AbsolutelyNew Blog

The newest invention in sports

There’s a new invention taking the sports world by storm: the mouthpiece.

No, we’re not talking about the protective mouthpieces athletes have worn for decades—we’re talking breakthrough, high-tech new mouthpieces that re-position the jaw in order to reduce clenching and increase airflow… which we’re told significantly reduces fatigue and increases performance.

And sports fans take note: it’s not just a few unknowns and wannabes using these things. In football, they’re quietly being used by stars including the NFL’s Adrian Peterson and Terrell Owens. In hoops, Shaq’s wearing a set. In baseball, look no further than Yankees’ great Derek Jeter. Top athletes in triathlon, hockey, tennis, swimming, even golf are wearing them too. And if they work for golf… hey, we’re thinking they might help us with inventions too!

We should note, these newfangled mouthpieces aren’t cheap—Under Armour’s “Performance Mouthwear” (pictured with this post) start at prices of $495. And Canadian maker Makkar’s “Pure Power Mouthguard” reportedly costs $595 to $2,250, not including the dentist’s fees (yup, you’ll need your dentist to custom-fit them for you).

What do you think? Could they help you… or someone you know?

BTW, for more on this, click here for more detailed media coverage.

The decade's best inventions

Can you believe we’re just about a full decade into the century… and it’s been 10 years since we fretted about Y2K and our computers going haywire? What a decade it’s been!

Related, Advertising Age magazine just published its list of the 10 most impactful inventions of the last decade. Of course, these guys are heavily biased in favor of products that were launched with big, fat advertising budgets… but it’s still fascinating to see what they’ve picked for most influencing consumers and product categories.

Here’s the Ad Age Top 10, listed without any rankings among them:

iPod

Wii

Axe Body Spray

$5 Foot-long subs

Activia yogurt

Mini Cooper

Crest Whitestrips

Guitar Hero

Prius

7 For All Mankind jeans

Do you agree? What would you add or remove?

We’re having a difficult time with the jeans—there’s something wrong with $100+ jeans… and it doesn’t exactly seem all that inventive if you ask us. We’d drop them in a second for the Blackberry or Target’s reinvented take on prescription medicine containers (Clear Rx bottles).

The downside of patent applications

CNN reports that patent filings for 2009 are down 2.3% compared to 2008 (485,500 vs. 496,886), citing the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office as the source of its data.

It quotes USPTO director David Kappos as saying the nation’s innovative spirit is stronger now than ever before; however, in speaking with a number of others who work in patents, it highlights three factors leading the decline in applications:

1. Recession, which has led many individuals and companies to delay innovation investments
   
2. High costs to file and maintain a patent, including the costs to defend a patent in court if necessary
   
3. An antiquated U.S. patent process—which the USPTO, its parent Department of Commerce, and the Congress are working to reform—that has led to years-long backlogs in patent reviews.
   

What do you think? For those of you who have refrained from filing to protect an idea, what’s holding you back? And what could help you move forward?

Click here for CNN's full coverage.

Oh, and yes, the patent image above is from Apple's iPhone application.

We like this!

Umbrellas have been around for practically forever. And there’s been little significant evolution in the modern design in… well, it seems like practically forever too.

Until now—a New Zealand designer has re-invented the umbrella to make it fundamentally better. Among the upgrades you’ll find in his Blunt umbrellas:

1. Those pointy tips on a traditional umbrella have been, yes, blunted: they're wrapped in fabric. In addition to helping prevent eye injuries, this design helps spread out the strain normally placed at the tips so they’re less likely to tear away from the fabric. 
2. A “Radical Tension System”—sounds cool just saying it, doesn't it?—of double struts and floating ribs to make these umbrellas much easier to open and close
3. The whole thing is tested to withstand winds greater than 70mph. We wouldn’t recommend you go out and use it during a tropical storm, but it sounds like it would carry you down the block before turning inside out or tearing.

The maker is selling his invention online priced in the $70-$80 range based on today’s exchange rates and depending on the size of the umbrella. The company will ship globally.

We like this! We might even add it to our last-minute list for Santa.

Kudos to our friends at Gizmag for finding this gem. Click here to read more from them.

The hottest holiday invention is….

With day-after-Thanksgivings sales now behind us, the cash register sales data is clear on this year’s hot invention for the holidays: the Zhu Zhu.

What’s a Zhu Zhu? It’s an $8 electronic hamster that moves around and makes noises sort of like a real hamster, but doesn’t require feeding or other care necessary with its living, breathing inspiration. What’s more, maker Cepia LLC has created Zhu Zhu accessories including a skateboard and a car… as well as a hamster wheel and tunnel systems for those who are more traditional with their microchip-driven pets.

Many Walmart and Toys R Us stores are now sold out of Zhu Zhus. Amazon too is reporting very strong sales (especially of the Mr. Squiggles version), while re-sellers are jacking the prices to more than $50. And as we write this, we can’t even access the official Zhu Zhu website because it’s being overwhelmed with traffic.

Other than the website crash, we love this! Because it highlights a few good lessons for just about every inventive person out there:

1. Value price. People today are reluctant to spend big bucks on pricey holiday toys. But a Zhu Zhu at less than $10 feels like a real value. Not every invention can or should be priced nearly this low, but definitely consider your target consumers’ spending abilities and value perceptions as you fully develop and price your creation.

2. Think broadly. If you’ve got a good thing, broaden your line—be it with another version (Mr. Squiggles has hamster pals like Num Num) or accessories like the Zhu Zhu skateboard. Going broader often increases your in-store presence, your product appeal and your total dollar sales.

3. Reach out. With its limited marketing budget, Cepia got creative with its marketing—it posted YouTube videos and distributed free Zhu Zhus to mommy bloggers. This went a long way in getting the word out on their faux-furry invention. Remember: if you get clear on who you want to reach, you’ll then be in a good position to think of unique and inexpensive ways to reach them.

Green with Envy from the International Pool Spa Patio Expo

  

The International Pool Spa Patio Expo just wrapped up in Las Vegas. Here are a few highlights from our very own Evelyn Salguero, who was there showing people some of our newest work… and looking for the best new items too:

Whereas last year’s Expo was rather pessimistic, with emphasis on vacationing at home and adding key features in order to maintain a home’s value in a declining real estate market, this year’s Expo was decidedly more positive. Could it be recovery is here, or near?

Energy saving aftermarket and maintenance products were all the rage. Many exhibitors brought solutions they said would reduce pool-related energy expenses and/or maintenance costs.

Also energy related, it was amusing to hear several exhibitors emphasize how adding a spa (aka: a hot tub) is the smart alternative to installing a larger swimming pool or adding an outdoor kitchen with all the trimmings.

What were the top trends?  Anything green, eco-friendly, or solar… far more so this year than last year. My favorite picks:

• Emotron Inc.’s Eco-Flow drive seems to dramatically reduce energy costs on pump consumption. So for people looking to improve rather than overhaul their pools, this looks like one great product to reduce costs over time.
  
• The BBQ Cleaner. If you are looking to make some extra cash, this is a “sizzling business opportunity” for you: it’s a system that safely removes grease, fat and carbon deposits that can build up over time on barbecues and grills. The idea is you drive this thing to people’s houses—it comes on wheels and attaches to the back of your car—and start cleaning up, literally and figuratively, at least during the warmer months (and football season in Green Bay, WI).
  
• Hidden Water Pool. This is SO cool—as the photos at the top of this post show, the floor of this pool raises and lowers at the push of a button, so you can adjust it to be at patio height, a kiddie pool, or a more standard 6-ft pool. It also uses less water and chemicals than traditional pools, making it environmentally friendly in addition to being just plain awesome.
  

A couple final notes: Retail buyers were definitely out in full force, and video poker proved far more fruitful than the blackjack tables several weeks ago (Click here to see Evelyn's notes from the early November SEMA auto show).

Invent this—not that!

This week we read online about two very different inventions from overseas, and we wanted to weigh in because they make for great examples of fundamentally good and bad invention… and thus they warrant a little further discussion.

The good: Mobelform’s Doc Sofa

  

Beautifully designed and engineered, this sofa unfolds to become a functional, fabulous looking bunk bed. It’s clearly not something for the kids’ room. But for the small apartment (and house) dweller who wants to host guests but doesn’t want to create a dedicated guest room, this invention could be a real winner. What to learn from this: you’ll be rewarded when form & function work hand-in-hand; items that serve multiple purposes are often especially appealing to people looking to get the most for their dollars; and giving shoppers different choices (in this case, different sofa styles with different upholstery options) will only help you appeal to more people with different tastes.

The bad: ADE Casa’s Rihanna Kitchen Scale with built-in iPod dock

Just because iPod docking stations are hot sellers, why in the world would these folks add one to their kitchen scale? We’re just not getting it, nor do we think others will. Global sales projection: 19 (including the team of 14 German engineers who invented it). What to learn from this: when you’re combining features & functions in order to add more consumer value, step back and make sure you’re really growing not narrowing the overall proposition and its appeal (because not every combination is going to be as successful as, say, the REECE’s Peanut Butter Cup or Leatherman Multi-Tool); and don’t let the popularity of a hot product like the iPod cloud your overall judgment on a related invention.

Another evolution in barcoding

Regular readers know we love barcodes—for their simplicity and usefulness, they’re such the great invention(s)! It’s why we celebrated their 50th birthday, and how they’ve evolved since.

The one knock people have consistently had with barcodes is that they’re not so nice looking. And when you think about it, it is surprising nobody thought about how to modify or otherwise customize the barcode so it would better suit the product it’s being slapped on… until now: design firm D-Barcode is creating unique barcodes (like those pictured here) that fit and complement products—thus far, mostly for items sold only in Japan.

How cool is that? And when will we be seeing them in the nearby Target stores?

Props to Fast Company magazine for finding this gem. You can click here to read its coverage.

Bowling and its ball re-invented

Tired of gutter balls? Want to bowl that perfect 300 every time? Well, we’ve found an invention for you: the RC-900 remote control bowling ball, from 900 Global.

For a mere $1,500 (yes, we’re doing our best to keep our tongues in cheek), you can now buy a 14-pound bowling ball that can be precisely guided down the lane via a battery-powered remote. The remote is small enough that you can manipulate your ball on the down-low… or go to the other extreme and activate flashing lights to flaunt what you’re doing.

The ball comes with a smart charger to power up an internal, rechargeable NiMH (nickel metal hybrid) battery. You’ll need to supply your own bowling shirt & shoes.

For video, click here.

And before you write this off as an invention that should never have seen the light of day, keep in mind that 900 Global is a significant player in bowling products… so the buzz around its new RC-900 will likely bring more attention and sales to the rest of its product line. And in business, that’s sorta like bowling 300.

Notes from the SEMA Show

More than 100,000 auto industry leaders were in Las Vegas this week for the annual SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) tradeshow—it’s THE show for new automotive parts, components, tools, and accessories. One of those at this not-open-to-the-public show: our licensing guru Evelyn Salguero, who went to find, and show, inventive items. Here’s her dispatch direct from SEMA:

SEMA makes other tradeshows look like yard sales—whereas many tradeshows are made up of one small booth after another displaying small items on tabletops and shelves, SEMA’s the place to appreciate products put to use in and/or on classic cars (from hot rods to low riders to vintage Ferraris) and the latest rides (like trucks decked out with large flat screens and the sweetest chrome-coated cargo holds). Like you’d expect in Las Vegas, everything’s big, bold and bodacious.

Attendance this year was down compared to last year—some said it was off by as much as 30%—but it was also larger than had been expected. No matter what, I saw a wide array of buyers, manufacturers, shop owners, and others.

For aftermarket products, it looked like the crowds were most interested in three product categories: paint protection, GPS systems and alarm systems. Among them all, I was most impressed by:

• Gold Touch Inc.’s Cosmichrome® paint—it combines quality top coat and base coat in one so there’s no need to apply an expensive, additional top coat. This stuff makes any driver look like a plaaay-yah.
• Elite Auto Tune is a leading U.S. distributor of products for exotic and luxury cars. And they didn’t disappoint at SEMA—in fact, they came to town with some of the most innovative auto accessories of all. The Vario Plus Polar and Vario Plus Sky automotive “smart glass” offer privacy and security by fogging the glass with a touch of a remote control button. The demonstrator told me, ”You can change for the clubs with no one lookin’ in.” And when in Vegas….
• Someone’s got to be practical in Vegas, and the people from LLumar were leading the charge. The company's booth had people crowding around to check out its paint protecting film—film that essentially creates an invisible shield to protect against abrasions, nicks, scratches from insects, small road debris, and winter sand and salt.

Eco-friendly products are also still on the rise. It was cool to see Ford combine green with its muscle car past in showing off a beautiful 1934 Hot Rod with first rear-wheel-drive 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6. You can click here to check it out. It's also pictured with this post.

Overall a great show. The only negative was me losing at the black jack table… but there’s always next year!