Good Thinking
Surf’s up - Ocean City’s public wireless network
July 30, 2007 Ocean City, New Jersey, is about to become one of the first American dot com-munities. As part of a $3 million plan to upgrade public services in the popular tourist destination, small wi-fi transmitters are being installed on light posts to drench the city in a wireless internet network. Access to the high speed broadband will be free for the residents and will be available to tourists for a small charge. And with a tourist base that increases the town’s population from 15,000 to 130,000 in the summer, it’s a safe bet the council will more than get their money back. Read More
Smart video advertising at the petrol pump – rolling out in 115 countries globally
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July 26, 2007 Pay-at-the-pump petrol is a great convenience for drivers, but it sucks profit away from the retailers who derive the majority of profit from convenience store sales. Petrol buyers are the perfect target for point-of-sale advertising – they’re already out of their car, and what’s another five dollars of snacks or coffee on top of a $50 fill-up? To combine the best of these scenarios and catch more of these disposable dollars, a global partnership between three market giants is about to target every petrol customer in 115 countries with a sophisticated video advertising campaign right at the pump, and it promises to change the gas station experience for good. Read More
The Auto Card Manager wallet
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July 26, 2007 In the last few years we’ve seen a number of different products come out with the explicit goal of reincarnating the traditional men’s wallet. We’ve recently reviewed the Dosh Wallet and the ambitiously named and conceived Read More
The bottle opener becomes a fashion statement
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July 5, 2007 Are you fully equipped to venture out into the world of the 21st century: mobile phone – check, iPod – check, Bottle Ring Opener – well… maybe not. This fully-customizable bottle and can opener designed to be worn on the index finger might not make it to the top of everyone’s wishlist, but it could save you from chipping a tooth in a tight spot. Read More
Smart protection for high-heel shoes
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July 3, 2007 Smart Heel heel protectors are all about protecting your assets, and with billions* spent annually in the U.S. on fashion footwear each year, many women would agree that high-heels are an asset worth protecting. These simple but effective patent pending devices are designed to slip onto your heels before venturing outside in order to fend off tears and scratches caused by sidewalk cracks, stairs and escalators. The protectors are then removed when you reach your destination ensuring that the heels remain unscathed and looking their best. Read More
Oops I’m Late - mobile notification solution for latecomers
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July 3, 2007 Before the advent of the mobile phone, running 15 minutes late meant just that – you arrived 15 minutes late and people waited for you. Enter text messaging, PDAs and the impatience of the 21st century psyche where you are expected to notify all concerned about the most microscopic change to your ETA – usually resulting in the stressful and sometimes dangerous practice of calling or scrambling a text message while in transit. “Oops I’m Late!” is a novel solution in the form of a newly released software package that uses GPS to calculate the distance between your location and destination and automatically notifies designated contacts that you’re running behind schedule. Read More
DaySafe 100: the anti-theft laptop backpack
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June 2, 2007 The petty criminal's work is based on minimal risk for maximal reward - snatching an unwatched handbag, slashing a backpack and collecting the spoils as they fall, sizing up which tourist is carrying a laptop or camera they can easily make off with. Simple measures to make life more difficult for thieves can act as an excellent deterrent, and this is where PacSafe has carved its market niche. Starting out with a slashproof metal net to protect backpackers' gear on the road, PacSafe has extended its line to include quick and practical secure carrybags for a range of urban and travel situations. With the latest anti-theft laptop backpack in tow, Gizmag's Loz Blain reports. Read More
Sweet smelling first for organic rose
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June 26, 2007 A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. The name may not matter but genes do – longevity, durability and higher yields have long been factored in above fragrance as desirable genetic attributes in the quest for the ideal commercial rose. Now florists in the U.S have unveiled what’s claimed to be the world’s first certified-organic fragrant rose. Read More
The Dosh all-polymer wallet
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June 26, 2007 Wallets appeared soon after the introduction of paper currency in the early 17th century and ever since then, leather has been the material of choice. Gizmag has encountered a number of products aimed at equipping the wallet for the rigors of modern life including Wallet 2.0, The Jimi Wallet, the Tsaya Thigh Holster and now the Dosh Wallet - an Australian design that uses a blend of flexible and semi-flexible polymers to create a rugged, waterproof home for all of those items like credit cards, keys and sim cards that just weren’t an issue in the year 1642. Read More
3D foot measurement devices roll out in the USA
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June 26, 2007 Swords into plowshares in the 21st century - 3D camera technology originally designed to detect unexploded bombs has been adapted to accurately measure your shoe size. QinetiQ's FootSee 3D foot gauges can measure the length, breadth, height and shape of your feet in an instant, and the data can be used to decide which shoes provide a perfect fit. The FootSee devices are now beginning to roll out across the USA after an initial purchase by Stride Rite, and collected data will be fed back to footwear manufacturers to help them develop better-fitting shoes. Read More
Find a recipe based on what's in your cupboard
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June 25, 2007 Here's a website that turns the cookbook upside down to suggest recipes that use the ingredients you've already got. Type in what's in your cupboard, and Recipe Matcher will tell you what you can make. It's a great idea, but it needs some work; for my ingredient list it told me to make "Avocado and Lobster Salad," and that all I was missing to complete the dish was... an avocado and some lobster. Hmm. Read More
Virtual-livestock fence: replacing wire with wire-less
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June 25, 2007 Building and maintaining fences for controlling livestock places a huge financial burden on agricultural producers worldwide, but is there really any need for all those posts and wires? This is the question posed by the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization (CSIRO) which has come up with a virtual fencing solution applicable to cattle and sheep farming. Using a GPS system to define fence boundaries and a specially designed collar that alerts the animal to the fact that it has reached the “fence”, a prototype of the system has now been successfully demonstrated on a herd of cattle. Read More
Learning from Dell - the faithful implementer of 'Just in Time'
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June 25, 2007 As the world changes and China’s dragon stirs, new names will join the big consulting names we are all familiar with. With a clear goal of becoming the world’s number one consulting company, CCID Consulting is the first Chinese consulting firm listed in the Growth Enterprise Market of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and a direct affiliate of the China Center for Information Industry Development. The company’s take on how local Chinese companies have tried to implement business models based on those from Dell makes fascinating and worthwhile reading for anyone even vaguely interested in understanding the evolution of Just-In-Time manufacturing and supply chain management. Read More
Beyond the keywords: search engines getting smarter
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June 22, 2007 Keyword-based search engines are a huge compromise; think for a moment about the tricks you need to use to get a good specific result from Google. The next generation of search is contextually and linguistically smarter, thinking more like a human and able to chase the meaning of a search term through a document instead of just looking for a handful of words. Xerox's new enterprise FactSpotter engine uses smart semantic and concept parsing to deliver quality search results from huge text databases. Read More
Celebrating 50 years of Fortran
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June 21, 2007 The programming language Fortran celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, having touched the lives of millions of programmers and billions of people in the half century since. A proposal from IBM employee John Backus to develop an efficient alternative to assembly language for programming the company’s IBM 704 mainframe computer in 1953 resulted in the first specification for the IBM Mathematical FORmula TRANslating System in 1956. The first FORTRAN compiler appeared in April 1957 and the rest is history. To mark the occasion, a special issue of Scientific Programming on the role of Fortran in the scientific programming discipline is being published by IOS Press this month. The issue is dedicated to Fortran creator John Backus and Ken Kennedy, pioneer of Fortran compiler optimization and parallelization. Both highly esteemed scientists died earlier this year. Read More
Lunabrite, the completely unpowered night light
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June 21, 2007 Here's a simple, brilliant and very useful new product - glowing strip lights that recharge fully in the sunlight and glow for between 3 and 12 hours after dark without ever needing batteries or electricity. Expect to see Lunabrite strips appearing in architecture, marine, sporting, safety and even fashion applications in the very near future. Read More
Ancestry.com to offer DNA Genealogy
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June 20, 2007 Technology is a wonderous thing, and DNA testing in particular offers us incredible insight into our past – put those results online and create a searchable database and the way is open for reuniting families across the globe through science. That’s exactly what’s about to happen with a new partnership between Ancestry.com and Sorenson Genomics. By taking a US$200 cheek-swab test and comparing results against DNA profiles in a test-results database, each one of us can uncover genealogical associations unimaginable just a few years ago. Initially being in the database might very well be akin to being one of the first to have a telephone (who would you call?), but once numbers reach critical mass, this unique collaboration promises to revolutionize genealogy by allowing people to trace their roots and connect to distant cousins through DNA. This is big and a wonderful example of creative synergy between businesses. Read More
Two-in-one shoe makes driving safer
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June 20, 2007 From side air bags to anti-lock braking systems and traction control, technology has delivered a raft of safety enhancing features for motor vehicles, but sometimes accidents occur because of much simpler deficiencies in our driving preparedness – namely our choice of shoes. This issue is especially relevant to women’s shoes where the latest fashion may not be the ideal choice when it comes to controlling an automobile. The solution offered by UK based car insurance company Sheilas’ Wheels is to combine two types of shoe into one – a safe, flat driving shoe that transforms into a stylish pair of heels at the a push of a button. Read More
DDD Simulation Software for Military and Civilian Teams
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June 19, 2007 As we pointed out last week, the science of building an effective team is often overlooked but we’re pleased to note the release of some new software designed to forge a highly functional team when the job is mission critical. Aptima’s DDD 4.0 is simulation software for military and civilian organizations involved in planning and preparing for complex team-based missions. A desktop software application, DDD is unique in its ability to cover a wide range of scenarios, including AWACS air battle management, civilian disaster response, search and rescue, Joint Task Force command decision-making, and business management. A fully functional 30-day evaluation copy can be downloaded for free ...
Predictions Exchange game tests ability to forsee tech trends
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June 15, 2007 Reckon you've got your finger on the pulse of technology and innovation? You can now test your predictions against the world market using PopSci's Predictions Exchange - a free share trading game where you can make virtual profits by betting on the outcome of the Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD war, or whether Google will overtake Yahoo in its number of hits by the end of the year. It's an addictive game and a fascinating insight into consumer confidence in a range of brands and technologies - and if you can pick the "stocks" that are about to swing one way or the other, there's big (virtual) profits to be made! Read More
Retail evolves: the wireless, handheld store assistant
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June 14, 2007 A knowledgeable store assistant who knows what to suggest at the right time can mean the difference between a t-shirt sale and a whole outfit - not to mention making shopping a much more pleasant experience for the consumer. Motorola have just released the fascinating new MC17 handheld device for retail outlets that acts as a virtual shop assistant as a customer carries it around a store. Customers can use it to locate items, check pricing, options and availability, see related or complementary items, scan coupons and even whizz through the checkout process - and it's an ideal platform for intelligent cross-promotion and pinpoint-targeted advertising. Read More
The Mister Money Payday Loan Self-Service Kiosk
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June 8, 2007 The engenuity of man knows no bounds – with secure processes and some multimedia, new machines can reduce a costly and inefficient manual process to zeroes and ones and a few minutes. A shining example of this is Mister Money's AFS self-service kiosk for automated payday loan processing. Mister Money operates in the pawn and subprime lending industries, so it is no stranger to assessing and mitigating risk via a verification, scoring and approval methodology. It has now automated that approval methodology and has been granted a patent on this process, incorporating the lot into in an unmanned kiosk application. The kiosks and loan processing software are available for purchase and licensing. Read More
Digital paper with interactivity and sound
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June 6, 2007 Paper has been the predominant advertising medium since advertising began and despite the likelihood that it will lose that mantle in the foreseeable future, there’s life in the old dog yet. Swedish researchers are showing a working prototype of a fourth generation of paper products that can communicate with computers. By combining paper with printed graphic codes and electronically conductive ink that is engineered to be sensitive to pressure. When the paper “buttons” are touched, the sound is played out via the printed speakers. A video of the paper used in large boards and store displays can be seen here. The technology has obvious application in high-impact point-of-purchase promotional displays. Read More
Xerox adds clever anti-counterfeit measures to standard colour printers
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May 31, 2007 Due to the expensive equipment required, anti-counterfeit printing measures have largely been the domain of government money-printing mints. Now, a bit of clever thinking at Xerox has resulted in a new method of using standard colour printer toner to produce flourescent anti-counterfeit watermarking that shows up under UV light, making bogus copies easy to spot. Read More
3D laser structuring can burn microstructures into free form surfaces
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May 30, 2007 Micrometer-fine patterns in surfaces endow components with amazing properties: Plastic dashboards can be made to look like leather, sharkskin patterned ribs on an aircraft’s fuselage can significantly reduce air resistance and micro-recesses in human implants can dramatically improve connection with the bone. There are many reasons for applying microstructures but actually doing so is by no means easy. While lasers have been used for quite a long time to structure flat surfaces, the problems associated with using lasers on three-dimensional components of complex shape has ensured that etching techniques have had to be deployed, involving the use of large quantities of chemicals and costly processes. Now European researchers have developed a machine that can burn microstructures into free form surfaces. Read More
HP demonstrates Retail Store Assistant
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May 30, 2007 With computerisation now an integral part of most retail store infrastructures and the general tech-savviness of the population underpinned by a new generation raised on computer games and the internet, it will be interesting to see how quickly very sophisticated systems come to market. A glimpse at what’s possible in the very near future came this week when HP showed off its Retail Store Assistant, an experimental system designed to enhance the consumer shopping experience and improve efficiency for retailers by bringing the power of online access to brick-and-mortar stores. The idea is that the customer swipes their loyalty card on entering the store, receiving a printout that includes a personalized shopping list, relevant coupons, notice of associated store discounts or sales, and even a map to where the items can be found in the store. Read More
New software helps you make better decisions
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May 29, 2007 We’d all like to think that we can read the play better than the next person, that we can use our innate intelligence, intuition and gut feel to make well considered business and personal decisions, even though human intuition is seldom sufficient in complex decision-making situations. After several years of research at Mid Sweden University, the decision tool DecideIT has been developed for the purpose of enhancing the ability of decision-makers to reach rational decisions. The advantages include a more structured decision-making process and the capacity to analyze problems that previously were too complex for analysis.
Skimmed milk and spreadable butter - straight from the cow
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May 28, 2007 Genetically selecting for superior produce has been a staple of farming for hundreds of years. The dairy industry is now looking at how it can selectively breed dairy cows to bring their output closer to the way consumers are choosing to use it. In particular, they're having good results identifying cows that can produce tasty low-fat 'skim' milk - which accounts for 75% of milk sold in some countries. What's more, they've also found a cow whose butter is spreadable right out of the fridge. Her name? Marge. Read More
The SmartSert fastener insert requires no tapping
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May 25, 2007 Alcoa Fastening Systems (AFS) has introduced a new insert, called SmartSert, which can be installed in plastic or aluminum-based materials without a pre-tapped hole. The innovative product, which was developed by AFS in Melbourne, Australia, is both cost effective and efficient because steps previously required for thread-forming inserts are eliminated. The SmartSert insert can be installed quicker without a pre-formed hole resulting in both cost and time savings. Read More
Firefighters: keep your hose in line.
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May 17, 2007 This simple idea could help overstretched fire departments to make the best use of limited personnel. The Sentinel is a strong, directional fire-hose holding tripod that allows firefighters to set up fixed, unmanned fire suppression points while firefighters get on with the business of saving lives. Read More
digiwax = DRM-free MP3 + Vinyl
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May 16, 2007 Vinyl records, for all their wonderous qualities, are such impractical things. You have to store them correctly, take care to ensure your turntable isn't destroying them, and even if you have the equipment to rip them to digital formats at high-quality (USB turntables don't count), you're left with a recording of a recording that was mastered specifically for the qualities (and limitations) of the vinyl format. Well aware of the dilemmas facing record collectors with iPods or digital DJ rigs, U.K. based First Word Records have released their first "digiwax" vinyl record, which includes a code allowing purchasers to download DRM-free 320kbit MP3's of the album. Read More
Trading on the mind market – buying and selling innovation
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May 16, 2007 In many ways it’s a dream come true – IdeaConnection is quite seriously offering a penny for your thoughts. The newly launched website is marketing itself as a trading ground for ideas; allowing users to post problems and handpick a team of thinkers varied in age, experience, location and field of expertise to work on the solution. Whether you’re an armchair expert or battle hardened industry veteran, you can register to post a problem, propose your ideas, or place yourself in the site’s directory, allowing future posters to call on you for assistance. With a price tag of at least US$1000 per problem, the service does not come cheaply – however, by concentrating such a large amount of intelligence and experience into a collaborative community, it is likely the benefits that emerge from the site will far outweigh the costs. Read More
Keys to success in SME Globalisation
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May 16, 2007 Before the internet came along, the term “Multinational” signified big business. Forging a beachhead on another continent signified substance, lots of resources, a successful home market and a long term commitment. No longer – the internet enables business with someone in Kazakhstan as easily as it does with your next door neighbour and there’s a growing trend for small and medium-sized companies to successfully launch themselves as international businesses from start-up. Rapid internationalisation is occurring because a company need not establish itself in its home market before venturing overseas. Siv Marina Flo Karlsen of the BI Norwegian School of Management recently completed her doctoral thesis on this very subject and it provides insights for anyone doing business on the internet. “The key to success is having a strategic network and unique products,” says Flo. Read More
New fund available to businesses to introduce sensor technology into their products
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May 15, 2007 Now that we have enough computing power to crunch even the most gargantuan computing tasks, we are only limited in what we can do, by what we can measure. That’s why the advancement of sensor technology will become so very important in the coming decade. Sensors are currently used in many products to detect things like motion, light, temperature, pressure and flow, and play a vital role across a range of industries, for example as household smoke detectors, vehicle reversing aids and for ingredients monitoring in the food processing industry. The image at right is a 3D foot scanner designed to enable the easiest selection of comfortable shoes developed by Qinetiq. The development of new sensing technologies is hence critically important in generating new products and improving processes. British technology company Qinetiq’s purpose is “delivering Brilliant Solutions to Important Problems”. From integrating legacy weapons systems with state of the art sensors and software for the British MOD, to fielding advanced robotic systems for the US Department of Defense; providing port security products for the US Department of Homeland Security, or designing advanced security systems for many of the City's computer systems, QinetiQ’s technological prowess in the field of sensors and systems is vast. So we’re accordingly pleased to report that Qinetiq and Regional Development Agency Advantage West Midlands are establishing a new multi-million investment fund to be made available to businesses from early next month to stimulate the technical development of advanced sensors and their integration into technologies used in everyday life. Read More
Rationality is sooo yesterday – fashion and the herd mentality
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May 14, 2007 We are a curious bunch, us human beings. Obsessed with our individuality and identity, and our ability to make well informed and rational decisions, it seems that most of us subconsciously follow the lead of innovators. Value segmentation models such as VALS2 for marketers have recognized the leadership value of the statistical minority generically known as innovators and now university researchers are beginning to unravel human behaviours and how they fuel trends in fashion. Durham University has examined the phenomenon of trends, and put forward an explanation as to why fads like crazy frog and soul patch goatees become so popular instead of dying in the hellfire they so richly deserve. According to the study, fashions are arbitrarily adopted by a reactive population who base their decisions not on the quality of a product, but rather on the actions of their peer group. The paper, published in the academic journal Evolution and Human Behaviour, claims that trends gain popularity because populations are constantly seeking change; but when it comes to adopting a new fashion they will look to their neighbours rather than to reason. Read More
