From http://english.aljazeera.net

“Ojeks”, or bicycle taxis, were once a common sight in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta.

But as cars and buses have become cheaper, the ojek transport industry has gone into decline, and there are now just a few hundred riders left.

Al Jazeera caught up with one of the riders who is finding it difficult to make ends meet.

“Bicycle is anti-pollution but the rest of the vehicles are not. we are just right behind them!”  Said the bicycle taxi rider.

The last sentence touches me the most:  ”I want to just enjoy my life, just let it flow!”

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April 14, 2011, Japan

Kakuta children clinic logo

Dream Lab One Pte. Ltd. today announced Kakuta Kodomo(Children) & Allergies Clinic in the Miyagi Prefecture has accepted the donation of Totobobo masks and filters from FI Corporate, the main distributor of Totobobo mask in Japan.

Kakuta Children Clinic was specially designed for pediatrics, allergic diseases (children and adult), sick building syndrome, chemical sensitivity and heart disease in children. Several advanced features make Totobobo mask useful to provide respiratory protection for children who is still recovering and with weak immune system. Totobobo mask is made of transparent anti-microbial plastic which is soft and flexible, the comfortable elastic strap is tested and does not trigger any allergic reaction. Most of all, the mask can be cut with a pair of scissors to fit different sizes and shapes of children’s faces. The mask can be easily clean and reuse, simply by changing the filters.

Dream Lab One and Japanese partner, FI Corporation managed to donate 50 Totobobo masks and 500 pairs of filters to Kakuta Kodomo(Children) & Allergies Clinic in the Miyagi Prefecture, the area recorded the strongest ground movement of 7.0 during the 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake off the coast of Japan on March 11th. The earthquake has triggered strong tsunami which in turn has damaged the Tokai nuclear power plant in Fukushima. The National Police Agency has confirmed 13,498 deaths, 4,916 injured, and 14,734 people missing across eighteen prefectures.

Front gate of Kakuta Children and Allergic Clinic

Staff of Kakuta Kodomo (children) & Allergies Clinic

Donation of Totobobo masks and filters

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cool-tools.org, a popular website which provide reviews of innovative new ‘tools’ posted an approving review of Totobobo mask by Pamela Bumsted.

Unique features of Totobobo mask

This is a new design of respirator which has advantages for mass distribution, emergency preparedness, and multi-ethnic populations. I’ve been using/testing it for 5 or 6 years in the Unorganized Borough in Alaska.

The respirator can be cut with scissors to fit faces properly. Because they are clear, fit is easily ascertained. A clear respirator may mean they are more acceptable culturally (the face is not hidden).

The filters are replaceable. They allow a lot of air to pass through so can be useful in bike riding and outdoor work. They also allow moisture to pass through; I haven’t found the exhaled moisture to be a problem except in subzero temperatures (quite a bit of condensation then).

Instead of storing respirators of every size, only one size needs to be stored for emergency use. One doesn’t need to check sizes before distributing the respirators. Respirators can be cleaned and re-used by the individual (replace filters). I have seen them be used for pandemics, volcanoes, dust, woodworking, and cycling, and I am hoping to continue testing them in Alaska where we have faces from many different populations.

– Pamela Bumsted

About Cool-Tools
Cool tools really work. A cool tool can be any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or website that is tried and true. All reviews on this site are written by readers who have actually used the tool and others like it. Items can be either old or new as long as they are wonderful. We only post things we like and ignore the rest.

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Singapore company Dream Lab One Pte. Ltd. today announced the arrival of the world’s first UNIVERSAL reusable Ear-loop respirator, called Earloop-UNIVERSAL or UNI in short. The new entry is the latest of a series of innovative anti-pollution respirators including the Classic, Earloop (L,M,S,XS sizes) and SuperCool (Mouth mask).

Typical reusable respirators by major producers are designed for heavy duty occupational use. They are able to achieve good face seal and protection. However, due to the weight, these respirators require heavy duty head bands to secure the respirator. Such head bands can be irritating and sometimes entangle with the users’ hair. On the other hand, normal users prefer to use cloth mask, like people in Japan or motorcyclists in Vietnam, as these are light enough to be hung on the ears with a pair of ear-loops. The ear-loop design is easer to use and is preferred by ladies with delicate hair styles. However, these cloth masks provide neither good seal nor protection for airborne contamination.

World's first UNIVERSAL Earloop respirator by Totobobo

The new UNI achieves the best of both world by combining the best-of-class light weight property of Totobobo with an adjustable ear-loop design. The 20 grams reusable mask is the only one in the market that can be secured with a pair of flexible ear-loops. Through innovative ways of looping around the filters, the tension of the ear-loop can be adjusted to suit anyone including adults and children. The UNI is comfortable and easy to use, just like a cloth mask. Most importantly, the protection is not compromised either.

Scientific tests in the Prince of Wales Hospital (Hong Kong) have shown that the Totobobo filter is able to achieve a 135-fold reduction of airborne particles as fine as 0.3 micron, compared to a 195-fold reduction of 3M N95 mask. Such performance is considered by experts like Doctor Richard Saint Cyr to be ‘Very impressive’.

“I think Totobobo is a good and affordable option for people. And a 135-fold drop in pollution is very impressive; even on an emergency day with the AQI over 500, the mask would bring your air to WHO-safe levels”, wrote Dr. Saint Cyr in his popular blog “MyHealthinBeijing”.

The Totobobo Earloop-UNI is available now from the website: http://totobobo.com/buy.html

Earloop UNI (UNIVERSAL customizable) = $21

Easy to put on and take off, suitable for most adult size

About Totobobo and Dream Lab One

Totobobo is the world’s first customizable respiratory mask designed to fit all faces from children to adults. The highly effective mask uses a patented advanced technology that ensures respiratory seal, offering users guaranteed protection from pollutants. Tipping the scales at 20 grams, Totobobo is by far the lightest reusable respiratory mask on the market. The mask is made from FDA approved material, using a custom-engineered ‘SoftTech’ plastic formula which makes it remarkably flexible and comfortable. Launched in 2008, the Totobobo mask has since hit sales in over 40 countries. The masks are available at www.totobobo.com. Totobobo is a product of Dream Lab One Pte. Ltd.

For more information, photographs or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Francis Chu
Dream Lab One Pte. Ltd.
Tel: +65 81183083
Email: totobobomask@gmail.com

New released in Medical Product Asia

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LenDaiYan, furniture and user interface designer at the exhibition, in front of the Air Lamps.

Our new patent pending Air-Lamp, an air filter with integrated lighting device, is currently on exhibition at the Singapore furniture fair 2011. This year I join my friend LenDaiYan to share a stand in the trade fair.

Air Lamp combines the function of air filter and linghting in one single device.
Based on a patent pending technology, Air Lamp provides clean and pollution free air while setting the mood with soothing ambient light.
The concept is now on exhibition at the International Furniture Fair Singapore 2011. Feedback from the show is so far encouraging. We have received serious inquiry from US and Europe as well as several media coverage. Designboom is the first among the media to cover the Air Lamp.

While  developing the product for production, we are also looking for potential business partners  to produce or market the product. If you know anyone is interested please drop us a note.

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Image Courtesy Bobak/Wikipedia

A surge of orders from Beijing over the last couple of days caught our attention. According to the customers, some from different Embassies there, the air quality in Beijing is the worst they have seen at this moment.

The Independent from UK posted “Index of air quality in the world’s major cities” which compiled data from AirNow, CITEAIR, and the American Embassy in Beijing. It confirmed that the Beijing air is the worst at the moment compared to cities like Hong Kong, Shanghai and New Delhi.

Particulate pollution, rising temperatures and a lack of wind caused the stifling smog, which reduced visibility in parts of the city to just 200 metres (yards), the Beijing weather bureau said in a report.

The American embassy in Beijing rated it as “Hazardous” on the 21st of February. Traveler going to Beijing is strongly advised to carry a good mask (seal your face).
Hopefully the situation will be improved when the wind starts to blow later this week.

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UPDATE: Dec. 17 All 5 eBike sold at the special pre-launch price!
UPDATE: Dec. 16 4 eBikes sold, now only left with one for the special pre-launch price (SDG 980)

Our sister site is offering a special promotion for a First-of-a-kind eBike. There is only 5 sets available and only offer for pick up in Singapore.

Details in the Jz88 blog. First come first served!

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“bobo” is the name designer Francis Chu given to his latest contraption which will be showcased in the National Museum of Singapore next month, along with 18 other product designers from Singapore. All designers are part of a local collective called “Little Thoughts Group”. The exhibition called Imprints- Designing from Memories” is sponsored by the National Heritage Board of Singapore. All exhibits derive from local heritage and demonstrate how designers cohere their childhood memories with their skills in designing to come up with new and innovative ideas for modern day living.

bobo is a cloud shape air purifier which doubles up as lighting. It makes use of high tech filters from TotoboboMask® to purify polluted air. At night, bobo also illuminates the surrounding with growling light as if the moon is shining behind the cloud, providing relax, serene atmosphere. There are altogether eight unique “bobo”s presented in the exhibition, all in different sizes and shapes. Each “bobo” is labelled with a Chinese name which can be seen when the light is on.

In the designer’s own words:

“Inspiration of bobo came form my childhood memories. As a curious kid I was fascinated how clouds change and move across the sky. I enjoy spontaneous imagination triggered by the changing patterns. e.g. a white rabbit slowly morphing into a huge snail or an airplane suddenly changed to a dancing dragon. Free from computer games and traffic pollutions, those were the days that life was simpler and air was cleaner. The design intent of bobo is to bring back the clean air and memory of those simple days.”

bobo-cloud filter is patent pending, the project is sponsored by Totobobo Mask®

About the exhibition: Imprints: Designing From Memories
Following its successful first-of-its kind product design exhibition in Singapore last year, the Little Thoughts Group is geared up once again to showcase the creative talents of local product designers in December 2010 at the National Museum of Singapore.

“Imprints: Designing from Memories” features a significant collaboration with the National Heritage Board, as the theme will revolve around the exploration of heritage and culture in product design and the notion of “Singapore Design”.

The upcoming exhibition boasts an even more impressive showcase which will comprise the works of 19 local product designers. Spurred on by encouraging reviews of the last show, this year’s showcase promises to be even more awesome and inspiring, with its ‘blast from the past’ take.

4th Dec 2010 – 1st Jan 2011
10am – 6pm daily
The Atelier Gallery
National Museum of Singapore

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Powerful eruption from Mount Merapi send out huge amount of smoke and ash on November 1, 2010. Photo by Sayoga

Over the last several days, Totobobo Masks has been busy trying to collect all the masks possible to give all the children in Merapi, Indonesia. Totobobo masks can protect them from the volcanic ash spewed out by the recent eruption and save lives.

“One TOTOBOBO Mask for every children of Merapi” initiative is the brainchild of Mrs Sri Widowati (Wido). Initially all she could find were small surgical masks in Singapore. For those exposed to volcanic ash, containing large quantities of airborne particles, surgical masks are not very effective. Fortunately, her friend Simon found us online and put Wido in touch with Totobobo.

Visibility is only 10 meters in the northern ring road of Jojakarta

Visibility is low and everywhere is covered with thick layer of volcanic dust in Jojakarta. Photo by Sayoga

Within hours, a donation fund was announced on Wido’s Facebook campaign, and cash started pouring in. Aid surged in through her
social networks as news about the disaster unfolded. But another problem stood in the way: transportation. Sending the masks by DHL or
Fedex to Indonesia could take several days. Valuable time can be lost if it gets stuck in customs. The most reliable way is hand-carried by
person. If the masks do not reach Indonesian children immediately, they will suffer longer. Just when that seemed to be irresolvable,
Air Asia Indonesia offered to ship 350 masks and 3500 filters to Merapi

350 pieces of masks and 3500 of filters, to be sent by Air Asia.

Special instruction and scissors provided

As of November 1st, Totobobo Masks had managed to collect 350 masks and 3500 filters. We prepared special instructions for customizing the mask for children and even included the scissors for trimming the masks to fit properly. From previous experience with similar
emergencies, we know that the ground staff have limited time and resources. The usefulness of the mask can be compromised if the
ground staff don’t know how to customize the masks for the children, or if they can’t find a suitable pair of scissors to do a good job. These little things seem trivial, but on site it can mean life or death.

Wido and her friend Din picked up the first 350 masks and 3500 pairs of filters on Friday, 29 October. They were on-board an evening Air
Asia flight from Singapore to Yogyakarta arriving the next day. According to the latest update from Wido’s Facebook, after some struggle through customs in Yogyakarta, all of the masks have been successfully delivered to the ground staff.

The volcano Merapi erupted again and everyone need a mask to cover their nose and mouth. Photo by Sayoga.

The volcano in Merapi erupted again yesterday, sending huge amounts of volcanic ash down the mountain. Totobobo masks for children is
desperately needed. We are trying our best to accelerate the production and delivery of masks in order to save the lives of Indonesians affected by this disaster. The donation account set up by Ms. Sri Widowati is still open to contribution. Please send your donation to the following account if you want to contribute, thank you.

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We know we need more dealers and resellers, therefore we are happy to receive quite a few inquiries for exclusive dealership from different regions. Unfortunately, much effort that has gone into the negotiation and construction of MOUs, agreements, and contracts ended up wasted. The problem is such agreements demand a high level of trust and commitment from both parties. Such level of trust is impossible to build without a previously established business relationship.

A typical question we receive from dealers is: “Without the exclusive right, what if someone else grab my idea and become my competitor?”
Our concern, on the other hand, is: “How do I know this dealer is willing and able to invest to carry the responsibility of the principle dealer?”

Without any contractual agreement, we are close to granting exclusive dealerships to a couple of successful partners. They have been working with us for some time and have been expanding their local market as demand picks up. When there are new inquiries from these markets, we usually refer them to the current dealers. Judging from past records, both sides are confident of the business partnership, which is a solid base to build stronger partnership.

Mutual trust is the most important condition for any sustainable business relationship. When trust is not there, even the most sophisticated legal document can not prevent loop holes. The question remains: how do you build trust?
Working with different parties, we have come to the conclusion that an organic, and low-risk way to develop trust is by growing the business together, starting from smaller transactions and building it up step by step. Over time, both sides have plenty of opportunity to observe how the other party operates in different situation. The dealer can use this time to test the market and to determine if the potential exists before committing too much of their investment.

Based on the principle of organic trust building, we are going to experiment a new approach towards dealership and exclusive dealership. We call it “Progressive Dealership Program“. The central thinking is to facilitate trust building through multiple transactions. Early partners are rewarded with first mover advantage.

Here is the outline:
Progressive Dealership Program

Step 1:
Start – quantity quotation
Commercial sample order, free to choose different masks and filters combination.

Step 2:
Reseller
Minimum order quantity 200 masks 1000 filters
To support new resellers:
Free support: listing of resellers on our site.
Value-added support: 1 page dedicated e-Shop at a moderate service charge.

Step 3:
Authorized Dealer (may request for exclusive dealership)
Minimum order quantity 2000 masks 10,000 filters
Free support: listing of Authorized Dealer on our site.
Value-added support: 1 page dedicated e-Shop at a moderate service charge.

Step 4:
Provisional Exclusive Dealer (Extend Provisional exclusive dealership for additional 6 months)
Minimum order quantity 5000 masks 50,000 filters
Free support: listing of Provisional Exclusive Dealer on our site.
Value-added support: 1 page dedicated e-Shop at a moderate service charge.

Step 5
Exclusive Dealer (country or city)
Minimum yearly target quantity to be agreed based on geographic coverage and potential market size.
Exclusive dealership contract renewable every two years.
To protect the interest of all dealers, affected dealers in the designated area have the right to choose if they want to continue business under the new Exclusive dealer, or sell their stock to the Exclusive dealer.
Exclusive dealer must buy over all current stocks of Totobobo masks and filers from affected dealers at 75% of retail price before activation of their Exclusive Dealership.
Free support: listing of Exclusive Dealer on our site.
Value-added support: dedicated e-Shop at a moderate service charge.

Download the Progressive Dealership Program

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