Strom Center Blog

Readyset Battery Charger Could Change Rural Africa
There are over 500 million cell phone users worldwide. This is according to research by the GSMA, the international association of mobile operators. The problem with all those cell phones isnt access to a network. The problem is that most of the users in 3rd world countries live off the grid and cant charge the darn things. ReadySet, manufactured by Fenix International, San Francisco, California, may be the solution.

ReadySet Battery Charger Could Change Rural Africa

ReadySet may provide new businesses for entrepreneurs. Right now people have adapted cell phone car chargers to work directly connected to a car battery and are charging 25 cents a charge. The problem is that car batteries are dangerous. When used outside of a car, they often leak causing burns on users from the battery acid. The new ReadySet is designed to be rugged, as well as user friendly. According to an article written by Rob Goodier, InnovationNewsDaily, Fenixs lab testers dropped the battery onto concrete from three feet above, sprayed it with salt water, blasted it UV rays, ran it through thousands of cycles and it still stayed intact and leak free. ReadySet comes with USB and car charger ports. Although the cost of a new ReadySet is somewhat pricey (0) for people who typically only earn an average of per day, Fenix International is hoping that businesses will see this as an opportunity to expand their business. Some entrepreneurs may start new businesses. At 25 cents per charge, it wouldnt take long to pay for the device.

Fenix International believes the ReadySet could change Africas rural economy. According to Goodiers article, The device, its designers believe, could put more electricity in off-the-grid homes, create jobs, reduce indoor air pollution by replacing kerosene lanterns with LEDs, and eliminate car battery acid leaks. Plus, the telecom industry is hooked on it. Network carriers can make 10 to 14 percent more money from users who can keep their phones charged. Fenix International is testing the ReadySet in 10 African markets. Retail sales are set to begin in June, with the device coming to the developed countries within a year. If sales really take off, Lin predicts the price of the ReadySet will drop. It is not new for people to be paying to charge their cell phones in 3rd world countries. For the past several years people have congregated at the local battery charger, paying that precious 25 cents per phone charge. Now they will be able to charge other devices as well.

Building upon the existing culture was the inspiration for this solution, said Michael Lin, founder of Fenix. People in developing communities have a variety of needs, of course, but access to electricity is exciting in that it empowers people to improve their lives in a number of areas. Lin went on to say, Theres a lot of interest from people who want a green, carbon-neutral digital lifestyle. It might be a trickle-up innovation. You can hop on the bicycle and power all of your electronics.

Have you lost power because of the winter storms this year? Were you caught with low cell phone batteries? Wouldnt it have been great to be able to recharge your cell phone without electricity? I think this new device could change a lot of lives, both in 3rd world countries as well as here in the States. With devastating storms, floods and other natural disasters, this device could really help. I can even see people taking their ReadySet with them camping. Kudos to Fenix International!

Police 5 bodies in rural Indiana

Police 5 bodies in rural Indiana

 (CNN) — Indiana authorities continued searching for answers and urging vigilance on Monday, one day after finding five bodies at two addresses in rural Franklin County.

“There are persons that we are looking for, (but) we don’t have any idea where they are or what their mindset is,” Sheriff Ken Murphy told reporters Monday evening from Brookville.

Sgt. Jerry Goodin of the Indiana State Police noted there are not yet any “persons of interest” or suspects in the case. He added authorities couldn’t rule out that the shooter or shooters are among the dead, describing the probe as “a very fluid situation.”

“At this time, it’s completely open,” Goodin said of the investigation.

“The person or persons responsible for this crime are the only ones who can tell us the motive. They’re the only ones who know what happened.”

Authorities first got a call Sunday afternoon from people concerned about a small child wandering near the street along Stipps Hill Road near Laurel, in eastern Indiana about halfway between Indianapolis and Cincinnati, Ohio. Not seeing any adults around, some citizens stayed with the child until police arrived.

After “gaining more information” by talking with the child and neighbors, a Franklin County sheriff’s deputy requested help. That led to the discovery of a dead man in one address and four other fatalities — two males and two females — at an address across the street, Goodin said.

The state police sergeant said Monday night that “the child is safe,” declining to elaborate.

He added that the state medical examiner in Indianapolis had conducted autopsies on four of the five bodies found. She had yet to positively identify all of them, said Goodin.

The state trooper said “some of the victims at the scene looked as though they had sustained gunshot wounds.” But he cautioned this does not mean, necessarily, that all those found dead had been shot — saying the medical examiner will likely make such a determination.

Both Murphy and Goodin stressed that law enforcement agents were “working around the clock” on the case. They urged people to call in tips or any information, with the sheriff predicting the public’s help “is going to solve this case.”

They also asked the public to be on alert, mindful those those responsible for the deaths could still be at large and dangerous.

“We should all be more vigilant than we normally are. This is a good reminder as to why,” said Murphy. “We’re just encouraging people to lock your doors, be vigilant, report any suspicious activity.