NEW IDEAS AND TRENDS (old)

Cosmetic Extract from Marine Ooze: Great Idea?

by Cosetta

This Process for the Preparation of a Cosmetic Extract from Marine Ooze, which is known to some as Patent# US 6787159, may truly seem like something concocted out of a mad scientist’s laboratory. Read on for more details about the mysterious ooze whose origins may lie far away in that black lagoon of long ago and far away wherein terror dwells.

The Rage: Hibiscus In Your Bubbly

by Toby

Ah, there's nothing like a Australian-grown wild hibiscus, soaked in sweet syrup and bubbly, to perk up your taste buds. They even reward the hold-your-nose champagne drinkers for sticking it out until the real wine comes along.

1 comment

This Christmas, Give the Gift of... Snow?

Bringing Winter to Warmer Climes with Stuffed Styrofoam Snowmen

by Steve Levenstein

Since 1986, the northern Japanese town of Hayakita has sent over 65,000 snow-filled styrofoam snowmen to those whose winters are without the white stuff.

Langham Hotel International: China’s Hospitality Expansion Project

by M Dee Dubroff

Langham Hotels International (LHI) refuses to look at the facts concerning the declining occupancy rates in hotels across the Asia-Pacific region. Perhaps they know a secret they won’t tell? Read on and learn more about this hotel chain’s plans to open seven more properties by 2010.

Railroad Crossing Alarm Clock Signals the Stubbornly Sleepy

by Steve Levenstein

If you've ever dreamed of being tied to the railroad tracks by some Snidely Whiplash-like ne'er-do-well, then The Railroad Crossing Alarm Clock from Banpresto is NOT for you.

Simulated Wedding Cake: Great Idea?

by Cosetta

Patent# US 7021465 concerns the Simulated Wedding Cake, a must have for brides, grooms, best men and ladies in simulated waiting! How one can invent a simulation, which by definition is a copy of something, is a conundrum that does not appear to be addressed in this silly exposé. Read on anyway, and may you and all your wedding guests really eat cake.

Pepperfruits Gum Packs Heat in Every Bite

Sweet & Spicy Pepperfruits Gum - Heat You Can Eat

by Steve Levenstein

Snacks are big business in Japan, and not a day goes by without some new gum, candy or other sweet confection hitting store shelves. Pepperfruits, the new gum from Kracie, just might be "crazy" enough to make a lasting impression.

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China’s Amazing Economic Growth: From Mao Till Now

by M Dee Dubroff

Rising from the ashes, like a phoenix from the fires of Mao’s cultural revolution of the 1970s, China has emerged as a mega consumer-oriented nation. This is an amazing trend considering that for 35 years its primary items were limited to cigarettes from Albania! Read on and be amazed at this story of economic growth and development.

Bizarre 'Liquid Lamp' Puts Fright in Your Light

by Steve Levenstein

The Liquid Lamp from Caina, a Japanese design retailer, adds a touch of film noir surrealism to any room. Depending on whether you select white or red, the lamp appears to be spilling milk or blood.

Cell Phones in Russia: Nokia Leads The Way

by M Dee Dubroff

Russia has a passion for cell phones, especially glitzy and different ones that enable them to keep up with the Russian equivalent of the Jones’s (whoever they are anyway.) Read on and learn about Nokia’s cultural hold over the Russian people.

HAL’s Ancestors are Fighting in Afghanistan

by Ron Callari

Can you imagine what HAL’s great, great grand-daddy looked like? You remember HAL, don’t you? The computer that ran the onboard operations of the doomed spaceship in 2001: A Space Odyssey, the 1968 film directed by Stanley Kubrick and written by Arthur C. Clarke. This was the movie that gave us a futuristic romp and startling insights into human evolution and artificial intelligence.

3 comments

Innovation Is a Long and Bumpy Road for China

by M Dee Dubroff

Can China become an innovative manufacturer of goods and rise to the top of the technological food chain? Will it be able compete with the rest of the world or will it remain a mid-level producer of products that other people design and engineer? Read on for some answers.

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Long Range RFID's Coming to an Epidermis Near You

A version of RFID you may already be familiar with!

by Katie Gatto

RFID chips, like the ones you find in a lost pet, may not be used on humans.

Sukhoi Superjet 100: Fatigue Tests in Siberia

by M Dee Dubroff

Sukhoi Superjet 100, a test plane formerly referred to as the Russian Regional Jet, has been transported to SibNIA (Siberian Aeronautical Research Institute) in the city of Novosibirsk for the express purpose of fatigue tests, which will confirm the increased operating life of the airframe amounting to 70,000 flight hours. Read on for details but…take a nap first.

Angel & Devil Earphones are Wicked Good

Hear No Evil with Green House's Angel & Devil Earphones

by Steve Levenstein

Feeling somewhat schizoid when it comes to your music? Green House has the perfect cure: cute "Angel & Devil" earphones that come in 5 color combinations though the Angel is always white.

Support Sustainable Tibetan Culture - Put Yak on your Back

by Steve Levenstein

Shokay offers a huge variety of clothing and accessories made of natural Yak and bamboo fiber, made by indigenous peoples in Tibet who are able to maintain their traditional lifestyles.

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Matching Collars for Dog and Owner: Great idea?

by Cosetta

In keeping with the most honored tradition that dogs after a long while begin to resemble their owners and vice verse, Patent# US D504984, Matching Collar for Dog and Owner, offers a way to publicly display your affection for your pet, (which is also sometimes referred to in polite circles as making an ass of yourself). Read on for details, but resist the urge to bark.

Solar Power May Become Uniting Force Between US and China

by M Dee Dubroff

Everything in this life has a beginning, and that includes this new agreement between the United States and China concerning solar energy research. Read on for details and let the sun shine through!

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COLAPhone iPhone Color Case Looks Cool, Acts Tough

by Steve Levenstein

Custom designed to fit snug & secure, this full metal jacket comes in 5 cool colors and guards your iPhone to the Corps... that is, the core!

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6 Who Died In 2008 Commemorated In Precious Finger Puppets

by Toby

The Los Angeles designer of adorable hand-made stuffed animals and toys, I Golfini della Nonna, also creates some of the most detailed sets of finger puppets you'll find. This year, in addition to its precious animals, monsters, dinosaurs, and bugs, IGolfini della Nonna has created a grouping of six finger puppets of famous persons who passed away in 2008.