News For The Inventor In All Of US

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We write daily on creative new ideas. noteworthy and interesting new products and innovations, and recent discoveries and breakthroughs. Plus, we focus on news that would be interesting to inventors.

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Japanese Robot Surfs the Web, Pour Drinks, Asks Whereabouts of Sarah Connor

by Steve Levenstein

A new robot developed by researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology can learn on its own, browse the Internet, and even pour drinks. "Bartender, I'll have a double shot of 10W30, shaken not stirred!"

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Cool Kids: Environmental Artists Put 193 Baby Cribs on Himalayan Ice

by China.new

A very 'cool' environmental awareness art project at the foot of a fast-retreating glacier in the Himalayas involved nearly 200 baby cribs emblazoned with the flags of all the world's nations.

China Or Facebook Loser Or Winner In Debt Ceiling Resolution?

by Ron Callari

During the recent Debt Ceiling debate, U.S. diplomats were vigilant in trying to convince China they had nothing to worry about: the debt ceiling will be raised and America will not default on its foreign-held loans. This should have been reassuring news for the Chinese, which by some estimates hold hundreds of billions, if not trillions in U.S. loans. But was it, and how could Facebook possibliy fit into this equation?

Foxconn to Phase Out Human Workers, Replace Them With Robots

by China.new

Foxconn is everyone's favorite iPhone and iPad maker... unless you work there. Faced with a million-strong workforce clamoring for more pay and better working conditions, Foxconn has hit on an ideal solution: phase out whiny, fallible humans and “employ” silent, tireless, obedient robots instead.

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Solar Power Blossoming In Japan's Northeast Thanks to PayPal Founder's Donation

by Steve Levenstein

A new solar power plant financed by a donation arranged by PayPal founder Elon Musk will bring safe, renewable electricity and hope for the future to a tsunami-ravaged town in northeastern Japan.

Debt Ceiling Debate May Have Been Won Or Lost In Twitterville

by Ron Callari

In a town of 200 million folks, Twitterville is more than twice the size of Canada and two-thirds the size of the U.S. The difference being, members of the the microblogging site speak their minds daily to a global audience, while American citizens can only grumble amongst a handful of friends and family, at best.

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The Fontessa, Gaetano Pesce's Innovative Customizable Shoe

by Toby

If you're not too skittish to plop down $120 on a pair of shoes these days, then you have to have to plop it down on the Fontessa. These fashion firsts, designed by Brazilian architect/artist/designer Gaetano Pesce, are right in step with today's customizable products....

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New Desensitization Procedure Doubles Survival Rate Of Certain Kidney Recipients

by T Goodman

At Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, researchers have been working on a desensitization procedure that neutralizes the antibodies of patients receiving kidney transplants to increase acceptance of incompatible kidneys....

Chocolate's Answer To Silly Putty: Magic Choc

by Toby

If you love experimenting with food and you love chocolate, Magic Choc is the most delicious way to satisfy both urges. It's a molding chocolate that is so forgiving, you can make dozens of models, like you used to do with Silly Putty, until you can't resist gobbling it up!

Radioactive Water Decontamination Improved by NIMS Scientists

by Steve Levenstein

Researchers at Japan's NIMS (National Institute for Materials Science) have discovered a new nanoscale silica material which is highly effective in removing radioactive strontium and radioiodine from contaminated water.

Had A Nose Job Or Two? You May Have Body Dysmorphic Disorder

by T Goodman

Though the findings may be the same for persons who desire tummy tucks or buttocks lifts, researchers from the University Hospitals Leuven in Belgium focused their research on people seeking nose jobs, or rhinoplasty. Their findings more than suggest a correlation with an obsessive disorder - body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).

China's Xinhua News Agency to Shine Out from Times Square Sign

by China.new

Call it a sign of the times: China's Xinhua news agency has leased a 60 by 40 ft space at 2 Times Square, the most prominent advertising spot in New York City. Landing the prestigious LED-lit block, called a “spectacular”, signifies China's arrival at the crossroads of the world.

Tibet Airlines Always Flies at 'Peak' Travel Times

by China.new

Tibet Airlines, which celebrated its inaugural flight on July 26th, 2011, can hardly be accused of flying under the radar. On the contrary, by operating out of Lhasa's Gonggar Airport with service to Tibet and China, the airline's fleet of three Airbus A319 jets is definitely a cut above... pretty much everything.

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China Balks at Requiring Graphic Health Warning Labels on Cigarette Packs

by China.new

Cigarette packs bearing graphic health warning labels are an increasingly common sight around the world... though not in mainland China. Now health advocacy groups and even the UN are asking why China continues to huff, puff and hold its breath about applying these visually shocking smoking deterrent labels.

Solar Cookers Save Power in Lhasa, Tibet's 'Solar City'

by China.new

Cheap and effective solar power is hot, especially in Lhasa, Tibet, where clear air and up to 3,000 hours of sunlight annually conspire to create the perfect environment for homegrown solar cookers and water purifiers.

Robotic Therapy Seal Comforts Japanese Earthquake Survivors

by Steve Levenstein

Paro, the therapeutic robot seal designed to soothe anxiety and relieve stress in the fashion of a living therapy dog, has been drafted for a new mission: comforting victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.

Shared Island between China and Russia to Become Eco-Tourist Zone

by China.new

The recent agreement between China and Russia officially demarcating their 2,670-mile (4,300 km) long shared border was highlighted by an environmentally-friendly bonus: the disputed island of Heixiazi will now be shared by the two neighboring nations and jointly developed as an eco-tourism travel destination.

Measuring The Google Effect on People's Memory - Can You Google Where You Left Your Car Keys?

by Norm Cassian

How has rampant computer use, particularly emloyed in the search for esoterica and trivia, changed the way our brain retrieves, collects and stores information? Should we be concerned that a computer named Watson wallopped human Jeopardy champions? How did I get here, where are my car keys and do you have a good recipe for lemon marangue pie? New research by a Columbia University scientist studies The Google Effect and how it impacts whether we store information or simply remember where to find it.

Burger King Japan Serves Up Mini Burgers with Spam

by Steve Levenstein

And now for something completely different: Spam burgers! Burger King Japan's latest fast food selection slips a sizzling slab of Spam into one of their new BK Bites burger pairs. The horror... actually, the Hormel.

3-D Printing - Bringing Digital Fabrication Into Every Home

by Norm Cassian

The coming democratization of the 3-D printer promises to turn every home into a self-manufactured, manufacturing facility, fabricating your food and furniture, your footwear and your fake limbs. There are even plans for a printer that can print itself.

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Internet of Things Exceeds The Internet of People [Infographic]

by Ron Callari

While we were asleep at the switch learning to "plus one" on Google, the Internet of Things (IOT) just exceeded the number of people that reside on the planet. Beyond just smartphones and tablets, that number of "things" that connect to the Internet will only continue to scale as the growing number of connected gizmos, appliances - and even cows - are coded and catalogued to send messages to the Web.

Honey I'm Home! Beekeeper Battle is the Calm Before the Swarm

by China.new

The thrill of victory, the sting of defeat? In one of the more unusual endurance contests out there, a pair of Chinese beekeepers competed to see who could carry the heaviest load of live bees.

Is Tulalip Microsoft's Seward Folly?

by Ron Callari

When a god-forsaken parcel of frozen tundra was put up for sale by the Russians back in the mid-1800s, many saw the $7.2 million dollar acquisition as a frivolous venture that would reap no rewards for the U.S. History indicated otherwise. The same might be said about Microsoft and the recently leaked news of its covert social network under development.

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Libya Protesters Speak Out & Sign Off... in Chinese

by China.new

Call it a sign of the times: Anti-Gaddafi Libyan protesters are now flashing banners written in Chinese to get their message directly to China's TV-watchers without the 'benefit' of slanted commentary.

Geothermal Power Gets Hot as Japan's Nuclear Plants are No Longer Cool

by Steve Levenstein

Old & busted: Japan's nuclear plants. New hotness: geothermal power plants! Proponents of sustainable, non-polluting geothermal energy see an opportunity to grab their place in the sun as Japan deals with fallout (so to speak) from the nuclear crisis centered on the Fukushima Daiiichi Nuclear Power Plant.