Neatorama » Argentina

Cab Driver Becomes Star For Good Deed

Queuebot — Sat, 09 May 2009 16:49:19 +0000

In a corrupt society like Argentina, an honest man is hard to find. Yet, when an elderly couple left $32,500 in his cab, Santiago Gori hunted them down and returned every penny. Stunned by such honesty, Argentines began donating to him via a web site that was set up in his honor. So far the equivalent of $14,580 has been donated, according to the site.

“Thank you”, say many of the messages and one said it all: “I wish more people were like you.”

Link – via holeinthedonut

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by baweibel.

Update 5/11/09 – It’s just come to my attention of the statement describing Argentina as corrupt. They’re not my words (this was a post from the Upcoming Queue, written by the submitter) and I do not agree with such a broad and overreaching statement.

While I will leave the post up in its entirety, I’d like to express my apologies to our Argentinian readers. As a clarification, the statement is not the belief of the blog.

First Child Born in Antarctica

Miss Cellania — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 15:10:42 +0000

Emilio Marcos Palma made history, and the Guiness Book of World Records, in 1978 just by being born! His father was in charge of the Argentine army’s Esperanza Base near the tip of the Antarctic peninsula. As a political ploy, the government of Argentina airlifted his mother to the base to give birth. Parts of the territory in which Esperanza Base is located are claimed by Argentina, Chile, and the UK. The Guinness Book lists him as the only person identified to have been the first born on any continent. He is also the southernmost human birth known, although two other people have since been born in Antarctic territory. Link -via Grow-A-Brain

Esperanza Base (pictured) is now inhabited by 55 people, including ten families and two schoolteachers! Link

(image credit: © Samuel Blanc)

DIY "Eye Mouse" for Disabled People

Queuebot — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 16:01:53 +0000

Two students from a technical high school in Argentina built a mouse that can be controlled by eye movements, thus allowing people with total paralysis to use the computer.

The invention is named the "Eye Mouse." This idea is not new but what makes it different is that it is a DIY mouse that almost anyone can build with cheap and easy-to-find components.

How does it work? The free software that they provide, divides the monitor surface in squares and asks the user what he wants to do – focus on an area, right click, left click, etc – with yes and no answers. If the eye looks at the camera, that is translated as a "yes".

With just a webcam, an infrared LED, a small, flexible metal tube and the headband of a welding helmet, anyone can build the mouse at a fraction of the cost of similar devices.

The students wanted to make the Eye Mouse available to everyone, so the software is free. They have published step-by-step instructions on how to build the mouse, originally in Spanish but they have already been translated to English.

Link – via ticbelgrano

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by scbr.

Melting Man Wants YOU to Fight Global Warming

Alex — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 07:05:32 +0000

Photo: Red Cross of Argentina

This is a pretty clever guerilla marketing by the Argentinian Red Cross: a "melting" man passing out fliers urging spectators in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to fight global warming.

Link | Photo via Comunicadores.info [in Portuguese] – Thanks Adam!

Previously on Neatorama: