nonchalantly turned on and off, affording us extended productive hours on a daily basis. Halfway across the world someone blows out their kerosene lamp and their productive hours vanish. In a decade of technological decadence epitomized by the rise of app stores and ipads, millions still live without basic electricity and there is a gaping opportunity for renewable energy, a decentralized grid, and a bright future.

Various companies such as Mera Gao Power, an American company operating in India, exemplify the opportunity in installing solar power systems in remote areas. Kerosene lamps causing lung diseases are replaced by just four panels per system and provide enough energy for lights as well as mobile charging. Batteries connected to the panels can store up to two days of power and the system produces enough energy to power about a hundred homes. Through their micro grid system Mera Gao is electrifying villages, meaning adults can work longer hours to more affectively provide for their families, but more importantly children can study or read into the night, a convenience often overlooked, but essential to the nourishment of an educated society. 

-David Beiner

2 months ago - 1
The Like Dilemma and The Bubble of Me  That addictive like button appearing on almost every website is confining us in the “bubble of me.” Pandora uses your likes to create the perfect radio station. Netflix uses your ratings to craft a list of movies perfect just for you. Facebook uses your likes for personalized ads. The list goes on. You can’t even do a general search on Google anymore without information from your Google account being used to create a tailored list of results. Everything has become crafted for who you are at a single moment regardless of the fact that you and your preferences will change. I am not anti-technology, in fact quite the contrary. I love Pandora, my Iphone, and most technological advancements just as much, if not more than the average individual. However, I question the direction my favorite Internet companies are steering us regarding how they use our preferences to determine what they offer us. One of the Internet’s greatest gifts is that it inspires exploration. In such a constant barrage of our preferences, we are losing this gift. Before preferences and likes, we were more likely to read things we didn’t know we were interested in, only to find out we just happen to love design, or foreign films, or funny cat pictures. This was partially because sites did not specifically know what to offer us, so they offered everything and people explored. In a way sites such as Stumbleupon allow for this, but it is not the Internet giant that Facebook or Google are and it is within these ecosystems that the average individual spends most of their online time.  I began noticing the preferences dilemma with Pandora. Pandora presents itself as a place to explore music and use your like of one particular artist to connect you with similar artists. But I found that once I started clicking that wonderful thumbs up button, Pandora actually began to limit my music. When I play my Ray Charles station, only songs I previously liked play and that feeling of excitement I had when I first started using Pandora had been lost to my preferences.    A friend recently complained about Google ads on her g-mail. She loves to ski and while she appreciates that Google advertises skiing related content, she wonders about the potential hobbies she is missing. What about a class, say metal casting, that she has never even considered or knew about, but if she were to see an ad about it, would click and take up a new hobby. She just needs that first level of engagement that currently lies outside her preferences. In the moment an individual gazes at something new there is the potential for a mental tipping point. If the new thought piques their interest just enough, they will likely seek more information. Coffee shops, local bookstores, and University bulletin boards were and are, places where pamphlets for random courses and get-togethers are posted. People read these and become interested in things that just barely pique their interest only to later find out they have a new hobby. The first level of engagement is opened to them. We must find a way to adequately translate that experience of randomness and curiosity to the web. Perhaps it can include some form of preference-based algorithms but the pendulum has swung too far towards keeping us confined. It could be as easy as an explore setting. I am not against the general premise of the like button or websites catering to our interests. Most of the time these tools are beneficial. But the future is no longer about tailoring our needs and giving access to the things we already know we like. The future, the great start-up of tomorrow, lies in our interests to explore, to peak new interests, to find new hobbies that enrich our lives. The future is helping people discover what they don’t even know they like.  -David Beiner

The Like Dilemma and The Bubble of Me

 That addictive like button appearing on almost every website is confining us in the “bubble of me.” Pandora uses your likes to create the perfect radio station. Netflix uses your ratings to craft a list of movies perfect just for you. Facebook uses your likes for personalized ads. The list goes on. You can’t even do a general search on Google anymore without information from your Google account being used to create a tailored list of results. Everything has become crafted for who you are at a single moment regardless of the fact that you and your preferences will change.

I am not anti-technology, in fact quite the contrary. I love Pandora, my Iphone, and most technological advancements just as much, if not more than the average individual. However, I question the direction my favorite Internet companies are steering us regarding how they use our preferences to determine what they offer us.

One of the Internet’s greatest gifts is that it inspires exploration. In such a constant barrage of our preferences, we are losing this gift. Before preferences and likes, we were more likely to read things we didn’t know we were interested in, only to find out we just happen to love design, or foreign films, or funny cat pictures. This was partially because sites did not specifically know what to offer us, so they offered everything and people explored. In a way sites such as Stumbleupon allow for this, but it is not the Internet giant that Facebook or Google are and it is within these ecosystems that the average individual spends most of their online time. 

I began noticing the preferences dilemma with Pandora. Pandora presents itself as a place to explore music and use your like of one particular artist to connect you with similar artists. But I found that once I started clicking that wonderful thumbs up button, Pandora actually began to limit my music. When I play my Ray Charles station, only songs I previously liked play and that feeling of excitement I had when I first started using Pandora had been lost to my preferences.  

 A friend recently complained about Google ads on her g-mail. She loves to ski and while she appreciates that Google advertises skiing related content, she wonders about the potential hobbies she is missing. What about a class, say metal casting, that she has never even considered or knew about, but if she were to see an ad about it, would click and take up a new hobby. She just needs that first level of engagement that currently lies outside her preferences.

In the moment an individual gazes at something new there is the potential for a mental tipping point. If the new thought piques their interest just enough, they will likely seek more information. Coffee shops, local bookstores, and University bulletin boards were and are, places where pamphlets for random courses and get-togethers are posted. People read these and become interested in things that just barely pique their interest only to later find out they have a new hobby. The first level of engagement is opened to them. We must find a way to adequately translate that experience of randomness and curiosity to the web. Perhaps it can include some form of preference-based algorithms but the pendulum has swung too far towards keeping us confined. It could be as easy as an explore setting.

I am not against the general premise of the like button or websites catering to our interests. Most of the time these tools are beneficial. But the future is no longer about tailoring our needs and giving access to the things we already know we like. The future, the great start-up of tomorrow, lies in our interests to explore, to peak new interests, to find new hobbies that enrich our lives. The future is helping people discover what they don’t even know they like. 

-David Beiner

3 months ago - 1

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