Overcoming the Problem of Waste

Many large cities are anything but beautiful. Streets are littered with trash. In this trash, however, there is still something that can be useful.
If people want to solve the problem of waste, there is no time to be lost. They must work out ways of making use of good things which are just thrown away as waste.
When a car gets too old, it may not run any more. But the metal that the car was made of is still good. It can be put to use again.
When a bottle is empty, it goes out in the trash. But bottle glass can be ground into sand and used to pave streets.
Garbage from food can be changed into fertilizer. But first you have to fish out all the glass and metal.
Garbage can also be a good source for making building blocks, which are then covered with concrete. Now, more and more machines are designed for this purpose. Some day, people will watch films in a magnificent cinema which has been built out of garbage. Future buildings, roads, and cities maybe made from garbage. But so far, building beautiful cities out of garbage is only a dream.

Adidas Creates Computerized 'Smart Shoe'

The latest Adidas shoe, called "1", is shown here in Portland, Ore., Thursday, May 6, 2004, during its' introduction at the company's U.S. headquarters. The shoe is equipped with a microprocessor capable of making five million calculations per second to adjust heel cushioning. It can turn firm for off-road, trail running and then soften up when it hits the pavement.

Adidas says it has created the world's first "smart shoe" by mating it with a computer chip that adapts its cushioning level to a runner's size and stride.
The Adidas 1 is the product of a three-year secret project the German company developed at its U.S. headquarters in Portland, Ore.
On Thursday, Adidas opened its research lab to reporters from around the world for a first peek at a shoe the company claims will revolutionize distance running and training.
"This is the first intelligent shoe ever," said Erich Stamminger, global marketing director for Adidas. "It senses, understands and adapts."
After thousands of hours of testing, Adidas is confident the computerized shoe will endure the wear-and-tear of running in almost any condition - from hard pavement to dirt trails, and dry streets to wet beaches.
The microprocessor is located in the arch of the shoe, and drives a tiny screw and cable system that adjusts the heel cushion depending on the signals sent back by an electric sensor coupled to a magnet.
It is powered by a battery that conserves power by adjusting the shoe while it is in the air during a runner's stride, avoiding resistance from the ground.
The entire assembly weighs no more than 40 grams - just 10 percent of the 400-gram total weight of the shoe, to keep it light enough for distance runners.
But the $250 price tag is likely to make it a luxury item when it first goes on sale in December, said Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon.
"It's something that doesn't necessarily seem to have massive market appeal, but from the company standpoint speaks volumes about its technology capabilities," Swangard said.