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| Political candidate background information database 
We need a website that lists all registered candidates for upcoming elections and that provides potential voters with as much information on each candidate as possible, such as their:-voting history, if already a politician
-education
-affiliations and associations
-criminal record
-stance on issues (major and minor)
-articles written about them
-awards, commendations, etc.
-criticisms of their actions and policies
-ideology
-biography
-achievements
-any controversy involving them or their actions or those of their associates
This website must meet the following criteria:
-not-for-profit
-does not recieve corporate or political funding/contributions
-non-partisan, and as unbiased as possible
-moderated and cross-referenced for accuracy
-easily accessible to anyone
-free
-easy to navigate
-well 'advertised' via public service announcements to maximize awareness of the serviceThe idea here is to educate and thoroughly inform voters so that they know all about who they are voting for, so as to not get screwed by greedy or flip-flopping politicians. We need third-party information that is more trustworthy (fact-based) than what the politicians speak of themselves, because they will often say anything to get voted into office. Once they are in, they can do whatever they want even without the approval of the people who voted for them; so being able to estimate a candidate's pros and cons can be an invaluable tool in ensuring true democracy and representation.I hate voting because I never know anything about 95% of the people on the ballot and therefore vote for the most familiar name (which is almost always the candidate with the biggest campaign budget) or based on party affiliation. I always feel like I'm giving my car keys to someone I just met...not a good idea; And it is way too hard and time consuming to research all the given candidates.Reward: informed votes = more accurate representation = better politics! 
There are 4 replies to this idea
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| Universal Bodywear Device
I think the convienience of personal handheld devices is hindered by the fact that one must carry so many different types of personal devices to handle all of the tasks required for living in the information age.A modern business professional may carry a notebook computer, a cell phone that can send and receive email, a watch with a chronometer, a pager, a personal data assistant, a compass, a portable CD/DVD player, a radio, a Global Positioning system, and a swiss army knife.All of these devices could be built into a single accessory with voice recognition controls and voice synthesithizing capacity to read your emails out loud. The basic unit could fit in a comfortable, fashionable hipsack that lets you carry a water bottle and the swiss army knife. A wireless connection to the wrist accessory gives you a keypad for "quick" controls, such as cell phone redial or making the audio playback of an email go mute. An optional head accessory could facilitate listening and spoken communication to and through the device like a telephone operator's headset. For fashion, the head accessory could be compatible with optional, detachable features like a motorcycle helmet, bicycle helmet, sunvisor, built-in light-sensitive extra-durable perscription sunglasses, ear muffs, culturally significant headwear for Indian-American women, et cetera. The wrist unit will also take your pulse and summon paramedics if you have a heart atack. The hip sack unit will measure the slight shock of your footsteps and estimate your aerobic burn when running office errands for your boss. The personal data assistant will merge with your office computer's information netowrk and your home computer's information system so that you get all of those reminders about everything from the Boss's big meeting to the children's soccar practice to the personal schedule commitments like wedding anniversaries and red-hot business contacts. The wrist unit will connect to anyone else's by infared to share data files and coordinate schedules.All together, the system should emphasize portability because all of the devices will run off of a lightweight rechargable battery kept in the hip sack. The device should maximize what it can do for its user like the devices we dream of in science fiction and coordinate with any kind of clothing choices we choose, whether we dress business casual, corporate, bullet proof vest, or recreational at the beach in a bathing suit while telecommuting through our universal device.In summary, I think every kind of personal device should be combined into the "Universal Bodywear" system that wires a human like a cyborg for serious business in the information age. We don't need specific devices for each and every little function - we need a system that does everything, looks trendy when wear it, and has things we don't normally use to help take our electronic gadgetry skills to the next higher level.Reward: I would be rewarded to see people use a Universal Bodywear device like I've described. It seems like science fiction which really could be true!
There are 6 replies to this idea
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