The sun keeps bus stops lit, thanks to solar powered signs in London.
Solar energy is stored in batteries during the day and illuminate both timetables and the stops. The system has been proven to work even in the UK’s gloomiest weather conditions and will help to make passengers feel safer while they wait for their bus.
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A laptop computer with LCD display might require about 70 watts of power (at 120 volts). First multiply 70 watts x 1.15 (to add 15% for the consumption of an inverter) and get 80 watts. Dividing 80 watts by 120 volts = .67 amps of constant load. A mid-size Optima deep cycle battery like the $170 D34 is rated 55 AH (amp hours) @ 12 volts. Because the inverter will be converting the battery’s 12V current to 120V (which is greater by a factor of 10), we divide the battery’s 55AH rating by that same factor of 10, and the result is that the D34 battery has a rating of 5.5AH @ 120V. If we then divide that 5.5AH battery rating by the laptop’s consumption of .67 amps, we see that the Optima D34 deep cycle battery will run the laptop (or ruggedized tablet pc) for 8.2 hours through an inverter.
Newer laptops, drawing less than half the juice, should last 2-3 times as long…nearly 24 hours.
Signage could feature LCD panels with photos of your neighbors. gFeedMap displays the location of blogs on a Google map.
Clickable oral history maps on the splash page along with News 4 Neighbors and open source tools like Drupal can create neighborhood media. Write now.
If a localized social/business environment works for Google, it could work for neighborhoods. Local artists and musicians, local businesses and local people can create and share resources.
Imagine access points inside giant pencils.
Mount them on streetlights. On coffeeshops. Everywhere. “WriteSpot” is just a container. The access point is inside. It’s simple and cheap. The message is iconic and positive…your ideas have value. Communicate.
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