Tech
Apps That Are Making An Impact On The World
From ordering food to booking rooms to getting travel plans organised, technology has evolved with every new app to help make the world a better place. For every small thing one does in life, there is an app that exists to make that task all the more easier. One of the positive sides of this is that now, apart from just the social angle of things, there are apps which help make the world a better place. Here are our pick of apps that not only contribute to the social betterment of the world, but help make an impact as well.
1. GlobalGiving
At its very essence, GlobalGiving is an organisation that helps in the growth of those foundations which are at the grassroot level. From raising money for building wells in Nigeria and to helping raise money for earthquake victims in Nepal, GlobalGiving works as the perfect facilitator. People who sign up on the site get connected to the cause they want to support and give money to, with regular updates on further donations as and when required. Since the time of its inception in 2002, this organisation raised almost $ 200 million from people around the world. Supporting close to 13,000 causes across the world, GlobalGiving helped improve the conditions of people all over the world.
2. LeftoverSwap
Leftover food is always an issue and when you do not know what to do with the excess food, it more often than not goes to waste. To prevent wastage like this and to harness the power of smartphones to good, the LeftoverSwap app was created. Using the swipe and connect principle, LeftoverSwap lets people take pictures of leftover food and share it on their app. Once that is done, volunteers who are already registered on the app collect the food and give it to either individuals who need the food or to charities who work with the poor and hungry groups of people in the world.
3. One Today
While donating to organizations is well and good, finding a legitimate cause can be quite tricky. One Today came to be as an attempt to resolve this issue and to remove middlemen from the picture altogether. Once you register on the website, One Today matches users to charities based on the users’ interests. Once you register and match with the charity of your choice, the app lets you donate $ 1 a day to these causes. Further, the app also allows users to increase the donations made by their friends, in an attempt to make a larger impact.
4. MindMate
At a time when dementia is an increasingly common disease, MindMate comes as a blessing in disguise. With over 350,000 regular users, this app helps people stay connected to their memory with regular exercises. With interactive games created using the latest scientific research in the fields of dementia and mental health, MindMate helps improve one’s memory. What makes this app so much more interesting is it also offers a wide range of information on how to stay active, fit and healthy by giving users information on regular health and exercise.
5. Tree Planet
What if you could lend a hand in increasing the number of trees by playing a game on your phone? Tree Planet, an app that does just that, recognised the growing addiction people have when it comes to their phones and helped plant over 500,000 trees in a period of four years. In the latest version of the game, every time the users save a tree from dying, Tree Planet plants a sapling/tree. Converting virtual trees into real trees, Tree Planet is making the world a cleaner and greener place, one game at a time!
Websites and apps like these have been specifically designed to make the world one cause and one issue at a time. If you think there are other apps like these that we missed mentioning, comment and let us know!
The Japanese are responsible for some of the most important innovations which shaped the world. However, there are some gadgets which, although useful, can seem a bit unusual. Here is a list of five such Japanese innovations, which may seem funny but are quite useful.
Five unusual yet useful Japanese innovations
1) Eye drop glasses
Every one of us has gone through the struggle of putting eye drops without spilling them. It truly is a waste of money. Hence, Japanese innovators came up with a solution and invented the eye drop glasses. Even though the glasses look funny, they ensure anybody who uses them will never waste eye drops ever again.
2) Head support
Head support is a device in the shape of an arm. Designed for people who work extensively with computers, this device is useful if you want to avoid neck pain. The device can also help keep your head in one position when you accidentally fall asleep.
3) Movable fridge
Invented by Panasonic, this movable fridge is equipped with sensors, is able to move around your house and can come to you when commanded. Known as the fridge of the future, this invention will be great to assist to the elderly.
4) Handwritten letter vending machine
In the age of smartphones, there are many who still prefer handwritten notes. However, many people are too busy or too lazy to write a letter. The Japanese scientists found a solution to this problem and introduced vending machines which generate handwritten letters.
5) Flying umbrella
The flying umbrella is a device invented by Asahi Power Services and uses artificial intelligence (AI). The flying umbrella is a solution for people who are tired of holding an umbrella while doing their daily tasks. The flying umbrella, thanks to AI, can hover above its owner, saving them from rain and allowing them to do their tasks without any problem.
Did we miss mentioning any other unusual yet useful Japanese inventions? Comment below and let us know.
Japan is known for its incredible innovations which shaped the technological world in which we live today. There are many products we use every day, which were invented in Japan. Here are five most incredible innovations by Japan.
Most incredible Japanese innovations
1) Instant noodles
Instant noodles, which are loved by many around the world, were invented by a Japanese. Inventor Momofuku Ando got inspired by the traditional Japanese noodles and developed an entire production process on his own. Ando first launched instant noodles in 1958 under the brand name Chikin Ramen. Instant noodles went on to gain immense popularity and are now a staple in every household worldwide.
2) QR code
QR code is an important part of our technology dependent world. These matrix barcodes were invented in Japan by the company Denso Wave. QR code was first invented in 1994 and was initially used in the automotive industry. However, the use of QR code then expanded and it has become one of the most used types of two dimensional codes.
3) Emoji
Emojis are another widely used Japanese innovation. Emojis were created in 1999 by Shigetaka Kurita and his team. At the time, Shigetaka Kurita was working with the Japanese mobile operator NTT DoCoMo. Kurita grew tired of using only text as a form of communication. He drew inspiration from Chinese characters, street signs and Japanese manga to create images representing various emotions.
4) Blue LED lights
Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura were the three Japanese scientists who are credited for inventing high resolution blue LED lights. The invention of blue LED lights paved way for many sophisticated technologies like energy efficient TVs, power saving light bulbs, mobiles and computer screens. The three scientists demonstrated the high brightness blue LED lights through a gallium nitride growth process. For coming up with this innovation, Akasaki, Amano and Nakamura were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2014.
5) Flash memory
The small memory card which stores information on your phone was also invented in Japan. Flash memory was first invented by the Japanese multinational company Toshiba in 1980. The device was introduced in the market in 1987. Flash memory was created by Fujio Masuoka of Toshiba after Masuoka proposed a theory of creating a new device with the ability to erase memories quickly and easily.
If we missed any other such incredible Japanese innovations, comment below and let us know.
Google, as we all know, is the world’s most popular search engine. Whether we need a solution to a problem, find the lyrics of a favourite song, or get a quick update about the weather, Google is the one stop solution for everything. Founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1995, Google, worth $ 748 billion in the market, is the third most valuable company in the world, after Microsoft and Apple. Here is a list of some lesser known and interesting facts about Google.
Interesting facts about Google
1) The founders of Google originally named the search engine ‘BackRub.’ It was then changed to Google in the year 1997.
2) The name Google originated by misspelling the mathematical word ‘googol,’ which is basically a 1 followed by 100 zeroes.
3) Larry and Sergey’s visit to the Burning Man Festival in Nevada resulted in the first ever Google Doodle on August 30th 1998. The doodle was a burning man stick figure and was added to the homepage to let people know they were out of office.
4) According to Alexa, Google is the internet’s most searched website. Well, this is not a shocker.
5) Google has a rotated version of itself called the Google Mirror. This version shows everything in a mirrored fashion. Have you ever tried this? If not, you can try it here https://elgoog.im/search/?q=hi.
6) Google handles over 1 billion search requests per day, using over 1 million systems. Apart from this, Google’s algorithm can analyze millions of pages in a second. This was just 30-40 pages in the initial years of its inception.
7) In 1999, Google founders wanted to sell Google to Excite for $ 1 million. Excite did not accept Google’s offer back then. Quite a regret!
8) Larry Page and Sergey Brin have their own runways at NASA’s Moffett Field airport. No other plane is allowed to land on their runways.
9) Google owns the rights to common mispronunciations of its name like Gogle, Gooogle, Googlr, etc.
10) Google employs the largest network of translators in the world and can translate more than 80 languages. Apart from this, Google earns 99% of its profits through advertising.
In 2000, Google became the world’s most popular search engine and ever since, it has adopted a unique style of doing things to keep things fresh and progressive.
Did we miss out on any other interesting fact about Google? Comment below and let us know.
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