Archive for December 2010
The New York Times reports that Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis shut down so many receivers last season that teammates started calling his turf Revis Island, where opposing players were inevitably marooned. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg jokingly renamed Manhattan Revis Island in January when the Jets reached the American Football Conference championship game. But even as [...]
Jeff Cicatko has always amused himself by making board games. His father even told him that he should make a living doing it when he grew up, reports HamptonRoads.com. After a stint in the insurance business, he created a new game revolving around competitive surfing – just in time for the Christmas shopping season. Called [...]
Become An Intellectual Property Donor
Artist Evan Roth has a radical idea to help let our ideas live long after we die. Taking inspiration from organ donation programs, Roth advocates donating intellectual property to the public domain to contribute to the ‘progress of science’ and ensure that your creative legacy lives on. Why let all of your ideas die with [...]
Over in the Meadow Animated Storybook is an app from iMomConnect. One of its founders, Rupa Tak, told the Greenbay Press Gazette that their product is aimed at helping kids up to 12 years old learn to count and recognize animal sounds. Tak said iMomConnect is focusing on moms with a fast-paced life. “We wanted [...]
How Colors Affect Purchase Decisions
A visually stimulating chart compiled by Kissmetrics outlines how our purchasing decisions are influenced through color, among other factors. Via: PSFK
The Future For Women In Business
Sue Schell recently presented a small crowd of people with a unique question, “What would you do if you were a businesswoman who was sent to Korea to conduct business, but the men wanted to work out the details on a golf course where women weren’t allowed?” This question was presented to a group of [...]
According to a story in Bloomberg Businessweek, the last time Ray Lopez bought a suit, Lehman Brothers was still standing. Now the managing partner at private equity firm Shamrock Capital Partners is ready to go wardrobe shopping again. Lopez, 43, plans to drop as much as $1,500 at Jos. A. Bank on two pinstriped suits, [...]
Fast Company reports that a new survey by Forrester tracking U.S. consumer activity has revealed that the Net has caught up with TV as a pastime–and while TV’s not going away just yet, this pretty much cements the future of web-based TV. Forrester has been carrying out this kind of research for years, but this [...]
Can you sell your brain on the internet? Matt About Business says you can: One of the least expensive items to sell online is your expertise. You already have have it, there are likely folks who want it and, perhaps most importantly, you have a great way to deliver it via the Internet. Photo by [...]
Never Get a “Real” Job: How to Dump Your Boss, Build a Business and Not Go Broke
After getting out of college, Scott Gerber had to move back in with his parents because of his student loan debts. While his mother encouraged him to “get a real job”, Gerber decided to use the last $700 in his bank account to start a business. The company, called Sizzle It makes short promotional videos, [...]
Oldest Christmas Patent: An Ornament from 1868
After posting my previous Christmas patent post, I thought I’d look for the oldest Christmas related patent in the Google Patent Search. The oldest Christmas-related patent in Google’s Patent Search is for a “Design for a Christmas-Tree Ornament” from 1868 by Philipp Knorpp. Knorpp was a resident of Richmond County, NY. Richmond County is more [...]
Christmas is a time to profit from Santa-related knick-knacks, and What could be more festive than Santa shaped pasta noodles? Kraft Foods has a patent from 1993 on just that item. Do you see the resemblance?
Mutually Beneficial Home Business Networks
The industrial model of the big corporation, factory, etc. base their success on two basic elements The division of labor that allows individuals to specialize in areas of their strength and Economies of scale that allow overhead costs to be minimized For that reason, except in very small “niche markets” home production is overwhelmed by [...]
The New York Times reports that Mike Barrett does not have much of a yard at his two-story row house in Astoria, Queens. But that fact has not kept him from his new hobby of beekeeping — he put the hive on his roof. When it was harvest time this fall, he just tied ropes [...]
PSFK reports that the Speed Camera Lottery, in addition to photographing speed violators and issuing tickets, would also capture those vehicles that are driving within limits and enter them in a lottery to get a chance to win money from the revenue which was generated from speeding tickets. The idea was tested with great success [...]
Slow Progress For Women In Business
Women may make up for approximately half of the work force and their unemployment rate may be lower, but when it comes to the better paying jobs it is still a man’s world. According to Life Inc., Catalyst has found that women have held up to 14.4% executive positions in 2010. That’s up from 13.5%. [...]
Men’s Clothing Essentials, Direct To Your Door
It is often said that men do not like to shop. That stereotype is often true. For men that do not enjoy shopping there is Man Essentials. It is a subscription service that mails out underwear, undershirt, and sock packages over a set period of time. Men can keep their necessities freshly stocked without having [...]
According to The New York Times, for more than a decade, some of the nation’s shrewdest marketers have tried to muscle in on the neighborhood dry cleaner, only to give up after years of labor and millions of dollars in investments. Undeterred, Procter & Gamble is taking a shot at it, again. Having persuaded Americans [...]
Small Biz Confidence On The Rise
Small business confidence has seen a rise in November, making it the highest number since the recession began. According to Bloomberg, small business owners feel that sales and the economy will improve. The National Federation of Independent Business’s optimism index increased to 93.2, the highest since December 2007, from an October reading of 91.7. Seven [...]
While not a complete substitute for vigorous movement and exercise, the GymyGym Exercise Chair provides an opportunity for some much needed physical activity for the desk-chained knowledge workers of the world. Gizmag reports the user sits back on a stripped bungee seating system that’s said to mold itself to the shape and size of the [...]
Cool Invention: Boarding Pass Compass
Navigating an airport can be stressful even for experienced travelers so designers Kang Eun-Kyung and Park Ji-Eun thought a compass built into one’s boarding pass would be a great idea. The result is the Airport Compass, which is powered by a solid-state thin film battery, which needs very little energy and is flexible. The arrow [...]
Make dreams a reality with a Dream Basket. The holidays are for giving and here’s a great way to give back. Heifer International’s Dream Basket is filled with shares of a sheep, heifer, goat, rabbits, and a flock of ducks and chicks. These animals give families milk for nutrition and a source of income. And [...]
Fake Amazon Receipts Targeting Online Merchants
PC Mag is reporting that researchers at GFI Software, formerly Sunbelt Software, have uncovered a scam that generates fake Amazon.com receipts in order to dupe merchants into paying unwarranted refunds. The online tool asks for the details of the fake transaction to enter in the fake receipt, and then generates an HTML file containing the [...]
Have A Green Christmas: Rent A Tree
According to a story in USA Today, the rent-a-tree industry has gained ground in recent years as eco-minded consumers seek a natural tree without the possible guilt of dumping it curbside later. At least seven companies or environmental groups on the West Coast are now offering the service — another option in the evergreen debate [...]
Entrepreneur Creates Own Opportunity With Shuttle
Steve Phillips has created a shuttle bus company, ABQ Express, that runs from Farmington to Albuquerque twice a day reports The Daily Times. Steve Phillips started the business after seeing a niche in the market for a shuttle. “We’re trying to make it easier to get back and forth to Albuquerque,” he said. ABQ Express [...]
Netflix to Blockbuster: told you so. In 2000, Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings flew down to Dallas to meet with then Blockbuster CEO John Antioco. The two were supposed to discuss a partnership, CNET reports, but Antioco didn’t let the discussion go on very long. Here’s how Netflix CFO Barry McCarthy remembers it: “Reed had the [...]
The new year is a great way to welcome new goals and dreams. For moms, the new year can bring a business. Reuters recently posted a short list of trends that mompreneurs should keep an eye on. 1. Still social: Social media has been hot, and I don’t expect the sizzle to die out anytime [...]
The Most Innovative Laundromat You’ll See
Wash & Coffee is a new laundromat and social gathering place which opened earlier this year near Munich, Germany, reports PSFK.com. The new laundry and cafe has a clean design and provides lots of amenities for customers. Foremost though they are serious about making sure the process of cleaning clothes is handled well. Wash & [...]
Small Biz Unsure Of Online Advertising
There are plenty of online advertising opportunities for small businesses, but just how effective are those choices? According to The Sydney Morning Herald, many small businesses are unsure of their return on investment with online advertising. A survey of 1,800 small and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) owners by Yellow Pages found that 69 per cent don’t [...]
Cabbie Invents Hands-Free Umbrella
Any woman who has tried holding an umbrella in the rain while texting or rummaging around their handbag will know what a struggle it can be. But according to The Daily Mail Reporter, a cabbie hopes he has solved the problem – and found a lucrative invention – by producing a hands-free umbrella. Observant Ibrar [...]
As we’ve seen, using crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter can be a great way to cobble together some cash in a down economy. They allow customers, friends, and strangers to invest in businesses in exchange for a small revenue share later on. But The Wall Street Journal reveals they also have their drawbacks. Most sites, [...]
Listen Now: Or download: Weekend Wrap-up December 11, 2010
Unique products to amuse and inspire. Batter Finger Spatula. What! Your finger’s not good enuff? Bubble Wrap Tie. Gives you something to do in those boring meetings. Band-Aid Music Player. “I am stuck on Band-aid brand cause Band-aid stuck on me….” Barbie Pooping Dog. And I always thought Barbie was a cat person. Photos/videos by [...]
The Garden State Or Gag State?
New Jersey may be called “The Garden State,” but what many people don’t realize is that it is also home to many of the gag products we’ve grown to love. According to NJ.com, sneezing powder, the dribble glass, the joy buzzer, and the snake in a jam jar all got their start in their state. [...]
Who knew the e-book would be such a boon for novelists penning whimsical tales of cheesy intrigue? The New York Times reports that “if the e-reader is the digital equivalent of the brown-paper wrapper, the romance reader is a little like the Asian carp: insatiable and unstoppable. Together, it turns out, they are a perfect [...]
San Jose Entrepreneur Turns City Photos Into Totes
San Jose resident, Kymberli Weed Brady, has been taking photos of her lovely city for years. During that time she has easily collected upwards of 15,000 photos. Kymberli has decided to do something with them. According to MercuryNews.com, she is turning 100 of her photos into unique tote bags. “It’s frustrating to look at postcards [...]
Meet Bobby Schilling. He’s been the owner of Giuseppe’s Heavenly Pizza in Moline, Illinois, for the past 14 years. CNNMoney reports, that in January, he’ll be spending a lot more time in Washington, D.C., as the U.S. representative of the 17th district of Illinois in the 112th Congress. Schilling’s 21-year-old son is running the pizza [...]
DC, Maryland Rank Highest For Female Biz Owners
In a recent ranking of all the states, DC and Maryland ranked the highest for female business ownership reports Southern Maryland Online. The 2007 census figures show that women in Maryland own 33 percent of businesses, up from 31 percent in 2002, the last time the survey was conducted. That rate outstrips the nationwide pace [...]
We’ve shown a few clever calendars for the new year. Here’s an unusual one. Keep track of your emotional highs, lows, and mehs with the Life Calendar from Brigada Creativa. 365 days of smileys, sad faces, and angry eyebrows. This calendar is not for any specific year. You can start it when you want. Cheaper [...]
2011 Is Looking Pantone 18-2120 TCX
According to The Wall Street Journal, color authority Pantone plans to announce that its color of the year for 2011 is an intense pink it calls “honeysuckle.” Pantone predicts that we’re about to see a lot of this color, appearing on everything from designer dresses to pillows, water bottles, nail polish, sofas and appliances. A [...]
Could This Be The Next Snuggie?
Two Wisconsin entrepreneurs are hoping to infringe on the lucrative wearable blanket’s territory, the Associated Press reports. Tyler Galganski and Dave Hibler, the 25-year old founders of Forever Lazy, peddle their fleece, footless, hooded “adult onesies” online from Hibler’s parents’ basement. And while the operation may seem casual, the Wisconsin pair have actually gained quite [...]
Is The BBB A Protection Racket?
If you want to check up on the bona fides of your plumber or your electrician, you contact your local chapter of the Better Business Bureau. Lately, though, news organizations have been questioning the BBB’s own bona fides. The BBB’s rating system, they say, is at best uninformed and at worst corrupt. Until recently, the [...]
Invention Helps Protect Cyclists
A ten year old boy from the UK has created a unique invention that can be used by cyclists to alert people in cars that they are nearby reports North Wales Weekly News. Tybalt Melia from Capel Curig won the final of the BBC’s My Genius Idea show on Tuesday with the Bike Bleeper, inspired [...]
NventNode Helps Inventors Get Started
Inventing might start with a good idea, but the real work comes when you turn that idea into something that can be used. The process, which can be very complicated, is sometimes enough to stop a really good idea from going anywhere. Now there is a web service that can help inventors turn those ideas [...]
The brainchild of Steven Lockhardt, this unique website helps prove that there IS a Santa. According to The Columbus Examiner, iCaughtSanta.com helps visitors create a unique keepsake photo of Santa inside the child’s home by combining site provided digital images of Santa Claus with a user’s uploaded digital photo as the background. Want a photo [...]
Small business owners received some good news in September when President Obama signed the Small Business Jobs Bill. The bill has made it possible for small biz owners to seek the SBA financing they need to grow their business. It extends on the original enhancements that were first introduced with the 2009 Reinvestment and Recovery [...]
You Are In Control With New Dental Device
According to a story on KING 5, one-third of Americans don’t go to the dentist on a regular basis. Many of them say fear keeps them away. Now there’s a new device that can help lower dental anxiety with the press of a button. Cindy Bryant doesn’t like going to the dentist. “I’m very afraid [...]
Back in October, we told you about Daniel Vitiello, a 19-year-old Texas Tech sophomore, who taught himself to fix Apple’s 3G, 3GS and 4 iPhones and fixes dozens of them from his parent’s dining room. “I don’t really like having a typical job, and so I needed an idea to make money,” said Vitiello. His [...]
According to Inc.com, the Internet has facilitated a congregation of bacon connoisseurs across America, some of whom have allowed their appetite for the cured meat to give rise to their bottom line. A simple Google search will lead you into a subculture that has spawned everything from vodka, to candles, to crowdfunded ventures. Two sets [...]
No one likes to be laughed at, but people do love to laugh. An inventor has created a toy that plays a variety of laughs, in hopes of bringing a smile to the face of sick children reports Daily Pilot. With every purchase, his business even gives $3 to The National Children’s Cancer Society. Riding [...]
