I was recently interviewed for ABC Radio’s “Innovations” program, in which we discussed the Mainline system and its potential on the global stage. You can listen to a podcast of the interview here.

Broadcast all over Australia and large parts of Asia, Innovations is a very popular weekly program that showcases Australian design, discoveries, invention, engineering and research skills – areas where Mainline ticks all the boxes. It was interesting to see that the other two segments on the program included an environmental fencing system and a piece on the geothermal potential for the mining industry. While the Mainline story is about as far away from the other two that you can get, the show does demonstrate what an extraordinarily creative bunch we Aussies are. The ‘black box’ flight recorder; the heart pacemaker; ‘spray-on’ skin; polymer bank notes; the bionic ear – even Google Maps...all are Australian inventions. For Mainline to be mentioned in the same illustrious company is testament to the ethos of our design and engineering team, which was also recognised independently  with several recent international design awards. The challenge for us to not rest on our laurels and....who knows...one of the other projects we currently working on in the R&D department could be the ‘next big thing’.

 

 

As I travel around the world in my role as CEO of Mainline’s parent company, Power & Data Corporation, I obviously spend a lot of time in hotel rooms. One of my regular bugbears is that the electrical connectivity requirements of the modern ‘road warrior’ are seemingly at odds with standard hotel room design – particularly if the hotel is a few years old. Is it too much to expect to be able to connect/charge my laptop, iPad, mobile phone, etc. to a power outlet that is (a) easily accessible and (b) able to be used without disconnecting the lamp in the room? I’m always banging my head on the desk as I crawl under it to connect my stuff to the standard fixed power outlet.

And what about the myriad of adaptors required? Surely a system that allows a universal and standardised connection at any point along an accessible track would be a good idea? Well it is a good idea...and that’s one of the reasons why the neat, unobtrusive and flexible Mainline power track system is making steady progress in multiple countries towards being the power delivery system of choice.

It would be nice to think that bumped heads and crooked backs from crawling under hotel room desks will become a thing of the past!

 

 

As a parent of three teenage children, I am constantly amazed at the unbelievable pace of their lives and their ability to multi-task across multiple electronic platforms simultaneously. I am also somewhat bemused by the escalating number of ‘must have’ items in their bedrooms – most of which need to be connected or charged to electricity.

 

When I was growing up, my bedroom had a lamp and a ‘modern’ digital clock connected to a single double power outlet – no problems there. But in the same sized room today, the average teenager will still have the lamp and digital clock – but will also likely have an iPhone charger; a laptop computer; hi-fi speakers; a second monitor or TV; gaming console; and perhaps an electric guitar as well! And guess what? All these items are probably still connected to the same single power outlet that was in the room last century! There will be an unsightly and unsafe cluster of power boards, double adaptors and extension cords – probably gathering dust as it is pushed out of sight under a bed or desk.

 

The above scenario is easily resolved with the installation of a length of Mainline power track. Very simply, each item will have its own Mainline adaptor, resulting in a much simpler, cleaner – and most importantly – safer environment for the 21^st century teenager.