Voice-recognition has transformed our smart phones into personal assistants—a remarkable feat—but these benefits have thus far left out millions of people with speech or hearing impairments who rely on sign language. There exists no comparable way for computers to capture and act on a dialect of gestures. Until now.
How do you decide which creative projects to back on crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter? Are you compelled by a unique story? Do you just donate to your friends? Or do you like to support projects that bring money and impact back to your hometown?
Despite the allure of rapidly expanding renewable energy sources solar and wind, a far less sexy source of green power is already ubiquitous and requires no massive infrastructure investment: recyclable oils. Whether it’s leftover fast food cooking oil or used motor oil, these resources are abundant. The problem is getting them from those who don’t need them any more to those who do. Ask a biodiesel car owner where she got her fuel and she might say, “I know a guy.” The market for cooking oil is often informal and grassroots like that, comprising word of mouth connections between individuals and restaurants.
