June, 2006

Well, in celebration of the Fourth of July, I wanted to celebrate with you the fact that America is still the Land of the Free.

Thanks to the foresight of our founding politicians and the support and sacrifices of following generations, in spite of some of the recent tarnish on our country, we are still a beacon of freedom and independence for many.

As the blogger here at AmericanInventorSpot.com focused on wacky products and ideas, I thought it interesting to not that our freedom is well reflected in all of the things we buy and do here in America. So here are my picks for some of the best products out there exemplifying that we are country that is still gloriously free...to be wacky and weird. read more »

ISwiss Strolli 1 was looking on the internet when I came this stroller accessory. Essentially, it is an attachable tricycle. You can attach the tricycle to the stoller (stroller is not included). Just wanted to restate it because it took me by surprise the first time I saw it. Let me describe the product to you and then I’ll let you know my opinion.

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Found this great little video. I believe it's from INPEX. Enjoy. read more »

I received this email from my girlfriend and it was titled “Raising Boys”. Its been going around for a while now. This is not stuff I would typically post but it gave me such a good laugh. Then I realized I have two boys - 3 years and 5 years. Hmmm. Enjoy.
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king tutAll little girls (at least the ones I know) love playing dress up. There are tons of costumes for them especially princess costumes. There aren't as many for boys ... at least I hadn't found them.

One day, we (me and my two boys) went to a birthday party that was at a children's store. At the party, they had tons of dress up hats for kids. The good news was they actually had hats for boys (other than the typical fireman's hat).

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Play & FreezeIce cream anyone? Kind of a confusing question if you are just looking at a picture of a blue ball. Actually, its a manual ice cream maker - The Play and Freeze Ice Cream Maker by UCO. That's right - no electricity. Good thing UCO was kind enough to create it into the shape of a ball. So instead of mixing it by hand, you just roll it along.
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PinAre you a fan on one-of-a kind pieces of rare jewelry?

Well, as you know, Michelle (one of our bloggers here at AmericanInventorSpot.com) posts here regularly on inventive and innovative art.

I thought that with this classic collection of sculptural pieces, I was pretty sure she would never get around to sharing it with you. I thought she wouldn't mind (hehe) if I used the idea to share my own take on Inventive Art with you.

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Hate cleaning your house? Wish there was a way for your house to clean itself? Be patient, as that technology may be available to you in a short five years. Surface coating technology may soon mean dust gets destoryed simply by turning on a light switch. More...
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Sushi roll drivesFlash drives are pretty darn amazing. So small. Extremely powerful. No moving parts. And very stable. No wonder they’re gaining in popularity. Take a look at these FLASHTASTIC flash drives. They're fun, wacky, artistic - and functional. read more »

Frienzoo LCD MonitorBased on my research, these adorable animal LCD monitors have been selling in Japan for two years now. They are supposingly finally making their way to the US.

I wish I had seen them when I was doing my 6/1/06 article on TVs and humidifiers that came in animal shapes. More...

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Univ GamesThe 2006 National Young Game Inventors Contest is here! This contest gives kids (ages 5-12) the opportunity to design a board game (with all its pieces, rules, and a board) and earn the chance to win prizes (a trip, a $10,000 savings bond, a game library, and more!). In addition, the winning game may be produced by University Games for our lineup in 2007. More...
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For all of you trying to figure out how to license your invention, this may be particularly interesting to you.

Licensing International is the premier annual trade event for the licensing industry where owners and agents of intellectual properties showcase their brands to 23,000+ high-profile retailers, licensees, and promotional partners. You'll sign exclusive read more »

I love looking at all the amazing ways people are designing their websites.

One of my favorites this year is Agency Net Interactives website.

They are a company offering web design and multimedia design. They used the power of Flash in a fun and interesting way to highlight their services and I think they did a very good job. read more »

I thought it may be fun to have a place for folks to share their good ideas.

For the inventors out there, it may inspire them to come up with something new and fantastic. Have you thought of anything the world could use, that does not seem to be on the market today that would be great if someone invented?

Have you come across anything recently that you thought was a great idea?

More...
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Well, the idea of polishing your fingernails and making them colorful is something that many different cultures have done for centuries. But with all the leisure time we have, I guess we may now have taken it to the extremes.

The entertainment website Ueba shows quite an interesting collection:

More...

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KidutilityvehicleTwo years ago we were looking for alternatives to a double stroller. We've always loved to go for walks but neither my three year old nor my 1 1/2 year old (at the time) liked being strapped into a stroller.

There weren't that many choices out there at the time since we wanted something that we could easily put in our car.

We came across (and ended up buying) the Step 2 Direct Wagon for Two. It was one of the best purchases we made. But our Wagon for Two had room for a couple of improvements (for example, I wish it had better wheels). More..

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Is anyone else amazed by the toys that are out there? Sometimes I look at the toys and ask myself, is this really for kids?

When I had my first child, I saw the mini motorized cars for kids. I immediately wanted one. To tell the truth, sometimes my children end up with certain toys because I want it so badly (yes, my sons have a mini motorized fire truck). Is this wrong? I don’t think so. What’s the point of having kids if you can’t relive your childhood a little bit (just more responsibly).

Well, here are some toys that I know daddies all over the world would love to play with. More...

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The concept of fine doll making is being reinvigorated and redefined by Siberian born artist Marina Bychkova.

Her dolls have an almost brooding sexuality about them. Evocative of mystical fairy tales and exquisite in their fine detailing, these are definitely not the porcelain dolls of old.

In discussing her dolls, Marina says "There is a doll market in the US, but it’s very conventional. I’m hoping to contribute something new..." More...

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Dreaming about flying to an exotic new place? Thinking about vacations made me think about the difficulties of traveling on airplanes with children.

Ever try to lug the usual baby/toddler stroller along with your suitcases in your travels to say Florida? The Bahamas? Italy? How about across the planet to say Tokyo or Australia? Let's face it, strollers are a travel pain in the you know what.

Here's how I see it. Vacations - they really are a love hate relationship especially when you have kids. You love getting away from your everyday life. Getting to your destination is the true problem.
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Do you ever wish you could add another room to your house, without going through all the hassles of renovation or remodeling? I always fantasize about making my living spaces bigger, but I don't want to go through the hassles of hiring a contractor, gogin through zoning and getting approals and shelling out tens of thousands of dollars. It hardly seems worth the effort for just one room.

An extra room would be great, but the options for adding another living space are pretty limited...but now there is a new option to think about. You can get an extra room that's delivered to you in a flat pack, ready to assemble easily and quickly.

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[acidfree:1239 align=left size=240] Ok, so really. When was the last time you looked forward to taking out your video camera to record something? Or for that matter, looked forward to trying to get what you taped off the tape and onto a format that you could watch over and over? Let’s face it. Video cameras are a huge pain in the you know what to use, especially for all those whip-it-out-and-shoot-before-the-moment’s-gone moments. I don’t know about you, but I can barely remember to keep my video camera charged. And I have no idea where any of the cables are so that I can plug the camera in to my tv and watch stuff. read more »

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Just a quick post to a link I have seen around the web the past few days (like BitsandPieces.blospot.com). Too funny not to share, in case you haven't seen it already. read more »

The idea of carving wood into intricate shapes is an ancietn art. Mizuta Tasogare and Kato Jado, two Japanese artists, had an innovative twist on it with beautiful carvings made with the common pencil.
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[acidfree:1219 align=right size=180]What would life be without your iPod. Everyone has an iPod and there are tons of accessories to go with your iPod. Here's one that is really valuable for all those people tired of having the headphone wires getting tangled, hitting you in the face or getting caught on something. read more »

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(Editor: This article was originally published for Father's Day 2006)

Father's Day is the worst. Every year, it's the same lame presents. Come on, you know what I am talking about! If I never see another tie, cologne, BBQ set, belt, wallet socks, underwear, shirt, sweater or lame ass book, I will die happy. Listen up, guys and let me know if you agree with me. I think I have come up with some really novel gift ideas for dear old dad (other than the obvious stuff he really wants but I can't afford like a Porsche, the model girfriend or the giant flat screen tv). Here's my picks for what to get the old man, depending on what type of Dad you have (together with some choice ad content from their vendors)...
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Check out the latest in fingerprint technology. The smartTOUCH™ garage door opener by bioMETRX Inc. (installed on the side of the garage door) allows a homeowner to open their garage door with a touch of a finger. Its weatherproof, shockproof and tamper-proof. The smartTOUCH™ garage door opener currently comes as a hard wired unit, designed specifically to beat the elements for years of reliable service and dependability.
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Last summer, I wanted to redecorate my son’s room. I just assumed that I would paint the room. Maybe stencil it if I had enough courage. While I was searching for bedroom furniture, I came across wall murals for kids rooms. You put it up just like you would wall paper. What a great alternative to just painting. I thought that was pretty much the coolest thing I had seen. Until I came across self-adhesive wall decals made by Blik.
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For interesting furniture, I am not quite sure if this idea is more whimsical than inventive, but I thought it was cute enough to share here. Portia Wells, the creator of this slipcover seating concept, says: "There is social weight to the commodities which we dress our belongings and ourselves. Through what we acquire, we are able to manipulate what we project to others.
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MocoLoco.com had an intersting feature about conceptual surfaces that they discoverd at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair 2006. FAF studio has designed some great looking products made of laser cut mylar (using mylar polyster vellum). The fronds have crystals at the end that make them move with the slightest external movement such as a breeze.
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According to Wikipedia, "The word "fractal" has two related meanings. In colloquial usage, it denotes a shape that is recursively constructed or self-similar, that is, a shape that appears similar at all scales of magnification and is therefore often referred to as "infinitely complex." In mathematics a fractal is a geometric object that satisfies a specific technical condition."

I recently discovered an artist who goes by "Blatte" who has done some interesting work with fractal art. In corresponding with him to discussing our interest in featuring his artwork on our site, (more..)

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[acidfree:1134 align=left size=180] I just got wind of a new child car safety seat. In September 2005 (I know I'm a little late), SafeGuard announced the SafeGuard Child Seat. It is claimed that it is a revolutionary breakthrough in child seat safety. Since car crashes are still the leading cause of death for children in the United States, the SafeGuard was designed to address the top five misuses of child seats, as cited by NHTSA, and provide parents a child seat that is intuitive and easy-to-install. read more »

[acidfree:1154 align=right size=180] Ahhh. I finally found it again - the Touch 'n Hold Door Opener and Closer. Hard to believe that someone would get excited about such a boring product but I love things that make life easier. About four years ago, we bought a new glass/screen door for our front door (exactly like the one in the picture). Anyway, it came with the best door opener/closer (that's what I'm calling that thing that keeps your screen door open). Instead of the traditional metal rectangular washer like device that you have to manually move to keep the door open, all you need to do was to press a little button with your foot and the Touch 'n Hold would keep it open. In order to close the door, all you need to do is open the door a little more and the door will close (no bending involved). read more »

Richard Sweeny has created a series of sculptural works created through the cutting, scoring and folding of paper. By pleating paper, he creates some arresting scultural pieces, all inspired by his experiment using paper for lamps.

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[acidfree:1147 align=right size=240]Michelle's blog about diamonds reminded me of something I just saw in Wired Magazine. And go figure, I was able to track it down on the web to share with you. Here's the beginning... click through on the end link for the rest of the story. The New Diamond Age Armed with inexpensive, mass-produced gems, two startups are launching an assault on the De Beers cartel. Next up: the computing industry. read more »

Whirpool Brand (the appliance maker) is having the 2006 Whirlpool Brand Mother of Invention Grant. It provides moms with the necessary business resources, such as seed money and expert advice, helping to make business dreams a reality. At the end of the contest, any ideas submitted will remain solely owned by the contestant. Whirpool will not own any part of the ideas.

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I thought balloon art could be interesting as an artistic material but the idea of using soap to carve designs is as old as the hills, or as old as soap, I guess. But to someone who hasn't seen it before, I guess what's new is what's been forgotten.

I guess this stuff is not actually innovative, but I thought it was interesting...inventive too.

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Well, I don't really believe in lame stereotypes but one that holds true for me since I LOVE Diamonds is ...that diamonds are truly are a girl's best friend.

A great site for fun reading RandomGoodStuff.com had an interesting article about an innovation in making your own diamonds.
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Arigami is the art of folding air in especially prepared latex contatiners says Arigami.com. Basically, its a very fun twist on the balloon art you see at carnivals and parties.

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[acidfree:1119 align=left size=240]Well, when I saw this article on 10 Gadgets for the Filty Rich, it reminded me of all of Amused and Bemused's postings, but without the silliness. I thought the article had a great title and was interesting highlight of cool gadgets out there so I am sharing here with you. "Do you travel in private jets? Decorate your foyer with real Renoirs? Use the word "foyer"? Then there's no way you're going to get your gadget fix from anything you can get at Best Buy. You crave the most exclusive, the top of the line, the most unusual, and the most attention-grabbing technology, and price is no object. But there are expensive gadgets, and then there are expensive gadgets. We aren't talking PlayStation 3 expensive — we're talking gear so expensive you'll have your butlers pick them up in your gold-plated helicopter. read more »