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Electric Car of the Future

The electric car is once again in the national spotlight as automobile manufacturers compete to create a more environmentally friendly vehicle.  The Obama Administration has set a lofty goal for the U.S. transportation industry: 1 million plug-in hybrid cars on the road by 2015.  Here is a look at one innovative car that might be popping up on freeways across the country starting next year.

 

The Aptera 2e is a plug-in, all-electric vehicle.  The three-wheeled car seats two, travels up to 100 miles on a single charge and can reach a speed of 90 mph.  Equipped with state of the art safety features including a race car-like passenger safety zone, the Aptera 2e is as safe as any car on the road according to Aptera Motors CEO Paul Wilbur.  What makes the car truly unique is its aerodynamic design.  The vehicle resembles the shape of a bird gliding through the wind, allowing the Aptera 2e to work with the wind rather than against it.  Priced between $25,000 and $40,000, the Aptera 2e was designed to be affordable for the average family.  Can you see yourself driving this car?

Cool Product Expo

We’re back from the Stanford Cool Product Expo!  The event, held annually on the Stanford University campus, showcases interesting products and projects from start-ups, university research labs, global manufacturers and local design studios.  We were excited to exhibit at the show so that we could show off some of our newest products and present alongside some of the brightest minds in Silicon Valley. 

 

Everyone was interested in testing out our products and finding out more about AbsolutelyNew.  In addition to networking with other local companies, we also had the chance to speak with students in the Stanford Graduate School of Business and Engineering School.  Stanford has no shortage of creative thinkers and product designers who were anxious to give us feedback on our products and share some of their own work with us.  The show was a big success, and we can’t wait to return next year. 

 

Did you attend the show this year and get a chance to stop by our booth?  We would love to hear what you thought of the product samples we were displaying and any other cool products you saw at the expo this year.

Leading Veterinarian Selects Power Leash and Features on ABC

We just exhibited our latest pet products at the Global Pet Expo, and are very excited by the response. For example, a leading veterinarian, who appears regularly on ABC News (Good Morning America), selected our Power Leash™ as one of his favorite products (from thousands). He even begins his coverage of the trade show talking about it.

This innovative product was licensed from independent inventors, and can now be purchased from PETCO, in most of their stores and online.

 

Inventor of Athletic Tape helps Vancouver Olympians win gold.

Olympic Skiers, Hockey Players and Skaters have all been using Kinesio Tex Tape to help relieve pain and promote healing of injured muscles.  Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsey Vonn used the athletic tape to help recover from a shin injury that almost prevented her from racing in the Olympics.  The athletic tape is the invention of Dr. Kenzo Kase, a chiropractor who was looking for a better sports taping method to assist in the healing of traumatized tissue.  Kase found that standard taping techniques, such as athletic taping and strapping, provided muscle and joint support, but also reduced range of motion and in many cases inhibited the actual healing process of traumatized tissue.  The new and improved athletic tape that Kase developed is able to aid the lymphatic and muscle systems, while simultaneously supporting joints and muscles.

 

Kinesio Taping has become one of the fastest growing sport treatment modalities in the world.  It is an official medical supplier for the U.S. Ski and Snowboarding Association and the product is on the international spotlight in Vancouver. 

 

 Do you have a sports-related invention that could help athletes enhance their form, train more efficiently or recover from injuries?  Perhaps it could help you win too…

Frisbee Inventor Dies at 90

We were sad to hear the news that Walter Fredrick Morrison, the man credited with inventing the ubiquitous Frisbee died last week at the age of 90.  In honor of his life we thought we would look back at the history of the iconic Frisbee and the legacy of this accomplished inventor.

 

For many Americans, the Frisbee has become a staple of everyday life.  Over 200 million Frisbees have been sold in the last 50 years and it is difficult to go to a park, beach or college campus without seeing a flying disc being tossed around. 

 

Morrison came up with the idea for the Frisbee when he used to toss a tin cake pan on the beach in California as a recreational activity. Looking for a way to make the cake pans fly better he developed a flying disc and began manufacturing it in 1948.  Morrison would sell the discs at local fairs and eventually attracted Wham-O Manufacturing, the company that bought the rights to Morrison's plastic discs and renamed it the Frisbee. 

 

To date, more Frisbees have been sold than basketballs, baseballs and footballs combined.  The Frisbee has inspired the popular game of Ultimate Frisbee and become a popular recreational activity for millions of people around the world.  Morrison’s legacy is sure to live on through his invention for many years to come. 

 

Did you play any make-shift games when you were younger that might have commercial potential, if properly packaged?

 

Innovation at the Vancouver Olympics

The Winter Olympic Games will commence on Friday in Vancouver.  Companies have been innovating like crazy since the last Olympics to enhance the performance of Olympic athletes.  From a newly designed high-speed bobsled to downhill ski equipment, innovation will be on everyone’s mind at the games.  In addition to improvements in athletic equipment, the Vancouver Olympics will showcase a lot of environmental innovation.  Here are a few things to watch out for:

 

Eco-friendly venues:  The organizers of the Vancouver Olympics have had sustainability on their minds since the planning first began.  Many of the Olympic venues include state of the art eco-friendly designs that conserve energy and protect the environment.  The Convention Centre boasts a living green roof, on-site water treatment, and a fish habitat built into the foundation, while the Olympic Centre captures rainwater and siphons it into the building to flush toilets and urinals.

 

Carbon-neutral partners: Twenty-five partners of the Olympic Games have joined forces to help make the Games carbon-neutral.  Corporate sponsors, governments and broadcasters have all volunteered to offset some of their own carbon emissions related to the Games by investing in a portfolio of clean energy technology projects.  Coca-Cola will also be going completely green for the games, aiming to have a net-zero carbon footprint and net-zero waste at the Games.

 

Olympic medals made from electronic scraps:  The medals that the Olympic champions will proudly wear around their necks will be made of precious metals reclaimed from old electronics.  Gold, silver, and bronze have been extracted from electronics that would otherwise end up in landfills to make the coveted medals.  It would take more than 17 tons of gold ore to net the same amount of gold reclaimed from the circuit boards of a single junk PC.

Cool new “breakout” ideas

Forbes magazine recently featured 10 “breakout” inventions and ideas of note. We thought the list is so cool we just had to share it. Click here for its full coverage including an online slideshow and videos.

A few highlights to whet your appetite:

1. Moobella ice cream vending machines that mix, freeze and scoop out 96 on-demand flavors in about 45 seconds, at an operating cost of just $400 per month plus ingredients costs.

2. Activeion spray bottles that add an electrical charge to water as its sprayed, which separates the molecules such that the water bubbles lift dirt and bacteria from a surface, for a one-time retail cost of $169 per $12-oz bottle.

3. IdeaPaint paint that makes any wall into a dry-erase whiteboard. This paint isn’t cheap—it apparently sells for about $4.00 per square foot of coverage—but think of all the additional ideas you can come up with when the world is your drawing board.

Domino’s re-invents its pizza

What do you think of Domino’s pizza?

It seems the folks at Domino’s found many didn’t care for the company’s crust, cheese and/or sauce… so they’ve re-invented their pizza in several ways with aim to satisfy more eaters, and of course to be more competitive with arch-rival Papa John’s. Domino’s has also launched a huge advertising campaign to tout its new pizza, and the ads go so far as to put down the old Domino’s taste in order to then talk about the better, new taste.

Only time will tell how this change works out for Domino’s and its competitors. For now, the move is certainly generating a lot of talk in the pizza world, and also in the marketing world. What is for sure, and why we mention all this, is that this development brings up important lessons for every inventor: listen to consumers and be open to change—even really big, scary change—that can make your offering better for the long-term.

Click here for further coverage.

What’s your story?

We recently read an engaging column by Scott Berkun, a self-described “professional speaker” and author of The Myths of Innovation. Of particular note, Scott said having a good explanation or “story” for your invention idea is just as important as having a great invention idea. His core point:

“From my studies of innovation history, I know that the difference between relatively uncommon names like Tesla, Grey and Englebart, and household ones like Edison, Bell and Jobs, has more to do with their ability to persuade, convince and inspire than their ability to invent, create or innovate. One potent thread in the fabric of reasons why some ideas take off and others don't is the ability entrepreneurs have to explain to others why they should care. The bigger the idea, the more explaining the world demands.”

Scott says it’s absolutely critical to get your idea down to a message that’s clear and compelling, and to practice pitching it until you’re a pro at presenting it.

Are you doing this? If not, remember it’s not too late to start.