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Ten of the Best: Quotes about Invention

Jul-05-12 By IdeaConnection
OK, so we’re all aware that necessity is the mother of invention, but here are ten more delicious quotes about inventions and the inventing process.

To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.
Thomas A. Edison

Gifts for the Innovation Professional

Nov-30-11 By Aminda
The Atlantic has compiled a list of “Best Ideas”, which contains some great gift ideas for the innovator or technophile who has everything on your Christmas shopping list. Here are some examples.

Open Source Textiles

San Franciscobased Soft Cities employs open-source software to access a global collection of maps, which is then used to create custom blankets and napkins. Buyers can order custom textiles printed with a street map of any neighborhood, from a hometown to a favorite vacation spot.

Museum Exhibit Showcases Inventions of Steve Jobs

Nov-29-11 By Aminda
In tribute to the tremendous influence of Steve Jobs, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is featuring The Patents and Trademarks of Steve Jobs: Art and Technology that Changed the World. The free exhibit at the USPTO’s museum in Alexandria, Virginia will be open through January 15, 2012This exhibit commemorates the far-reaching impact of Steve Jobs’ entrepreneurship and innovation on our daily lives,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO David Kappos. “His patents and trademarks provide a striking example of the importance intellectual property plays in the global marketplace.”

Next Generation “Green” Technologies

Oct-18-11 By Aminda
GE Sponsored txchnologist.com has recently spotlighted some interesting advancements energy-saving technologies.

Electric Windows

While the technology has been available for a couple of decades, a new commitment to high-volume manufacturing will soon make accessible the color-changing glass used to produce smart windows. Smart windows let in the sun to help heat rooms when it’s cold outside and also block the visible and near-infrared light that can overheat houses in the summer. They can also reduce the need for electric lighting during daytime and partially eliminate the need for shades and blinds.

The Rise of Robotics

Aug-29-11 By Aminda
A recent edition of Forbes Magazine (U.S.) has a feature article dedicated to the future of robots. From help around the house help, laboratory assistance, to help for the military, robotics is poised to be the next big technology.
Ryan Calo, director of the American Bar Association Committee on Robotics and Artificial Intelligence estimates that by 2015, robotics will be a 6 billion dollar industry. He believes that rapid growth of the industry will be incentivized by open robotics and has published a white paper explaining why. A look back at the PC industry provides motivation. When the first microcomputer was introduced in 1975, it had no clear purpose. However, thousands of electronics enthusiasts ordered the computer kit, simply to tinker and figure out what they could do with it.

New GlaxoSmithKline Innovation Portal

Jul-02-11 By Aminda
The Glaxo Smith Kline Consumer Products Division has recently launched an online Open Innovation portal as part of its business development strategy. GSK describes its open innovation strategy as a “Want – Find – Get – Manage” model. Wants represent technologies or innovation that will significantly contribute to the growth of global brands, and are the result of extensive research by our commercial and R&D teams. The company actively Finds those wants by building networks with innovators then works with them throughout the development process to Get technologies and effectively Manage relationships with external innovators. The result is market-leading products that meet consumers’ needs.
To spread awareness, GSK is using sites like www.urweb.tv, a rich media site devoted to accelerating commercialization, to reach hard-to-find inventors, entrepreneurs and garage geniuses.

Applications to Aid the Blind

May-13-11 By Aminda
A recent post highlighted a project to refine the capabilities of Mechanical Turk for use in software applications. While MIT researchers work on that project, University of Rochester scientists have taken a similar concept and created a way to aid the blind.
VizWiz is an iPhone app that works in conjunction with a Turkit application, allowing a blind user to snap a photo of something, record a question about something shown in the photograph, and then receive an answer back within seconds. Designing a computer program that can reliably recognize text and distinguish objects in the real world has proven to be a massive challenge for artificial intelligence researchers.

American Express Advancing IP Marketplace

Apr-27-11 By Aminda
According to research from financial services provided American Express, U.S. historical data show that only a small fraction of commercially viable IP is being monetized. In response to this pessimistic finding, they have created an Intellectual Property Zone (IP Zone) designed to promote the advancement of the intellectual property (IP) marketplace, including patents, trademarks, software and other IP products.

Inspiration from TED Talks

Apr-11-11 By Aminda
The TED 2011 conference was held last month in Long Beach, California and a selection of featured talks has recently been posted on-line. As usual, the presentations do not disappoint, with plenty of inspiration to invent and connect. Here are a couple of highlights.

Patent Wisdom

Mar-18-11 By Aminda
A previous post discussed the process individual patent owners could take when looking to sell or license their patents. Legal issues are also a big concern for companies endeavoring for increased openness.  Here are some words of wisdom from the experts.  

Don’t Ignore Licensing
Patent lawyer Patrick Anderson writes that in order to embrace open innovation, businesses need to “embrace technology licensing as a legitimate business in and of itself, and dropping the ridiculous notion that owners of IP shouldn’t receive credit for innovations they don’t personally commercialize.” Particularly for small businesses, licensing has the advantage of requiring less up front cash and putting some of the risk on the patent owner.