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Posts in October 2011


How to Inspire, Not Impede Innovation

How to Inspire, Not Impede Innovation

Oct-31-11 By Aminda
To stay in business for more than 160 years, a company cannot simply keep operating the same old way. Rather they must keep innovating and adapting to keep up with the times. Leaders at one of the oldest companies in theU.S., Menasha Packaging, knows this well.

Company president Mike Waite shares about the company’s most recent adaptation which took place five years ago. First, the company streamlined internal operations to become more focused on packaging and displays for markets with high potential for growth. Through strategies such as acquisitions and creation of a new division, they laid a foundation that would quickly allow them to operate at the upper end of their industry, with innovative designs, services and supply chain management.
A Woman’s World

A Woman’s World

Oct-28-11 By Aminda
In 2010, the growth rate of women-owned businesses in the U.S. slowed, for the first time in the past 14 years. During that time period, the number of women-owned businesses has grown at a rate that exceeds the national average—one and a half times the national average. Women today have influence in all areas of business and industry but who are the most influential women in innovation?

There have been lists of the most innovative companies, most innovative countries but none recognizing these leaders. Here we’ve profiled a few standouts who could start this list but there are clearly many more. What do you think? Who would you add to the list of women leaders in innovation?
Protests, Participation and the Future of Politics

Protests, Participation and the Future of Politics

Oct-26-11 By Aminda
Making headlines in the U.S.this month are the Occupy Wall Street protests which started inNew York City and spread to cities across the country. Imitation protests are said to have been held in 900 cities around the globe. The movement is a delayed response to the financial meltdown of several years ago, asking for “presidential commission to separate money from politics.” 
Make Your Contribution to Robot Education

Make Your Contribution to Robot Education

Oct-25-11 By Aminda
Robotics enthusiasts have the opportunity to contribute to research in artificial intelligence through the Open Mind Common Sense (OMCS) project based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The goal of the project is to build and utilize a large commonsense knowledge base through crowdsourced contributions. Through such a knowledge base, robots can be designed to work in environments like homes and offices more intelligently. Such robots need to have commonsense as well as recognize objects and indoor scenes.
Improving the Patent Review Process

Improving the Patent Review Process

Oct-24-11 By Aminda
Innovation Management has published an in-depth article on how to improve patent quality through crowdsourcing. The article provides a global perspective on how patent backlog has grown in most major markets and suggests that efficiently managed online communities may offer significant advantages over traditional patent application review for both companies and the public. The article suggests that the public would be of most use in the search for prior art.
Study Analyzes “Wisdom of the Crowd”

Study Analyzes “Wisdom of the Crowd”

Oct-21-11 By Aminda
A four-year study to investigate the effectiveness of crowdsourcing in prediction making is underway by the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (IARPA). The study involves four teams from universities around the countries.

Each team is taking a different approach to prediction to study how crowdsourcing can best be used. Universities receive grant money for their efforts— those who stay engaged for the four-year duration earn more.
Open-source News at the Guardian

Open-source News at the Guardian

Oct-19-11 By Aminda
Crowdsourced journalism is no longer cutting edge but this month the Guardian UK announced plans to take user involvement to a new level. The newspaper is opening up their news desk, making public a live account of the daily newslist kept by editors. Visitors are given a glimpse into the scheduled announcements, events and speeches that make up the news day.
Next Generation “Green” Technologies

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.
New Network for Innovation Professionals

New Network for Innovation Professionals

Oct-17-11 By Aminda
Co-creation professionals now have their own place in cyberspace to talk about the industry and build new business opportunities together. On October 6, the Co-Creation Forum launched a social network offering executives more opportunities to engage in dialogue with each other. Professionals can use the moderated private network to build regional chapters and networking groups, post news and messages, and send instant messages to other members, among other things.
The Data Dilemma

The Data Dilemma

Oct-14-11 By Aminda
A recent post looked at the many opportunities available to firms who capitalize on the abundance and ease of data. To maximize these efforts, firms must also learn how to maintain control over quality and value.

Accuracy of data

An article on a digital media industry site points out that in the world of big data, cooking the data is the new cooking the books. As the barriers to obtaining data fall, the new challenge is getting real data. Statistics can be counter-intuitive and inaccurate analysis may be difficult to spot. As more and more people jump into the game, the chance of errors increases. Forward thinking minds are needed to solve the dilemma of how to keep data both open and transparent yet accurate, perhaps through legal or industry-specific regulation.