British Happiness ~ Longterm Index of Attitude!

The DM spotlights University of Warwick's longterm index of British happiness...

Shipmap ~ Annual Global Maritime Voyages...

The DailyMail's Ellie Zolfagharifard spotlights interactive Shipmap tracking ships worldwide over time...

AVERT Project ~ Swarmbots for Car Roboparking

The DM spots the AVERT Project building swarmbots for robomatically shifting cars around omnidirectionally, allowing much denser space-packing of vehicles in existing parking garages... Nevermind all the mumbo-jumbo about "emergency response" vehicle movement. The big use is storage efficiency!

Children of Auschwitz ~ Liberation Revisit...

The DailyMail spots the Children of Auschwitz -- Jews pictured at the concentration camp upon liberation, revisiting for 70th anniversary of the arrival of the Red Army. Incredibly sad that this happened. And that it still happens today in North Korea, Iraq, Cuba, China, and Gaza, among others.

Endless City ~ SURE's London Greenscraper...

Julian Robinson in the DailyMail spots SURE's Endless City...

"A giant skyscraper as tall as The Shard in London, built with its own complete ecosystem featuring offices, shops and 'huge' parks. London is the proposed city for the mixed-use tower, which would include interlinking ramps connecting different sections of the structure to create a 'vertical city' housing thousands. [...] different areas of the building would be linked by a series of bridges and walkways helping to 'increase exchanges, communications and interactions. It would include a raft of public spaces, entertainment zones and shopping areas to create a 'vertical city'. Residents would be able to walk up a series of interlinked ramps through vibrant streets, plazas, technological spaces and 'huge' parks in a 'complex and rich system like a real city'."

A Bridge Too Far ~ WWII's Market-Garden @ 70

Seventy years ago this past week was one of the boldest and yet most disastrous battles of WWII in Europe when the Allies attempted to bypass German defenses by punching through the Netherlands in Operation Market Garden. Alas it was to become infamously known as A Bridge Too Far when bad weather, logistical hurdles, and under-anticipated Nazi resistance prevented capture of Arnhem, the last essential crossing. My own Dad and his family was caught in the cross-fire, which meant they lost almost everything, but at the same time this was understood by us Dutch as a tangible step towards ultimate liberation. That's why Robert Hardman's piece in the DailyMail is right: Seventy years on, Arnhem has never forgotten its debt to the thousands of British and Polish soldiers who gave their lives in ill-fated Allied plan to deliver final blow to Hitler...

"When it comes to commemorating those who made the ultimate sacrifice, there is nowhere quite like Arnhem. This historic Dutch town has never forgotten its debt to the 10,000 British and Polish soldiers who came from the sky in one of the great heroic failures of the Second World War. In September 1944, 70 years ago, with Paris liberated the Allies hatched a new plan -- codenamed Operation Market Garden -- to thrust north through Holland and on into Germany to deliver the final blow. Airborne troops would land by parachute and glider to capture a series of Dutch bridges and then cling on until a vast armoured column could arrive by road and reinforce them. The last bridge straddled the Rhine at Arnhem. But, in the end, the cavalry couldn’t get there in time. Through a combination of poor planning and bad luck -- the Germans had just parked a crack SS unit in the area -- the lightly-armed Allied troops ended up surrounded by overwhelming enemy forces. Of the 10,000 men who landed at Arnhem, just under 2,400 would make it out again after a vicious nine-day battle. The rest were killed or taken prisoner. [...] All the veterans were bowled over by the way they were received when they returned after the war. ‘It was a defeat and the Dutch lost everything yet they could not have done more for us,’ Colonel John Waddy, 94, the senior surviving veteran of Arnhem, told me at his Somerset home. ‘But then it was a unique battle because we were fighting alongside them in their own houses. And afterwards, they helped hundreds of us escape.’ [...] The true legacy of Arnhem is [...] a new organisation called the Arnhem Fellowship. Run on a shoestring by Dutch and British volunteers, it seeks to ensure that this precious bond of friendship continues after the last of the veterans have gone. [...] There is a magic about Arnhem. Perhaps it explains why, all these years later, so many veterans have made one last wish. ‘They often ask if they can have their ashes buried here, next to their comrades,’ says Gerrit Pijpers, a retired Dutch air force officer who has helped to organise ceremonies here for years. ‘They were only here for nine days, but they feel that this is home.’ It certainly is."

OwnPhones ~ Wireless Custom-Fit 3DP Earbuds

The DM's Victoria Woollaston reveals No more uncomfortable earphones! Custom-made buds are 3D printed to fit...

"Each OwnPhone is custom made to fit the wearer’s ear perfectly. People order the customised phones using a smartphone app. Images of a person’s ear are then turned into 3D-printed models. Colours, styles and materials in individual OwnPhones can be personalised."

Kickstarting now...

Shoulder Bot ~ MIT Body-Mounted Extra Arms...

The DM spotlights MIT's Robot on the Shoulder...

"Robotic arms that lift heavy objects, grab things out of the wearer's reach and can be used to hold objects steady. [...] There were built at the institute's d'Arbeloff Laboratory by Federico Parietti and Baldin Llorens-Bonilla, both in the Mechanical Engineering Department. The extra limbs created by MIT weigh around 10lbs (9kg) so they can be strapped onto the shoulders or hips, but can still lift heavy objects. While they may not use mind control, they can learn from the way a person’s body moves."

Cruise Train ~ Japan's Ultra-Lux Railset...

The DailyMail spots Cruise Train...

"Observation cars with glass walls, deluxe suites and a sleek design -- this is the future of train travel in Japan. Cruise Train is expected to launch in the spring of 2017, but renderings have been released, unveiling a revolutionary blueprint with a £30m price tag. Produced by Ferrari designer Ken Okuyama in collaboration with JR East railways, the projections are based on the seven-star super-luxury Nanatsuboshi in Japan."

Before & After ~ Esther Honig's Photoshoppery

The DM spots journalist Esther Honig's Before & After project...

"A 24-year-old journalist based in Kansas City, Missouri sent an image of herself to 40 people in 25 countries with the request 'Make me look beautiful. The resulting images were altered by professional photo re-touchers in Sri Lanka, Morocco, the Philippines and elsewhere, illustrating the drastically different aesthetic preferences of various cultures."

Roll-Up Scooter ~ George Mabey's A4 Design!

The DM's Sarah Griffiths spots George Mabey's roll-up scooter!

"Fold-up scooters are a popular way to get around town quickly, but they're often bulky and awkward to carry. Now there’s a new design of scooter that's so tiny, it folds up to the size of an A4 piece of paper. A university student created the award-winning scooter by linking pieces of aluminium with a cable, which when tightened, pull them together to support an adult’s weight."

Above Central Park ~ Iconic Manhattan Acres!

DM spotlights aerial photos, including Sergey Semenov's shot of Central Park!

Traffic Droid ~ Cyclist Names & Shames Idiots...

DM's Lucy Crossley spots the Traffic Droid...

"This self-styled cycling superhero has been naming and shaming errant drivers using seven video cameras mounted on his helmet and bike. Clad in black lycra, Traffic Droid, aka Lewis Dediare, describes his battle as a 'war of attrition' as he cycles around London, branding drivers 'idiots' if they get in his way. As well as a camera mounted on a three foot pole protruding from his modified bicycle, the 39-year-old carries a ruler to measure how his distance from cars, before bellowing into the car window to admonish the driver and showing them a 'red card'. He then uploads his footage to YouTube and Twitter, and will often hand it over to traffic companies and police so the drivers can be further punished."

Pee Shooter ~ Vigilante Clean Indian Soakers;-)

Sophie Jane Evans at the DailyMail spotlights Pee shooters...

"Vigilantes take to the streets of Mumbai with a water tanker so they can spray anyone caught taking a leak in public. [...] Tanker features enormous water canon and the sign: 'You Stop, We Stop'. Also includes rooftop area, from which masked activists can spray public. It aims to deter those who feel no shame relieving themselves on streets. Vehicle is believed to be manned by anonymous group, the Clean Indian."

Changing Faces ~ Beat Prejudice, Value Equality

The DailyMail shares Adam Pearson's OpEd TV's Beauty and the Beast star hopes to beat prejudice after big-screen debut...

"My genetic condition, neurofibromatosis, causes excess body tissue and non-cancerous tumours. [...] As a teenager, I was called Elephant Man, Scarface and Quasimodo. All three of these film characters with a scar, mark or illness is either a victim or psychotic killer. I could probably act the part, but in real life I am neither of these things. It’s all about context. [...] What I hope I can do is help to create a society where grown-ups don’t hold these immature, naive prejudices."

Towards this end, Adam supports Changing Faces and the Face Equality campaign...

"...calling for balanced portrayals of people with disfigurements in films. [...] James Partridge, CEO of Changing Faces, said: “We’re so used to seeing people with disfigurements portrayed as the villain in films that it may be hard for people to imagine they could ever play someone’s friend, the Dad picking up his kids from school, the US President, or a lover. [...] “The problem is that, for those who actually do have facial scars or whose faces are asymmetrical as a result of cancer, strokes or birth conditions, the way that people react in the cinema can spill over into the way they are treated in everyday life. It can encourage people to make moral judgements based on what they see on the screen."

Here's the short film Leo to provoke thought... What did you think was going to happen?

Upsee ~ Harness Enables Kids to Walk & Play!

Thanks to John Farrier at Neatorama for spotting the Upsee...

"Debby Elnatan's young son, Rotem, has cerebral palsy. He has very limited mobility. She wanted to find a way to help him experience upright movement, so she invented the Upsee. It's a harness that straps a child to the legs and waist of an adult. Both the child and the adult wear sandals that are joined together and slip over their shoes. With the adult's assistance, the child can step, walk, dance and even kick. Both can keep their hands free while doing so. Elnatan took the Upsee to Leckey, a child accessory manufacturer in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. On Monday, the company released Upsee for global distribution."

The DailyMail shares more parent+child experiences...

"Short-term, the Upsee improves special needs family participation and quality of life, while research suggests it has the potential to help with physical and emotional development in the longer term,' she said. 'It has been humbling to see the progress and happiness the Upsee is creating; watching children to do simple things for the first time such as kicking a ball or playing with a sibling is wonderful for everyone involved, but especially the families."

Hudson Yards ~ Ross' NYC Development Vision

Forbes' Morgan Brennan speaks with Related Cos founder Stephen Ross about the his Hudson Yards development in NYC... P.S. Here's update piece in the DM on The new Manhattan: New York's skyline to be transformed.

Coordinated Migration ~ FB on Human Relocation

Thanks to the DM's Ellie Zolfagharifard for spotting How Facebook reveals human migration...

"Facebook data scientists recently compared users’ hometowns with their current residences to uncover the top 10 cities that had coordinated migrations -- or the movement of large numbers of people from one place to another. The top destinations were found throughout the world in countries that are rapidly urbanising. In these areas at least 20 per cent of the population of one city had moved to another city. [...] ‘We believe that these migrations have cultural and political motives, on top of economical ones,’ said Facebook. [...] According to this data, countries such as India, Nigeria, and Turkey are becoming increasingly urban, with many people moving from rural areas into large cities such as Hyderabad and Chennai in India and Lagos in Nigeria. For most of the cities on the top 10 list, the megacity migrations are coming from within the same countries."

Smarty Ring ~ Finger Control of Mobile Apps!

Thanks to DM's Victoria Woolaston for spotting the Smarty Ring, a...

"...stainless steel gadget [which] connects to smartphones via Bluetooth using a dedicated app. Its LED screen lights up each time the wearer gets an email, text message, Facebook and Twitter notifications and phone calls, and the ring can also be used as a remote control."

(Seems too good to be true. I hope this is not merely "design & visualization" exercise and they've actually figured out power management, etc.)

Perfect Mannequins ~ Pro Infirmis Body Doubles!

Thanks to Anna Hodgekiss at the DailyMail for spotting the Pro Infirmis perfect mannequins project!

"A Swiss charity has created mannequins based on the bodies of disabled people in a bid to raise awareness that no one has a perfect body. Pro Infirmis, an organisation for people with disabilities, worked with people suffering from scoliosis (a curved spine), shortened limbs and a woman in a wheelchair. Each had a mannequin made to perfectly reflect their body shape -- which, to their delight, was then displayed in a high street store in Zurich's main shopping street. [...] The aim of the project is to raise awareness of people with disabilities, specifically in the image-obsessed worlds of fashion and retail. [...] Because who is perfect?"