Archive for July 1st, 2009

FRONTLINE/World’s Fabulous Short Docs

I’ve been a big fan of each of the screenings I’ve been lucky to see at the local women-focused theater Brava this year (Pop-Up Magazine and SF Women’s Film Fest included), and tonight’s film celebration of global social entrepreneurs was no exception. FRONTLINE/World, the documentary TV series created with KQED and WGBH in Boston, hosted the “Heroes from a Small Planet” event with the innovation advocate organization Skoll Foundation.

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The brief international stories are carefully researched and well told, and two are particularly worth a watch. Marjorie Macafee’s “Wheels of Change” about a Bay Area engineer who’s created an open source model for this RoughRider wheelchairs tracks the chairs’ production and use in a Vietnamese factory. And Jenny Chu’s “Yeabu’s Homecoming” about a Sierra Leonen doctor’s surgical efforts to repair the obstetric fistulas caused by prolonged labor is a stark wakeup to the lack of adequate medical care in parts of the developing world. Brava is right.

Simply Snik

Genius Jimi wallet creator Mike O’Neill tipped me off to a Snik recently, and I’m most grateful. With the global user base of mobile phones approaching 3 billion people, more than a few music listeners and callers find themselves in a daily tangle of headphones/bags/jackets that might be avoided if Snik creator Rob Honeycutt has his way. His product line of zipper puller and cord grooves featured on snaps and buckles relieves pressure on the earbuds (runners rejoice). “I believe there is a widespread need for this ‘interface’ between a person’s clothing and their mobile technology,” said Honeycutt, who would like the feature to become ubiquitous on clothing and bags over the next decade. For now, the small devices are available by the 6 and 12 pack, each of which is less than $20. Dangling cords be darned.

Partially reposted from Joshspear.com.