Red Tag Bazaar

Fourteen-year-old inventor Ann Makosinski has developed a revolutionary hollow flashlight that runs entirely on body heat, eliminating the need for batteries or kinetic energy. By utilizing Peltier tiles to convert the temperature difference between a warm hand and the ambient air into electricity, the device provides a sustainable lighting solution for the millions of people worldwide who lack access to a reliable power grid. This low-cost, eco-friendly invention earned top honors at the Google Science Fair, showcasing how simple physics and student innovation can address global energy challenges.

The luxury world was taken by surprise when Nicolas Puech, an 81-year-old member of the founding family behind Hermès, revealed plans that challenge long-standing traditions of wealth and inheritance. With no children of his own, Puech has chosen to leave the bulk of his fortune not to distant relatives or institutions, but to a man who worked for him for years as a gardener and later became a trusted companion.

According to multiple reports, the inheritance includes roughly a five percent stake in Hermès, estimated at around eleven billion dollars, along with high-value properties in Switzerland and Morocco. To ensure the transfer is legally secure, Puech is reportedly taking steps to formally adopt the 51-year-old man, an uncommon but lawful approach under certain European legal frameworks.

This decision has drawn international attention because it highlights how personal trust and long-term loyalty can outweigh blood ties in matters of legacy. In elite circles, wealth is often passed through strict family lines or directed toward foundations and charities. Puech’s choice departs from that pattern and raises broader questions about how modern societies define family, obligation, and succession.

The case also comes at a time when debates around estate planning, aging billionaires, and the future control of luxury empires are becoming more visible. By prioritizing a close personal relationship over tradition, Puech’s decision is being viewed by many as a statement about independence, personal values, and the freedom to define one’s own legacy.

At just 19 years old, Namibian student Simon Petrus gained attention for inventing a telephone that can make long-distance calls without any cellular network, SIM card, airtime, or mobile contract. His device uses radio frequency technology to send and receive calls directly, bypassing traditional telecom infrastructure entirely. 

Petrus built the phone using recycled electronic parts from old telephones, televisions, radios and other components. The core of the device is a radio system that allows voice communication wherever there is radio frequency coverage. It also includes practical features such as a camera, USB charging port, a light, fan, and even a small television, showing how inventive design can expand basic communication tools. 

This invention first came to public attention during a regional school technology competition in Namibia’s Ohangwena Region, where Petrus won first place for his creation. His journey took about two years and was supported by his parents and teachers. 

The phone could offer a vital communication solution for people living in remote rural areas without reliable networks. Researchers and commentators note its potential use in emergency services and off-grid living, though it remains largely a prototype without widespread industrial development so far. 

Petrus’s work highlights how necessity-driven innovation can overcome infrastructure barriers. It demonstrates how resourcefulness and invention can thrive outside traditional tech hubs and offers a glimpse into future possibilities for affordable, accessible communication technology in underserved regions.