Kozminski Techblog

A startup called Solar Foods believes protein could be synthesized from the air, water, and electricity. This absolutely innovative approach allows producing eco-friendly substance full of nutrients (proteins  50%, carbohydrates 20-25%, fats 5-10%,) in laboratories. That means that Solein demands no connection with the agricultural sector to be manufactured.  

Production. The production of Solein could be compared with the production of wine. Manufacturers use sugar and carbon (they are needed for the fermentation process) to make wine. Afterward, yeast is used to transform sugar into alcohol. 

While manufacturing Solein, instead of yeast special bacteria is used. It consumes CO2 and hydrogen for its energy source. The bacteria is fed with special hydrogen bubbles which are made with water electrolysis. That allows the growth and the multiplication of the organism. As a result protein powder is produced. 

Is it eco-friendly? According to the study, the Solein is 100 times more eco-friendly than any other animal or plant-based substitution in terms of water and land use. Scientists affirm 1 kg of Solein requires only 10 liters of water to be manufactured, while 1 kg of beef requires 15000 liters. Besides, Solein production predicts no CO2 emissions. On the contrary, it absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere. It is worth mentioning that meat production plays a considerable role in global climate change. So Solein is a possible solution to the world’s climate issues. 

For what purposes? As I have mentioned above, Solein can substitute meat. Moreover, it can be added to various everyday products such as milk, cheese, yogurts, protein bars, etc. In addition, the implementation of Solein is also expected to be a small revolution in the space industry. Due to the fact that this powder is easy to produce it can be used during space trips. And of course, Solein can be consumed during long-distance expeditions to deserts and other uninhabited areas. 

The company planned tests to have been finished by 2020. They have already obtained financing and believe to generate 300 000 000 $ revenue till 2025. You are welcome to get acquainted with the detailed plan in the photo below. 

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Due to some issues we all know about, the daily usage of cellphones has increased. According to the survey conducted by Twirgby people spend now 37% more time texting and 32% having video calls in comparison with the previous year. On the one hand, we have already adapted to such a dramatic increase in screen time spend. On the other, people (students especially) suffer from spine ache, headache, vision loss, depressions, and insomnia. 

Luckily, many companies have implemented an adaptive color temperature feature called “night shift’ or “blue filter” in their gadgets. It is aimed at adjusting the temperature of the color displayed due to the time of day it is. The goal was to help people get ready for sleep. How does it work? The blue light is an extremely tricky thing. It may make your brain think that it is daytime, however, it might be a deep night. There are even some scientific evidence proving that blue light can affect your sleep-wake cycles. 

Since the Covid-19 pandemic and a significant increase in device usage are strongly correlated we may assume that “night shift” could be a vital feature, even more valuable than ever before. The principle of this tool is simple. It transforms all blue colors into softer ones (blue to yellow) and prevents your eyes from seeing it as well as your brain from being tricked. Apple devices use your location in order to determine when the sun is supposed to raise and when the sunset is supposed to be. Some other phones/tablets also use their light sensors for such purposes. Presummerly, users are to turn on this button while working with a laptop/tablet/cellphone before sleeping so that our brain can understand that it is time to go to bed. 

However, the study conducted recently reveals that blue color has the same impact on the mouse body as a yellow color. So scientists assumed that “night shift’ is a placebo that generates no effect. Although, we can not judge because there were no experiments carried out on humans. 

What is more, a startup called Loona has created an app allowing you to watch some relaxing animations and even participate in them in order to “get in the right mood to sleep”. This app helps users to cope with stress, pressure, and difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep at night. The app uses three science-based components: art activity, music, and storytelling. It is a kind of lullaby slowly swaying you in your bed. The secure atmosphere creates a situation where the user is no more able to counteract sleep. 

To sum up, I would like to say that I have always had a lot of interest around the fact that simple technology merged with human health can benefit to our body. And it is worth highlighting that the technology is really SIMPLE but extremely useful simultaneously. 

Sources:

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Dott, Bolt, Lime, and other companies are kindly offering consumers short-distance rides on shared electrical scooters. It is almost impossible to imagine a modern city without those services but, as a rule, they can not be distinguished in terms of the brand. 

Let’s move to a detailed review of those scooters. All of them are free to use all over the city (there is a map inside the app allowing you to find the nearest scooter). When you approach one you can scan a Qr-code with your phone camera and start a ride. Some services have made it possible to turn on the “ring” function (that is the way a scooter informs you about its location)  Moreover, there is a possibility to book a scooter in advance (the company will charge you for it). All of the scooters have a battery that allows you to ride up to 30 km distance long. The maximum speed is 25 km/hour. Acceleration is almost the same among the services. The company will charge you for your ride when you end it (0.5 zl per minute). All the transactions are conducted with Apple Pay/Google Pay or you may pay by card, which should be added in advance. And of course, all scooters are “green” what makes them ideal personal vehicles. 

Similar tariffs, similar designs, and similar apps are continuously assuring us that there is a certain pattern of how this business should be conducted, what rules should be followed, and what features should be introduced. The discussion that is coming of that should sound “What are the pros and cons of offering homogeneous services or products?” 

The market is fully controlled by several competitors so the competition is limited, existing products are improving, however, no new developments are being introduced. On the one hand, this creates a situation where customers have the access to a simplified market where they do not have to compare services and make analytics, what is good. Companies can make higher profits since the price is under their control. And there is still some competition (in terms of design, some special features inside the app, and special offers). On the other hand, such an oligopoly makes it almost impossible for new players to enter the market and introduce their innovative products to create healthy competition. What is more, people are no more supposed to opt for the best scooter. They are supposed to opt for the nearest scooter instead, cause there is absolutely no difference in them. 

This blog is not only about trendy scooters or about oligopolies in today’s world it more about the wrong path we are choosing right now. Smartphones, cars, tablets, etc. are becoming (or have already become?) homogeneous. The vast majority of the companies are following the trend, only some are trying to make these trends. 

Links:

https://bolt.eu/

https://www.li.me/second-street/lime-europe-new-cities-new-records-travel-app

https://ridedott.com/

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/o/oligopoly.asp