Patent

Whether you've been a loyal PayPal user for the last 10+ years or are willing to put your trust in the hands of one of the Twitter co-founders, you may be one of the early pioneers to use iPhones as the new form of currency. Bumping and beaming financial transactions via smartphones may be the missing link to a time when there will no longer be a need for actual money to exchange hands.

Developer Metaio just released Junaio 2.0, an updated version of their augmented reality browser with the most cutting-edge features available today. Strategically planned to debut at the South by Southwest Interactive Conference(SXSW) March 10, 2020 in Austin, TX, the Metaio team have integrated the app into a special event titled "ScavengAR" that will provide conferees with an opportunity to experience the capabilities of the application first-hand.

Apple's iPad is barely a few days old, and it's already facing potential litigation. On the heals of China vs Google battling over censorship and Gmail hacking issues, Apple is having its own altercations with the Chinese. This time around, instead of debates with the government, Apple is being held up by bandits, literally.

Nintendo has filed a patent for a Wii football. Will it add this new device to the roster of Wii accessories already out there?

What is the "social share of voice" amongst pharmaceutical companies online? While some drug companies have been reluctant to embrace social media for fear of running afoul of FDA regulations that govern the advertising and promotion of prescription drugs, others are embracing social networks to help brand and position their companies in a positive light with consumers and practitioners. Here are the TOP TEN Pharma companies that are presently useing social media to reach out to larger audiences.

Dean Kamen is known widely as the inventor of the Segway personal transporter. However, over the past months he has been working on designing a new kind of Hybrid Scooter: A scooter that will make use of a Stirling Engine and be able to run on pretty much anything that will burn.

You thought you'd take a trip abroad to see some relatives in Bizwackistan. Upon your arrival, Bizwackian inspectors implant a tracking device in your arm to "make sure you don't overstay your welcome." What they don't tell you is that if you miss your flight out of the country, be you ill or otherwise indisposed, you will die.

Humans invented the wheel, right? Does this mean that the wheel must do something even more important for its inventor? Or is the Body-Connected Bike which is also known as Patent # US 6805657 one silly flash in the pan? Read on and watch out for bikes coming your way with a new…attitude.

The following are my picks for the best St. Patrick's day ever, with a few post-St. Patrick's day reconciliation-style inventions thrown in for good measure.

The Device for Coupling Writing Utensils is not for everyone. Patent# US 6802665 calls for a unique user, as someone changing writing utensils in mid-air is not something you come across every day. If you are wondering why, don’t ask me, but read on anyway.

The Religious Meditation Apparatus which is also known as Patent# US 6837185, provides a means to commune with nature and enhance the experience of prayer. The only question seems to be what the birds get out of it. Read on, but try to avoid wings and feathers for just for a little while.

For those who enjoy dancing in the dark and other mysterious places, the Robot Performing Dance Along Music may be just the thing. Patent#US 6782308 may not help out with housework and boring chores like others of its ilk, but it may make you, as the old song says, “never want to change partners again.” Read on and wonder why.

The Photographing Game Machine that some may know quietly as Patent# US 6832954 is a video game of questionable excitement. Of course, this type of shooting has far less serious consequences than some others and maybe you should read on anyway. Ready, set, focus and shoot!

The Genealogy Storage Kit, which is known generically as US Patent# 6779665, provides a vehicle for the storage of biological samples. Why settle for an urn when there are so many other patterns and shapes to choose from and this way you can take it with you wherever you go? It’s better than a Hallmark card when it comes to proving that you “care enough to lug around the very best.” Be prepared, and read on even if you don’t own any urns as of yet.

Patent#US 6854374 also known as the Explosion Containment Net could well be the perfect gift for the terrorist on your list who has just about everything. Think ahead, even though we are nowhere near the holidays, because explosions can and usually do make a difference. Read on, but duck.

The Doggie Poop Freeze Wand is also known to some discerning specialists of fecal matter as Patent#US 6883462. If when you hear the word, wand, you think of fairy godmothers and Tinkerbelle, you are not that far off. There is no pumpkin coach or glass slipper or even a cute prince waiting however; it’s merely a response to the call of nature that befalls all living things. Read on but…don’t buy this yet.

The Portable Electrical Mouse Trap, which mice refer to as they cower in dark corners as Patent#US 6865843, is a very different and quite powerful device. Adult mice warn their children to avoid the cheese fragrance, (which is not even real cheese) as we warn our children about smiling strangers in trench coats! Read on, but remember that revenge is not so sweet if you are on the receiving end.

Patent# US 6776687 is what is known as a Haunting Aid, and it is one of those ideas that makes one wonder exactly how much those people down at the patent office really drink every day. Glowing eyes via an LED is hardly another world or even another invention. Read on anyway and ignore that chill that just passed over your right shoulder.

The Balloon for Preparing for and Easing Human Birth can only make every mother in the world wonder if she did it right after all. Patent# US 6843251 provides a way to practice childbirth on a balloon which seems an odd way to learn. Perhaps the popping when the balloon bursts is apt preparation for water breaking? Don’t ask me, but read on anyway and be…not overwhelmed but just whelmed, as Mel Brooks used to say.