Charge your cellphones now with slop of water

Swedish researchers have developed the world's first water-activated charger that can power your cellphone using just a puddle of ordinary water. 

Based on micro fuel cell technology developed at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, the MyFC PowerTrekk uses ordinary water to extend battery life for devices of up to 3 watts. 

Anders Lundblad, KTH researcher and founder of MyFC, says that the device can be powered by fresh or seawater. The water need not be completely clean. 

Lundblad said that their invention has great potential to accelerate social development in emerging markets,there are large areas that lack electricity, while mobile phones fulfil more and more vital functions, such as access to weather information or electronic payment. 

A USB connector attaches the compact PowerTrekk charger to the device. When plain water is poured onto a small recyclable metal disc inside the unit, hydrogen gas is released and combines with oxygen to convert chemical energy into electrical energy. 

The resulting charge is enough to power an iPhone to between 25 and 100 per cent of its battery capacity. 

Lundblad says the business vision behind MyFC is to commercialise fuel cell technology and contribute to the development of environmental technology. 

He says the charger is the first step toward building fuel cells in laptops. 

"The launch of our charger is a strategic move to gain wide acceptance of fuel cells throughout society. Our chargers may be considered expensive now; but in the longer term, as they reach a mass market, they would go down in price," he said. 

Fuel cells can already be found in electric cars, trucks and buses, and backup electrical power supply systems for hospitals and co-generation plants. 

The process by which fuel cells generate electricity is considered to be safe and environmentally-friendly, and the only by-product is water vapour. The fuel cell system is passive and has no fans or pumps. 

Lundblad says that fuel cell chargers are faster and more reliable than solar chargers. The main target groups for MyFC PowerTrekk are those who travel or live in remote areas of the world, outdoor enthusiasts and aid workers, he says. 

The charger is both a fuel cell and a portable battery, providing a direct power source as well as a storage buffer for the fuel. 

MyFC plans to open an on-line shop for its MyFC PowerTrekk product. The company has already sold the technology to users in China, Japan, the US and much of Europe.

You Are an Eagle, You Can Fly!

Intent of the Story:Like the Eagles, we are born for the sky. The Lord has called us to live with our eyes fixed on heaven, not on earth., yet too many of us are satisfied to live like chicken in barnyards, contentedly with the safety of our families, our finances, our careers and the comfortable crumbs of modern life.

The Story:
Once upon a time, walking through the forest, a farmer found an eaglet lying on the ground. It was wounded. It was dying. Out of pity, he picked it up and took it home. He kept it in the hencoop of his barn with the rest of his chickens. Very soon, the eaglet learned to eat chicken food and behave like a chicken.
Many days later, a bird-Naturalist happened to bump into that farmer’s hencoop. When he saw the eaglet eating worms and grain and living in the farm, full of surprise said to the farmer: "How come that there is an eaglet in your farm living with the chickens? The eagle is the king of birds. Eagles are meant to fly, not to live in farms and eat chicken food!"
The farmer replied: "What else could I do? I found it in the forest when it was very small, I felt bad for it. I picked it up and kept it in my barn. It grew here and it looks quite happy being like one of the chicks."
The Naturalist retorted: "My dear friend, you are mistaken; an eagle is an eagle. We have to teach this eaglet how to fly. He has to realize his potential, his qualities. Only by using them to the full, he will find true happiness and fulfillment."

Immediately, the Naturalist picked the eaglet in his hands and tried to teach him to fly. But, all in vain! The eaglet would not even open his wings. He was afraid of flying. He did not even know that he could fly!
Again, the Naturalist lifted the eaglet from the ground. This time he kept him high above his head. Patiently, he kept saying: "You belong to the sky, look at the heavens, look up there, open your wings, and begin to fly."
The eaglet was confused and scared. When the eaglet saw- the chickens eating their food on the ground, he dropped heavily to the ground and joined them. The naturalist did not give up. He knew that in spite of all the evidence, inside that bird there was an eagle’s heart throbbing for greatness, longing for excellence.
The next day, at sunrise, the Naturalist took the eaglet and went to the top of a small mountain nearby and patiently, began encouraging the frightened bird to fly. He kept telling the bird: "Fly, fly, dear eaglet. Open your wings. Climb the heights, forget the chicken barn below. Fly! Fly!” And without more ado, he flung the bird upwards towards the sky.
The eaglet, unaware of his unknown self and afraid of the height, shivering with fear allowed himself to drop down. There, he was now on the cliff of the mountain still gazing at the faun house down below in the valley!
Then the Naturalist made the eaglet lace the rays of the rising sun; lovingly, he kept telling him: “Realize your greatness, you are not a chick, you are an eagle! You can fly. The sky is your fatherland. The heights are calling you. You are not meant for the earth. Open, open your wings and dare fly!"
Finally, the eaglet stared at the brightness of the rising sun. Its ardors caressed his wings. Its piercing brightness stabbed his heart. Something awoke in his soul. All of a sudden the eaglet trembled, he shook all over, slowly his wings expanded; then, they fluttered.
Finally, with his eyes glued to the radiant sun, the eaglet majestically, rose from the ground and started flying. He hastened and hastened his speed, soared and soared, higher and higher, till regally, he reached the inaccessible heights of the heavens!
(Adaptation of the Story, "The Eaglet” of Nancy Missler)
Points for Reflection and Discussion:
1. Why so many of us do not try to climb the heights, but prefer to behave like chicks enjoying the security the farmhouses?
2. Do you really believe that there is an eagle deep down in your heart longing to be set free? What have you done about it?
3. At home, at school, and in college, have you been brought up and treated like a chick or like an eagle? What effect had that on you?
4. At your place of work, in life as a whole, have you been behaving like a chicken or like an eagle? Explain.
5. Have you ever found in your life a "naturalist" who helped you to discover your true self? What did he do to you? What difference did it make in your life?
6. In the way you behaved towards people at home, and with others in general have you been like the "fanner" or like the “naturalist"? Give instances.
7. How can we be "naturalists" and help others to discover their hidden greatness? Explain give instances.
8. Mention the names of some persons who have been real eagles in the history of the world. In what way were they eagles?
Explain or Discuss the Following Statements:
a. A person's "potential self” is richer than his "actual self".
b. Believe you are an eagle, act like an eagle and you will be one.
c. Don’t look at what you are, look at what you can be.
d. Each one is a mixture of great unknown strengths and of tiny known weaknesses.
e. Even in the smallest seed, there is a tree that wants to bloom.
f. Every eagle needs a "naturalist” to discover what he is.
g. Every person in his own unique way is born an "eagle"
h. Great oaks have been tinny acorns.
i. The glory of God is a man fully alive.
j. There is a "naturalist" in your heart, don’t silence him
k. To overcome your weakness, believe in your strengths’
l. Treat people according to what they "can" be, not according to what they think they are.
m. We are born for the heavens, not to crawl on earth.
n. We carry treasures in earthen vessels.
o. All of us are priceless gifts of God to the world, enveloped in simple wrappers.

Tata Sons considers 2-tier board for continuity during transition

With a virtual revamp at the top deck at Tata Sons, the holding company of India's largest industrial group, a fundamental change in the management structure of the board is expected soon.

A two-tier board structure is an option being considered. The option, unlike the UK or US model is popular in European countries including Germany and Austria where an executive board will include all the executive directors while an overarching supervisory board comprising non-executive directors will be at the apex. According to sources close to the development, a dual structure has become necessary on account of the fact that the entire set of executive directors on the Tata Sons board are set to retire over the next couple of years moving into a non-executive capacity.

Having a two-tier structure in this transition period could ensure continuity while also bolstering leadership across the group by drawing upon the combined experience of the senior team. Yet it will allow the space for the new crop of executive directors to steer the ship of the 145-year-old Tata Group.

Responding to a query from The Indian Express, Mukund Govind Rajan, Brand Custodian, Tata Sons Ltd said: "We will communicate leadership changes as and when they happen, and will not comment on speculation regarding future leadership structures. Suffice it to say that the Tata group has sophisticated processes to identify and nurture talent, and is blessed with a strong leadership pipeline."

Few corporate analysts, because of the sensitivity of the issues involved were willing to come on record. Lalit Kumar, partner at J Sagar Associates, one of India's largest corporate law firm said the Tata Group has a rich experience of demonstrated leadership, "so it could be possible for them to use this structure, deciding to include the necessary number of independent directors at both levels". Tata Sons is an unlisted entity. The Companies Act does not however specify any minimum number of independent directors for such companies.

Corporate governance norms vary between countries, especially when it comes to board structures. Countries such as the US and India favour a one-tier board system while in Germany, the two-tier board system is the norm for public companies. In a single-tier board, all the directors (both executive directors as well as non-executive directors) form one board, called the board of directors. In a two-tier board there is an executive board comprising all executive directors and a supervisory board having all the non-executive directors. German corporation law, the 'Aktiengesetz', requires all public companies to have two boards: a management board called a 'Vorstand' and a supervisory board called an 'Aufsichtsrat', with the supervisory board, in theory, intended to provide a monitoring role.

Research papers on dual board structures by OECD and others show no sharp differences in company performance compared with one tier boards, the only difference coming from the presence or absence of independent directors.

At present, apart from the 44-year-old Cyrus Mistry, the Tata Sons board consists of RK Krishna Kumar (74), Arunkumar R Gandhi (69), Farrokh K Kavarana (68), R Gopalakrishnan (66) and Ishaat Hussain (65). Two years back, in 2011, the Group had fixed the retirement age for executive directors at 65 and also brought down the retirement age for non-executive directors to 70 years from 75. However, those directors who crossed the age of 70 were mandated to continue till they are 75 years. This would mean that most of the venerable old men, including Kumar, Gandhi, and Kavarana are all set to move out of an executive role.

Over the last three years, the Tata Sons board saw one resignation and three retirements, with Alan Rosling leaving in 2009, Noshir A Soonawala, vice-chairman of Tata Sons and chairman of Tata Investment Corporation, retiring a year later and JJ Irani retiring in 2011. Kishor Chaukar stepped down as managing director of Tata Industries in August 2012.

Dual structure

* As per the dual structure an executive board will include all executive directors while a supervisory board comprising non-executive directors will be at the apex

* The structure has become necessary as the entire set of executive directors on the Tata Sons board are set to retire over the next couple of years moving into a non-executive capacity