This drone could reach a drowning person four times quicker than a human lifeguard

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Every year, local volunteer life guards as well as search and rescue operators are put through their paces in the Mid West, but soon a new technology may be available to help keep our coastline safer. 

An Iranian company are planning a purpose built drone or UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) which drop life preservers to drowning people.

From Bloomberg Businessweek:

Amin Rigi says drones should be used to save lives, not spy or kill. The Iranian, who has a bachelor’s degree in robotics engineering, is launching RTS London to manufacture flying robots that drop life preservers to drowning people. His selling point is speed: A video shot on the Caspian Sea shows his prototype reaching a swimmer in 22 seconds, four times faster than a lifeguard.

Preorders have poured in from 25 countries since Rigi, 27, posted the one-minute demonstration video on YouTube. He aims to ship his drones, which could cost up to $10,000 each, by mid-2015. Rigi, who will soon relocate to London to take part in an accelerator program for tech startups, predicts his business, which is developing an array of rescue robots, “will lead a revolution,” unleashing the power of drones to do good.

Pars is an Aerial rescue robot which is designed and made for saving human lives. The first purpose of building the robot is the relief of people drowning near coastlines. By developing its applications, it can be used in ships and off shore reliefs.

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Would you like to see Geraldton surf life savers equipped with technology like this?

Massive response to local business' sign

Post by Everything Geraldton.

Tim, an Everything Geraldton reader, sent this pic of a sign from a local business here in Geraldton. We shared it to Facebook, and the response was massive. 

So far nearly 90,000 people have seen the pic, and may agreed with the sentiment while some thought the sign was unnecessary. 

The sign reads: Attention Customers. If you are on the phone you will not be served. 

Check out the comments on the post by clicking here. 

Do you have an opinion?

Dog bites Geraldton man

Posted in the Geraldton Neighbourhood Watch group by Amalina Razak-Wilson on Wednesday evening:

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**WARNING** gruesome photo!!

Hi guys,

My husband got attacked by a dog tonight about 9:30pm, he said it looked like a stray and had no sign of any obedience at all.

This was on first st in wonthella, corner of NWCHighway. He was going from his mates house to the car when the dog jumped out of no where and attacked him.

The dog went straight to his face but he managed to block it with his forearm and was forced to kick the dog off him.

He described the dog as big and brown, looked like a bull mastiff.

He explained that the dog was tall and went up to his waist, he is 6"2, the dog had no collar.

His friends in the car said that they saw another dog accompany that dog but didn't do anything. I haven't had a chance to report to rangers, I will in the morning.

Just please if it is your dog, keep it locked up, you wouldn't want this happening to a child that can't defend themselves. He is in hospital and staying overnight and will be seeing surgeons tomorrow for a possible surgery.

Matthew (who was bitten) has 9 stitches. 

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S-Bend to be realigned

Part 2 of the Brand Highway realignment will be the straightening of the Brand Highway S-Bend.

The design has already been completed and authorities are currently trying to acquire the land for the project.

Transport Minister Dean Nalder was in Geraldton last week to officially open the new Greenough River traffic bridge, which was stage one of the Brand Highway realignment project.

“The State Government has committed $18million to this whole project and there are 3 stages," Mr Nalder said.

"The first stage which was the Greenough River Bridge which was about $8.1 million so it leaves us roughly $10 million for the other two stages.

“The design for Stage 2, which will focus on the realignment of Brand Highway through the S-Bend curves to join up with the existing highway south of the S-Bend Caravan Park, is now finalised and land requirements are being finalised.”

Main Roads Regional Gascoyne Manager Bernie Miller, said they had started a notice of intention process which will conclude in February 2015.

The S-Bend section of the highway is used by approximately 2,800 vehicles daily and since 2007 there have 20 crashes resulting in 5 fatalities.

“We want to straighten the S-Bend to take out the risks of those curves,” Mr Nalder said.

Mr Nalder could not give an exact timeline as to when to project would get underway.

The final stage of the Brand Highway realignment will include realigning the road from the S-Bend Caravan Park to south of Bookara East Road. 

What do you think of Andrew Forrest's proposal for welfare reform?

You may have read about it last month. Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest, who works closely with Aboriginal communities in this state's north and has sunk a lot of money into helping local communities, has sent a very controversial proposal to the Abbott government. 

Pic: Wikipedia

Basically, under Mr Forrest’s plan, all welfare recipients, with the exception of aged pensioners and veterans, would be forced into income management with no discretionary spending. Essentially the goal is to make it impossible for welfare recipients to spend the money they are given on drugs or alcohol. 

Mr Forrest spoke with 7.30 WA;

"This is not income management, this is not welfare quarantining, this is full value but in the form of a debit card just like all of us have, just a debit card out of your wallet," he said.

"There's no stigma attached, it's just cashless so you do the drug barons out of a job, not your child out of a job."

"We won't get a different result by doing things the same way." 

Watch the interview and read more about the proposal here. 

HAVE YOUR SAY: Prams in shops

An Everything Geraldton user is frustrated after she was unable to enter a shop on the weekend because she had a pram. The local store had a sign on the entrance stating that no prams were to enter the shop. This is usually due to people using prams to shoplift.

"I totally understand that there are dishonest people around that may choose to shoplift using a pram and I would not have been offended by a salesperson asking if they could check in my handbag or pram on my way out of the store," the Everything Geraldton user said.

"But to have a sign posted at the entrance saying that you were not allowed to take a pram into the store I feel is discriminative.

"Needless to say I went to another store for my purchase."

Do you think prams should be allowed in shops?

Land lines still favoured by older australians

A survey from 2013 has released findings that quarter of older Australians (855,000) only have a fixed-line telephone at home. While increasing numbers of Australians are replacing their fixed-line telephone with a mobile phone, some groups particularly those aged 65 years and over continue to rely on their fixed-line telephone service. ACMA’s latest report ‘Older Australians resist cutting the cord’ shows that despite more Australians 65 years and over adopting mobile phones, over half (55 per cent) identify the fixed-line telephone as their most used communications service.

The survey shows that older Australians were more inclined to have a fixed-line telephone connection at home (93 per cent), the highest percentage across all age groups at December 2013. In contrast, they are the least likely (74 per cent) to own or use a mobile phone.

The survey indicates that older Australians are less likely to use their mobile phones intensively, making fewer calls, sending fewer text messages, spending less time in calls and dialling a smaller group of different phone numbers than other mobile phone users.

What are your thoughts on this, are you an older citizen that has embraced the mobile phone community or are you still reliant on your existing land line ?

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Blowing up Dad's ashes

I would like to give a shout out and a huge thank you to Ken at Midwest Fireworks. He helped us blow my Dad's ashes up in a an amazing show of fireworks, over the farm where he had planted 5000 Eucalyptus trees years earlier. He has now been laid to rest in a fitting service and returned home. - Aaron Willcox

Have Your Say: Bring back the cane?

Photo Credit: szeke via Compfight cc

In quite a bizarre move the head of the Abbot government's national curriculum review has supported the idea of reintroducing corporal punishment into schools.

Kevin Donnelly said on Tuesday that "corporal punishment was effective during his childhood and still has some merit" (Sydney Morning Herald). 

Liberal Democrat David Leyonhjelm has also supported the idea, saying "schools should be free to manage their own affairs," (9 News). 

This reasoning comes as more students are being suspended than ever before across Australia, with over 18000 NSW students were suspended in 2012 - 1300 more than in 2011 (Sydney Morning Herald).

The Greens are up in arms at this startling new proposal, calling for Mr Donnelly to be sacked from the curriculum review panel.

What are your thoughts on this controversial topic?

Do students need more discipline in schools? Are parents letting their children get away with too much?

Or is the idea of corporal punishment a ridiculous proposal in today's society?

Opinion: Vehicle Rego Costs Increase

From an Everything Geraldton reader:

Just got my vehicle rego and it has gone up by almost one hundred dollars when the business rego has gone up a mere 15 dollars. Come on Mr Barnett fair go especially for the pensioner. R Pache

Hidden speed cameras

Have your say.

Should speed cameras be hidden to catch more people?

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From the WA Police Website:

Myth: "Speed cameras are in sneaky positions."

Fact: The Western Australia Police is happy for drivers to be aware of speed camera locations to encourage them to slow down and save themselves from being in a serious or fatal collision. Camera locations can be found on the 'Camera locations' link. Mobile speed camera sites are assessed and approved by specialist traffic police and these sites must conform to the criteria - fatal or serious crash locations; school zones; areas of reported speed related hoon complaints; or areas where 15% or more of vehicles are exceeding the speed limit.

Sites can also be chosen by police if they believe there is a specific risk at that location.

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From an Everything Geraldton reader:

[Is this] "in the spirit of not being revenue raising and not being 'sneaky' ".

Have your say - Children in bottle shops

A Perth mother has been left shocked after being refused entry to a Liquorland Store in Belmont last Wednesday.

The reason she was refused entry is that she had her 18 month old toddler with her. Security staff informed her that she couldn’t enter as her daughter was under 18 years of age.

Perth Now has the story.

Do you think this is acceptable? Should young children be allowed in to bottle shops if they are accompanied by a parent or guardian?

Have your say.

Have Your Say: Should teenage girls cover up?

Bindi Irwin made media headlines last week after stating that she thinks teenage girls need to dress for their age and cover up.

“I’m a big advocate for young girls dressing their age,” she told News Limited.

“I mean, for me, I look around at a lot of young girls that are my age and they’re always trying to dress older. Whether it’s wearing revealing clothes or hardly wearing any clothes at all, I feel really bad for them,” (7 News).

Her statement has provoked a mixed response, with some supporting the young star while others have labelled her a ‘nana’.

What do you think?

Should young girls ‘cover up’ and stop wearing such revealing clothes?

Or is it the individual’s right to choose how they dress, regardless of age?

Have your say.