IdeaConnection :: Inventions & Innovations

Acne Light Treatment

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:00:00 -0800

If you suffer from acne, the Tanda Clear Acne Light Therapy Treatment may provide you with relief. It uses a blue LED light to destroy acne causing bacteria. The makers claim that 90 percent of users say the Tanda has helped reduce new breakouts.

Protecting Your Wheels

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:00:00 -0800

If you've ever had to ship your precious bike, you know how easily it can be damaged. The inflatable Helium case from Biknd looks like it could provide the protection you need. You'll need to disassemble your bike into its frame, wheels, seat, pedals and handlebar. Then connect a foot pump and inflate the bag. Voila - instant protection from bumps and bangs. There is also space inside for spare wheels, helmet, shoes, and pump. The wheeled case weighs 9.5 kg, and is made from flexible nylon and polyester, with a Cordura nylon crank and chain-stay cover.

Now you See It...

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 04:00:00 -0800

Now you don't. Hydrofloors are designed to cover your swimming pool when it is not being used for swimming, making the space usable for other functions. When you feel like a dip, just lower the floor to the bottom of the pool. Simple, right?

Solar iPod and iPhone Charger

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:00:00 -0800

Now on sale, the Novothink Solar Surge cases can extend audio plaYback by 20 hours, and 3G talk time by 4 hours. The harvested energy is stored in an integrated lithium ion battery, while charging status is displayed via low-energy LEDs.

Faster Healing for Fractures

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:00:00 -0800

Severe fractures heal more quickly using a thin tissue called the periosteum which lines the outer surface of all bones and contains stem cells that develop into bone. Researchers use the periosteum as a sleeve placed around the damaged or missing bone to encourage bone regrowth. The new method would replace current techniques taht use bone-grafting operations and lengthening procedures, and involve inserting pins through the skin to pull bones together.

Burning Ice may Heat Your Home

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 10:00:00 -0800

When methane and freezing cold water fuse under tremendous pressure, they create combustible ice. Methane hydrate has been identified as a potential source of natural gas. Apparently, there are 85 trillion cubic feed of methane hydrate buried under Alaska - the equivalent of 3 billion tons of oil - enough to heat 100 million American homes for a decade, with millions more tons in China.

Google Phone provides Instant Translation

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 04:00:00 -0800

Speak a phrase into your Google-powered phone, and moments later it will give you a string of text or a computerized voice of the phrase. The translations are still less than perfect, but testers say it works surprisingly well at translating basic phrases. The free app is called Google Translate, and works on phones running Google's Android operating system.

64 mpg from your Existing Engine

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:00:00 -0800

A new fuel-injection system for existing gasoline engines can deliver 64 miles per gallon, and costs the same as current high-end injection systems. Transonic Combustion developed the device which heats and pressurizes gasoline before injecting it into the combustion chamber. This puts it into a supercritical state that allows for very fast and clean combustion, which decreases the amount of fuel needed to run the vehicle.

Eye Whitening Surgery

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:00:00 -0800

If your eyes are chronically red, you may want to investigate this treatment option. In a surgical procedure taking between 5 and 20 minutes per eye, the outer membrane holding veins and discolorations, is removed. Two to four weeks later, a new, clear membrane grows back in its place, leaving you with bright, white eyes.

Record Revirginizer

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 04:00:00 -0800

Now you can get rid of those annoying crackles and pops from your vinyl records by using Record Revirginizer to give them a face peel. Just spread the non-toxic polymer goop on your record, let it set, then attach a pull tab and peel it off, taking all the noise-causing particles with it.

Waterscraper

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:00:00 -0800

Instead of reaching up to the sky, the seascraper sinks into the sea. The structure floats in the sea, growing food, harvesting wave energy, and providing a home for its residents. They have an eerie beauty augmented by a series of squid-like tentacles that generate kinetic energy.

Bottled Wind

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:00:00 -0800

Researchers are trying to convert intermittent wind energy into the kind of steady power that could displace coal using abandoned mines and sandstones in the Midwest. Compressed-air energy would be stored using air compressors to store electricity generated.

Infinite USB

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:00:00 -0800

The Infinitec is a new slant on the USB - it doesn't actually store data, it just transmits it wirelessly. You can share all or just some of your data to any device with a USB port - your TV, DVD, HiFi, printer, etc. All the data remains on your computer, so the device has "Infinite USB Memory" (IUM) - you can never "fill it up." Just pair the Infinitec to your computer, then whatever device you plug the IUM into, receives streaming data directly from your computer, in "infinite" quantities. Should be available at computer and electronic stores by July 2010 for around $129.

Chair Power

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 04:00:00 -0800

The Empower chair can be packed flat, and folds out into a sling seat glider seat. The rocking mechanism harvests energy that can power your laptop, mobile or MP3 player. It's easy to carry and easy to set up. Great for those long airport layovers when no power source is available.

Waterpebble

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:00:00 -0800

Place the Waterpebble on the floor of your shower and an LED light will let you know when it's time to turn off the water. It turns from green to yellow to red, so you don't loose track of how long you've been using water. It monitors you each time you take a shower, so you can gradually reduce your shower times, saving water.

Low-Cost Water Purification

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:00:00 -0800

According to the United Nations website: "In the developing world, more than 1 billion people cannot get clean drinking water... dirty water causes 80 percent of diseases in the developing world, and kills 10 million people annually." However, naturally-occurring water filtration using the seeds of the Moringa oleifera tree can produce a 90 to 99% bacterial reduction in source water. The seeds must be ground into a paste and then mixed with the untreated water. Then you must wait until the paste particles bind with the impurities and settle to the bottom. Once this occurs, you can then siphon off the pure water at the top.

Brain Signals control Artificial Arm

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 04:00:00 -0800

Researchers are developing a method that allows movement-impaired people to control artificial limbs without needing invasive surgery. They decoded electrical brain signals picked up from sensors on the scalp, and used this data to reconstruct 3D hand movements. Team leader Jose Contreras-Vidal said: "Our results showed that electrical brain activity acquired from the scalp surface carries enough information to reconstruct continuous, unconstrained hand movements."

Wireless Network created from Junk

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:00:00 -0800

Volunteers in Afghanistan have built a wireless network made largely from scrounged junk. They call it "FabFi" and apparently, it is quite amazing. A makeshift reflector is constructed from pieces of board, wire, a plastic tub and a couple of USAID vegetable oil cans. The reflector links up just shy of -71dBm at about 1km, giving it a gain of somewhere between 5 and 6dBi.

Pea Power

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 10:00:00 -0800

Researchers have discovered that tiny crystals found in peas could be used as battery chargers, or as the core of artificial solar cells. Placing the crystals on gold covered plates yielded a charge of 10 volts.

Strolley provides instant Stroller

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:00:00 -0800

The Strolley quickly converts from a traditional hard shell suitcase to an infant stroller. It was the winner of Samsonite's Nursery Collection Competition.