Optimus Ride, autonomous vehicle (AV) start-up, has become the public AV offering in New York City, providing autonomous shuttle service in Brooklyn?s Navy Yard. While carrying both a safety driver and software operator, and restricted to a 1.1-mile loop of private roads, the shuttle service is already expected to serve over 16,000 passengers per month. Lowering consumers' barrier to use, Optimus has even made the service free, running between the NYC Ferry stop and the Yard?s Cumberland Gate to embed itself in the daily routine of thousands of commuters. https://www.wsj.com/articles/some-new-yorkers-brave-self-driving-shuttle-11565218555

A recent Australian study suggests, that ?green space? especially trees, enhances mental health. Adults with 30% or more of their neighbourhood covered in some form of tree canopy had 31% lower odds of developing psychological distress. The same amount of tree cover was linked to 33% lower odds of developing fair to poor general health.https://theconversation.com/increasing-tree-cover-may-be-like-a-superfood-for-community-mental-health-119930

Samsung has just been granted a U.S. patent to develop smart contact lenses capable of taking pictures, recording videos, and even beaming images directly into a wearer?s eyes. The lenses are designed to include motion sensors, which means that wearers could control devices with their eye movements and potentially give commands to their devices remotely when blinking or using their peripheral vision. @IdeaSpies https://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2019/08/06/samsung-patents-smart-contact-lenses-record-video-let-control/amp/

Artist Phil Ferguson, known to his 130,000 Instagram followers as Chili Philly, became Insta-famous for posing in his crocheted ha

A group of scientists has just discovered how modern technology can be used to study sharks out in the open. The researchers wanted to gain an understanding of shark behaviour and their whereabouts in order to reduce the amount and risk of human-shark interactions. Now, Macquarie scientist Julianna Kadar has just found the best method of using tagging technology to do just that. The researchers gathered Port Jackson sharks from the wild and attached a Fitbit like device ? acoustic accelerometers ? on the sharks to monitor their movements. The data collected by this new technology has since confirmed new information about the breed. https://lighthouse.mq.edu.au/article/august-2019/fitbits-throw-light-on-secret-lives-of-sharks

An all-good, all-natural deodorant will keep you fresh all day. BLISS is aluminium free, paraben free deodorant that actually works - it glides on smooth and silky, leaves you feeling dry and refreshed, and being plant based won?t stain your clothes and is completely safe to use. The coconuts used came from the Solomon Islands which in turn supports the local community. Also, Diane the founder is passionate about the environment so the packaging is 100% plastic free and biodegradable. We are reducing plastic in the oceans one deodorant at a time. www.coconutmatter.org