Pinoy Artists Sing for Awareness on Climate Change

Just wanted to share this video.I know that I don't have that many readers but anyone who reads this and watches the video will be one more aware individual. Let's talk about this, act on it, spread the word:

The World Needs You!

Helping curb climate change can be a daunting task. The contribution of one person may seem an insignificant, but not if we come together to commit to making things change.



To know more, follow 350.0rg in Twitter or become a fan in Facebook

Climate Change -Ways Geeks Can Help

• Reuse old computers, don't throw them away. Linux can bring that old machine back to life.
• Use electronic devices for the longest possible time. Buying the latest and greatest cellphone every year isn't helping the environment Disposed cellphones will just add to landfills near you and pollute the ground with toxins. Make them last.
• Pick your electronics wisely, use gadgets, gear and computer parts that have low power consumption. Low power consumption means less heat. And less heat means less cooling. You save twice on electricity consumed if it's low-power and takes less energy to cool.
• Turn off that computer! It's no longer practical to keep a computer running 24-7 just to keep the components hot and save them from damage.
• Go CFL! Compact Flourescent Lighting. One of the biggest energy savings we've made at home was because we've switched all our lights to CFL Using a 5-9 watt CFL is just as bright as a 20-40 watt ordinary bulb. It may not look like much but multiply that 10 -30 watt different by the number of lights in you house and the number of hours you usually have them on. Do the math, you can save a bunch.

These are just a few ideas, I hope I get you thinking about what you can do on your own to do your part to conserve resources. And it's late, need to turn this off now.

Browser For Kids With Autism

One of the things that has always amazed me about the open source development circles is the astounding number of user-developed apps. Programmers and developers often write new apps when they find apps already available don't do enough or don't behave the way they want them to. It's common to find out that apps are written because programmers and code hackers want more out of the apps they use. They then in turn release them as open source so others can use these apps, help debug them or improve them. Communities are often grown from these roots.

It's refreshing to see though that open source initiatives aren't the only source of good software. Individuals who want to create something for their loved ones or for causes often have the same drive as developers I mentioned, albeit for a different cause. One such piece of software would be the Zac Browser. It was created by a grandfather who wanted to help a grandchild with autism browse the web safely and independently. Assistive technology has always been expensive, and though the communities that support autism cause have grown over the years, that hasn't brought down the cost dramatically. This grandfather has made a great contribution to the cause of children with autism by making his browser free to the public.

The Zac Browser helps autistic kids focus their attention by using a simplified interface. It protects them as well by limiting their exposure to inappropriate content, filtering out any violent of otherwise disturbing content. The sites have been pre-selected by the developer and is updated regularly. The best part of it is that it is free to anyone who would want to try it.

I discovered this little gem while browsing for news about autism. AP featured it in a news article. I posted a video featuring the Zac Browser below:





The Zac Browser can be downloaded as an installer package or a "just run" no-install package. It works with Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows ME and Windows 98. No word yet if this will be ported to Linux, but I'm hopeful it will be.

Did you hear about the hunger crisis?

Hi,

The world hunger crisis is all over the news this week. In just three years, the price of staple foods like wheat, corn and rice has almost doubled. If we don't do something soon, hundreds of thousands of people face starvation and a hundred million more could fall into extreme poverty.

I just took action with the ONE Campaign and you can too, here:

http://www.one.org/hungercrisis?rc=hctaf

Alay sa Albay

Posted this on my personal blog. I've been getting emails and text messages encouraging participation in a fund drive for Bicol. You can read more from my personal blog.