Lifestyle

Clothing That Lights Up When You Do

You may wonder where Philips Electronics, the company that makes reliable TV's, close shaving razors, and innovative light bulbs, is going these days, now that it's been recognized as a fashion innovator by Time Magazine. Experimenting with futuristic concepts, Philips is enlisting the public's involvement, an innovative strategy designed to beat the invention failure rate.

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This year's emotional icon to remember is Phillips' Bubelle, the emotional sensing prototype dress. Bubelle has landed on Time's Best Inventions Of The Year list. The color changing dress is one of two Philips' SKIN Probes developed as part of the SKIN research project lead by Lucy McRae. read more »

Along with the coffee pot and the stove, checking to see that the wallpaper is turned off before leaving your home may actually become a typical routine in the not-so-distant future... read more »

Sports are a major part of today's society and as you will see, advertising plays a big role in this, with creative ads everywhere from billboards to bags and parking garages. Here are 10 Amazing Sports Ads that Grab Attention from recent advertising campaigns:

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First off the Assembly Line

Hybrid technology has come a long way and continues to improve everyday. However, the newest innovation in Hybrid Technology isn't a motor...it's a transmission? read more »

Apple's iPhone

Alas! Apple's iPhone gets its due. The celebrated Time Magazine Invention of the Year Award has gone to the pocket size, wonder technology platform that does everything but cook your eggs! Of course, if you happen to be boiling them, you can set the iPhone alarm to tell you when the eggs are done! read more »

Anyone who inhabits "postage stamp" size apartments can appreciate the value of space-saving innovations. And unless you are among the lucky few who boast voluminous digs, accommodating a ping pong table into your living quarters is probably more of a joke than a realistic venture... read more »

Today's funeral practices are not environmentally friendly. Between clearing land out to make burial sites, green house gases due to cremation, trees cut down to make caskets and embalming fluid which contains chemicals like formaldehyde, methanol, ethanol and other solvents, death is not as natural as it should be. Funerals are detrimental to the land, water and air. The good news is that green funeral options continue to grow in popularity. Below are some innovative burial alternatives to choose from. read more »

Every little boy dreams of becoming the next Formula-1 race car driver. Tearing over the pavement at speeds over 200 miles per hour....what a rush. Sadly, only a select few will ever get to experience that kind of adrenaline rush. But with the help of Caparo Vehicle Technologies, anyone can own their own Formula-1 race car, straight from the factory.

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Singapore has geared up for the ultimate in personal entertainment with WOWtv, a personalized media experience through streaming broadband channels. read more »

Salma Doll (from the Salma website)In the competitive world market for Barbie-like dolls a new contender has emerged. Salma, from the word ‘peace' in Arabic, is a new Barbie inspired doll that promotes positive Islamic values. The new doll, created by Sukmawati Suryaman, an Indonesian businesswomen, is the latest competition to Mattel's Barbie doll in the Muslim world. read more »

In honor of Dutch Design Week I'd like to highlight some of the fresh ideas coming our way from northern Europe, with a special emphasis on those designers who work to make what is traditionally considered unattractive -- like the cords of lamps, for example-- into an integral feature of the design... read more »

 

Can bikers help solve our energy problems? They are being challenged to do so by the Innovate Or Die invention contest, sponsored by Specialized Bicycles and Google Inc. Innovate or Die is the first-ever invention contest for the most ingenious bike that uses human pedalling to power something besides the bike itself.

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Elizabeth Valeri, our guest blogger, is a resident of Colorado with an interest in the material abundance of everyday life. That is, she is amused by the ways we “over-invent” our lives in a fleeting attempt at controlling them. She wanted to share some of her wacky patent finds with the readers of InventorSpot.com.

Here's her article:

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Halloween lovers my third, and last, spooky patent pick of the year has got it all: dead people, mummies and burning flesh!

 

 

 

Earlier this month, in honor of former president of India, A.P. J. Abdul Kalam’s 76th birthday, the NIF launched a children’s corner on its website devoted completely to the creativity and innovation of young minds. read more »

 

IncoStress Invention

If you've heard anyone say, "I laughed so hard I peed in my pants," it's not just an expression. Most women experience incontinence at some point in their lives, a weakening of urinary control, so that laughter, coughing, a sneeze, lifting, or exercise can be an immediate cause of leakiness. Some even leak while they sleep.

The IncoStress device, invented by a Welsh mother-daughter team, just won 1st Prize at the British Invention Show and it may be the answer for leaky ladies.

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China is giving Japan a run for its money when it comes to public transportation. The body of the very first Chinese high-speed train with speeds rivaling that of its competitor (the Japanese bullet train), has been completed. read more »

Marrying art and function isn't always easy. But award-winning, Italian designer Danilo de Rossi makes it appear as effortless as the effect of gravity on a drop of water... read more »

Elizabeth Valeri, our guest blogger, is a resident of Colorado with an interest in the material abundance of everyday life. That is, she is amused by the ways we “over-invent” our lives in a fleeting attempt at controlling them. She wanted to share some of her wacky patent finds with the readers of InventorSpot.com.

Here's her article:

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My ruminations about getting older, when I first learned I needed reading glasses, were quickly dispelled when I placed an order for some designer frames and the optician handed me a bill for several hundred dollars.

Despite some taboos, tattoos have experienced a recent surge of popularity in many parts of the world, particularly in North America, Japan and Europe and most recently Australia.

The growth in the tattoo culture has also led to the growing incidence of using tattoos in creative ways in advertising. The following ten ads all use tattoos in interesting ways to help sell their products: read more »