Inventor Spot - Inventions, Innovations, and Interesting Ideas for the Inventor in All of Us

Anti-Theft Lunch Bags Fend Off Food Nabbers

Kim Patterson — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:49:24 -0700

Ah, the lunchroom thief. Amazingly, every office seems to have at least one. The Anti-Theft Lunch Bag is made to protect your food from all of the lunch stealers of the world.

Don't Buy Anything! Receipts Are Hazardous To Your Health!

T Goodman — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:45:59 -0700

You know that what leads to getting a receipt (the purchase) can be bad for your health. Spending money these days can certainly lead to ulcers. But now studies have found that receipts are even worse for your health!

Socket To Me - The Old Power Bar With A Twist

Doug Bonderud — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 09:00:00 -0700

A product to solve common conundrums, the Socket Sense lets power bars actually connect multiple devices. How electric.

QR Codes To The Rescue In The Gulf To Address The BP Oil Spill

Ron Callari — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 08:28:10 -0700

While Quick Response (QR) Codes still have a long way to go in gaining traction in the US, the BP Oil Spill may be the right catalyst to introduce this technology to more and more folks who own smartphones.

The $49 Kindle Was The Only Question Not Asked By Charlie Rose

Ron Callari — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 05:08:54 -0700

Today, there are virtually hundreds of blogs that have surfaced since last night's interview of Jeff Bezos by Charlie Rose. It was the first news of Amazon's recent launch of their new WiFi and Kindle 3G iterations, and an interesting choice of a TV show to make the announcement. However while Rose's intelligent and pointed Q & A was targeted, it did omit one burning question: What about a $49 Kindle?

Portable Watermelon Cooler Keeps Your Cantaloupes Perfectly Chilled

Steve Levenstein — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 22:30:03 -0700

Got melon, will travel? Now you can keep your watermelon chilled to just the right temperature while you're out & about!

Self Driven Solar Powered Vehicle on Green Journey From Italy to China

Gloria Campos — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:54:35 -0700

Watch out! The Artificial Vision and Intelligent Systems Laboratory (VisLab) of Italy's Parma University has designed solar powered vehicles that can travel without a driver. They are planning to set a new worldwide milestone in the field of Vehicular Robotics from Parma, Italy to Shanghai, China, with the vehicles.

Green Biking: Flow Scooter

Chris Weiss — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:00:00 -0700

Part electric scooter, part hog, the Flow Scooter is all kinds of awkward and impractical. As such, it has "next short-lived eco-trend" written all over it.

What Happens When You're On The Same Wavelength - And When You're Not

T Goodman — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 18:00:59 -0700

You seem to feel it instinctively when you and another person are on the 'same wavelength,' and equally so when the two of you are on completely different wavelengths. Now, with new advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), scientists at Princeton University have tested some of the theories that others have suggested for just what happens in the brain when people are on the same wavelength.

New Solution For Tooth Decay: Just Grow A New Tooth

T Goodman — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:00:59 -0700

The main treatment for cavities - drill and fill - has given the dental profession a bad rep. Ask people what they hate to do most, and I bet half of them will say "Going to the dentist." But now, French researchers at the National Institute for Health and Medical Research in Paris have developed a painless and simple method that could very soon put an end to fillings. You know - Novocaine, water, air, drilling, sore mouth, and chemical taste?

Electrolux Design Lab Finalists: 8 Brilliant Designs For The Space Age

Toby — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 12:15:59 -0700

For the last few years, the Electrolux Design Lab has called for student design submissions that prepare for the 'space age.' This isn't the outer space age, it's the interior space age, ones that millions of people are predicted to inhabit by the year 2050.

Fatty French Fries Fuel Futuristic Form Of Forging Forward

Doug Bonderud — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 09:00:00 -0700

In the quest to find an efficient Hydrogen generation system, researchers at the University of Leeds have found a way to turn leftover french fry fat into fuel.

Social Media To Allow Ask.com Users To Ask More Soul-Searching Questions

Ron Callari — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 05:34:41 -0700

Asking a search engine a question doesn't always surface exactly what a online searcher is looking for. Just ask Ask.com. They have been trying to answer that question for almost 15 years. Overshadowed by today's search giant Google, even the mightiest in land has not been able to devise an algorithm that actually answers a question with the most accurate search results.

Batter Blaster Creates a Healthy, Hot Breakfast In Minutes

Kim Patterson — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:26:42 -0700

Don’t you hate it that convenience food is usually great for your timeline, but horrible for your body? It is nice to discover a rare convenience item that takes people’s health into consideration too. Batter Blaster appears to be one such product.

Automatic Chef Rotating Campfire

Chris Weiss — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:00:00 -0700

It's hard for something that calls itself the "automatic chef" to miss the mark, but somehow, this does.

Smart Cup Tells You When It's Safe To Drink Your Joe

Toby — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:45:59 -0700

McDonald's has been sued for it. Tongues have burned from it. Private parts have disappeared from it. And, of course, clothes have been spoiled because of it. Hot coffee! Oh, yeah, tea too.

Freerider Skatecycle Brings More Freedom To Skating

Chris Weiss — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:00:00 -0700

A new name in skating/snakeboarding, the Freerider Skatecycle provides a unique form factor for freedom, speed and big air.

Sniffing Device Is Major Development For Severely Disabled Persons

T Goodman — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:45:59 -0700

A sniffing device developed by Israeli researchers is probably the best invention to restore motor and communication functions that severely disabled persons ever thought would come about.

Quirky Community Develops The Ultimate Dog Leash: Kōsoku

Lady Bee — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:59 -0700

Quirky, the first successful online 'social product development' company has just released its 60th product in six months. The product, which Quirky named the Kōsoku, "a dog leash so fly it gets a fancy schmancy Japanese name," is pretty cool, and it does seem to fit its billing of 'A new leash on life.'

Avatars As Nerdy As Their Creators, Study Finds

Doug Bonderud — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:00:00 -0700

Concordia University has discovered – surprise, surprise – that the character you make online acts a hell of a lot like you do in real life.

Social Media Goes GTL With Jersey Shore Facebook Game & iPhone App

Ron Callari — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:59:11 -0700

Love them or hate them, MTV is utilizing social media to promote the second season of its reality hit TV show, Jersey Shore. This week, the network is hyping the much anticipated return of the guidos and guidettes with a Facebook game and an iPhone app.

Smiling Toilet Seat Cover & Mat Set Adds Plush To Your Flush

Steve Levenstein — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:02:03 -0700

The bathroom is, for many of us, a safe and secure sanctum free from prying eyes, boring conversation and the goofy grins of pestering children. Well, two out of three ain't bad.

Social Media Won't Help Chase Feelings Of Loneliness

T Goodman — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 20:30:59 -0700

Studies conducted by University of Arizona (UA) suggest that it doesn't matter how many 'friends' you have on Facebook or Twitter... If you are lonely, they aren't going to make you feel less so.

Zaha Hadid's Design For The Hague's Cutural Center Is A Finalist

Toby — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 18:30:59 -0700

Yes, I know it looks like a pile of ventilated soft paper dinner napkins in this photo, but in the images of the city, The Hague, Zaha Hadid's vision of The Hague's Dance and Music Center, looks like a huge pile of napkins with space and light between the layers. And you have to love it. Because it will symbolize a period in the illustrious, prolific life-work of perhaps the most famous architect in the world right now.

Google's Android Phones In China Could Become Google-less

Ron Callari — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:34:59 -0700

As ironic as it sounds, Baidu - China's number one search engine is negotiating with smartphone manufacturers to pull the ultimate coup - replace Google Search with Baidu Search on all Google Android phones in the country.

Biomimetics Of Caterpillar May Lead To New, More Flexible Robots

T Goodman — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:45:59 -0700

Tufts University researchers have developed an elegant understanding of the biomechanics of the Manduca sexta caterpillar that, hopefully, will lead to a revolution in robot biomechanics - a flexible, crawling robot.

Tatooine Exports Coffee Blend - At Least According to the T-Shirt

J. Barker — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:52:00 -0700

Star Wars fans would love to taste a brew from Tatooine - even if it's manufactured by those greedy little Jawas. The problem is that there is no coffee... But some people may find this even better...

Dogs Go To Pubs... Why Not Serve Them?

Lady Bee — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:15:59 -0700

In Britain and Europe, people go to restaurants, bars, and pubs with their dogs. In most places, dogs are allowed inside the establishments as well as outside on the patios. Man's best friend is allowed to enter, but is not served by the restaurateurs. Until now...

World's Most Expensive Sushi For Those Who Chews Gold

Steve Levenstein — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:02:03 -0700

Want to impress someone special with a dinner as good as gold? Angelito Araneta, Jr., the so-called "Karat Chef", serves up shiny sushi fit for royalty - and with a price to match.

Social Media Reveal For 2011 Ford Explorer Does Not Connect The Dots

Ron Callari — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 06:44:26 -0700

At 7:40AM EDT on July 26, the Ford Motor company introduced a major departure in unveiling a new car with the launch of the 2011 Ford Explorer on Facebook. Departing from the "Mad Men" Days of traditional advertising and revealing a new car on the floor of an Auto Show, Ford chose Social Media to motivate buyers.

Tabnabbing, A Hacker's Latest Phishing Expedition

Ron Callari — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 05:47:01 -0700

How many of us leave a half-dozen or so tabs open in our browser throughout the course of the day? Apparently this is the new breeding ground for hackers to lie in wait. The latest malware to hit the digital airways is called 'tabnabbing' and it seizes on an opportunity to steal passwords when users log-in to email or banking accounts, and leave the tabs open for a period of time.

Rock-Paper-Scissors... All In a Glove

John P. Barker — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 05:42:00 -0700

Here's that excuse you've been looking for to play with yourself in public...

The Socializer Helps You Fake The Wide-Eyed Awake Look

Kim Patterson — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:31:43 -0700

Whether your late night was self imposed or the result of someone else’s wakefulness, the effect on your eyes is the same. The Socializer by Elizabeth Grant is a new two step treatment to help combat the telltale signs of the late night enthusiast.

Does Social Media's First President Need To Go Back To The Well In 2010?

Ron Callari — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 10:21:13 -0700

The presidents who have navigated and adapted to new technologies during their campaigns and while in office have helped distinguish these successful U.S. leaders. From FDR to JFK to Obama, each embraced new mediums that gave them a greater opportunity to communicate with their voting constituencies in more meaningful ways.

Robots Now Eat And Poop - Apocalypse Cannot Be Far Behind

Doug Bonderud — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 09:51:17 -0700

The UK's Bristol Robotics Lab has been working tirelessly since 2002 to create robots that are capable of the most important human of feats - eating food for energy and pooping it out.

Social Media Asked To Do The Queen Of England's Bidding

Ron Callari — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 06:11:25 -0700

While many a world leader has embraced social media over the course of the last few years, the Windsors at Buckingham Palace seemed to be the last hold-outs. With Russia's president Dmitry Medvedev and even dictators like Hugo Chavez having joined the social networking rank and file, Queen Elizabeth and her clan appeared to still be living in the 20th Century devoid of a tweet or an avatar. Apparently someone tipped off the monarchy ...

Beat Summer Heat With 'Misty Shower', A Portable Shower In A Bottle

Steve Levenstein — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 22:02:03 -0700

"Misty Shower" is a portable, hand-powered, extra-fine water mister that helps keep you cool when summer lays down the heat.

Fly With Your Pet: This Time "Guaranteed On Board"

Lady Bee — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 18:30:59 -0700

Your pet is good to go with the Guaranteed On Board™ flying pets program by Sherpa Pet Group.

iPhone 4 Cover Looks Like Lunch, Prevents Screen Crunch

Steve Levenstein — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 10:02:03 -0700

If the screen of your new iPhone 4 is so clean you could eat off it, keep it that way - with a faux food phone cover!

Social Media Leads In Nation-Building Like The Mouse That Roared?

Ron Callari — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 09:02:46 -0700

While the debate on privacy continues to rage on at home and abroad, it has not hindered Facebook from scaling to a half billion users this past week. With only China and India's populations larger, Facebook is the third largest 'nation' in the world? But with no land to defend and a citizenry not bound by any government, how could a social network rank third in followers globally?