Automatically identify wildlife with these mobile apps

I always feel a little nervous about highlighting the work of just one company but as we’re here to encourage the sharing of personal experience, that’s just what I’m going to do today!

Spending time in the natural world is just about my favourite pastime. I live in the middle of an AONB and naturally, the more time you spend walking and lingering in such surroundings, the more curious you become. And that’s how I’ve come to love the apps from a company called Isoperla

The company produces field guides for the natural world, covering trees, wild flowers, butterflies, birds, bird song etc. But these aren’t just mini-encylopaedias, oh no. The apps use the functionality of your smartphone or tablet. They identify the species you are looking at or listening to by analysing a photo you’ve taken or a sound being heard through your microphone (a bit like Shazam, but for birdsong!).  Even better, this Automatic Recognition technology doesn’t require you to be connected to the Internet, all analysis takes place locally on your phone, within the app.

Highly recommended and adds a ton of enjoyment to your weekend rambles!

 

 

What are the three technologies Bill Gates says could help the entire planet?

• Who is this post for? Anyone interested in understanding what technologies might help the future of our planet
• What does it discuss? How public and private sectors need to invest in order to ensure our safe future
• How does it benefit you? It might influence your next vote at the election or purchase at the till

Last week was a MAJOR time for big announcements from titans of technology. We had Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement about the use of 99% of his Facebook fortune.  we also had Bill Gates and 27 other wealthy individuals announcing a new collaboration in order to find new ways to create new technologies that can help solve the looming energy crisis.

I really don’t want to enter the debate about the wealthy opting-out of corporation tax. This post is about the possibility that technology might safeguard the future of the planet for future generations and, therefore, what we might demand of the governments we vote for and the companies where we spend our wages.

Bill Gates has written an 8-page essay called ‘Energy innovation: Why we need it and how to get it’ and you can download it right here. It highlights Solar Chemical, Flow Batteries and Solar Paint as the three key technologies – I knew nothing about these prior to reading the essay and found it fascinating and digestible reading. I hope you do too and would be fascinated to hear about this might change your behaviour in any way.

 

 

Should we support the building of wind turbines?

• Who is this post for? Everyone
• What does it discuss? The potential of wind power to meet our energy demands
• How does it benefit you? Fresh perspective on an issue that causes fierce debate

Renewable energy…we all know its important, indeed crucial to our future on this planet. We know the oil will one day run out or at least become impossible to extract from the ground.  It’s not surprising that then that many of us support renewable energy initiatives – until we see planning permission to build wind turbines somewhere near our home at which point we are up in arms about damaging our landscape (or possibly house price if it alters the view).

So just how important are wind turbines to a future relying heavily on renewable energy? Consider that countries who have invested in wind power generation, such as Denmark, Scotland and Spain, now regularly meet or come close to meeting the country’s entire daily electricity demand through wind power (especially in windier winter months), with the ability to store excess energy for future use.

Read this fascinating article in the Guardian here, enjoy the debate that then flows in the comments underneath the article, and then ask yourself if the UK Government is right to withdraw its support for onshore wind farms.  This one will run and run..