Technology

New Years Resolutions and Fitness Tracking

Gadget Guru is a short weekly radio show on World Radio Switzerland that I do with Tony Johnston.

Here’s the show from January 6th, 2015:

A few links from this show:

If your new years resolution is to get fit there’s no better way than eat less and move more. Technology can’t (yet) stop you eating but it can help with the moving, so here are some of the fitness trackers you can get from Fitbit, Withings and Jawbone.

Prices start from around 65 CHF. Or you can just use an app for your smartphone like Moves but then you must carry your smartphone all the time. If you put it down it won’t track your steps.

If you want to hack your life then If This Then That is the site you need. Make the internet work for you doing things that usually only coders can 🙂

If you want a heads-up on CES there is a useful CES preview at TechRadar. Plenty of wearables.

My VOIP provider that lets me have a UK incoming phone number is LocalPhone but there are others, including Skype. As expats living on an international border having multiple incoming phone numbers in different countries can be useful.

Here’s the Octopus:

and here’s the four-finned robot cuttlefish:

Next week we’ll look at the output from CES.

Paul Leave a comment

Ecological-FabLab in the Geneva region

Dream, Build, Repair, Learn, Share

My main project right now is the creation of an ecologicalfablablogo Fablab here in the Geneva region.

“Fab Labs give people the tools they need to create technology and make (almost) anything”

Professor Neil Gershenfeld – Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Eco-Innovation is at the cutting edge of the third industrial revolution.  When you combine innovations in energy production with the open source hardware movement you create very low cost & high value technologies.

We are building a creative space to stimulate local innovation.  We dare to dream big, start small and grow fast. This has become Pangloss Labs. If you’re interested in joining us, take a look at our web site

Paul Leave a comment

Leman Make

In early 2014, Thomas Joubert approached me with an idea.  He wanted to know if I thought there were enough makers around Lake Geneva to put on an exhibition of making.  I didn’t know, but said “why don’t we find out?”.  We sent out an email to everywhere we could think of inviting makers to get together to see if there was interest. The first meetup was held at Post Tenebras Lab.  A few months later, when it was clear we did have enough interest, the LemanMake association was formed in Lausanne.

The LemanMake festival will be held on 27 & 28 June in Nyon, Switzerland.

Paul Leave a comment

Post Tenebras Lab – the Geneva Hackerspace

A diverse group of geeks, engineers and hackers got together back in 2009 by asking the question online “is there a kind of makerspace in Geneva?”. Eventually we found each others emails archived online and decided to meet up. After several sessions in Les Brasseurs it was decided to form an association to try to create a physical space in Geneva for such a space. The Post Tenebras Lab association was born. Like many in Geneva it took us a LONG time to find a space, but PTL opened it’s doors in May 2012, and has held open evenings every Tuesday ever since. You’ll find more details at the web site, but everyone is welcome – just be aware that Post Tenebras Lab is a DO-OPOLY. i.e. if you want something done you have to do it 🙂

And no, a hackerspace is not where the bad guys meet to drain your bank account, it’s where the good guys meet up to make stuff, or hack it into shape – whether this be electronic, physical, mobile app or anything. Just come along on a Tuesday to find out for yourself.

Paul Leave a comment