Innovation

Staples Invention QuestThere's an inventor inside everyone of us. I don't know of a single person that hasn't had at least one great idea. Ever wonder whether you should enter into the Staples Invention Quest contest with that great idea?

Our Guest Blogger, Tim Whitney, is a bit of a contest nut. He's the National Grand Prize Winner of the KeyCite Key to Good Law Contest, and a national finalist in both the 2005 Staples Invention Quest and Digital Innovations Design-Originality-Creativity Awards. His background in law, marketing and design helps him bring a critical and analytical eye to the inner workings of these contests in an effort to advise and inform entrants and help them make the most of these and other opportunities to promote their ideas. Tim gives us some of his thoughts about the Staples Invention Quest contest.

Here's his article:

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For as much fun as I had making it to the finals of the 2005 Staples Invention Quest, there was always an undercurrent of corporate agenda that made some of us finalists wonder if we were being naïve about Staples' true intentions for the contest. With some of those elements intact for the 2006 version of IQ (www.staples.com/iq), I think it merits some discussion so the naivete isn't passed to a new generation of entrants. read more »

YalosOh, what to do? What to do? I have $130,000 laying around and I can put a down payment on a house, buy a few cars, feed a starving country or I can buy one TV. The choices some people have to make.

Keymat, has just come out with the Yalos Diamond LCD TV that costs $130,000.
read more »

ChopStick KidsI grew up using chopsticks. Personally, there isn't a type of Asian food that I don't like (ok - so there really isn't any ethnic food I don't like). In this day and age where Chinese food restaurants are as common as the local pizza shop, all kids should get to know how to use chopsticks. My kids have a couple of pairs of them and when we go to restaurants, the wait staff usually makes their own version of children's chopsticks. Here are couple I've found for the kids (and grownups). read more »

Hip Hop Grand VitaraInterested in knowing what you get when you mix a car with a music fanatic?

Our guest blogger, Carson Barker, has been a freelance writing since 2001. He has a bachelor's degree in music and journalism, and when he's not writing about the entertainment industry or general news, he teaches music and art lessons in his hometown of Austin, Texas. Carson takes a close look at the newest twist with automobiles.

Here's his article:

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When it comes to keeping up with the times, Suzuki has gone above and beyond its other automobile competitors. In accordance with music, fashion, trend and consumerism, American Suzuki Motor Company (ASMC) showed off its "Hip Hop" Grand Vitara, at the 2006 Orange County Auto Show and the Reggaeton Grand Vitara at the 2006 South Florida Auto Show.. read more »

If anyone read my last article, Adorable Animal Backpacks, they probably think that I'm on some kind of animal kick. These great bicycle bells are crafted of durable baked enamel. They come in variety of designs including: lady bug, bee, pink poppy, frog, dots, rainbow, clown, fish, hearts, flower, pond, and spring. read more »

Book Purse In my last article, I introduced you to the world of inspiring chairs and their recycled parts. This time I’d like to show you that inspiration doesn’t always have to be so big and loud. Some times something as simple as a purse can make an impact on our society and the way we think about recycling.

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Trying to decide whether you need a prototype of your invention?

Our Guest Blogger, Frank Morosky, is an Entrepreneur Consultant. He assists people with business ideas or inventions get their business started quickly and on a tight budget. His website is at fmorosky.home.mchsi.com. He wanted to share his experiences with prototyping with the readers of AmericanInventorSpot.com.

Here's his article: read more »

Big BrotherThere should be no mistaking that information is for sale these days, and security concerns have placed a premium on surveillance data - but have we gone too far?

From subway cameras, to keyboard strokes, to webcams monitoring your local street, we’ve gone surveillance crazy. Advancements in camera, video and webcam technology are moving at a blistering pace and the latest innovators have developed such a mastery of pattern recognition that now they can tell it was you who ordered that tiramisu at Mike’s Pastry’s last Friday. Wendy was your waitress. They saw you, and you didn’t tip. read more »

I know that, at the end of a long day, I really enjoy settling in at home to relish the environment my husband, my children and I have carefully crafted. We have worked hard to make our house a home by slowly but surely contributing the creature comforts we savor on a daily basis. For us, that means a user-friendly backyard for barbequing, a high quality entertainment system for the occasional movie and a kitchen fully loaded to prepare only the finest meals.

Home life may be perfect for us, but what about our other family members: the pets?! They, too, should reap the rewards of our lives well spent. So here are a few products we are considering to help create the perfect home setting for our favorite canine companions. read more »

InkukuToday in our environmentally conscious society you can find a chair made out of almost every recyclable material there is: milk cartons, soda bottles, wine barrels, boat wood, used tires and so on, but most of these chairs feel and look ordinary. Now take a look at some of the more unique and unusual chairs I’ve introduced to you below. read more »

In anticipation of my favorite holiday, I decided to write articles this entire month dedicated to the best of day of the year, Halloween. So what do I like about Halloween? One thing about Halloween I enjoy is the celebration of death and the macabre.

I started canvassing through the typical "Halloween" stuff like scary costumes but then got distracted by all the cool looking coffins I found.

I think you can learn a lot about life from almost everything if you open yourself up to what they can teach us. Being brilliant, I came up with the idea that coffins can offer up some valuable lessons about life. So here is my collection of coffins and what I think they tell you about life: read more »

Did you ever wonder how some Invention Promotion Firms actually work?

Our Guest Blogger, Terri Phillips, is an inventor of numerous products. She has worked at an Invention Promotion Firm. She now works in marketing, packaging, and product development for an inventor service company that provides a means of distribution for inventors to sell their products through AccessInventors.com. Terri's goal is to educate inventors from the inside out, so she wrote this article exclusively for the readers of AmericanInventorSpot.com.

Here's her article: read more »

MiniKeyBoardThese days, I am constantly on the computer and my wrist are killing me. In this day and age, I'm not the only one on the computer. So are both my boys. Both my kids started using the computer when they turned three years old.

If adults have so many problems because they use the computer so much, I can't imagine how difficult and painful it must be for our kids (and anyone who is smaller than the average adult) to use an adult sized computer keyboard. Thank goodness other people are on the same wavelength and have created interesting solutions... many inventors are ahead of me on this one.

Here are a bunch of the keyboards I have found that fit little people hands. read more »

Tubac HouseInterested in learning about some innovative architecture?

Our guest blogger, Seth Plattner, is a recent graduate from New York University who bides his time writing, dining and doing his best to make sense of the world around him. With an appreciation for fine architecture, Seth focused on taking a closer look of the Tubac House in Tubac, Arizona for readers of AmericanInventorSpot.com. read more »

Here's his article:

Modern Marvels Invent NowThe Modern Marvels Invent Now® Challenge is a contest that invites the independent inventor to share his/her vision and ingenious design with the world. The most remarkable invention submitted will be named the 2007 "Modern Marvel of the Year." The Challenge celebrates American ingenuity and provides a unique national forum for the independent inventor. read more »