Good Thinking
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The SmartSert fastener insert requires no tapping
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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...)
First complete Lab-on-a-Chip system based on Printed Semiconductor Technology
May 9, 2007 BIOIDENT has announced the industry’s first complete, functional lab-on-a-chip system—the PhotonicFlow System. The first application of the PhotonicFlow System announced today is comprised of a multiwell chip, a handheld device controller and readout software. The PhotonicFlow System is based on BIOIDENT’s PhotonicLab Platform, which combines printed semiconductors with various lab-on-chip technologies. With this breakthrough technology development, BIOIDENT’s customers and partners now have the ability to develop disposable lab-on-a-chip solutions that eliminate the need for expensive and bulky readout systems, enabling cost-effective mobile diagnostics and analysis. This new prototype eliminates the need for large, expensive, external readout systems being used today and opens up new opportunities for applications in medical in-vitro diagnostics, chemical and biological threat detection, and water testing. (read more...)
The interactive RFID fitting-room mirror
May 8, 2007 Retail tracking solutions provider Paxar has been thinking slightly outside the square in coming up with its consumer-facing item-level RFID solution, magicmirror. For brands and retailers, magicmirror means the ability to touch customers on an emotional level and positively influence their purchasing decisions. When a customer or sales associate brings an RFID-tagged piece of clothing in front of the magicmirror, it automatically displays rich personalized information including brand messaging, garment description, size and color availability, as well as mix-and-match guides that suggest other items for accessorizing a wardrobe. When installed in the fitting room, customers can request immediate assistance from a salesperson by simply touching the magicmirror, without ever having to leave the room. (read more...)
Mathematica reinvents itself in version 6
May 6, 2007 Mathematica was released in 1988 and immediately had a profound effect on the way computers were used in technical fields. The concept of a single system that could handle all the aspects of technical computing in a coherent and unified way was revolutionary and was enabled by a new kind of symbolic computer language that could manipulate the wide range of objects needed to achieve the generality required for technical computing, using only a small number of basic primitives. The just announced release of the US$2495 Mathematica 6 is more than just a significant upgrade and in many respects it is a completely new product, promising to once again transform how computation is done, and more significantly, how it is taught. Mathematica 6 takes technical computing to a new level: more tightly bound, more natural, and more automated, applicable to a far wider range of areas than ever before. Central to this achievement is "instant interactivity"--taking models, simulations, computations, or just about any concepts and turning them into fully interactive applications, sometimes within seconds. This new way of working drastically improves innovation--the process of transforming ideas into highly optimized results. Don’t believe us? Check this out! Caution - this will take you HOURS!!!! (read more...)
Stringwalker enables realistic walking in Virtual worlds
May 2, 2007 Though Virtual Reality (VR) is moving quickly towards realism on many fronts, one of the major problems in creating a realistic immersive experience is that of walking. If people walk around with a VR headset on, they will eventually bump into something hard and unforgiving – so researchers across the world are questing for a suitable device which offers proprioceptive feedback for VR walking. The human brain seems happy to suspend disbelief and accept many crude kludges in order to roleplay along with a VR event, but the missing factor has been the ability to give the body the same sort of corresponding feedback as the brain. You can’t simulate true human movement with any authenticity without the exertion normally accompanying it. We’ve previously written up two ingenious attempts to enable VR users to maintain their position while walking in virtual environments in the form of the commercially-available Virtusphere and a set of powered shoes being developed at the University of Tsukuba in Japan. Now there’s another clever solution being developed at the same university – the Stringwalker. String Walker uses eight strings actuated by motor-pulley mechanisms mounted on a turntable. (read more...)
Mob strikes back at Digg censorship
May 2, 2007 Social bookmarking site Digg recently made the decision to remove a story containing the HD-DVD AACS Processing Key, which can be used to bypass the copy protection on any HD-DVD. The Digg community revolted, and very quickly the entire front page of the site was filled with stories related to the censorship, and of course, containing the AACS Processing Key. (read more...)
Fixya stuff - the online support community and knowledgebase for repairing consumer products
April 24, 2007 In this age of disposable consumer goods, where entire iPods are replaced because it's easier than changing the dud battery, we're pleased to report the growing success of fixya.com, a support community and knowledgebase for repairing consumer products. The idea behind FixYa is to aggregate all support information that is scattered throughout the internet in a single user friendly location. In addition, FixYa is a huge knowledgebase that is constantly updated by a live community of users who share their experiences of technical problems and solutions. Through the site's unique rating system, FixYa is allowing users to find the best solution for every problem and even offer a new solution. Our aim is that over time, FixYa will offer the best solutions for the most common problems of each and every product the site is covering. The best thing about our knowledgebase is that it's based on true user experience rather than on projected FAQs by the manufacturer. (read more...)
14-year-old Ribena vigilantes cost GlaxoSmithKline NZ$220K in false advertising case
April 14, 2007 When 14-year-old New Zealand schoolgirls Jenny Suo and Anna Devathasan handed in their surprising Science Fair project results in 2004, they hardly expected to strike a financial blow for the consumer, but that's exactly what happened when global pharmaceutical juggernaut GlaxoSmithKline admitted to 15 charges of breaching the Fair Trading Act at the Auckland District Court earlier this month. The girls' project tested the vitamin C content of 8 different juices against the claimed amount on the packaging and were surprised to find that despite GSK's assertion that Ribena contains 7 milligrams of Vitamin C per 100ml, they were able to find "no detectable level" of the vitamin. Go to it kids! Be inspired by Jenny and Anna and keep 'em honest. (read more...)
Neuromarketing: What's it all about?
April 12, 2007 Have you ever wondered about the relationship between sex and cars? Intuitively, we all know there’s something going on there, but new research in the area of neuromarketing is beginning to shed light on the subject and it appears there’s a connection. Brain wave recording devices have been available for decades but new technology can now pinpoint more precisely which brain regions are active as people respond to products or make brand choices or are exposed to advertisements. The neuroscience dream of being able to peer into the functioning brain has been made possible. When Daimler Chrysler recently showed pictures of their cars while measuring brainwave activity with an fMRI scanner, they found that sports cars stimulated the reward centre of the brain, which is also the area stirred by drugs, alcohol and sex. The front view of the cars, with distinctive facade and headlight “eyes”, subjects showed brain activity in the facial recognition centre of the brain. (read more...)
3D technology solves 4500 year old riddle: Great Pyramid was built from inside out
April 12, 2007 Dassault Systèmes’ in conjunction with researcher Jean-Pierre Houdin, have used cutting edge 3D technology to solve a 4500 year old riddle – how the Great Pyramid of Giza was constructed within 20 years and without wheels, pulleys or iron tools. The pyramid is the oldest and last remaining wonder of the ancient world, and is as much famous for the alternative, often supernatural explanations offered for its construction as it is for its historical significance. Houdin used CATIA 3D software to digitally create his hypothesis, which theorized an “inside out” construction process. The highly advanced software was able to take into account the strength and resistance of the materials used, the ability of workers using primitive tools to move the blocks into place, the effect of aging, and even the effect of the weight of the pyramid on the pyramid itself. You can see the work in three dimensions here. (read more...)
JA-YE: European secondary school student companies to show off their innovative ideas
April 18, 2007 Junior Achievement (JA) Romania in co-operation with Junior Achievement Young Enterprise (JA-YE) Europe organized the JA-YE Europe Trade Fair from 29 March to 1 April in Bucharest, Romania. The event brought together 500 young entrepreneurs from 30 European countries, representing 80 student companies. The event was an opportunity for European secondary school student companies to show off their innovative ideas, to sell their products and services in a public setting and share their entrepreneurial spirit. (read more...)
NoLube SIMpull THHN Building Wire
April 4, 2007 Electrical contractors will no longer have to lubricate feeder-sized THHN to pull it through conduit with the introduction of a revolutionary new No Lube SIMpull THHN building wire by Southwire. SIMpull THHN incorporates a patent-pending technology to reduce friction and with it the mess, labor and cost associated with lubrication. In addition, No Lube SIMpull THHN’s design results in a cleaner appearance, easier to read print and a reduced susceptibility to nylon tearing. Independent tests have shown the new cabling reduces total installation time by an average of 30 percent. (read more...)
The One-Stop Bill Pay Kiosk Network
March 23, 2007 The power of consumer demand for convenience is driving innovation and automated kiosks become smarter by the day as they are the most cost-effective way to meet a customer in a convenient location – where they live, work and shop. The newly created ChoicePay kiosk is likely to proliferate quite quickly, as it aims to hook together hundreds of national and regional billers to create a network of self-service bill payment kiosks to be placed primarily in payment centers, convenience stores and supermarkets. The product of a partnership with Source Technologies which will integrate the ChoicePay multi-biller, bill payment functionality into the CONCOURSE line of self-service kiosks, to enable bill payment for cash paying consumers across America. Billers that support walk-up payments for cash-preferred customers can reduce the cost associated with processing attended payments, which can average US$1.501 or more per transaction. (read more...)
Coca-Cola and GLAM*IT make Europe’s first Magazine on a Bottle
March 22, 2007 The concept of miniature magazines appearing on products of all kinds drew a step closer today when On Product Publishing International (OPP) announced that Coca-Cola Belgium will be the first soft drink company to use the Magazine on a Bottle concept. Coca-Cola light and Sanoma Magazines have joined forces to create the world’s first soft drink combined with a magazine, using the labeling innovation. In April 2007, chilled Coca-Cola light 500ml PET bottles on sale in Belgium will have a free copy of a special mini edition of GLAM*IT magazine attached to the bottle. GLAM*IT is a Belgium’s leading young and glamorous fashion title. The Coca-Cola light edition consists of content which is typical for GLAM*IT but reduced to fit the bottle size. A light version of GLAM*IT has thus been created, to further associate Coca-Cola light with the lighter side of life. (read more...)
Nanotechnology offers vastly improved fingerprint acquisition
March 16, 2007 With the spate of Crime Scene Investigation shows currently running on television networks around the world, it’s hard not to be impressed with the evidence that technology can uncover. Well the science of fingerprinting looks set to move to a whole new level in the near future thanks to refinements to the fingerprinting process offered by two developments in nanotechnology. Described as revolutionary by people who are not prone to exaggeration (the United States Secret Service), the new nanotechnologies will enable fingerprints to be clearly developed that current techniques cannot detect. (read more...)
Semiconductor 2.0 - printed semiconductor factory opens
March 15, 2007 Nanoident has opened the world’s first manufacturing facility for printed semiconductor-based optoelectronics. The factory will offer high-volume production and will use the company’s Semiconductor 2.0 Platform to deliver printed semiconductor-based products. With its environmentally friendly production process, the OFAB can produce printed electronic devices quickly and at a fraction of the cost of a traditional silicon-based semiconductor fab. The technology will yield cost-effective, custom designed devices for applications such as industrial, chemical, biological, biometric and X-ray sensors, printed OLED displays for smart packaging and electronic signage. According to c/net news, a traditional factory that can produce 40,000 square meters of silicon computer chips would cost about $1.3 billion and require about 5,000 employees. The Nanoident factory costs about $10 million and can be run by about 50 people. (read more...)
MathWorks introduces deployment of MATLAB algorithms to Java and .NET
March 13, 2007 Given the increasing use of algorithms, we expect many of our readers will rejoice at MathWorks newly announced introduction of two MATLAB builders that let application developers create algorithms in MATLAB and then incorporate them royalty-free into enterprise applications based on Java or .NET technologies. The new builders eliminate the time-consuming and error-prone process of recoding an algorithm created in MATLAB into Java or a .NET language. The new MATLAB Builders for .NET and Java will save considerable effort by repackaging algorithms developed in MATLAB into deployable components that can be used royalty-free in desktop and Web applications. (read more...)
iDashboards 5.0 offers direct linking to Excel spreadsheets
March 13, 2007 In the game of business, access to information is critical, and access to one’s own company information is even more critical. iDashboards is an enterprise Business Intelligence software application designed to help companies leverage their information assets in real time through visually rich, responsive, and personalized Business Intelligence dashboards, and the latest version is now available. The bit we like most is the connectivity to Excel Spreadsheets – employees no longer have to email Excel spreadsheets back and forth, as they can view the data online, in rich presentation format. (read more...)
The beer-launching mini-fridge
March 10, 2007 Here’s further evidence that necessity is the mother of invention. Duke University Electrical and Computer Engineering/Computer Science graduate John W Cornwall seems to rejoice in building interesting contraptions but his latest just could be a killer app. He has designed a fridge that gets the beer for you. His beer launching fridge took “about 3 months and several hundred dollars” to build, resulting in the world’s first fully automated, remote controlled, beer-launching mini-fridge. With a “magazine” of 10 cans, his first fridge was controlled by a keyless entry system. Such was the response to a video of the catapulting fridge, there’s now a good chance the fridge will go into limited edition production with a price tag of US$1500. (read more...)
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