Today on Twitter I mentioned that I have been asked by several people to do an e-book on doing business in China/Taiwan as a westerner based on my over 20 years of experience here. I have been thinking about this work for a while even before I became an regular user of Twitter as a digital communication tool. You can reach me on Twitter via my user name MarkForman. Twitter is a good way to meet people for social and business purposes. It enables you to get a pretty good feel for your contacts there virtually prior to or without actually meeting them. I digress-I’ll keep you informed when the e-book is ready and we’ll take it from there. Until then see you in the Twitstream

With the recent arrival here in Taiwan of 2 new Chinese Pandas, the Panda frenzy is overflowing. Everyone knows that pandas exist on a diet of bamboo. Sichuan bamboo in particular and the local zoo keepers hope to get the pandas trained to eat the Taiwan bamboo. Taiwan bamboo has been used recently to produce bamboo charcoal which offers some interesting chemical properties and eco-friendliness. 

Bamboo charcoal has excellent absorptive properties for both impurities and odors. We will be using some microfiber materials incorporating bamboo charcoal for the addition of these properties-particuarly with our wardrobe deodorizer: Sachet Valet and Kitchen Sachet for preparing water for coffee,tea, rice,pasta,soups,etc. I love the idea of using both local and renewable materials. These factors allow us to offer products which have a lifestyle benefit and maintain eco-responsibility. Plus I just think bamboo is beautiful. Hard to believe it is a grass. The world’s largest in fact. Now if we could just get those pandas to eat our local stuff…

One other test I’ve been doing using FIR-pellets is to put them on my shoulder which seems to be achy upon wake up on a regular basis. It’s interesting that I don’t really notice any heat rise from applying media in cloth,but immediately notice a drop in temperature when I remove it. It is the same exact sensation when you step out of direct sunlight into the adjacent shade. No surprise actually since FIR radiation is the very same that exists in sunlight. Uncanny when you personally experience science in a very tangible clear and personal way.

Will be doing some deodorant testing with FIR-peelets and also some slippers to offer both enhanced blood circulation and some mild massaging for the soles of the feet via the FIR-pellets. Will keep you updated and please feel free to ask any questions or voice design ideas that you have.

I’ve had a product idea in mind lately for home water treatment system. Something pleasant to look at, easy to use and reasonably priced for the current skittish economy. I decided to do: Water Sachet. It is an attractive sewn cloth carrier for our NanO3 water treatment media. What it does is allows you to soak in bathtub, sink, basin or other vessel and remove chlorine and soften water for healthier/safer more effective bathing and laundering. It can also be used to treat water for watering plants.

Lately I’ve been focusing more and more on  pursuing the development and  sale of sustainable products and technologies as a major development of my business planning. Not because they are trendy or interesting, but they are crucia to the planet’s survival. There are so many different things that a person can design, make and sell-it behooves us to produce things that will make a difference and also encourage other people to think more about how they use our planet’s limited resources. So many people are really freaked out about gas prices and inevitable oil shortages, but what is far more sobering to me is-the likely shortages of drinking water. We can opt not to drive, but drinking water is essential.

In fact, T. Boone Pickens the savy investor who built his reputation as an oilman is investing primarily in wind farms and purchasing water rights these days. Currently I’m considering several different products and design using some of our nano tech materials in water treatment applications. Since getting more involved in water treatment I’ve become acutely aware of how serious the water problem is.  I will update on this topic in the near future.

Here is a link to Stephen Euin Cobb’s podcast interview with me. We discuss many Greater China issues including business and culture and recent improvements in China Taiwan ties. Direct link for podcast audio file is here.

Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. This covers both current work and concepts that are more advanced.

In its original sense, ‘nanotechnology’ refers to the projected ability to construct items from the bottom up, using techniques and tools being developed today to make complete, high performance products.From the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology

Nano Technology is one of those new buzz words that gets batted around until it rolls into the corner and stops moving. It is still a very new area of science and industry so not a lot of knowledge exists on the subject. Coming from a background of plastics, resins, and composite fibers it is of particular interest to me since it offers new life to many of those formerly cutting edge but now somewhat staid industries.

Taiwan recently had a Nano technology Taiwan trade show which is the 2nd largest in Asia after Japan’s.  I think it’s very wise that Taiwanese companies take advantage of these new technologies and re-invent themselves as innovators not just OEM shops to the rest of the world. Particularly in light of the labor intensive lower value added products that have mostly moved off-shore to China and other low cost labor locations.

The Taiwan education system is also adequate to support these enterprises with adequate work force. This is a field I’ll be getting into more and more so don’t be surprised to here me reporting on this topic from time to time. Should you have a specific project you need help with on this please leave me a contact e-mail.

I’ll definitely be going to the Foodtech show since I have one project that is within this area and I hope to have some good news to report. I found out about another new start up today, and might have some news to report there as well. Staying busy is what keeps me going! Not just financially, but mentally as well. It is the best way I know to stimulate the gray matter-applying ideation skills to a project.