1. GREEN [...]]]> The attraction of cycling as a green, healthy, and cost-saving form of transport is huge for consumers, especially so at a time when the environment and world financial woes dominate the zeitgeist. Businesses doing something a little different for cyclists are a strong bet for success. Here’s five we recently spotted:

1. GREEN GOOSE — As part of their package of web services allowing users to track healthy lifestyle achievements, Green Goose’s bike-mounted sensors record cycling activity and upload the data over wifi. The company also provides services to help employers encourage cycling to work.

2. E-WERK — The energy generated pushing those pedals has long been tapped to power lights using a dynamo. But why stop there? German manufacturer Busch & Müller sells a dynamo-powered power supply allowing users to charge phones, MP3 players and other mobile devices. E-Werk comes with a selection of connectors including USB.

3. VELOCOMPUTER — Some cyclists may prefer not to fit an assortment of paraphernalia to their bikes, be it for security, aerodynamic or purely aesthetic reasons. VeloComputer is a mobile phone-based alternative to traditional bike computers and uses the accelerometer built in to many modern smartphones.

4. THE HUMBLE VINTAGE — If a cyclist is away from home and hasn’t got their bike with them, they may want to rent something with a bit of personality that doesn’t clearly signpost them as a tourist. Melbourne-based The Humble Vintage refurbishes classic and vintage cycles as a rental alternative to the ubiquitous MTB.

5. BICYKLO — Aiming to make it easier to find the perfect cycle tour, Bicyklo aggregates thousands of tour offers from hundreds of operators worldwide into a single database, allowing cyclists to search by area, duration and type rather than have to seek out individual operators and investigate what they have on offer.

Spotters: Doug Jost, Robin Benjamins

The magazine NewScientist makes a compelling case for the four-day workweek in the current issue.

The article points out that companies and government organizations that have explored the idea found savings and benefits for companies and employees alike.

The [...]]]> Source : http://itworld.com/mobile-amp-wireless/77984/best-idea-ever-three-day-workweek

Closing the office saves money and boosts morale. The time is now.

The magazine NewScientist makes a compelling case for the four-day workweek in the current issue.

The article points out that companies and government organizations that have explored the idea found savings and benefits for companies and employees alike.

The State of Utah, for example, found energy consumption dropped 13 percent, and that 70 percent of employees were happier. And healthier. Requests for “sick days” dropped significantly.

NewScientist suggests that there are two ways to achieve four-day workweeks. The first is to add two hours to each workday, so everybody works the same number of hours per week, but crammed into four days instead of five.

The second approach is to cut actual hours, and cut pay as well. This approach is seen as a better alternative to layoffs, both for the companies facing budget crunches, and for the employees who would otherwise lose all their pay and benefits.

According to NewScientists, a majority of employees would prefer one of these schemes to the conventional five-day-workweek.

However, I have a proposal that I think is better than both these approaches. Why not embrace a three-day workweek, and have the other two workdays be work-at-home days?

That means the office is open — and everybody’s got to show up for work — on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. But on Thursday and Friday, employees all telecommute.

In-office client meetings, internal meetings, face-to-face collaboration can all take place in the office during office hours, then work that doesn’t require office equipment or meetings can take place remotely.

The benefits to the company include lower energy costs, fewer sick days, and a more energized staff.

And, of course, employees benefit by getting back that commute time — 40 hours per year saved, on average. Employees also have to spend less money on gas, dry cleaning, day care and a host of other items associated with showing up to an office every day.

The only major objection to this for most companies is that employees need to be “supervised” or they’ll goof around and not get any work done. But this isn’t a legitimate concern in most cases.

First, it’s trivially easy to goof off right in front of the boss. Slacker employees might be sitting at their computers, but how do you know they’re not playing online poker or checking their Facebook profiles?

Second, people work at home unsupervised all the time. Taking work home is nearly universal now. Anytime staff work on reports, or answer business e-mail at home, guess what? They’re working from home, unsupervised.

In other words, personal stuff happens at work, and work stuff happens at home. Trapping employees in an office guarantees nothing, and allowing people to work at home isn’t as risky as it sounds.

It’s time to embrace the three-day workweek. It saves money, boosts productivity, and improves everybody’s quality of life.

Wéi vill Anerer bedeelegt sech den Denis Scuto, an dësen Tour de France-Zäiten, un der Aktioun „Mam Vëlo op d’Schaff”, déi den Transportministère dëst Joer nees an Zesummenaarbecht mat Partner wéi der CFL, dem Verkéiersverbond an der Lëtzebuerger Velosinitiativ organiséiert. Seng Erfahrungen hunn en zu dëser Carte blanche inspiréiert.

Permanent ginn d’Automobilisten jo laanscht d’Autobunne [...]]]> Source : http://news.rtl.lu/commentaire/carteblanche/29815.html

Wéi vill Anerer bedeelegt sech den Denis Scuto, an dësen Tour de France-Zäiten, un der Aktioun „Mam Vëlo op d’Schaff”, déi den Transportministère dëst Joer nees an Zesummenaarbecht mat Partner wéi der CFL, dem Verkéiersverbond an der Lëtzebuerger Velosinitiativ organiséiert. Seng Erfahrungen hunn en zu dëser Carte blanche inspiréiert.

Permanent ginn d’Automobilisten jo laanscht d’Autobunne mat Affiche begléckt, déi hinne soe wéi se sech sollen oder net solle verhalen. Si sinn mol witzeg, mol grave, mol banal. Gutt gemengt meeschtens. Eng Affiche vum Emwelt- a vum Transportministär kréie mer suguer ëmmer nees zervéiert. Eis schéin Äerd ass ze gesinn mat enger Minuterie drop. D’Regierung léisst eis folgendes matdeelen: „Klimaschutz: Et läit an denger Hand. Géi ze Fouss. Huel de Vëlo. Huel de Bus. Änner deng Gewunnechten.”

Vun Ufank un geet dëst Plakat mer zimmlech op de Wecker. Firwat, wëll ech un engem Beispill kloer maachen. Zënter dem 18. Mee bedeelegen ech mech mat e puer Kollegen a Kolleginnen vun der Uni un der Aktioun „Mam Vëlo op d’Schaff”. Dat heescht op d’mannst 15 Mol tëschent dem 18. Mee an dem 24. Juli fueren ech mam Vëlo vu Lampech op Walfer an zeréck. 26 km dohin a 26 km zeréck iwer d’Stad. En Deel kann een och mam ëffentlechen Transport maachen, an anere Wierder mam Zuch, well mam Vëlo an de Bus klammen ass oft problematesch.

Ech hu versicht e Wee ze fannen mat esouvill wéi méiglech Velosweeër. Mee ech muss awer, oft am Berufsverkéier, verschidde Stroosse benotzen, déi Automobilisten als Schläichweeër benotzen: vu Lampech op Ehleng, vum Schléiwenhaff zu Leideleng bis bei d’Hollerecher Kiirch, iirt ech bei der Dexia-Bil an d’Péitrus ka fueren, vu Beggen iwer d’Kromm Längten op Walfer. Ech si generft an d’Autofuerer wuel och. Den éischten Dag hunn ech en Zebrasträife benotzt fir een onméiglechen Traficpunkt ze ëmgoen. Mam Resultat dass e Moto d’Camionette, déi mer d’Vue verspoart huet, iwwerholl huet a mäi viischt Rad gesträift a (glécklecherweis juste) mäi Guidon verbéit huet. „Ça va?” sot en an ass weidergefuer.

Den Zuch huelen mam Velo klappt do scho besser. D’CFL-Schaffner si ganz hëllefsbereet, wëssen awer selwer, dass d’Wagonen net equipéiert sinn fir méi wéi e Grapp voll Cyclisten mat Vëlo opzehuelen, resp. verschidde Waggoen nach guer net equipéiert sinn. Esou munch Trap hunn ech scho missen am Zuch mat mengem Drotiesel blockéieren.

D’Plakat iwer de Klimaschutz geet mer op de Wecker, well e wichtegen Hiweis feelt. Do misst stoen: Géi ze Fouss. Huel de Vëlo. Huel de Bus. An dann: Mär Regierungsmemberen, Gemengen- a Schäfferéit, mär Décideuren a privaten a staatleche Betriiber änneren och eis Gewunnechten a mär huele Mesuren, dass Cyclisten a gudde Konditiounen a virun allem a Sécherheet kënnen op hir Oarbechtsplaz fueren. Mär setzen elo endlech ëm wat mer schonn 10 Joer verspriechen: Mär bannen déi lokal Réseaue vu Vëlospisten un déi National un. Mär schafen an all Gemeng (net nëmmen zu Esch an an der Stad) en zesummenhängenden Réseau vu Vëlospisten. Mär ernennen e Koordinateur um nationale Plang, deen dofir suergt dass déi verschidden Acteuren Transportministère, Travaux publics, Ponts et chaussées, Tourisme, Santé, Education nationale Infrastrukture schafen oder veränneren, fir dass dem Vëlo eng Plaz gi gëtt an net nëmmen e puer Strécher um Macadam.

En attendant, dass mer déi Mesuren am nächste Koalitiounsprogramm erëmfannen, wënsche mer all politesche Responsablen am Land eng schéi Vokanz. Maacht et do wéi mär: Gitt ze Fouss. Huelt de Velo. Ännert är Gewunnechten.