Technological suggestion

[kellys_eye]

I've always hankered for a single-source of information that would help in an EOTW situation and pondered the creation of a device that may have some attributes worth promoting.

I'd love to see an A4 sized e-book reader with a 'lifetime' battery (solar recharging) and pre-programmed with the many excellent books that already exist that can help with restarting civilisation. It would also have touch-screen capability and hyperthreading for ease of access.

With memory being cheap and lots of information being accessible in low-capacity text-only format you could put a MASSIVE library on such a device.

Quite frankly I'm surprised someone like Britannica haven't thought of this. Their encyclopedia were legendary on their day and they even ventured into CDROM and DVD versions but they were always a very poor relation to the rank of thick books on library shelves!

If Britannica did an e-book version on the basis of an EOTW situation I reckon they'd sell billions.

Certainly I'd buy one.

But now that I've reminded myself I'm off to seek an old set of Britannica!

[Straight Shooter]

I would buy one ! , I have quite a few books in my library as do many on here .......but the room they take can be a problem, there again you can not beat an old book in your hands along with the experience of just picking it up and having a bloody good read ! .

[kellys_eye]

My e-book reader never leaves my bedside - got to read a chapter of a book every night. It's almost an obsession! but I do keep collecting hardbacks on a variety of subjects that are all reference-based. DIY, repairing stuff, building, engineering, medicine, herbs you name it I've probably have it (or would want it!).

I managed to get hold of a twin-pack of 'How Things Are Made' (Vols 1&2 of course) which is a great basic reference to how loads of things work and it would be definitely one in the BugOutBag. Two small paperbacks about 2" thick each. Great reading!

[Skean Dhude]

I have an extensive library of books and any downloaded stuff I think is important I print off and file. I have a room full of this.

In addition I download lots of files in text or pdf and have several small systems and disks protected from emp. If they are available great, if not I have the important stuff and the rest can be stored in case we manage to get power back up.

[bigpaul]

I prefer paper books, anything technological "could" break down in the event of power loss, my books are my reference library and are never any more than an arms length away.

[kellys_eye]

Furthering this subject...

what about emergency lights for the home?

Yeah, I know, it's called a torch..... but I have an idea to make standard lamps with lithiums in the base that are powered from a wall wart, have an LED bulb for normal use and fail-safe to the battery supply if the mains fails. It would also be designed to cut light output gradually over time unless it was 'reset' to full brilliance.

A couple in the living room and bedroom and you'd never be kept in the dark!

I also fancy putting Red LED's in the top crosspiece of all door ways (downlights) that light automatically in a power fail situation.

and lastly (for now!) I'm looking for a stand-alone connector for Aldi power tool batteries. I want to fit battery receptacles in strategic places to power some devices (modem, lights, phone charging etc). The batteries are pretty good (value and quality) - not like the tools themselves.....

[Mortblanc]

KE do you not realize that the power tool batteries are simply clusters of 18650 lithium power cells?

You can buy the batteries, chargers, transformers and connector strips on E-bay and build what configurations you desire, along with solar panels to charge them.

[bigpaul]

I wonder how many people will fall by the wayside post SHTF because they cannot survive without electricity.

[Straight Shooter]

I could imagine loads of people BP .......many will not survive without power .....everything will come to a full stop for those who have NOT prepared or even tried to offset this scenario .

[bigpaul]

the majority of the population I should think SS.
most have modern attitudes and would not be able to survive without their creature comforts and their tech gadgets.
the simple life for me.