In Los Angeles, close to 100,000,000 small plastic balls have been deployed into area reservoirs, all part of an unusual plan to reduce evaporation and pollution in public water reserves.

The 4-inch spheres, known as “shade balls,” help prevent carcinogen contamination while also keeping water from disappearing into the air under the heat of the sun. The layer of balls acts as a shield against algae growth and animal-base contamination, too.

At three balls for a dollar, the cost adds up, but the estimated savings is there too: an expected reduction of water loss by around 300,000,000 gallons annually (or: 3 gallons per ball), which is enough drinking water for close to 2,000 people a year. The polyethylene compound also can prevent a harmful chemical reaction, saving residents from being exposed to bromate.

The post World’s Biggest Ball Pit: Millions of Balls Slow LA Drought first appeared on Gajitz.

A rain jacket will only help bikers so much in a torrential downpour, leaving hands, forearms and legs largely exposed; thus, the ‘Boncho’, a shell that extends your sphere of warmth and dryness.

Designed by VANMOOF, the Boncho is lightweight, waterproof, breathable and extends over your handlebars to help keep your entire body clear of falling rain, all supported by a folding frame.

The compact system is designed to be tucked away when not in use. Arguably it still missing a key source of road moisture: splashing from tires, yours or otherwise (though a fender can at least address the former).

“BONCHO uses a unique folding structure, similar to pop up tents. The folding and unfolding is easy, making the package very small and thin, easy to carry inside almost every bag.”

The post Boncho: Extended Folding Rain Poncho Keeps Cyclists Dry first appeared on Gajitz.

Moisture of any kind is the bane of all electronics. Whether you spill a cup of coffee onto the pocket your phone is in (we’ve done it), get caught in the rain with your tablet (yup, been there too), or jump into a pool with your MP3 player in your pocket (we have really bad luck with electronics), any kind of moisture damage is almost sure to render the whole device useless. Liquipel can change all of that by magically making your devices entirely waterproof.

Of course, it isn’t exactly magic – but it’s close. The patented proprietary process involves adhering nanoparticles to electronic devices via a vacuum chamber. The nanoparticles bond with the devices on a molecular level, making sure that every part of the device – inside and out – is covered in liquid-proof Liquipel.

The process is far more secure than just slapping a waterproof case onto your tablet – and it lets you retain the device’s intended form factor. The application could eventually be done as part of manufacturing, in-store as a pre-sale inventory add-on, or after purchase. It can be applied to a wide selection of devices, from mobile phones and tablets to MP3 players and headphones.

Currently, the only way to Liquipel your devices is to send them to the company. The product and process is available for licensing, however. In the near future we’ll hopefully be able to drop off a mobile device at an electronics store and come back a few hours later for a newly-waterproofed, life-proofed gadget.

The post End of Aquaphobia: Nanocoating Makes Gadgets Waterproof first appeared on Gajitz.

Most of us carry our lives with us in digital form: laptops, tablets, phones, digital cameras – these electronic items store all of our necessary information. Still, we often carry them around without adequately protecting these investments of money, time, and data. The Fugu Bag from designer Peng You is meant to provide a cushion around your electronics to keep them safe wherever you go.

Like its namesake, the little fish that puffs up with air to protect itself from predators, the Fugu Bag is lined with inflatable sacs that provide effective but lightweight protection. When you plan to carry around your electronics or other fragile items, you can inflate the sections and rest assured that accidentally bumping your backpack against the pole on the bus won’t crack your iPad’s screen.

The interior cushions inflate in just one minute and can stay inflated for up to five days. When you’re only carrying books and other non-breakables, the bag gives you more space by letting you deflate the interior cushions. The bag then just looks and operates like any other, but it is super-strong and weather resistant.

Rather than sewing the bag panels together, the designers welded the seams to make them extremely durable. The bag was made for people in urban areas who may experience more than their share of jostling and bumps. The design was first shown at the Show RCA  2014; there is no word yet on whether the Fugu Bag will ever be produced and marketed.

The post Get Pumped: Inflatable Bag Protects Electronics From Bumps first appeared on Gajitz.

When police officers, paramedics, firefighters or other first responders arrive on the scene of an emergency, communication with the parties involved is extremely important. But if there is a language barrier, it can be almost impossible for the two sides to communicate with one another. RTT Mobile has released a product called ELSA that will eliminate those language barriers with the touch of a button.

The ELSA, which stands for Enabling Language Service Everywhere, is a small handheld device that, when activated, connects the user with a network of interpreters who can translate 180 different languages. This allows immediate communication between parties, and the conversations are recorded for future playback.

The device contains a high-quality microphone and speaker, enabling clear communication. Many of the the network of interpreters have special training in medical, business and government terminology so they are able to correctly translate even the more complex concepts. So far the ELSA isn’t being widely used, but we can see it becoming an essential part of every first responder’s gear.

The post Handheld Device Gives First Responders Instant Translation first appeared on Gajitz.