My Invention Ideas

How to Come Up With a Profitable Invention (Part 1)

2011-06-06T08:21:00.000-07:00

Identifying a Problem

When you decide you are going to come up with a brilliant invention idea, you are planning an invention; this is different from having an epiphany one day. Well, if you are interested in inventing, then you have come to the right place, here is an article to get you started and generally guide you through the invention process. The first step in coming up with a profitable invention idea is identifying a problem in society.

Finding a Problem

First, you have to find a problem. What is a problem? I think most everyone knows what a problem consists of, especially a problem when we are on the subject of inventing. A problem is anything that hinders one from reaching a desired goal or object. There are problems all throughout our society, as you know. You probably encounter around 20 problems a day and most likely openly complain about half of them. Up until now you haven't noticed when you did this, but going through day to day life as a human is your number one supplier for good problems. Listen to yourself, when you complain think about if it could be fixed with a nice invention. It's hard to be focused enough to notice when you complain or see a problem; however, with some practice, it starts to become more noticeable. Also, I recommend carrying around a little journal or using a phone to document these ideas when they come to you.

When looking to identify a problem there is also another resource that is readily available - people around you. This might include your co-workers, friends, family, etc. People naturally complain, you hear this every day, and up until now you thought it was a bunch of annoying non-sense. Everyone thinks it's stupid and unproductive; I have read many psychologists explain people complaining as being some kind of human emotional need for love or some other bull crap. Well, I have developed my own explanation for why people complain. People complain in order to make advancements. People locate problems and vocalize the need for the problem to be solved, thus we have an invention idea or advance in technology. So, listen to the people around you, they will tell you problems they have in their lives. This can be even harder to do then listening to yourself, because we have been conditioned to not pay attention to people complaining.

The internet is a great source for information, use it. People have a problem; they post it on the internet. This is similar to listening to people around you, it's just people that are farther away. There are thousands of blogs and forums where people have jumped on the internet and posted a problem they are having. Go on Google and search for household problems or something along those lines and you will surely find something. Also, as I talk about later, a great problem to identify is one that causes death; therefore, it could be beneficial to search online for things that are causing a death toll every year. If you start to master using these three sources of information for identifying problems, then you will soon have too many problems to remember.

Is the Problem Common?

Just so there is no confusion, you do want the problem you identify to be common. You don't want to be the only person having that problem, or else the invention idea you come up with to solve that problem will only be useful to you. There are a couple of simple ways to decide whether a problem is common:

Ask people you know. Talk to your friends, co-workers, family, and just anyone you know and see on a regular basis. Ask them if they have the same problem. You don't have to tell them you are thinking about coming up with an invention idea to solve it, just ask, "Man, I hate it when (blank) happens. You ever have that problem?" This is a simple way to see if a problem is common without telling people about your inventing plans.
Again, use the internet! If the problem is common, then a thousand people have already posted about it on the internet. Do a search on Google, and see if the problem turns out to be very popular.
Last, you can hold a survey. Go to a place that consists of a lot of people whose attention you can get, such as school, and ask them to raise their hand if they have this problem. This can be a little more intimidating to some people, and it will definitely reveal you are up to something. That being said, it is a great way to get fully submerged in your project.

Don't take this step lightly; it is very important that your problem is common. A profitable invention idea has to appeal to a large amount of people.

Has the Problem Already Been Solved?

Obviously, this is also a very crucial thing to recognize. Solving a problem is going to do you no good if there is already something that solves it. So, you have to do a little research to verify that your problem is free for you to solve. As you would probably guess, a great place to start is the internet. At this point you have probably already searched for your problem on the internet, so hopefully if it is obvious that it has been solved, then you would have already noticed. I would do a more detailed search to make sure you didn't miss anything the first time.

Next, it would be wise to do a patent search. You can do a patent search online at the USPTO's website or with a patent attorney. I would recommend just searching online as it will be cheaper and easier. Searching for a problem rather than an invention is pretty difficult, so it may take a while. Also, you can try searching an obvious invention idea that applies to that problem for better results.

Also, I find it helps a lot to ask around. A lot of times someone will say something like "I think I have heard about something that does that," or something along those lines. Don't forget the value of people.

Source: Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3371022

Invention Idea Advice: What You Can Do Before Paying For A Patent Search

2011-05-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

Is My Great New Invention Idea Already Out There?

Free tips that you can do before paying for a patent search.

OK. So you’ve got this great idea for a product and you’ve asked a few people about it and they think it’s great. And you’re starting to see the dollar signs flashing. Great!

You’re pretty sure you’ve never seen anything like your idea before, but how do you know that no one’s producing it and you just haven’t seen it? Or maybe someone invented it already and patented it but it never made it into the marketplace.

Here are some simple tips on how you can find out so that you can finally start moving from idea to profitable product:

1) STORE RESEARCH

• Go to a store where your product would be sold and search for your product.

• Ask the sales person if they have a product that performs the tast that yours would.

• When describing your product idea, always remember to be discreet and somewhat vague.

• Ask the sales person about buyers for your product category. You could say, “I’m doing research on this product category, would you know the name of the buyer who purchases this product category for you store?” If the sales person doesn’t, ask them who would know.

• Call buyers in your product category. When calling a buyer, you could say, “My name is ___________ from _______ company (you need to make up a company name). We are considering developing a product in your buying category and we (always use “we”) would like to know if you’ve ever seen anything like it?” Then give a brief description of the way your product works.

• It is a calculated risk to describe your product idea to store buyers since they have not signed a confidentiality agreement, so keep it as general as possible. However, store buyers are generally so busy that they have no desire to run off and make your product.

2) PATENT SEARCH

Of course a more immediate and thorough way to find out if your product idea already exists is to do a patent search.

• Sooner or later you will have to do a patent search if you intent to patent your invention. Contrary to popular belief, a patent does not protect “ideas,” it protects the specific mechanical way you carry out that idea (Utility Patent) or the specific way any product looks (Design Patent).

• You can do the search yourself by going to the US Patent And Trademark Website: http://www.uspto.gov. An alternate popular free patent database is www.wipo.int.

• Although it can be quite expensive, hiring a patent attorney to do your patent search assures that you obtain the most comprehensive and specialized results.

• Sometimes professional industrial design firms also provide the service of conducting patent searches and helping you write your patent for a fraction of what it would cost to hire a patent attorney.

Published At: Isnare.com Free Articles Directory - http://www.isnare.com/

How Patent Search Works

2011-05-18T10:51:00.000-07:00

Any inventor should conduct a free patent search in order to determine the patentability of his or her invention. Patent searches have traditionally been limited to a search of the Patent Office's records of prior patents and publications. The recognition of business method patents combined with the assistance of the Internet made it both necessary and possible for patent searches to evolve and become easier to do. Still, patent searches begin in the electronic databases of the various Patent Offices worldwide.

Inventors need not solicit the help of a professional to conduct a prior patent search. They can do the work themselves by searching for patent search Web sites online. For an inventor to be able to start his or her own patent search, he or she needs to first access the U.S. Patent Office Database at http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html.

A Patent and Trademark Depository Library (PTDL) is a library designated by the (PTO) to receive and house copies of US patents and patent and trademark materials, to make them available to the public, and to disseminate both patent and trademark information. A library must meet specific requirements and promise to fulfill certain obligations to be designated as a PTDL. At these PTDLs patents and trademarks (word marks only) may be searched. Patent and Trademark Depository Librarians cannot give any legal advice nor can they perform the free patent search for someone.

For many inventors it is important to avoid spending thousands of dollars in a patent application only to have it refused. In some instances, only certain elements of the proposed invention (embodiments), but not all, will be patentable. Conducting a prior patent search and allows the inventor to identify the patentable elements and file a patent application which avoids the problem embodiments.

7 steps to conducting a free patent search at Patent and Trademark Depository Library (PTDL):

1. Index to the U.S. Patent Classification
Begin with this alphabetical subject index to the Manual of Classification. Look for common terms describing the invention and its function, effect, end-product, structure, and use. Note class and subclass numbers.

2. Manual of Classification
Locate class and subclass numbers in the Manual. Note where the terms fall within the US Patent Classification System. Scan the entire class schedule, paying attention to the dot indent. Revise search strategy as needed.

3. Classification Definitions
Read the definitions to establish the scope of class(es) and subclass(es) relevant to the search. The definitions include important search notes and suggestions for further searching.

4. Browse Patent Titles and Abstracts
Check if you are on the right path; retrieve and browse through titles of patents and published applications in the given class and subclass. Or redirect the search: retrieve lists of patents and published applications containing applicable keywords; note their class and subclass numbers and go back to Step 2. Remember that Patents BIB includes bibliographic information for patents from 1969 to present and published patent applications from 2001 to the present. WEST includes the full-text of patents from 1971 to the present. USPTO databases on the Web include the full-text of patents from 1976 and images (searchable only by class or number) from 1790 to the current week, plus published applications from 2001 to present.

5. Retrieve Subclass Listing
Once you have identified the relevant classes and subclasses, obtain a list of all patent numbers granted from 1790 to the present and all published applications from 2001 to the present for every class and subclass to be searched.

6. Official Gazette - Patent Section
Go to the Gazette and look for exemplary claim(s) and a representative drawing for all patents on the list(s) to eliminate patents unrelated to the invention. For published applications, view the complete document on-line.

7. Complete Patent Document
Search the complete text and drawing(s) of closely related patents to determine how different they are from the invention. (Years of coverage vary with format).

Innovation - the no.1 Skill for Success

2011-05-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

Successful people come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Have you ever taken a good look your “business heroes?” They might look like they just stepped off the runway of a modeling agency, or they might look like a windstorm dropped them in a rumpled and mismatched heap.

Appearances and personalities don’t define the perfectly successful businessman, but there are a few things they all have in common. One of the most out standing characteristics that I’ve noticed is innovation.

What exactly is innovation? There are a lot of different ideas of exactly what innovation means, but since I’m writing this article we’ll go with mine… the ability and guts to come up with a brand new idea, develop it, and make it sell.

Now, just to get your imagination in working order, let’s go to “the land of let’s pretend” for a moment. Somewhere out there a young princess realized that there were a lot of lonely princesses and a shortage of handsome young princes.

This enterprising young lady brainstormed and came up with the idea that if she kissed a frog he’d turn into a dashing prince to dance the night away with. How many frogs did she kiss before she found the perfect species? Who knows! Maybe she analyzed species and counted warts before she found one that actually worked.

Then she sold the idea to the young princesses of the surrounding kingdoms. She must’ve done a heck of a good job at marketing the idea, because it’s still being printed today.

Okay, it’s a bit corny I know, but innovation is more than a fairytale skill. It truly does work in today’s market place. Unfortunately there’s no magic wand that will give you instant innovative skills. It must be practiced, and developed with painstaking care and diligence.

Why Work at Developing Innovation?

1. To Recognize Market Needs and Opportunities
How many gaps in the market have gone unfilled for generations? At first you might scratch your head and say, “No way, everything that can be marketed has been.” The best place to start is with you. Take a look at things that you wish you could change. Brainstorm different ways to meet those needs and ways to market them to others who are just like you.

2. To Capture Potential Value
You might be surprised at what putting a brand new spin on a “ho-hum” product can do. A few examples are: artists using saw blades to create rustic paintings, or even the Vietnamese using thrown away rubber tires to create sandals.

3. To Develop New Products and Services
A sharp eye for undeveloped customer needs might put you on point for a brand new product or service that will put money in your pocket.

4. To Gain Market Share from Competitors
Anything new is exciting, and Americans have to try it out. Whether it turns out to be a passing fad or a market that will make a permanent place in society, there’s a buck to be made. Don’t forget that passing fads make a comeback. I’ve recently noticed that Cabbage Patch dolls and Strawberry Shortcake are on the rebound.

Developing innovation and getting your creative juices flowing may take some time and energy, but the payoff could just be your pot of gold.

The Importance Of Innovation

2011-04-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

A regular and repeated argument in commercial circles is the one that debates the order of importance between the factory floor producing the product and the sales team ensuring that it finds its place in the market. While the latter ensures the generation of essential income to fuel and grow the company, without something to sell they wouldn’t even have a job let alone the commodity with which to generate sales. A regular chicken and egg debate if ever there was one – or is it?

To my mind both camps are eligible for the title of “most important” for this platitude must surely belong to another group even further back along the chain, the “innovator”. For without the guy who dreams up the product in the first place there is neither need for production or sale of the same. So, surely, it is the inventor, the ideas man, the designer who has first claim to assuring the success of any corporation regardless of its size or market influence.

How many factories exist now thanks to that Eureka moment of the innovator who sits up in bed at three in the morning armed with a thought that could change the World, or at least influence a small part of what we require to make it a progressive place within which to live?

The truth is we all need each other to complete a productive circle that involves many essential contributors to making an idea a commercial viability. To my mind there should be a much easier line of communication between industry and innovator than there would appear to be.

How many thousands of “would-be inventors” are there out there with ideas they have devoted their lives to but find it almost impossible to find commercial interest for, to aid or further their development. Most have no idea where to start when it comes to presenting an idea or even what rules apply to ensuring that their “genius” is not misguided. Organisations exist who are supposed to help but even they can be hard to find if unfamiliar with the territory.

Innovators are therefore left to find whatever route they can to reach a possible “buyer” for their idea. Many are not interested in producing the product themselves or getting over involved in it’s marketing, they are happy to leave that to the experts, leaving them, the creatives, free to continue further product development and the conception of new ideas.

One such link opportunity exists through a marvellous new website called DebutDay.Com An exciting new conduit and notice board that aims to connect the creative with the commercial world. To date innovators have relied on letter writing, agents, local development agencies etc to reach their goal. More recently innovators are falling “victim” to the audience hunting TV predators with programmes such as “ The Dragons Den”, “The Big Idea” etc who essentially use the novelty of the innovator as an ingredient for entertainment.

Often preying on the inventors need to win the $100,000 prize that may or may not actually help them towards fulfilling their dream. For every idea that is deemed praise worthy enough to progress forward there are many others who are left behind, often ridiculed in the process.

This is not honest assistance for creative people and does little more than mock their ingenuity and genuine dedication to what they believe in. The result of which is that, in my opinion, many will leave the experience more damaged than before they took part.

DebutDay.com does not judge or ridicule, it does not exclude or filter people out, nor does it offer preferential treatment. It is simply an equal opportunity facility for everyone to use as a way to say “Here I am and this is what I can do” thus ensuring all who access it are able to conduct their own development in a fair and dignified manner. So much more wholesome than the speculative route offered by “Game Shows”.

So, power to the innovator and all creatives. They are amongst the most important people on the planet who between them generate all the things we come to covet or depend on. That service is something that is greatly overlooked and under valued.

Bringing Innovation Into Your Life

2011-04-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

The 'power of innovation' is a phrase that sounds like a corporate tactic or slogan, a secret talent worthy of only the rich and powerful. Actually, the power of innovation is an innate quality that we all possess. If you tend to marvel at the creativity of others, you may be surprised that you can create and innovate too. Everyone is born with creativity. Just watch a group of preschoolers with a box of crayons. The potential isn't limited to a chosen few; it's shared by all.

Think of how long it took to learn to ride a bike, drive a car, or learn to stop making the same mistakes. Discover your natural innovation can take the same amount of practice. Innovation is a mind function that needs to be called, and can become lazy if it's not nurtured. The purpose here is to share a few tips bring innovation into your life.

Don't listen to what other people say, but follow the beat of your own drum. Letting other people have influence will only bring cacophony to the music you are trying to make. If you have an original idea, don't waste your time and effort trying to make people understand. Their lack of understanding can spoil your creative spirit, and the help they offer will likely come in the form of negative feedback. Consider history's greatest geniuses. If they had listened to their doubtful peers, we might still be living in the middle ages.

Spend time on your creative process. Give it as much attention as possible, but don't quit your day job. It might take some time management slight of hand, but adjust your schedule to accommodate both your professional obligations and your creative endeavors.

Exercise. Walk around the block, ride a bike or jog a mile or two. When you send all those endorphins coursing through your veins, your brain will take notice. Exercising brings a clarity and sense of relaxation to your mind. It's in this state that the best ideas can seem to come from nowhere.

Record your dreams. Sometimes, dreams bring thoughts that your conscious mind can barely comprehend. Vivid dreams are proof that you possess an untapped innovative power that needs to be let loose. Recording your dreams can creative the innovative spark that you need.

Find your style. Art lovers can always tell a Van Gogh from a Matisse. Literary critics can identify a story by Hemingway, just from the choice of words on the paper. You have your own unique style. People will appreciate your innovation more because it is uniquely yours, and no one else could have possibly known what you were thinking. Allow people to see your innovation and they will appreciate how valuable an asset you are.

Forget the gadgets and tools. You don't need the most expensive set of paints to produce a masterpiece, or an expensive fountain pen or laptop computer to write the next bestseller. In fact, J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter Series on bits of tissue. Expensive SLR cameras can't help if you have no photographic skills. An artist who uses fewer tools relies more on their natural abilities, and learns what works and what doesn't.

Without passion, tools of the trade are useless. To find your passion, think of the drive that wakes you up in the morning and keeps your flame burning bright all day. Sometimes those who work hard to obtain it can overshadow the people with natural talent. Consider the story of the tortoise and the hare. Ellen Degeneres once said that if you're not doing something that you want to do, then you don't really want to do it. Sometimes the drive you have to achieve can make you virtually unstoppable. That is your passion.

Inspiration can come out of nowhere, and it can also be hard to find. You can't force inspiration. It hits when you least expect it, in unpredictable yet inevitable moments. Be prepared for those moments of inspiration. An idea can strike you on the subway, but if you don't have a sheet of paper handy, you can miss out on the thought that can change the world. Avoid these creative disasters. Have a pen and paper within your arm's reach at all times.

Innovation can be brought into your life, even if you believe that you haven't a creative bone in your body. Keep in mind that you're search for innovation is to satisfy your expectations and meet your goals, not anyone else's. Soon enough, those around you will begin to notice your creative flair.

New Innovations

2011-04-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

How do you produce ideas for new innovations? Here is a great technique: Extract some basic ideas from existing products and inventions, and then apply them to new areas.

If you look at a thermostat, for example, you might think "A device to control the indoor climate." This is certainly an idea that can be used to come up with something new. You have to look a little deeper, though, if you want more creative innovations. Continue with, "It measures the temperature and then, using that information, turns the heater on or off, to keep the house comfortable."

Continuing even deeper, we see that it uses measurement in order to control something. Let's work with that concept. With the technology that exists today, we can make things happen automatically, according to almost anything we can automatically measure. This is a powerful concept that can and will lead to some fantastic new innovations.

In an article on thought control, I pointed out that since we can measure the changing activity of the brain as we change the nature of our thoughts, we can already build a device that is operated just by our thoughts. Even with the technology of thirty years ago, we could have had a TV turn on whenever one's pulse rate increased. If you then trained yourself to increase your pulse rate by thinking certain thoughts, you could turn on a television with your thoughts.

Other New Innovations

To have many such ideas and new innovations, just look around and start applying the basic concept of control by measurement. Looking at the television, and thinking of measurable things related to it, time is an obvious one. There are "sleep timers" that turn the TV off after a certain amount of time, but how about a device that only allows the TV to be on for three hours in any given day? Kids can watch when they want, but they won't be able to watch too much.

A thermometer gives me the idea for a sign that changes it's message according to the weather. A restaurant, for example, could have the sign say "Come in out of the cold," when it was cold, or "Cool off with an ice cold drink," when it was hot, and so on. I'm sure there are other businesses whose messages would be variously more or less effective according to the weather.

When I look at the traffic, I see that speed can be measured. There are already those radar signs now, that tell you how fast you are going. There could be a sign down the road that says "Slow down, we're taking your picture," or the radar gun could turn on a fake siren whenever someone goes ten miles per hour over the limit. The idea is simply that their speed triggers something that will hopefully slow them down.

Yesterday I saw a new invention that measures your girth. So what does it do with that information? Well, if you hold your stomach in, you get clear sound in your headphones. If you let your stomach hang out, the music is low quality and loses volume. While I'm not sure how well this stomach-exercise-motivator will sell, it does show how using the concept of measurement to control can lead to very different innovations. In fact, any application of a basic concept to new areas can lead to new innovations.

Krups’ Innovation In Coffee Makers

2011-03-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

Coffee Makers: The Perfect Kitchen Partner

With its new collection of world-class and stylish line of home appliances and utensils, Krups has maintained an elegant yet functional reputation for its products. One of these latest innovations is their line of coffee makers. Made to answer their consumers’ needs worldwide, these gadgets of perfection are aimed to provide good coffee in an efficient way and at the easiest preparation possible.

For those who are on-the-go business people, career individuals, busy students, or stay-at-home moms, these products of quality are indeed reliable partners on the kitchen counter. A good cup of coffee is always a nice way to start the day right for those who wants a fresh boost of caffeine. With just a few clicks and presses, these devices are perfect for those multi-tasking people who are always aiming to do more things in such short periods of time.

With the advent of newer inventions and innovations, Krups coffee makers are never behind in this new wave of industrial progress. It always caters to the world market’s need to increase the standards of workmanship and functional abilities.

Modern Coffee Makers

Indeed, the new Krups collection hints at a better style and function than ever before. These are their types of coffeemakers:

1. Automatic-drip coffee machines have a large 10-12-cup capacity that are programmable. These are fast and efficient as well as filled with the latest features such as aroma selection among others.
2. Pod machines are made of stainless steel and are programmable. These are easy to clean and brew in as fast as one minute.

One may also wonder about the differences between an automatic-drip coffee maker and the pod machine. These gadgets use different styles of coffee-bean containers. The automatic drip machine brews coffee beans which are separately packaged from the filters. The pod machines are designed to hold pre-packaged beans with their own filters, ready to be installed and used for a quick brewing.

Pre-packaged coffee pods are ideal for those who only want a cup or two of brewed coffee since it already has a fixed amount in its container. For the automatic drip, one can measure according to the number of cups desired for one brewing. Whatever the case may be, Krups coffee makers are designed to answer the individual coffee-drinking patterns of their customers.

Just a quick note on brewing for added satisfaction. The use of tap water is not usually encouraged since it can have residues due to its impure state. Highly recommended for brewing are mineral and distilled water so as to ensure a preservation of the original coffee taste.

What Brought About The Invention Of Response Cards?

2011-03-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

There are actually so many reasons that brought about the creation of response cards. One of them is spoiling of catered food during occasions since most of the invited guests weren’t able to show up. Or there are so many uninvited guests that have been sent to proxy the invited individuals and since they are to attend an “alien” party they would often time brought along some of their friends. Another is for safety reasons like to prevent party crashers and thieves posing as guest to just join in the party.

RSVP Cards vs. Response Cards

You must be wondering what sets response cards apart from RSVP invitations? The difference lies on the formality of how response and RSVP cards are worded. The RSVP cards are often times worded in a less formal manner, guests are usually asked to check either the box that says attending or not attending. On the other hand, response cards are more formal and more detailed since its not only the names of attending guests that are required but also the number of people that they are going to bring along with them or if not the number of individuals that would pose for them.

Problems with Response Cards

But just like the use of RVSP cards there are also some problems with response cards that may be met along the way. One problem is when your guest forgets to write their names or have written illegibly. You may solve this problem by assigning each of your guests a corresponding number and then discreetly writing the number on the back of the response cards. This way even if your guests forgets to write their names or had written illegibly you may still know from whom the response card came from.

Another thing, if you are to create a fill-in-the-blank type of response cards try to leave some space where your guests may write their messages to you. And of course you may keep these response cards as part of your memorabilia. Moreover, if you want to know the number of attending guests (plus their own brought along guests) you may provide for a slot wherein they may place the number.

And then have your response card pre-addressed and stamped for return mailing or you may include your telephone number, mobile phone number and email address where your guests may be able to reach you. For large families you may include a slot wherein they may put how many of them are attending the ceremony and how many are attending the reception but be very careful with your words since there is that danger you may offend your guests.

Invention Marketing and Licensing for the Inventor

2011-03-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of less than forthright organizations that allegedly help individuals sell their inventions to industry. In all my years of working as a patent lawyer, I have never come across a single person who ever used one of these organizations to effectively market or sell their invention. However, I have met several who successfully marketed their inventions themselves.

Before you take any steps to market your invention, you should take a few preliminary steps.

Preliminary Patent Search - A preliminary patent search is generally a good first step. A preliminary search of various patent offices can be conducted for a reasonable fee (just contact a patent agent/lawyer), and it is even possible to conduct one for free (see the US patent office at http://www.uspto.gov/)

Patent Application - Don’t publically disclose your invention until after a patent application is filed. Publically disclosing the invention before filing a patent application can potentially ruin the chances of ever being granted a valid patent. In fact, many Companies will not even talk to you until you have filed a patent application.

Prepare a Formal Information Package - You should prepare an informative and concise information package describing you, your invention and the potential market your invention reaches. The package should include color photographs of the invention, and a one page executive summary.

Prototype - It is a lot easier to sell a product if potential buyers can see, touch and feel the product. Building a working prototype is often a key step in selling your invention. Of course, some products are difficult to prototype, in which case a non-working mock-up may have to do. In any event, create the most professional prototype or mock-up you can.

Obtain Financing - Building prototypes and filing patent applications require funds. Finding that initial start up funding is often difficult; however, there are two tried and true methods, namely partnerships and incorporations. A signed partnership agreement is one way for a few people to pool their financial resources into a project. If several investors are involved, then an incorporated company is a better method. Essentially, the company takes ownership of the invention and the investors contribute money to the company in exchange for shares. The number and price of the shares can be tailored to suit the particular needs of the project.

Now that we have dealt with some of the preliminary issues, let us look at the mechanics of selling your invention to a company. The actual steps in the process are as follows:

1. Compiling a List of Potential Buyers - Finding a company that is willing to buy the invention is the most challenging part of the process. It begins by generating a list of companies that may be interested in the invention. You can use a business directory to generate that list. Business directories list companies by the products they manufacture (or services they provide) and include basic information about these companies such as their address, phone and fax number, and the name of the president (CEO or owner). Suitable business directories may be found in the business section of the local reference library.

2. Contacting Potential Buyers - Your list of potential buyers may include literally hundreds of companies. You simply call up each company on the list and ask them if they would be interested in receiving a solicitation for a new invention. Then get the contact information about who in the company to send your information to.

3. Presenting the Invention to Prospects - After you have thinned out your list, your next step is to submit your information to each of the companies on the list. This may involve calling the people identified to be the “contact” for new product ideas and telling them that you are sending them an information package about your product. Your package should include a cover letter and a one page synopsis of your product (including a picture). The information must be clear, concise and it must appear as professional as possible. Don’t try to overwhelm the recipient - you want to impress them, not burden them.

4. Follow Up - Do not expect the prospect to come to a quick decision concerning the invention. It may take a prospect many months (even a year or more) to make up his/her mind on a project. You have to be patient. It is important to periodically follow up with the company but do not “pester” the prospect. Remember, the people considering your invention are probably quite busy with several other projects - annoying them may do little to speed the project up and may cause them to drop the project altogether.

5. Negotiations - If you find a company that is interested in picking up the project, then be ready to negotiate the terms of the sale. The key here is to be reasonable. From my experience, nothing kills off a potential licencing deal faster than an unreasonable inventor. Realistically, the most you are likely to get is a good return on your investment. Asking for a smaller signing fee together with a modest royalty is far more likely to generate a signed agreement than holding out for a big payoff.

6. Royalty Amount - I am usually asked the question “how much can I sell my invention for”. I don’t know the answer; however, here are a few rules which can help you figure out a reasonable royalty rate. First of all, try to negotiate a royalty which is broken down in to two parts, an initial signing payment and an annual royalty payment. The initial payment should cover most of your costs of the project. The annual royalties should represent an amount which is sufficient to represent a good return on your investment without being a burden on the manufacturer. The general “rule of thumb” is to ask for a small percentage (1% to 5%) of the net sales of the product. It is also possible, and in some cases advisable, to fix the annual royalty payment to an easily calculated amount (e.g. $1.00 per unit sold).

Selling your invention to a manufacturer is possible but it is not easy. How successful are you likely to be? From my experience, individual inventors are far more likely to successfully sell their invention by themselves then by going through some invention promotion organization. Like any business, the chances of success are a function of your determination, knowledge and willingness to take risks.

Ideas For New Products And Inventions

2011-03-23T08:49:00.000-07:00

How many new products and inventions can you dream up with in thirty minutes? At least a few if you know the techniques of innovation and creative problem solving. The following are thirty minute's worth, with some notes at how they were arrived at.

New Products and Inventions From Old

A fast way to invent new things is to start with existing concepts and find new applications. With the concept of inflatable things, the first thing that comes to my mind is inflatable shelters for emergency situations, such as after earthquakes or hurricanes. Such shelters could be transported easily, and erected quickly with a simple air pump. A basic large tent design, but with inflatable ribs instead of poles might work.

We can always find new products and inventions for babies. Inflatable cribs or playpens come to mind. Deflated, they could be folded up and stored almost anywhere. A simple design for a playpen might be a plastic floor with a simple wall that surrounds it and is attached to it. Think of air mattresses for swimming, set on their sides, connected end to end and wrapped into a circle and you'll get the idea.

When we used to go "tubing" down rivers in Michigan, we were forever trying new ways to carry a cooler with us while keeping it convenient to get a soda or beer out of it. A solution could be an inflatable bar. It might have a cooler built into it, have can and glass holders, and maybe even a secure place to set snacks. It could be used in a pool, lake or river.

Many people drive into water and die each year. One solution to this problem might be inflatable flotation that is activated when the car begins to sink. They would quickly inflate in an accident involving submersion, and would keep the car afloat. Put one in the trunk, and another inside the car, or have them come out from the wheel wells. To avoid accidental inflation, the triggering device would be activated by water, but be in a place where rain and car washing water couldn't reach.

Vending Machine Products and Inventions

When I considered the concept of vending machines, the first thing that came to mind was a beer machine. It could only be used in a bar that was restricted to adults, of course. A big benefit is that it would lessen the need for bartenders, since half of all the drinks sold in a bar are just simple beers. It is an innovation that could be implemented tomorrow, using beer in cans in existing pop machines.

A vending machine for books and magazines might do decent business in an airport, bus station or other places where people are forced to sit for hours. They may already exist, but I haven't seen them yet. Add some padding to the drop chute, and existing snack vending machines could be used.

They sell phone cards everywhere now, but I haven't yet seen them in vending machines. You could also sell those collapsible umbrellas from a machine. There are dozens of other things that could be profitably sold from vending machines. Use simple techniques like this extension of existing concepts, and there are also thousands of other new products and inventions waiting to be made.

The Story Of Alexander Graham Bell And The Invention Of The Telephone

2011-03-21T09:44:00.000-07:00

The telephone is one of the most important inventions of the past two hundred years. The telephone was invented by Alexander Graham Bell.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1847, Alexander Graham Bell immigrated to Canada with his father in 1870 before moving to the United States a year later and becoming a U.S. citizen in 1882. As a young man, Bell studied at the University of Edinburgh, graduated from the University of Toronto and went on to teach vocal physiology at the University of Boston. Bell also tutored private students, including Helen Keller. Both Bell's mother and wife were deaf, a fact that greatly influenced his life's work. It was his focus on speech, hearing and amplification that led Bell to his invention of the telephone.

As a young child, Bell was a curious boy and an avid inventor. At the age of 12, he invented a paddle device that made the task of dehusking wheat simple and efficient. As he grew older, Alexander became fascinated with speech, elocution and hearing. His father, grandfather and uncle were all involved in the study of speech and elocution which, along with a fascination with his mother's deafness, drew him into the field.

Bell started by experimenting with tuning forks, making vowel sounds by mechanical means. From there, he sought to develop a method of creating consonant sounds by those same mechanical means. Bell became fascinated with a method that would translate the human voice into vibrations, vibrations that could be read and transmitted by a machine like the telephone.

In 1875, Bell pushed his work by enlisting Thomas Watson, an electrician, to work with him on his burgeoning invention. Using tuned metal reeds, wire and magnets the two men were able to synchronize a sending telephone with a receiver and reproduce sound. On March 10, 1876, Bell transmitted the first sentence "Watson, come here; I want you" via telephone. The marvelous invention was publicly showcased two months later at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in Boston.

Despite an original contest over the patent application, Bell finally secured it and Alexander Graham Bell's patent for the electric speaking telephone remains today as the single most valuable patent ever issued. In just a few short years, telephones were appearing all over the world and the original Bell Company, founded in 1877, was, thanks to partnerships with Western Union, one of the richest corporations in America.

In his later life, Bell retired to his beloved retreat Beinn Breagh, a home set amongst the pristine beauty of the Bras d'Or Lakes in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada. Bell continued to invent, working with hydrofoil, aviation and aeronautics. Bell became fascinated with flight and would go on to invent the first hydroplane as well as a number of kites and aeronautical control devices. An avid scientist and supporter of the quest for knowledge, Bell would also found Science magazine and become a founding member and president of the National Geographic Society.

Alexander Graham Bell died in Baddeck, Nova Scotia in August of 1922. He was 75.

Smart Marketing For Inventors

2011-03-18T10:38:00.000-07:00

Why protect your invention first?

If you do not protect your invention by means of filing a patent application, anyone can steal your invention and profit from it themselves.

While a patent application does not provide the benefits of patent protection, that is to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, selling, or importing the invention in the country in which the patent issues, it does at least hopefully discourage others from stealing your invention.

That is because you can mark your product as "patent pending" or "patent applied for" if you have applied for a patent thereon.

The actual date of application, the type of patent application filed, and the claims submitted should be kept secret so that for all any potential copier of your invention knows, your patent may issue at any time, thus giving you the opportunity to enforce your patent rights against such person, who would be an infringer of your patent.

If you reveal that you just filed your patent application, that it is a provisional patent application, or that it is a design patent application, it gives the potential copier of your invention an idea that your patent will not issue for quite a while, and an idea of the scope of protection you may ultimately receive.

The bottom line, timely consult a competent "patent attorney" or "patent agent" to discuss the details of protecting your invention!

Turning your invention into a marketable product.

There are many smart inventors who come up with unique products which solve problems which were in need of being solved, which make life easier, and which save people’s lives. Yet many of these inventors do not have engineering degrees, are not designers, and many have no design experience at all. They typically do not have any marketing experience as well. As such, they do not realize the fact that their rough prototype of their invention will not succeed as a marketable product. This might be because of a number of factors such as:

the product based on the invention (hereinafter referred to as the product) does not meet a specific customer need;
the product does not aesthetically appeal to the customer;
the product is not designed to withstand the use and abuse to which customers will subject the product; and
the product is not properly packaged, advertised, and promoted to appeal to the customer.

Regarding factor 1, that the product does not meet a specific customer need, it should be remembered that the bottom line to any potential customer is whether the product fulfills an actual need of the customer, which need the customer may or may not realize they have. If the need is one the potential customer does not know he or she has, the marketing effort will need to include educating the potential customer as to the need and how the product meets that need. Needs of the potential customer include making their life more enjoyable, easier, etc.

Regarding factor 2, that the product does not aesthetically appeal to the customer, it should be remembered that the first thing a potential customer likely perceives is the overall look of the product. If the product has a look which appeals to the potential customer, they are more likely to further investigate the product to see what it is and how it works. Aesthetic appeal includes the overall lines of the product, that is, does the product have curved surfaces or angular surfaces, are the colors of the product appealing, is the product ergonomically designed to fit the human body, etc. Curved lines might be appropriate for certain products such as lounge chairs and kitchen mixers to give a modern, ergonomic look, whereas angular lines might be more appropriate for other products, such as hand tools such as chisels and axes.

Regarding factor 3, that the product is not designed to withstand the use and abuse to which customers will subject the product, it should be remembered that customers will use the product for uses which the inventor intended as well as uses which the inventor did not intend, nor even foresee such use. For example, a screw driver might be used as a chisel which is struck by a hammer. Care must be taken to make the product robust enough to withstand foreseeable unintended uses and to warn the customer of foreseeable hazardous uses such as by applying a warning sticker to the product and a warning on the packaging and on the instructional materials. Questions in this regard should be directed towards a lawyer specializing in the legal field of Products Liability, such as in most larger city yellow pages phone book.

Finally, regarding factor 4, that the product is not properly packaged, advertised, and promoted to appeal to the customer, it should be remembered that the packaging of the product is part of the overall first impression the potential customer has of your product, and in the case of products which are not visible from within the packaging, are the only item of first impression to the potential customer.

Therefore, a well thought out and designed packaging and advertising materials is essential to the success of many products. It should be clear from a not-so-lengthy viewing of these items what the product does for the potential customer. Remember, you typically only have from fractions of a second to several seconds to capture the potential customer’s attention and interest in your product. There are advertising and packaging design specialists in the yellow pages phone book of most larger cities which can be consulted for a fee, and many books on advertising at your local bookstore, library, and on the internet.

Will Riches Come From Your Invention Submission

2011-03-16T11:33:00.000-07:00

When you have an earth shaking idea, you want to protect it. The reason, of course, is you want to reap the financial rewards from the idea that you came up with.

Money Barriers

There are 4 barriers that you must get through to get to the money on the other side:

1. Is your idea original with you?
Often, what you think is your original idea, was actually patented previously. To answer this question, you need to perform a patent search. A good patent search will define what has been patented, that is related to your invention. It can also help you decide how to position your patent between the patents already issued or pending in your subject area.

2. Can you afford the cost of a patent attorney to prepare the patent for you?
If you can't afford the $10,000-$20,000 that a patent attorney will charge to do the whole job, you can do much of the process yourself and save money. However, there are parts of the patent that are essential for a patent attorney to perform. The most important of these are the claims. If the claims are not correctly done, then the patent will likely not be defendable. Strong patents are worth much more money!

3. You must pay the patent office fees for you invention submission.
The government fees are something that you can't get around. Now the waiting begins. It may take up to 2 years before your patent is actually issued. Part of the delay, may be requirements for adjustments to the filed patent by some whimsical patent agent. You must be prepared to make the necessary adjustments that are requested by the patent office. If you don't respond to their requests in a timely manner, your patent application will be considered abandoned. At least you now have patent pending status.

4. Is your patent commercially feasible? What if you have spent your money and your time to get a patent, and no one feels it is valuable?
A little market research before you begin the invention submission patent process is a very good idea. A few questions that you might want to ask are: "What is the demand for your product?" "Are the other products out there that can do the same thing?" "Can it be sold for a price that will yield a satisfactory profit after costs?"

If you really have faith in your revolutionary idea, then it may be worth exploring whether it will be able to cross the above barriers. The cost that you incur to overcome each of these barriers is your bet that your patent will be a financial success. Your submission of your invention to the patent office may just be your ticket to financial security!

3M Clear Bra - What An Invention!

2011-03-14T16:25:00.000-07:00

The 3M clear bra is a wonderful invention for any car-lover who treats his prized possession like a true friend. A man’s best friend is not always the family dog. Sometimes a car can take the place of a great pet and nothing hurts more than seeing that first scratch or dent on your favorite automobile.

However, traditional protective bras are not the most attractive option for car owners who want to protect their investments.

The problem with the traditional protective covering is simply due to the fact that it covers the magnificent machine. No real car enthusiast wants to hide his prized automobile under a rubbery surface. He doesn’t want to spend a lot of money on the perfect finish to cover it up with a protective layer. Unfortunately, many car owners had to choose between chips and scrapes or hiding the finish.

Not anymore. A car enthusiast can opt for a 3M clear bra that protects the car by creating a colorless barrier between the car’s finish and the elements. The 3M clear bra is simply a protective film that is literally painted over the car’s exterior. This product is commonly used on trucks, cars and vans of vehicle owners who cringe at the thought of a pebble getting near their priceless object.

Invisible Paint Protection, Clear Bra - The 3M clear bra is also used to protect headlights as well. The protective layer is commonly applied to the front of the vehicle and on the lenses of the headlights. The beauty of this material is that it is virtually undetectable. The original design of the vehicle is not changed in any way. The owner has the peace of mind that comes with knowing that the car is protected while having the luxury of enjoying his vehicle in its original state.

Scotchgard Paint Protection Film maintains the beauty and integrity of paint finishes on vulnerable front and exterior surfaces. This rugged urethane film helps protect against stone chips, bug damage, abrasion, and weathering. 3M paint protection film is transparent and nearly invisible, and does not alter your vehicle’s good looks. The CLEAR alternative to unsightly bras and shields.

Some may wonder if the product is really as effective as the traditional protective cover. The 3M clear bra will protect the vehicle from chipping. The material was originally designed to be used on aircraft propellers to protect them from chipping. Surely the material will be effective at preventing chipping on vehicles as well.

Another concern is the quality of the clarity of the 3M clear bra. How clear is it, really? The manufacturer of the product boasts that the material is virtually undetectable unless the vehicle is very white in color. The clear coat is slightly visible on a stark white car when very close but it is not detectable from a distance. You will see a faint line where the 3m clear bra stops but that is better than an ugly bug shield or paint chips.

Weird Inventions

2011-03-13T08:21:00.000-07:00

Weird inventions can be profitable. I just saw a report on the news about an automated dog wash at a car wash. Get the car and the dog clean all at once! Of course, ideas for inventions that are just weird and interesting or funny is okay too. By the way, the ideas below are not patented, so feel free to take them, make them, patent them and earn a few dollars with them. Good luck!

Wind chimes made from bones. There are a lot of people out there who like the morbid side of life, and I'll bet they buy wind chimes too. Of course, they don't have to be human bones!

Machine that induces naps. Some of the brain wave entrainment CDs I've been using for months are really powerful. One puts me to sleep everytime, anytime of the day. This technology could be used to create a system for baby cribs and kid's beds. The machine would play CDs which slow down brain waves and puts kids to sleep. More than a few parents would buy this.

Wall-mounted furniture. Have a steel track built into the perimeter of the room, and furniture designed to hang from this. The couches, tables and chairs wouldn't need legs, and would be easy to clean under. Of course, if you produce the system, the customer has to buy furniture from you.

Furniture that glows in the dark. Perhaps it would be more practical to have just the edges trimmed with a glow-in-the-dark material. No more bumping into the coffee table in the dark, and a nice party atmosphere too.

Alarm clock that uses voices. Here's one of those easy inventions, and it isn't even that weird. Use one of the "sampler" chips that are found in electronic keyboards. Push the button to record a short message-alarm. Wake up to your own voice, or record a wake-up message from a sexy friend for more motivation. Have it say what you want. "You're late for work!" might work, or might just give you a heart attack.

Exam survival kit. Are you ready for that big exam? Now you are, with your new Examomatic Survival Kit. The kit contains caffeine pills, ginkgo biloba capsules, aromatic oils that "wake up" the brain, and a dozen quick tips for instantly raising your IQ.

Fish kite. look, in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane... no, it's the new flying fish kite! It's an inflatable kite (no kite sticks), but it flys just like any kite. Comes with a fishing pole for the kitestring, so you can just reel it in when you're done. Fishing in the sky!

A few ideas, and now it's time to come up with your own weird inventions.

Let A Patent Agent Patent Your Invention

2011-03-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

Do you have an invention you would like to get a patent for?

If so, then you have three choices for going about it. You can hire a patent attorney which is probably the safest thing to do but also extremely expensive. You can go through the patent process your self which will be much cheaper but extremely difficult to do. Or you can hire a patent agent. A patent agent is much cheaper than an attorney but has been specially trained and licensed and is fully competent to take your patent through the legal process.

A patent agent works on your behalf to draft the patent application and take it through the various stages to get it granted. A patent agent will also perform a thorough patent and trademark search in order to ensure that your invention will not infringe upon an existing patent or trademark.

This is an essential step in the patent process and one that is difficult for an individual to do alone. If not done properly, you could face legal troubles and huge fees if you are found at a later time to have violated another patent, even if it was done unintentionally.

Even though by law you are allowed to file your own patent and represent your case, the practice is actually frowned upon by the Patent and Trademark Office only because the process is so complex that an individual can rarely do it successfully. The patent examiner will encourage you to obtain the services of a competent attorney or patent agent before you proceed.

It is really in your own best interest to make sure you follow the law and properly register your patent or your invention may be at risk. You can often obtain a free initial consultation with a patent attorney to get a feel for what all is involved.

A patent attorney is an attorney at law who has also been specially trained in patent and trademark execution and law. In order to legally use the term ‘patent attorney’, he must pass examinations on the preparation and filing as well as the prosecution of patent applications.

Patent agents must also receive their designation from the Commissioner of Patents and pass similar examinations. A patent agent does not have to be an attorney, but does require special training.

Often, patent attorneys will have patent agents on staff. This makes for a good situation for you in that you have a patent attorney available if need, but can use the services of a patent agent to do the majority of the work so your fee will not be as high.

Many patent agents work for themselves and because they are independent, may offer more affordable rates. Just make sure whichever patent agent you choose, that you verify they are licensed and registered by the Commissioner of Patents.

You can find a patent agent by looking in your yellow pages or you can obtain a list of patent agents from the patent office. They will be more than happy to provide you with a list although they will not go as far as to make specific recommendations.

By Jane Wyvern
Published At: Isnare.com Free Articles Directory - http://www.isnare.com/
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Invention FAQ: Answers About Marketing Your Invention

2011-03-07T07:47:00.000-08:00

* What is a patent?

A patent is a grant that gives a person the authority to stop others from manufacturing, selling, using, or importing their patented invention. This authority is effective for twenty years from the patent application filing date. It is a contract between a person and the state in which he or she is permitted to exercise a restricted monopoly in exchange for allowing the invention to be made public.

Patent rights are territorial; that is, the patent granted in the United States does not give a person rights outside the country. This is also the case on patents granted to inventions in the United Kingdom, Australia, and other countries.

* How do I finance my invention?

In case you do not have personal finance resources but absolutely have the determinationto get your invention on the market, the best thing that you can do is to turn your invention into a commercial product.

You also have the option to ask for financial assistance from the federal government through the United States’ National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) or Department of Energy (DOE) if your invention is related to power generation or other energy-related issues.

* Are there grants available to help with inventions?

Yes, there are grants given to aid the development of certain inventions. There are non-profit organizations that are composed of wealthy individuals, families, and corporations. These people are giving cash grants every year to help develop inventions, although part of this "help" is to shield these people and businesses from taxes.

* Is there other financing available to market my invention?

Yes, there are other financing and assistance programs available that will help you market your invention. These include tax incentives and individuals who have large investments in private companies.

These individuals finance the invention to develop it further and make it competitive not only in the United States but also in the international community by means of international invention events that take place every year.

* How do I find out if somebody has already the same idea for an invention?

You can have a patent check to determine if your idea already exists. It is done by searching all the existing patents listed in the Patent Office's database to see if your invention is already patented. It also includes searching printed materials such as catalogs, magazines, and articles. Since patent lists are now computerized, the search can now be performed by the click of a mouse.

* Do I need a patent for an invention?

Yes, you should patent your invention. It is looked upon from different viewpoints, but is briefly described in the following items.

- Patenting an invention is a one of the best ways of marketing it. It gives you legal grounds for establishing a monopoly for the manufacturing, production, and marketing of the invention under free market conditions.

- Without patent protection, others can copy your idea at no cost and sell the product at a cheaper price, thus generating income without asking for your permission. Also, they can patent your invention under their name. In other words, they can effectively steal the idea from you.

- A patent also ensures you of market position and occupying new markets.

- A patent is considered your "trademark" -- that you actually invented a device. It can be a way of recording your name in the history of technology, especially if it is now introduced in the market.

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How to Prototype an Idea or Invention

2011-02-23T10:30:00.000-08:00

Each idea is different and the best approach to prototyping depends on the specifics of the idea. However there are some basis guidelines that can help. The first question to ask is: “What is the prototype for?”

Presentation to interested parties

When presenting your idea to an investor or company representative it might not actually be necessary to have a prototype. It is often possible to communicate the idea or invention to an interested party using a graphic presentation. The idea should be designed, ideally using computer aided design, and then images of the product laid out on presentation boards. It is probably best to get a professional product designer to complete the design work and show how the product looks and what it does. Try to find a design company that specialises in product design for inventors. One UK based company is Innovate Design.

If funds are tight it is better to spend the money on a professional presentation rather than a prototype. The presentation will be more cost effective than the prototype and will be quicker to produce. The work done during the design stage can help reduce the cost of the prototyping stage if it becomes necessary at a later date.

When a prototype is necessary

Concept prototypes are sometimes necessary to either prove that an idea works or instantly convey an idea that is hard to explain on paper. If people need to interact with the idea to be persuaded of its benefits then a prototype could make that important difference.

Often people are more prepared to back an idea if they can see that a lot of the development work has already been done and a prototype demonstrates this. An inventor could typically expect to charge more for an idea if it has been prototyped so it is worth considering if the funds are available.

How much will a prototype cost?

Prototypes costs vary hugely depending on the size and complexity of the idea. Typically for a small handheld product with a unique shape it could be in the region of two to three thousand pounds.

Why are prototypes so expensive?

Often the idea has to be designed first to establish the layout of internal components and the shape of the casing among other considerations. Then a virtual model has to be built using computer aided design and then finally a prototype can be built using rapid prototyping. All of this takes time and therefore it is expensive.

What is rapid prototyping?

Rapid prototyping is a technology that takes a 3D computer model and builds a 3D plastic part. There are three basic techniques for rapid prototyping: Stereolithography, Selective Laser Sintering and Fusion Deposition Modelling. For all these processes the model needs to be professionally designed using computer aided design.

Are there cheaper ways of building a prototype?

Some ideas can be prototyped simply from existing products or by using ordinary materials and these will be cheaper than prototypes that are built using rapid prototyping. Another cheaper way is to build a prototype that proves the principle of the idea without necessarily looking like the final product. This is called a ‘proof of principle’ prototype. Alternatively an aesthetic model could be built that shows what the product will look like but does not prove whether it will work.

What are the different types of prototype?

There are three main categories of prototype:

1. Proof of principle: A prototype that simply proves that a particularly new system or mechanism works. Often it is just part of the overall idea and it does not need to look like the final product.

2. Aesthetic model: A prototype that looks like the final product but is not fully functional.

3. Pre-production prototype: A pre-production prototype looks, feels and works like the final product. This type of prototype can be produced to mimic how it would actually be manufactured to check that everything will fit together correctly.

How can I get a prototype built?

If you do not have the facilities or expertise to manufacture the prototype yourself then there are companies that specialise in building prototype inventions.

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Mind Power Through Mindfulness

2011-02-14T20:27:00.000-08:00

Basic mindfulness exercises put you in a state of awareness where distractions are let go, and your mind power is able to function more effectively. They help you think more clearly and concentrate better. They are also easy exercises to do.

More Mind Power in Minutes

A basic mindfulness exercise starts with sitting down, relaxing and breathing deeply through your nose. Close your eyes and be aware of your breath going in and out. After a minute, move your attention to your body, one part at a time, noting sensations of cold, hot, tight, sore and anything else you identify. In a few minutes, start listening to sounds in the room, without thinking about them. Just listen.

When it feels right, open your eyes and look around as if you are seeing for the first time. Rest your eyes on an object for half a minute, examining it without talking about it in your mind. Then move to another object, and another, while still maintaining an awareness of your body, your breathing, and any sounds. Stay in this state of mindfulness until you are ready to get up.

Being aware of your body, breath and immediate enviroment, puts you more fully "in the moment." Your mind is in a very receptive state, with fewer mental distractions that prevent clear thinking. Doing a mindfulness exercise before important mental tasks will give you greater mind power, specifically more focus and concentration.

An Even Easier Mindfulness Trick

Try this one today: When you feel stressed, stop, and carefully watch yourself to identify what's bothering you. Maybe you're expecting something bad to happen, or an argument is going on just below the surface of your consciousness, or you're worried about something, or in pain in some way. Make a note of everything you find.

Then deal with these mind-irritants. Make a phone call that's on your mind, take an aspirin, apologise to whomever you were fighting with. Write things on tomorrow's list, to get them off your mind. If there's nothing you can do right now, tell yourself that. Do this exercise, and you'll feel less stressed, and more able to concentrate on the tasks at hand. You'll have more mind power today.

Genius or Gifted?

2011-02-01T09:06:00.000-08:00

Every person has particular abilities or skills that make them different from the others. There are no similar genetic codes, so there are no completely alike people. Some of the abilities are placed in a genetic code and are to be developed during a lifetime. About our hidden abilities and talents we get to know in kinder garden or in elementary school. This is a regular way to discover yourself and your calling, but sometimes a person may find out that he or she is gifted in arts only being a teenager or even later.

This is not an anomalous case and there is nothing that can’t prevent a person from developing necessary skills. After hard work one may be involved in dissertation writing, be recognized among colleagues and continue to develop, but the question is: is it a talent that has to be developed or it is your genius that made you famous?

To distinguish between the terms “talented” or “gifted” and “genius”, here are some simple statements about people of both types. A talented person seeks talent and develops it slowly but surely. A genius is born with an aim to work and discover in only one field and develops necessary skills very fast, absorbing knowledge like sponge absorbs water. A talented person can possess a lot of skills and have doubts on what to concentrate. A genius never has doubts about what he is destined to do in this world and does everything to move closer to a great discovery that is obligatory going to happen sooner or later. A talented person is remembered within the field of work and activity. A genius is recognized all over the world and after his or her death is honored by memorials and monuments. A talented person will use any help offered starting from solving problems and ending with dissertation help.

A genius never uses help from the outside, coming up with necessary data only from the books, articles or any other materials. Talented people live normal lives combining success with happy family life and entertainment. A genius forgets about all pleasures of living dedicating all his or her life to the calling. Usually geniuses are called psychologically disturbed, or just weird, they don’t have much friend if have at all. All they think about is the aim he or she was born for. The field of work and activity is never first priority to a talented person, for a genius nothing else exists. This can be considered a full description of both kinds of people. What is it better to be: a genius or just a common talented guy? It is simple; destiny decides what you are to become in the future. Everyone long for happiness and that is something you can not touch, take or sense, therefore there are thousands of definitions. Someone may be happy receiving an eternal glory but being lonely till the rest of days, or have a family and fair business and never thing a word about world fame. Past is dark, future is mysteriously unknown, so let’s leave in the present and create the future.

Unleash your subconscious mind power

2011-01-14T19:19:00.000-08:00

If you want to learn the true art of mind power then it is of the greatest importance you understand 2 functions of your mind, and also how they interact with each other…

You only possess one mind, but it has 2 totally different functions - and the names generally used to distinguish these 2 different functions are as follows.

1, The Conscious Mind
2, The Subconscious Mind

There are many other terms used. But the 2 listed above, are the ones used most to represent the 2 main functions of your mind.

To help us better understand the conscious and subconscious mind, they may be compared to a tree and its roots…

Your conscious mind is like the tree, which helps you with daily situations like, decision-making, rational thinking, or just simply figuring out what to do and how best to do it. When we think of ‘me’ we think of our conscious mind, the mind of which we are fully aware. This part of the mind makes decisions for us and directs our activities; it also analyzes, criticises and even commands us.

Your subconscious mind is like the roots; it deals mostly with the repetitions of learned behavior. This can be very helpful for you, as it enables you to deal with situations much more easily the next time they arise.

Whatever we see, hear, smell, taste, touch or feel passes through the conscious mind and reaches the subconscious mind where it is stored.

Once you have learned how best to deal with the situation you find it much easier the next time around… this is because you are using information which is already stored.

For instance, once you have learned to ride a bike you don’t have to consciously think about it anymore. This is because the stored information will come to you automatically the next time you get on your bike to ride it.

Just as if you were to learn where each letter on your keyboard is - you can now type without looking because you have formed a mental picture in your subconscious mind, of what the keyboard actually looks like.

The above are only two instances (of how the subconscious mind stores up relations of learned behaviour) and we are sure you would be able to find many more examples of this in your everyday life!

"Information from the conscious mind gets past into the subconscious mind, and there is a very strong link between the two. It is said that everything you have ever seen, heard and experienced is perceived by your conscious mind, and then stored away into your subconscious mind as a memory."

Not only is this memory stored as the incident itself, but also any feelings which went with it at the time are also stored.

Your subconscious mind does not only store your memories and feelings. It is the maker of all the great ideas you have ever had, and is also the seat of your intuition and creativeness…

Your subconscious also keeps you going without you even being aware of it. It takes care of your bodily functions – your heart beat, and automatically runs such activities as, movement, language, visual perception and a whole host of other processes of your mind and body for you.

It also scans your mind for conflict and distress; assesses your environment for danger and threats, and relays and interprets perceptions, sensations, and feeling… last but not least it is also the storehouse of all your experience and decisions – everything which makes you the person you are.

Solve Problems With A Word List

2011-01-02T05:02:00.000-08:00

To solve problems creatively you may need to get your mind looking in new directions. You can systematically do this by using a list of words, primarily adjectives, to create "what if?" scenarios. You start with the question, "what if it was..." and then insert a word from the list. The "it" in the question is the problem you're trying to solve, or the solution or situation that exists now.

Using "What If" To Solve Problems

An example will help explain the process. Assume your house is too crowded because you're running your business from it. You ask, "What if it was..." and insert from the word list, "smaller." The house is already too small, but could the business be smaller? The word "divided" might give you the idea to keep the business in just one part of the house.

Most words on the list won't help, so you can go through the irrelevant ones quickly. Don't automatically dismiss them, though, without a few seconds consideration. "What if it was hopeless?" may seem like a useless question, or it may make you realize that you just can't keep the business in the house any longer.

As with most problem-solving techniques, it's important to allow ideas to flow without judging them initially. Don't stifle the creative process. Evaluate your ideas later, when you're done with this part.

The Problem Solving Word List

You can create your own list of words. Use adjectives, descriptive phrases, and words that can change your perspective. These could include the following:

What if it was... larger, smaller, farther away, closer, sooner, later, easier, more difficult, higher, fat, rich, short, black, certain, hopeless, newer, boring, casual, subtracted from, cheaper, common, divided, more interesting, extravagant, subtle, or fun?

Effective problem-solving leads to solutions

2010-12-31T18:45:00.000-08:00

"Problems are a part of life."

They have accompanied us since birth, and will continue to do so until the twilight of our lives. But this is no reason to get upset. In fact, the thought that problems happen to absolutely everyone should come as a welcome relief.

Problems are not the result of being a bad or good person. They happen to good and bad people alike. Sometimes, even despite of our best judgments and careful planning, problems still meet us in the most unexpected circumstances.

Here are some tips to conquer your problems:

Trace the root of the problem.

The best way to start finding a solution to a problem is to try to figure out how the problem started in the first place. If you find yourself lost in the middle of the road, the chances are that you took a wrong turn somewhere along the way. This is why you need to go back, retrace your steps, and discover where you have gone wrong. This way you would be able to figure out which way you should go, which roads to avoid, and how to get there.

Don’t sweat the little things.

Little problems are best dealt with by giving them a shrug of the shoulder. Having a bad hair day or breaking a nail is not reason enough to break into fits of hysteria. Sure, it is annoying; but get over it! People will be surprised how a little change in their attitude can go a long way in solving their problems.

In fact, a lot of problems people are facing will dissolve if they only change their attitude. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of their lives, and being so cynical, they should instead try to make the best out of every situation. If you are not satisfied with the situation you are in, you should strive to make some positive changes in your life.

Confront your problems.

Not confronting problems can lead to bigger issues. Before problems can be solved, they must first be dealt with. For example, a person pretending not to be sick when he very well knows that he is suffering from an illness will not help him solve this problem. In fact, this will only make the situation much worse, if he refuses to seek out the medical attention that he needs.

The problem with choosing to ignore problems is that they can lead to bigger problems. Some who choose to escape their problems may turn to alcohol, drugs, or other self-destructive behaviors simply because they want to avoid the problems they are encountering. This, in turn, becomes a part of the problem. Instead of finding a solution, they find bigger problems.

Ask for help.

Strength comes in numbers. One of the best ways to quickly solve a problem is to ask for help. This is where friends and family come in. Not only will they be physically able to help you, they can also be a source of emotional help as well. Not only that, they would be able to throw in some ideas that just might be the key to finding the solution to your problem!

Having some problems does not mean that it is the end of the world. It just means that you are going to have to work hard at finding the solutions to your problems. By going through this process, not only will you solve your problems, but you can gain a lot of knowledge and wisdom along the way!

Creative Journey using a magazine to increase creativity and learning

2010-12-25T17:52:00.000-08:00

Read essays, articles, or books on creativity and you will more than once you will read that you can increase your creativity and create new ideas by reading magazines that you wouldn’t typically read. The suggestion is to go to your local newsstand and pick up magazines you wouldn’t ever read and read them for ideas, connections and trends.

This is an often repeated example of using outside stimulus as a way to jump start our creativity.

I have read this suggestion many times. I’ve suggested it myself. I’ve even done it a few times. But I’ve never seen anyone show someone an example of doing it.

Until now.

Earlier this week I found the April edition of Wired Magazine in my briefcase as I traveled. I had picked it up a couple of weeks before in an airport because I was drawn to the cover, which suggested that the main focus of the issue was “The New World of Games.”

While I am not a current subscriber to Wired Magazine (used to be) and you might not be either, I think you will find both the process and my results enlightening and fun.

My Process

Reading a magazine for creative insights is pretty easy. Get a magazine, a highlighter, and perhaps some paper or your Journal. Then begin reading. Don’t skim or read only the things that are immediately or naturally interesting to you. Read everything. Read the articles AND the ads. And while you are reading, be asking yourself things like…

What does this remind me of?
How does this relate to my situation, problem or challenge?
What did they do that I can do?
How could I use this?
How can I learn from the experiences or suggestions in the article (or ad)?

These certainly aren’t the only questions you can ask, but they are enough to get you started. You can go into this creative journey with a very specific challenge or problem in mind, or you can just do it to see what serendipitous ideas you generate – either way is fine!

In this case, my journey was a random one – I wasn’t thinking about a specific issue or challenge, I was just reading to see what I might find.

How to Read the Rest of This Article

The rest of this article will provide some of my ideas and what spurred them. I encourage you to read on observing my process and seeing what ideas or insights you get from my insights. In other words, I encourage you to use the process I just described on the rest of this article!

You may also decide to go to the library and get the April 2006 Wired Magazine to see all of what I am describing.

My Journey

… page 26 – a side bar asks the question, “Is a half hour show too long for today’s viewers?” Three people answer with different perspectives. My first reaction is that this is an interesting question…. And my second was that the answers given basically come down to the quality of the story. If a good story is told, people will watch (hey, we sat through 3 + hours for Titanic!) So while this is an interesting question, it is a bit backwards. The relevant question is, how good the story? This relates to my work in terms of training – how long do people want to learn at one sitting, etc. Do I think that times are changing? Sure I do. But people are still people. They will worry less about time is they are engaged. In the end – whether through story or great interaction in a learning situation, the right question is how can we engage people, not how long is the experience.

… page 29 – Lexus presents a four page advertisement for a PBS series with Charlie Rose. It contains very interesting excerpts from two shows in the series. This content was so compelling to be almost worth the price of the magazine itself – far better than many articles I have read in the past. It reminds me that advertising can be relevant and that when we educate and inform others in a valuable way, we might do a better job of marketing, persuading, or selling, than by trying to market, persuade or sell.

… page 56 – talks about a feature film based on a Beastie Boys concert. This movie was created from footage recorded by 50 fans from cameras the band gave them for the length of the concert to film their entire experience. Over 100 hours of raw amateur footage was edited together for this movie. Though I don’t own a Beastie Boys album and haven’t been to their one of their concerts, I am completely captivated by this idea! It appeals to me because the band got this idea and implemented it (the collection of the footage) in 3 days – from conception to footage. 3 Days. This has been challenging my thoughts about how long it takes me to implement or being willing to implement something . . . fast. It also speaks to the power of getting your Customers involved in the experience of your product or service. This two thirds of a page has had me thinking a lot in the last few days.

… page 66 the Play section of the magazine shows pictures and brief descriptions of new products. One on this page is called the Storm Tracker (This is an umbrella that has a bulb at the end of the handle that collects forecast information from local forecasts (wirelessly) and tells you if you need to carry it, based on how much it blinks. The more it blinks, (up to 100 times per minute) the more likely rain will fall. While I don’t see many people paying $99 for this, I was intrigued by the use of a small “non computer” device to give us data that we might be able to use. While I don’t design products like this, I am fascinated by how these types of technologies might be able to aid, impact or influence performance and learning in the future. The Storm Tracker has opened my eyes to be watching and thinking about this question.

These examples get me through less that half of the magazine, and I didn’t even share all of my insights from the first 66 pages!

Source: PLR document

How to Think Outside The Box

2010-12-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

When innovators talk about thinking outside the box, they mean coming up with creative ways to solve problems - new ways to look at things. How do they do it? How can you do it too? We first have to ask what the "box" is. Then we can look at how to get outside of it.

The "box" is the normal way of doing things and looking at things. It is the assumptions that almost everyone involved is making. The best way to start thinking out of the box then, is to identify and challenge all the assumptions that make up thinking inside the box.

One of the major liquor brands was faltering years ago, and they couldn't seem to boost their sales. Promotions, lowering the price, getting better shelf placement - these were the "in the box" solutions. Then someone challenged the assumptions, by asking "What if we stopped the promotions and just raised the price?"

The price was raised as an experiment, and sales soon doubled. As it turns out, some types of liquor are bought quite often as gifts. Buyers don't want to buy the most expensive one, but they also don't want to seem cheap, so they won't buy products that don't cost enough. Now imagine what happens to your profit margins when you raise the price and double the sales. That's the power of thinking outside of the box.

Ways To Get Outside The Box

Challenging assumptions is a powerful creative problem solving technique. The difficult part is to identify the assumptions. If you are designing a new motorcycle, write down assumptions like "speed matters," "it has to run on gas" and "it needs two wheels," not because you expect to prove these wrong, but because challenging these can lead to creative possibilities. Maybe the time has come for an electric three-wheeled motorcycle.

Another way to get to creative solutions is to "assume the absurd." This is either fun or annoying, depending on how open-minded you can be. All you do is start making absurd assumptions, then finding ways to make sense of them. The easiest way to do it is by asking "what if."

What if a carpet cleaning business was better off with half as many customers? It seems absurd, but work with it. Hmm...less stressful, perhaps. More profitable if each customer was worth three times as much. Is that possible? Commercial jobs that involve large easy-to-clean spaces (theaters, offices, convention halls) make more money in a day than houses, with fewer headaches. Focusing on getting those accounts could be the most profitable way to go - not so absurd.

Another way to more innovative ideas is to literally do your thinking out of the box. Get out of the house or the office. Look around at how others are doing things. On busses in Ecuador, salesmen put a product into everyones hands and let them hold it while they do a sales pitch. Then you have to give back "your" product or pay for it. It is very effective. How could you use the principle in your business?

Innovation and creativity

2010-12-17T17:56:00.000-08:00

Creativity is what sets you apart from your competitors.

Competition may have influences on your business, but if you are creative enough you won’t ever have to fear competition. Fortunes are often born in creative minds. A simple idea can turn into a never ending stream of cash. If you innovate, there are no limits or boundaries for you. The sky is the limit.

So, it can be said that one of the most important factors a company may have is the ability to come up with fresh ideas, new concepts, sophisticated marketing techniques. People like new things. Everyone wants to create something new. People struggle to be different in today’s marketplace.

If you do a simple research you will find out that creativity is one of the things that make people become rich. Often, the more you create the more money you make. This requires effort and dedication. To see the opportunity where no one else see it.

I firmly believe that fortunes can be made. You simply have to define a problem and find a solution. Then capitalize on that solution. Problems are everywhere and the bigger the problem that you find the solution to, the bigger the chance you will make a lot of money from your idea.

You can create anything. It can be an invention, an e-book with information, art, a scientific breakthrough, etc. Just find a need and try to fill it. I guess you have heard that many times already, but it is true. The easiest way to make money is to help other people make money or help them solve their problems and receive some compensation from your efforts.

Isn’t that what capitalism is all about? To allow people to become rich by enriching other people’s lives? You don’t need to chase money nor go after wealth. When you add value to the life of others you usually receive compensation for it. The best way to add value is to come up with a creative solution that no one thought about before.

This is not always easy. Sometimes the ideas will come fast and smoothly. Other times you will have to think hard about the solution. Keep in mind that the harder the problem and the better the solution, the more money you can make from it.

At the end making money may not be that hard for you. Once you get used to it you can do it often. The business of innovation has always being one of the most profitable businesses you can participate on. Creativity is something that come from the inside. It originates within your mind.

This is certainly one of the most important factors that an entrepreneur should take into consideration. It can make a huge difference in your businesses. Remember that there is no limit to what you can create. So, you can make a lot of money by just adding value to the life of others and finding solutions to complex problems that you can find everywhere.

The decision is yours. Most people work hard all their lives because they try to imitate what others do all the time. Work on those creative skills and improve them. You will be glad you did.

It doesn't take a genius to create something new. You don’t have to be too smart. Sometimes the ideas originate from your intentions or they just come to you. Probably you already have thoughts about how to improve something or create something new that does not exist yet. You just have to polish that idea and give it a try. You may be amazed at the results.

Seven Steps to Success - Positive Thinking and Your Creative Mind

2010-12-16T07:42:00.000-08:00

You have a bright idea hidden somewhere in the back of your mind that you just can't wait to test out. The question is, do you really want to bring it out into the light? What could motivate you to churn your creative, inspiring juices to their utmost flavor?

Did you know that it always helps to set a time limit to your personal goals? Set yourself up so you can accomplish the most tasks in record time. For example, mowing the lawn in an hour before the big game on TV. A correct and positive attitude in whatever you do will make things easier, and even enjoyable.

It's simple. If you begin to allow yourself a bit of positive thinking then you will begin to realize things that you never thought possible. Thinking big is indeed the American Way and that what made our country prosperous. You can follow other great Americans who tapped into their creative mind and began to thing big..

Discover some tips to make it through your first week of possibility thinking even if you're just sitting in your favorite couch. Your mind is constantly at work for you. Tap into it's great resource while doing everyday activities.

1. Act. You must take passionate action towards living your life by design. Talk is cheap. Action = deposits in the bank of a passionately authentic future. My mother (probably quoting someone else) always said, "Action speaks louder than words". Without action, passion is void.

Dreams become reality when you simply start by tinkering with your mind, then with your hands. And if the idea weakens or falters you can always go back to it later until you finish it. Thomas Edison and his Dream Team had to go back to the idea of a light bulb and recalculate it over 1,000 times before the first working light bulb begin to light the world.

2. Love. Commit to yourself. Then commit to those you love to powerfully create a life you can love. Instead of reacting, commit to creating from your heart and soul, out of love rather than fear. The American Dream will always be there, but a dream will still be a dream without motion. Be amazed as the transformation begins.

3. Live. Embrace moments and opportunities. Recognize and embrace the thought that each moment is perfect regardless of its outcome. Every time you hit on something that may appear too extreme why not give it a shot anyway. See if it will work. You may be surprised with the results. If you are not then decide to use that moment to learn from it and make the appropriate shift. Learning and growing from mistakes and failures is a part of living.

4. Be grateful. Dwell completely in a place of gratitude. Learn to utilize what you have in your hands and make use of it in the most constructive way. Necessity is the mother of invention. Have you ever been stuck without something you needed and had to make do with something else? (MacGyver,from the famous tv show, was famous for that!) How grateful were you that you had the means to solve your situation? Slipping into neediness will become less of a habit when you repeatedly shift towards gratitude and away from poverty consciousness.

5. Be Passionate. Use a Passion Formula of Recognize/Reevaluate/Restore in place of the Shoulda/Woulda/Coulda whirlwind. The former is based on increased knowledge and abundance while the latter focuses on scarcity and lack. As you face people or tasks that may seem harder than scaling the summit of the Himalayas, allow yourself to realize that the task is just as important as giving out orders to your subordinates. You would rather be richly passionate!

6. Laugh. Keep humor at the forefront of thought, laughing at and with yourself whenever possible. You may find yourself quite entertaining when you loosen up! I have yet to see a comedian ever go hungry even though his jokes are as 'old as great-grandma'. Life has too much to offer to allow yourself to mope around in self pity. Humor is very attractive, very passionate: life-giving.

7. Discover Your Purpose. Believe that you are the architect of your destiny. Realizing how you wish to be remembered when you pass from this life is a truly driving force. Your purpose for being can be a seemingly simple as being a great parent to as elaborate as discovering miraculous cures.

When you have a strong purpose no one can take your passionate future from you except for you! Truly, as long as there's still breath in your body, there is no end to how much you can accomplish in a lifetime. Discovering and following your purpose will enable you to enjoy your work. Celebrate in the discovery that acting on your creative mind's thoughts is fulfilling your purpose. Watch everything flow into place with perfect, passionate precision.

Activate your positive thinking. Stretch your imagination. Think bigger than you feel comfortable. Act on your thoughts. The number one tip here is action. You want to start practicing these steps.

Think about this: It is unfortunate that so many people still do not use a computer because it appears too complicated to begin using. Or maybe they just keep putting it off till a more convenient time. These are just a couple of limitations one can set up for themselves. Limitations and failure to act on ideas and opportunities leave many as a dim bulb in a dark corner.

Alert! You are not doomed to darkness. You are interested in living a life of purpose and love. The wonderful, creative idea in you is about to be released. You are interested in doing this because you are reading this article. Fortunately if you truly desire something, the will to attain it will open your creative mind to find a way.

Now you need only to begin to act on your desire to create. Act now! Make your path to creativity and follow your purpose. Take your first step today with a positive attitude.

The seven keys to your creative genius

2010-12-12T06:53:00.000-08:00

Here are seven ways you can instantly access your natural creativity and create anything you like.

1. Think Like A Child. As adults we tend to think in a conditioned way aimed at showing how clever we are. Yet, as children, we were simply spontaneous and far more creative in our thinking. To re-capture your childhood curiosity, allow yourself to just wonder at things, to be completely present in the here and now, and to detach yourself from what you thought was real.

2. Make New Connections. To be innovative doesn't require a university degree; it simply requires making a connection between existing ideas. For instance, did you know that ice cream was invented in 2000 BC yet it took another 3900 years for someone to come up with the idea of a cone? It's when you take two seemingly unrelated items and use the spark of creativity that genius happens.

3. Be A Little Illogical. It is a peculiarly Western trait to want to tie things up in neat bundles. We prefer solutions to problems, and answers to questions. To be creative, you need to be comfortable with things that don't fit

4. Laugh More. The creativity of a workplace can be measured by a laughometer, i.e. how much it laughs. Humor is one of the greatest creative devices. It jolts us out of our normal patterns and puts ideas together that shouldn't go together. It has been found that after listening to comedy tapes, students’ ability to solve problems rises by 60%.

5. Think Outside Your Limits. Many of the products we take for granted today are the result of people thinking outside their limits. John Lynn recalls attending a computer conference in the 1980's at a hotel when someone joked that the next thing they'd be thinking of would be computerized doors. When he went back to the same hotel 20 years later, all the doors used computer-programmed key cards.

6. Adopt and Adapt. To be creative doesn't require blue-sky thinking. You can still be creative by adapting what works elsewhere. An American airline that wanted quicker turnarounds on their flights adopted the techniques of Formula One pit crews. Another source of ideas is nature. Georges de Mestral adapted the way certain seeds stick to clothing and invented Velcro.

7. Remember Your Dreams. Dreaming and day-dreaming can create a rich seam of ideas, because that's when we relax and let the subconscious mind work by itself. The Roffey Park Management Institute calls this "washing-up creativity" because most flashes of inspiration come when we are walking the dog, sitting Archimedes-like in the bath, or doing the washing up.

Apply these seven creative thinking techniques and make them part of your daily thinking and I guarantee that new solutions to your problems will open up to you with ease and speed.

At the Heart of Every Invention Is a Problem Waiting to Be Solved

2010-12-11T06:05:00.000-08:00

When you sit down with pad and pen trying to think of that next great invention idea, you often find yourself staring at a blank page in frustration. You dig deep into the recesses of your mind, but nothing seems to come up and grab you instantly. When this happens to you, there's no reason to give up, while some inventions are inspired by a specific circumstance, most inventions involve lots of research and planning. In fact, one of the easiest ways to come up with a great invention idea is to look for a problem to solve.

How to Identify a Problem That Needs Solving
As people evolve, so do their problems. One of the first problems to be solved, back during the time of cave dwellers, was the need to stay warm when the sun went down. Now, humankind didn't invent fire, but learning how to create fire at will was a problem that needed solving. You can imagine what kinds of experiments went on when humans first tried to make a fire.

People probably sat around for countless hours pondering the situation, and they must have tried out dozens of innovative ideas, before finally figuring out that rubbing two sticks together caused enough friction to create a spark.

Since those early days, our society has grown increasingly sophisticated. With every new lifestyle advance comes new complications. With every new virus that is cured, another mysterious one pops up to take it's place. Problems are everywhere, but it's your job to figure out which ones can be solved with an innovative invention.

The first place to look for a problem with potential is in your immediate environment. What types of problems do you encounter on a regular basis?

Have you ever said to yourself, someone should come up with a way to fix this or that?

Is there something that really bugs you about a product or service you use?

These are all things that you should be writing down in your invention idea notebook.

Another good source of ideas is the people in your life. Listen carefully to the complaints of your family, friends and co-workers. People complain about all sorts of things. While it's easy to brush them off as just someone blowing off steam, you may find a few golden nuggets to write down in your notebook.

You can also type in various problems into an internet search engine to see how many people complain about that same issue. If the problem is common enough, it may be a good candidate for a new invention.

Researching the Problem
Once you've gotten a good list of potential problems that could use an innovated solution, your next step is to see if there are already inventions out there on the market for each problem you found. This will probably be very time consuming, and you'll need to look at various resources, including doing a patent search.

As your list narrows down, you'll probably find one or two ideas that could be quite profitable. Here's where you can put on your inventor's cap and get to work on those creative solutions. Some of life's best inventions start out as a unique problem that is begging to be solved.

Idea Design Studio is a full service invention design company that concentrates on taking great ideas and bringing them to the marketplace. If you have an idea and are looking for investors, this invention design service can set you up with the right people. Visit Ideadesignstudio.com NOW!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jake_Way

Patent An Idea, Change Your Life In An Instant

2010-12-03T08:31:00.000-08:00

There isn't a person among us that is not part inventor. And for many, the dream of being able to patent an idea is a very real one.

Can you imagine what life would be like if you could take just some of the ideas that can be patented out of your head and find a real way for them to see the light of day? Can you imagine the life of a patent owner? It has to be remarkable.

Think of all the amazing ideas that needed to be patented and how much money was created.
When you go to patent an idea, you will need to start with a detailed search. And with the proliferation of the web, that has never been easier.

Your next step is filling out the application. And you need to be as detailed as you can on this stage as even the smallest details need to be recorded by the paperwork people on the other end. Don't forget that your new patent could be an improvement of a previous patent and for many new inventors this is exactly where they focus. Getting a U.S. patent is a very big deal and those that do can sell a patent after a prescribed time.
The big point is that being able to patent an idea is a very large deal and you can accomplish anything from becoming famous to becoming rich from a patent if you hit the sweet spot of what the market is looking for and what the US Patent Office will approve as a new patent.

I know a ton of people who think they can have this happen and yet they have no idea if their idea is worthy of getting a patent. For them and everyone else, I decided to put down a few thoughts on how to get an invention patented.

I too am in the crown of people who want to get an idea patented.
Do you constantly dream endlessly of being able to patent an idea? Here is a powerful website forlearning how to patent an idea!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Kevin_D_Browne

Tell Me How To Patent My Own Invention

2010-11-26T03:19:00.001-08:00

It is not easy to indulge in several processes to create a unique invention and in a long run somebody will just pirate and steal your hard work. In the United States, if a particular creator can prove the distinct invention as his own, he will be granted with exclusive rights to patent a particular idea.

In today's modern world, there is already a particular scheme to protect your ideas and creations in a speedy and reasonable manner. Provisional patent works for all those with unique ideas and creations to gain sole ownership of their own craft. In this way, the creators' exclusive rights will be protected against those who will counterfeit their original composition. There are several ways which need to be considered to strengthen the claim of ownership. Following these ways will guarantee the inventor for possible success of his claim.

It is an excellent idea to label a distinct product with detailed information, properties and how it works. The person who invented a particular composition will gather at least two witnesses and allow them to sign some important documents with date of initiation in front of a legal officer and allow the notarized officer to stamp and sign the documents to make it legal.

When documents are already completed, it is the sole responsibility of the inventor to keep the documents and his own distinct craft in a safe area while expediting the process for provisional patent application. At this point, the United States Patent and Trademark Office will confirm the date of the first invention or when the time the craft is completed.

After filing a provisional patent, the creator makes sure that he has to file an application for regular patentability of his invention within a year in USPTO. After, when one has already decided to complete his application for exclusive rights over his own invention, he has to be opted to hire a patent lawyer to expedite the entire processes the best way possible. Then, the lawyer will do its power to check if the particular invention is completely original and no one has filed a provisional or regular patent on the invention. Once its genuine uniqueness will be legally proven, the creator or inventor will fill in different official documents and forms that will strengthen his claim. After the completion of official forms and documents, it will be sent to the Patent and Trademark office.

Upon receipt of application, an officer will continue to solidify the search to make sure that such invention has no records that it has been already patented by others. If the claim has proven to be valid and nobody has patented the invention, the inventor will be issued a notice stating that he will soon get an official number after fees will be settled. However, if certain problems arise, appeals can be raised to the Board of Patent Appeals.

Assert your right and stamp your invention with your name as the sole creator of your own composition. Provisional patent will protect your invention against those who plan to steal your rights. Act now before it's too late! The provisional patent application will lead you to the pedestal to prove your claim as the genuine inventor of your own composition.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Pierce

Licensing Your Invention

2010-11-12T09:38:00.000-08:00

Many inventors are also business builders. After creating an elegant solution to a real problem, they want to build a business that profits from that solution. However, not all inventors like to build businesses. Some inventors are much more focused on solving problems, and having solved one problem want to move on to the next. This makes it difficult for them to profit from their innovations. However, inventors can still profit from their innovations through licensing. When you license your invention, someone else builds the business and you share in the profits.

Licensing may be your best strategy if the barriers to entry for products and services that use your invention are large. Licensing is also a good strategy if your strengths and interests do not include building an organization.

Invent Early, License Later

A common strategy for licensing and invention is to invent early and then license later. Inventors that use this strategy presciently discover the best solutions to problems years before their peers. They then file for and receive patent protection for their inventions, and then wait.

Years later, businesses discover those solutions, and incorporate them into their products and services. Often a wide variety of businesses and industries will adopt a solution, and customize it to their particular needs. However, they are still obligated to pay the patent holder of the solution. The patent holder profits by owning the solution long before it is widely adopted.

Invent, Sell, License

Other inventors prefer to actively promote the adoption and licensing of their innovations. They recognize that there are often multiple viable solutions to a problem, and seek to encourage the adoption of their solution.

The first requirement in this strategy is filing that least a provisional patent application. Otherwise, potential licensees cannot be certain that you own the solution you are selling them. Provisional patent applications are relatively inexpensive to file, but provide a year of protection for your idea while you explore its commercial viability.

The next requirement in actively licensing your invention is to develop a viable solution that will save the licensing party money, even if they also pay you. Actively licensed ideas have typically moved beyond the idea stage, and include prototypes and test data. Your licensee must be able to see how to quickly and profitably adopt your invention.

Finally, to profit from a licensing deal, you need a realistic valuation of the economic benefit of your invention. Without a convincing valuation, businesses are often reluctant to commit to appropriate royalties.

Scott Thorpe is a Registered Patent Attorney at the law firm of Kunzler Needham Massey & Thorpe. Learn more about licensing your invention at his website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_Thorpe

Innovation: Can You Take Advantage Of It?

2010-10-30T10:27:00.000-07:00

"Innovation is simply the foundation of new beginnings."

Through innovation, we can learn new techniques, find new products, offer better quality and a more simplistic style and even help to bring the money out a little farther. But, what many business owners do not realize is that you can use innovation to help move your business to the next level, one that is better for the customer an better for you. Can you ask for more than that?

There are several ways in which you can use innovation to help transform your business. For example, it can be as simple as having access to the right information so that you know what the latest and greatest is. Or, you can even hire on individuals and companies to help provide you with the tools that you need to take your business to the next step.

Think it is too difficult to manage on your own? Consider hiring on change management teams to help you complete the process. Or, simply hire on a group of creative people to manage innovation on your own. You would be amazed at the quality that can be improved as well as the efficiency of even the simplest of tasks when you call on innovation in some form.

It is challenging to get started. Innovation research will be needed, brainstorming will have to be done and ideas will have to be brought to the forefront. But, there are enormous resources available to everyone in every type of business out there. Books, websites, organizations and many more avenues are available to you. The bottom line even looks better when you use innovation that is targeted and accurate. Even though you are spending time, resources, and money on finding the answers, learning how to make it better for you will help you increase your business’s profit margin. Innovation changes every single day. Do you know what it can do for you, yet?

If you’re running or managing a business and want it to be around for a long time, you need to spend a good part of your time innovating. That’s because, in a fast-moving world, where people expect things to get better and better, and cheaper and cheaper, innovation is your route to getting ahead of your competition.

Here are 7 ways to put new life blood into your organization through innovation.

1. Create An Innovative Climate. Goran Ekvall of Lund University in Sweden has defined three conditions needed for a climate of innovation. They are: trust, dynamism, and humour. One of Ekvall’s case studies was a Swedish newspaper where the team working on the women’s section consistently outperformed all the other teams. The reason? Quite simply, this group trusted one another, had a high level of energy and shared a common sense of humour.

2. Develop Washing-Up Creativity. According to the Roffey Park Management Institute, most flashes of inspiration come to people when they are away from work and not forcing their conscious brains to find solutions to their problems. For some, ideas come while mowing the lawn or taking the dog for a walk or playing golf or waiting on a railway station. For Isaac Newton, it was an apple on the head while sitting in the garden. For Archimedes, it was in the bath. For others it’s while doing the dishes; that’s why Roffey Park calls these flashes of insight: “washing-up creativity”.

3. Make New Connections. Making new connections between existing features of your product or service is a popular way to innovate. Akio Morita, chairman of Sony, said that he invented the Walkman because he wanted to listen to music while walking between shots on his golf course. His team simply put together two seemingly incompatible products: a tape recorder and a transistor radio.

4. Find Out What People Need. Necessity is a great spur to innovation. Take, for example, writing paper. The Chinese had already made paper from rags around the year 100 BC but because there was no need for it, nothing came of it. When it did reach Europe in the Middle Ages when writing was all the rage, the supply of rags and worn-out fabric soon dried up. That’s when a French naturalist made the discovery that wasps made their nests by chewing wood into a mash that dried in thin layers. Within 100 years, all paper was made using the idea of wood pulp.

5. Test, Test, Test. Product testing is the way most inventors and organizations go about innovation. It may not be the quickest route to success, but it is often the surest. Jonas Salk, for example, discovered the polio vaccine by spending most of his time testing and testing and continually finding out what didn’t work. Thomas Edison, the inventor of the filament light bulb, recorded 1300 experiments that were complete failures. But he was able to keep going because, as he said, he knew 1300 ways that it wasn’t going to work.

6. Adopt and Adapt. One relatively easy approach to innovation is to notice how others deal with problems and then adapt their solutions to your own. It’s known as “adapt and adopt”. It’s what watchmakers Swatch did when they realized that the more reliable their watches became, the less people needed to replace them. Their solution? Borrow an idea from the world of fashion and collections by turning their watches into desirable fashion accessories. Now people buy Swatch watches not just to tell the time but because it’s cool to do so.

7. Take Lessons From Nature. If you really want to be inventive, you can’t beat nature. The world of nature gives us an endless supply of prototypes to use in our own world. Take Velcro, for example. Velcro was patented by Georges de Mestral in 1950 after he returned from a hunting trip covered in tiny burrs that had attached themselves to his clothing by tiny overlapping hooks. De Mestral quickly realized that here was an ideal technique to fasten material together. A whole new way of doing things was suddenly invented.

The history of the world is the history of innovation. Thomas Kuhn called each acceptance of a new innovation a “paradigm shift”. For once a new innovation becomes accepted, the world has changed for ever and can never go back to the way it was.

How To Increase Creativity

2009-08-03T07:40:00.000-07:00

" To increase your creativity and innovation, you need to do two things. First, you need to encourage it. Second, you need to train your brain. Start on both of these right now, and you can experience greater innovation creativity today. "

Try encourage your creativity and you'll increase innovation creativity. This is true of most things you want to see more of in your life. Encouragement can work wonders. How do you encourage creativity, though?

First, by paying attention to it. Your subconscious mind tends to give you more of what you pay attention to. If you ignore the creative aspects of your life, you are telling your subconscious that they are unimportant. If you consciously note when you are creative, and you look for opportunities to be creative, your subconscious mind will start feeding you more creative innovation ideas. Look for it and you'll find more of it.

Another way to encourage and increase your innovation creativity, is to write your ideas down. Keep an "Idea Journal." If you do this regularly, you'll notice that you often start having more ideas the moment you start to write. A so-so idea may normally be forgotten, but by writing it down, you may remember it, your subconscious works on it, and it can transform into something very creative.

You can also encourage greater innovation creativity in yourself by putting creative ideas into practice. If you paint or write, for example, try anything new. Even just driving a different route to work to see if it is quicker can help. The point is to get you mind working outside of its regular patterns.

Just changing your surroundings can encourage innovation creativity. If you want more creativity in your love life, go hike up a mountain with your partner. If you write, try sitting on a roof to write. If you need new ideas for your creativity business, take a notebook to the park and sit by the duck pond. A change of enviroment can get your brain out of it's ruts.

Creativity Training

If you want to dramatically increase innovation creativity, develop creative habits of mind. Watch a good comedian and you'll see that he has trained his mind to look for the "different angle" on everyday things. You can train your mind to do the same.

Challenge assumptions, for example, until it becomes habit. Looking for ways to get customers into your store? Stop and say, "Do I really need more customers?" The question suggests other creative solutions, like finding ways to make more money off existing customers, or ways to cut expenses. These may lead to more profitable ideas. Challenge assumptions to increase the creativity of your solutions.

As you drive to work, randomly choose anything around you and ask how it may be connected to whatever problem you are working on. A helicopter overhead might make you think about a way to track where the car goes when you loan it to your kids. A palm tree may lead to a new design for patio umbrellas.

The above techniques are called "Assumption Challenging" and "Random Presentation," and are two classic creative problem solving techniques. There are dozens more.

" Train your brain to habitually use these, and provide it with a little encouragement, and you really can increase your creativity. "

What Innovation Can Do to Your Life

2009-07-31T09:58:00.000-07:00

The power of innovation. It's a talent that everyone has, yet they think they don't. If you've ever marveled at somebody's creative prowess, guess what?, you can create and innovate too. It just takes time. Everyone is born creative. The box of colorful crayons in kindergarten were not limited to those who possessed potential; because the truth is, one has potential.

Do you know how long it take to learn to ride a bike or drive or to never commit the same mistake again? It's the same as innovation. It takes a bit of practice and a lot of time before this mind function comes easily when called. This article will teach you a few tips on how to bring innovation into your life.

Don't listen to what other people say. Follow the beat of your own drum. Allowing for the input of other people will only bring cacophony to the music you are trying to make. If you have an original idea, don't waste your time and effort trying to make people understand. They won't. And the help you will probably get comes in the form of negative feedback. If all those geniuses listened to their peers, we would probably still be living in the middle ages.

Spend time on it. I cannot stress that enough, although, please do not mistake this tip to tell you to quit your day job entirely. Do not. This involves some tricky time management but with a little discipline you'll be able to squeeze both in.

Exercise. Take a walk. Run a mile or two. Send all those endorphins coursing through your veins. Exercising certainly clears and relaxes your mind and allows for anything to pop up.

Record your dreams. Aren't some of them just the craziest things that your conscious mind would never have thought of? If you've had these dreams before, and I'm sure have, this only shows you the untapped innovative power you have lying within. So jot down those notes. Those dreams may just create an innovative spark in you.

Find your own style. You can always tell a Van Gogh from a Matisse. You'll know Hemingway wrote something by the choice of words on the paper. So it is the same with you. People will appreciate your innovation more because it is uniquely yours and that no one else would have thought of what you were thinking. That will let people see how valuable an asset you are.

Don't hide behind nifty gadgets or tools. You don't need the most expensive set of paints to produce a masterpiece. The same way with writing. You don't need some expensive fountain pen and really smooth paper for a bestseller. In fact, J.K. Rowling wrote the first book of the Harry Potter Series on bits of tissue. So what if you've got an expensive SLR camera if you're a crappy photographer? Who cares if you've got a blinging laptop if you can't write at all? The artist actually reduces the number of tools he has as he gets better at his craft: he knows what works and what doesn't.

Nothing will work without passion. What wakes you up in the mornings? What keeps the flame burning? What is the one thing that you'll die if you don't do? Sometimes people with talent are overtaken by the people who want it more. Think the hare and the tortoise. Ellen Degeneres once said that if you're not doing something that you want to do, then you don't really want to do it. And that's true. Sometimes you just want something so bad you become a virtual unstoppable. And that is passion. Passion will keep you going.

Don't worry about inspiration. You can't force it; inspiration hits when you least expect it to, for those unpredictable yet inevitable moments you should prepare. An idea could strike you on the subway, yet alas, you poor unfortunate soul; you have no sheet of paper to scribble down a thought that could change the world. Avoid these disasters. Have a pen and paper within your arm's reach at all times.

I hope this article has helped you bring more innovation into your life. Keep in mind that you're doing these things for your own satisfaction and not anybody else's. But soon enough they will notice, and everything should snowball from there.

Using 'What If?' for Creative Solutions

2009-07-30T07:48:00.000-07:00

For the most creative solutions you need to get your mind looking in new directions. One of the most systematic ways to do this, is with a list of words, primarily adjectives, to create "what if?" scenarios.

" The process starts with the question, "what if it was..." and then you insert a word from the list. "It" in the question is the problem you're working on, or the current solution or situation."

Let's explain the process with an example or two.

Example one: You have is an unpleasant co-worker. You are not sure how to deal with him, so you ask about the problem, "What if it was..." and insert from the list "smaller." How could you make the problem smaller? Spend less time with that person? Get reassigned?

"What if it was... fun?" makes you wonder if being annoying yourself might keep the other person away from you. "Closer" makes you wonder if this person might be nicer to you if they knew you better. You continue down the list and work with each word a bit to get new ideas, which you will look at more analytically later.

Example two: Your house is too crowded because you're running your business from it. You ask, "What if it was..." and insert from the word list, "smaller." Your house is already too small, but could the business be smaller? The word "divided" might give you the idea to keep the business in just one part of the house.

Since most words on the list won't help, you can go through the irrelevant ones quickly. But don't automatically dismiss them without a few seconds consideration. "What if it was hopeless?" may seem like a useless question, or it may make you realize that you just can't keep the business in the house any longer. Moving into a rented office might be the most profitable of your creative solutions.

The Creative Solutions Word List

Feel free to create your own list of words. You'll want to use adjectives, descriptive phrases, and any words that can change your perspective. Here is a short list to get you started:

What if it was... larger, smaller, farther away, closer, sooner, later, easier, more difficult, higher, fat, rich, short, black, certain, hopeless, newer, boring, casual, subtracted from, cheaper, common, divided, more interesting, extravagant, subtle, or fun?

Just as with most problem solving techniques, it's important to allow the ideas to flow without judging them initially. You don't want to stifle the creative process. Take notes, then evaluate your ideas later, when you have a page full of creative solutions.

New Invention Ideas I Would Like To See

2009-07-29T06:31:00.000-07:00

Do you want to create new money-making inventions? Not me. I just like to dream them up. Here are some of the new invention ideas I would love to see created in reality. I hope a reader or two will do something with them.

New Invention Ideas For Outdoors

Free-standing tents without any poles: The invention idea here is to have two inflatable sleeves that criss-cross over the top of a dome-style tent. Perhaps the rigidity would be insufficient for windy nights, but it's worth a try. Make them inflatable from inside, and you could quickly crawl inside and out of the rain to inflate it.

Rail-runner bicycle attachment: This is a new invention idea I want to try, but one that will not be popular with the railroad companies. Wouldn't it be great to be able to bike along train tracks? They go many places that roads don't go. The invention idea here is a device that holds the bicycle wheels on the track as you pedal along. Easy removal would be necessary, of course, for the occasional passing of a train. And we have to take care about safety.

Kites inflated with helium: If it has been done, I haven't seen them yet. With some lift from the helium, these kites could be flown in any amount of wind. Designed right, they would still fly something like a kite, and with more maneuverability if designed like a stunt kite, with two strings. The first prototype might be a kite with a small helium balloon attached. If somebody makes this, I'll buy one.

Other New Invention Ideas

Disposable t-shirts: Stores have t-shirts on the shelves, so we know they're getting cheap. Why not invented a line of shirts that are low-quality, but good enough, and cost very little to manufacture? Sell them in boxes of 12, as "disposable clothing." Where's the market? Those who want less laundry to do on long trips, or those who want to have some cheap things to wear while doing dirty jobs.

Fast-food tube: These could be like the tubes at bank drive-through, but they would have to stay level for the sake of the drinks. Using these, one slow person won't hold up the whole line at the drive-through, because there can be several lines. The customers send money in through this conveyor system, and get food back the same way. Just pull up to whichever lane is empty. I'm waiting to see this invention.

Magnetic painting kits: This new novelty invention would consist of a flat "canvas" of magnetic material (steel?), and an assortment of many colors of iron dust or small shavings. Just apply the metal dust carefully to create any "painting" you can imagine. It would be something like a Buddhist sand mandala, but slightly more permanent. Spray the finished painting with a "fixer," and you could even hang it on the wall.

Invisible walls: This is a new invention idea that would be just plain fun. Make a wall with properly placed cameras, using the other side of the wall was the projection screen for these cameras, and the effect would be that of looking right into the other room - an invisible wall. I'm not sure about the practical applications, but an "invisible ceiling" would provide a nice view at night.

Magnetic signs for windows: Thousands of businesses use large magnetic signs for their vehicles, with their company name and logo on them. Of course these can only be used on metallic surfaces. To stick to car or building windows, they need a similar flat magnet or steel mesh material that is placed on the other side of the glass, to hold them in place. This may be one of those "unpatentable" ideas, but the first to trademark a catchy name and market them widely might do well with new inventions like these.

Wanna try make it?!

Innovation Idea - A State Of Mind

2009-07-29T04:59:00.000-07:00

You probably know the myth of innovation as a sudden flash of insight that comes from nowhere. We read about that "aha" moment, or that light bulb turning on in the mind of some inventors or innovators, and this is true to an extent. Albert Einstein really did get flashes of insight while shaving in the morning. However, he was of course working on the particular problems he had insight into, and he didn't suddenly have ideas for new kitchen gadgets or movie plots.

Einsteins innovations, in other words, no matter how "sudden" the original ideas were, came from past and present mental work. It is like a singer who works at his craft for 10 years and then becomes an "overnight success." Innovative people only have "sudden" new ideas because they have habitually worked and thought in certain ways for some time. If you want to become an innovative thinker, then, why not start cultivating those mental habits?

Mental Habits Lead To Innovation
Problems can be opportunities. "Problem" may have a negative connotations, such as being a hassle or stressful, but any problem can lead to an innovation that improves our lives. Not knowing the time lead to clocks small enough to put on our wrists. Nasty diseases lead to sanitary sewer systems. Start looking for opportunity in every problem. Even a mundane problem like not having enough storage space could lead to a new innovation. You may just build a plywood floor in the attic, but you could invent a new type of outdoor storage unit.

" ... any problem can lead to an innovation that improves our lives..."

Innovation idea begins with understanding the key elements. Metal, wood or glass are not key elements of a door to an innovator. A way to get in, a way to keep others out - these are key elements. Begin with these, and soon you're imagining new ways to make a door. You could design a door that is opened by your voice (nice when your hands are full), or one that shuts and locks itself when anyone else approaches. Think of the key elements in things.

Attitude helps innovation idea. The creative problem-solving technique of concept-combination involves combining two ideas to see what new idea or product results. The crucial point is that you assume there will be a useful new idea. Starting with that assumption, your mind will work overtime to produce something. A shoe and a CD have nothing to do with each other, but it took just a minute to imagine a CD player with headphones that only plays the music correctly if a jogger maintains his ideal pace. When you assume there is something there you'll often find something.

Playfulness helps innovation. A playful mind is a creative mind, and while high IQ doesn't correlate with creativity, put it together with playfulness, and you have an Einstein. Remember, he imagined himself riding on a beam of light in order to arrive at his theory of relativity. Why not start playing with ideas and things, in your mind and in your surroundings. Innovation should be fun.

Being Original, Being First, Being Innovative

2009-07-07T09:28:00.000-07:00

There is an often missed distinction between Being Original, Being the First, and Being Innovative.

To determine that someone (or something) has been the first, we need to apply a temporal test. It should answer at least three questions: what exactly was done, when exactly was it done and was this ever done before.

To determine whether someone (or something) is original - a test of substance has to be applied. It should answer at least the following questions: what exactly was done, when exactly was it done and was this ever done before.

To determine if someone (or something) is innovative - a practical test has to be applied. It should answer at least the following questions: what exactly was done, in which way was it done and was exactly this ever done before in exactly the same way.

Reviewing the tests above leads us to two conclusions:

1.. Being first and being original are more closely linked than being first and being innovative or than being original and being innovative. The tests applied to determine "firstness" and originality are the same.

2.. Though the tests are the same, the emphasis is not. To determine whether someone or something is a first, we primarily ask "when" - while to determine originality we primarily ask "what".

Innovation helps in the conservation of resources and, therefore, in the delicate act of human survival. Being first demonstrates feasibility ("it is possible"). By being original, what is needed or can be done is expounded upon. And by being innovative, the practical aspect is revealed: how should it be done.

Society rewards these pathfinders with status and lavishes other tangible and intangible benefits upon them - mainly upon the Originators and the Innovators. The Firsts are often ignored because they do not directly open a new path - they merely demonstrate that such a path is there. The Originators and the Innovators are the ones who discover, expose, invent, put together, or verbalize something in a way which enables others to repeat the feat (really to reconstruct the process) with a lesser investment of effort and resources.

It is possible to be First and not be Original. This is because Being First is context dependent. For instance: had I traveled to a tribe in the Amazon forests and quoted a speech of Kennedy to them - I would hardly have been original but I would definitely have been the first to have done so in that context (of that particular tribe at that particular time). Popularizers of modern science and religious missionaries are all first at doing their thing - but they are not original. It is their audience which determines their First-ness - and history which proves their (lack of) originality.

Many of us reinvent the wheel. It is humanly impossible to be aware of all that was written and done by others before us. Unaware of the fact that we are not the first, neither original or innovative - we file patent applications, make "discoveries" in science, exploit (not so) "new" themes in the arts.

Society may judge us differently than we perceive ourselves to be - less original and innovative. Hence, perhaps, is the syndrome of the "misunderstood genius". Admittedly, things are easier for those of us who use words as their raw material: there are so many permutations, that the likelihood of not being first or innovative with words is minuscule. Hence the copyright laws.

Yet, since originality is measured by the substance of the created (idea) content, the chances of being original as well as first are slim. At most, we end up restating or re-phrasing old ideas. The situation is worse (and the tests more rigorous) when it comes to non-verbal fields of human endeavor, as any applicant for a patent can attest.

But then surely this is too severe! Don't we all stand on the shoulders of giants? Can one be original, first, even innovative without assimilating the experience of past generations? Can innovation occur in vacuum, discontinuously and disruptively? Isn't intellectual continuity a prerequisite?

True, a scientist innovates, explores, and discovers on the basis of (a limited and somewhat random) selection of previous explorations and research. He even uses equipment - to measure and perform other functions - that was invented by his predecessors. But progress and advance are conceivable without access to the treasure troves of the past. True again, the very concept of progress entails comparison with the past. But language, in this case, defies reality. Some innovation comes "out of the blue" with no "predecessors".

Scientific revolutions are not smooth evolutionary processes (even biological evolution is no longer considered a smooth affair). They are phase transitions, paradigmatic changes, jumps, fits and starts rather than orderly unfolding syllogisms (Kuhn: "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions").

There is very little continuity in quantum mechanics (or even in the Relativity Theories). There is even less in modern genetics and immunology. The notion of laboriously using building blocks to construct an ebony tower of science is not supported by the history of human knowledge. And what about the first human being who had a thought or invented a device - on what did he base himself and whose work did he continue?

Innovation is the father of new context. Original thoughts shape the human community and the firsts among us dictate the rules of the game. There is very little continuity in the discontinuous processes called invention and revolution. But our reactions to new things and adaptation to the new world in their wake essentially remain the same. It is there that continuity is to be found.

Popular Ideas For Science Projects

2009-07-07T09:01:00.000-07:00

If you are in need of ideas for science projects, there are several ways to get started. To begin with, look at a list of science categories and select one that interests you most. Once you select a category, narrow it down to one particular project or idea that you feel would make a successful project. You can also find a great idea for science projects by thinking back to a time when you, yourself, wondered how something worked. If you can recall such a time, turn that in to a science project. You can also watch television commercials, news, read the newspaper and gather some information on current events.

If you are still in need of a few ideas for science projects, take a look at these . . .

- Are dogs really color blind?
- Which type of soils are best suited for house building?
- What material serves as the best insulator and why?
- How does a sunspot affect radio and television reception?
- What are the symptoms and treatments of various eating disorders?
- Will eating breakfast help in school or work performance?
- What is in our drinking water?
- How polluted is the local water supply and what can be done to help improve it’s quality?
- How do changes in the air pressure affect our weather?
- Diet vs. Regular - What’s the difference?
- How does a tooth decay, what leads to this occurrence and how can it be prevented?
- How to develop pictures.
- How can we rid our home of airborne allergens?
- What is water filtration and does it really work?

As you can see, there are a variety of ideas for science projects to fit every individual and interest. In order to create the perfect science projects, students may need to refer to encyclopedia’s, textbooks, internet research and may even find it useful to interview an expert in the field of choice. An example would be science projects that deal with weather, which may benefit from an interview with a local meteorologist.

When selecting science projects, the most successful outcomes will be derived from subjects that are of most interest to the one conducting the research. If a child is interested in one particular area of science, or is extremely knowledgeable in one area, that may be the one to give the most consideration to when choosing science projects. As a final thought to science projects, the goal is to learn something new, be able to verbally explain it to others and most of all, enjoy the process of learning.

How your brain works

2009-07-06T10:17:00.000-07:00

Your Brain - General Features

The Human Cortex
The most striking feature of the human brain is seen in the cortex. This is the folded, hemispherical structure which constitutes the bulk of the visible brain.

It is not present in reptiles.

The cortex is relatively recent. It is perhaps one hundred thousand years old and is the part of the brain most closely associated with our ability to form complex representations of the external world, to reason logically and to use language.

It is much more dominant in humans than in any other species.

Regions of the cortex control vision, our auditory senses, and voluntary movement and touch sensations. It is also crucial for long term memory.

Neurons and Networks
The central nervous system is composed of something like one hundred billion nerve cells or neurons.

Each nerve cell or neuron possesses a single axon along which it can pass electrical signals to other neurons. Incoming signals are carried by a neuron's dendrites which form a tree-like structure around the neuron.

Neurons are about one micron (1 millionth meter) in diameter. The dendrites are perhaps ten times this in length while the axon varies from a millimetre up to one metre in length.

The signal from one neuron reaches another at the junction of axon and dendrite -- the synaptic gap.

The typical voltages associated to these signals are small (tens of millivolts) and travel at about two hundred miles an hour (100 meters per second)

Typically neurons can only fire once every millisecond (one thousandth of a second)

Different patterns of electrical firing activity are associated with different brain functions.

Learning and Connections
The brain is both robust (able to function in the event of severed connections and/or dead neurons) and plastic - able to adapt to new memories and functions.

This is due to ability of the brain to form new connections between neurons. These connections take place at synapses and are
mediated by the release of neurotransmitter chemicals.

These neurotransmitters alter the effective strength of the signal which can pass between neurons.

During our early years and during any kind of learning process these connections form and change their strengths.

The power of the brain as a computational device derives from the complex network of neural pathways and the simultaneous processing capability of all the neurons.

One such immensely powerful device belongs to you.

You can personally program this device (your brain) to deliver everything you have ever truly desired.

This Genie within you is simply waiting to be told what it is you want.

So set your Genie some exciting tasks to perform and pilot yourself to a future of positive expectation.

The Invention Of The Atomic Clocks

2009-07-05T08:57:00.000-07:00

An atomic clock is a type of clock that uses an atomic resonance frequency standard as its timekeeping element. They are the most accurate time and frequency standards known, and are used as primary standards for international time distribution services, and to control the frequency of television broadcasts and GPS satellite signals.

The first atomic clock was an ammonia maser device built in 1949 at the U.S. National Bureau of Standards (NBS, now NIST). It was less accurate than existing quartz clocks, but served to demonstrate the concept. The first accurate atomic clock, a caesium standard based on a certain transition of the caesium-133 atom, was built by Louis Essen in 1955 at the National Physical Laboratory in the UK.

Louis Essen was born in 1908 in a small city in England called Nottingham. His childhood was typical of the time and he pursued his education with enjoyment and dedication. At the age of 20 Louis graduated from the University of Nottingham, where he had been studying. It was at this time that his career started to take off, as he was invited to join the NPL, or National Physics Laboratory.

It was during Louis’s time at the NPL that he began working to develop a quartz crystal oscillator as he believed they were capable of measuring time as accurately as a pendulum based clock. Ten years after joining the NPL Louis had invented the Essen ring. This was an eponymous invention which took its name from the shape of the quartz which Louis had used in his latest clock and which was three times more accurate than the previous versions.

Louis soon moved on to newer areas of research and began to study ways to measure the speed of light. During World War II he began to work on high frequency radar and used his technical ability to develop the cavity resonance wavemeter. From 1946 it was this wavemeter which he used, along with a colleague by the name of Albert Gordon-Smith, to make his lightspeed measurements. It has been acknowledged recently that Louis’s measurements were by far the most accurate to have been recorded up until that time.

During the early part of the 1950’s Louis began to take an interest in research which was being carried out at the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) in the United States of America. He learnt that work was being carried out to invent a clock which was more accurate than any other. The American scientists were using the idea of maintaining a clock’s accuracy by using the radiation emitted or absorbed by atoms. At that time the Americans were using a molecule of ammonia but Louis felt that this was not working as well as if they were using different atoms, such as hydrogen or caesium, and so he began working on his own clock using these materials instead.

1953 saw Louis and a colleague, Jack Parry, receiving permission to develop an atomic clock at the NPL based on Louis’s existing knowledge of quartz crystal oscillators and other relevant techniques he had learned from the cavity resonance wavemeter he had previously designed. Only two years later Louis's first atomic clock was running, Caesium I, designed by the UK scientists. Development in the United States had all but stopped due to political difficulties.

Louis continued to work on his atomic clock and by 1964 he had managed to increase the accuracy of the atomic clock from one second in 300 years to one second every 2000 years! The continued success of Louis’s work resulted in the definition of a second being changed from 1/864000 of a mean solar day to being calculated as the time it took for 9192631770 cycles of the radiation in an atomic clock.

Louis Essen died in 1997 and before his death had been honoured with, amongst others, an OBE and the Tompion Gold Medal of the Clockmakers’ Company.

Source: some contents from Wikipedia, photo from http://www.marcdatabase.com

The Invention of Television

2009-07-05T08:41:00.000-07:00

The transmission of images obsessed inventors as early as 1875 when George Carey of Boston proposed his cumbersome system. Only five years later, the principle of scanning a picture, line by line and frame by frame - still used in modern television sets - was proposed simultaneously in the USA (by W.E. Sawyer) and in France (by Maurice Leblanc). The first complete television system - using the newly discovered properties of selenium - was patented in Germany in 1884, by Paul Nipkow. Boris Rosing of Russia actually transmitted images in 1907. The idea to incorporated cathode -ray tubes was proposed in 1911 by a Scottish engineer, Campbell Swinton.

Another Scot, John Logie Baird, beat American inventor C.F. Jenkins to the mark by giving the first public demonstration of - a dim and badly flickering - television in 1926 in Soho, London. Britain commenced experimental broadcasting almost immediately thereafter. Irish actress Peggy O'Neil was the first to be interviewed on TV in April 1930. The Japanese televised an elementary school baseball match in September 1931. Nazi Germany started its own broadcasting service in 1935 and offered coverage of the 1936 Olympics. By November 1936, the BBC was broadcasting daily from Alexandra Palace in London to all of 100 TV sets in the kingdom.

At the beginning there were many competing standards on both sides of the Atlantic. Baird's technological solutions were trounced by Isaac Shoenberg and his team, set up in 1931 by Electric and Musical Industries (EMI). RCA refined its own system, as did the Dutch Philips. Not until 1951 were the standards for public broadcasting set in the USA and in Europe.

But the Americans were the ones to grasp the commercial implications of television. Bulova Clock paid $9 to WNBT of New York for the first 20-seconds TV spot, broadcast during a game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies in July 1941. Soap operas followed in February 1947 (DuMont TV's A Woman to Remember) and the first TV news helicopter was launched by KTLA Channel 5 in Los Angeles on 4 July 1958.

The first patent for color television was issued in Germany in 1904. Vladimir Kosma Zworykin, the Russia-born American innovator, came up with a complete color system in 1925. Baird himself demonstrated color TV transmission in 1928. Various researchers at Bell Laboratories perfected color television in the late 1920s. Georges Valenso of France patented a series of breakthrough technologies in 1938. But color TV became widespread only in the 1960s.

Discover Your Genius Within to Create Your Invention Ideas

2009-07-05T06:11:00.000-07:00

The functions of the right and left brain are only a small portion of the potential that comprises THE MIND. The mind and the brain are two very different things. You can think of the brain as the hard drive of the computer and the mind as the software. Your mind is the intelligence that is in every cell, every system and every organ of your body. It is that intangible, incredible, and awe-inspiring part of you that thinks, remembers, sorts information, makes judgments, forms habits, discerns, distinguishes, communicates and otherwise makes you who you are. It is the genius within.

Your mind takes in all information through the five senses (sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste). You can liken the five senses to the keyboard on the computer. You receive input through your senses, your “data entry” system. Your brain then stores, categorizes and utilizes this information. A genius knows how to access that information and then apply it in discovering the solutions to any problems that may arise. It is therefore essential that you discover your own individual style for gathering and communicating information.

Some of us process sensory input more effectively through visual means, others through auditory stimuli, and others through a kinesthetic (a touch or feel) approach. Here’s a very simple way to begin to contemplate which way your genius accesses information. Imagine for a moment that you are buying a new item of clothing for an important meeting. Would you be most influenced to buy primarily for
a) the color and style of the outfit
b) the benefits the salesperson tells you about the clothing
c) the texture and feel of the fabric.

If you chose “A”, your brain receives information primarily through visual means. If you chose “B”, you perceive information primarily through auditory means. If “C”, you most likely access information through kinesthetic means.

Everyone learns and communicates in all three of these modes. However, most people have developed a natural preference, and tend to use one method more frequently. As an awakening genius, it’s your goal to become aware of your preference and then strive to strike a balance between all three modes: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.

Are you willing to stretch your abilities by consciously choosing to use your other senses more? Can you imagine the benefits of opening your mind to receive ALL the input from the world around you? Doing so will give you an awareness of an exciting world that’s been there all along, but which you may have been missing.

It is natural for you to use what is comfortable, but the awakened genius is willing to grow. Like the turtle, you won't go far without coming out of your shell. You will be pleasantly surprised as you practice using and developing your other senses. You will notice how your memory improves and how easy it becomes for you to make choices. You will discover a whole new world of communication. Once you learn to create a balance in perception, you will be well on your way to thinking holographically – and using the full power of your genius!

However, if you're not a genius, you can improve your invention ideas through practicing!

Invention Ideas - 3 Tips to Find a Company to Sell Your Invention Idea To

2009-07-03T20:33:00.001-07:00

If you have an invention idea and are seeking a company or investor to buy your invention or you are looking for a place to start here are 3 tips you can use.

#1> Try Zapdata by Dunn & Bradstreet

You can receive 25 free company names and contacts at no charge by simply registering with Zapdata. Visit their website, click on "Register Now" and fill out your information to receive the information. The Zapdata website is Dunn & Bradstreet's online source for sales leads, mailing lists, and business information. For a small fee, you can access D & B's database of 16 million companies through Zapdata, which in turn will help you build your prospect/customer lists, but quite a bit of data is available at no charge. There is also live online help available to answer any questions you may have.

#2> Use ThomasNet or Hoovers to search for a company by industry or product service

For example, if you have an innovative idea related to children & infants start a search on ThomasNet. Type the word "children" in the search box and a matching category of children's items will appear. Related items from children's sportswear to sandboxes are available to choose from. Select the category related to your invention and you'll find a list of companies and contacts to submit your invention to.

#3> Go shopping and read the labels of similar or comparable product to your idea

When you go shopping at the mall or grocery store take a closer look at the packaging. Their usually is a company name on the packing including an address. Using the internet and some clever searching you can learn a lot about the company on the packaging. Some product brand names are the company name while other products are manufactured then resold through a distributor.

Complete a through investigation on the company listed on the packaging before you send any information regarding your invention. You can submit your idea to a manufacture or a distributor either one maybe interested in your invention. Never send any material or detailed information to a company without first making contact and establishing some type of agreement.

Download The Inventor's Phone Book right now for free at http://www.inventorsphonebook.com The Inventor's Phone Book is the largest free resource guide for inventors that want to sell their ideas to big companies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gallion

Invention Ideas For Students, and How to Come Up With Great New Products

2009-07-03T19:34:00.000-07:00

They say that the mother of invention is necessity. I've found that to be true over my 40 years or so of being an inventor. Another way of putting it is; find a need and fill it. So the best time to think of an invention might be that moment when you are thinking to yourself "I wish there was an easier way to do this". At that moment stop and think of all the possible ways the task could be made easier or eliminated.

One thing I like to do when I discover a task that I find tiresome or boring or difficult, is to imagine the wackiest crazy ways of solving the problem. This often leads to interesting ways of doing things. It never hurts to use your imagination. Imagination is like a muscle, the more you use it the easier it gets. Imagination is tied to creativity. If you can't imagine something then I can guarantee you that you won't create it. First you have to imagine it, and then you can bring it to reality.

I've compiled a list of interesting invention ideas...maybe something on the list will spark you imagination and lead to that one-in-a-million idea that becomes a real invention.

New kind of toothbrush Example of wild idea: Develop an ultrasonic transducer to clean your teeth like those ultrasonic cleaners used by jewelers. Pop it in your mouth with some water and hold for 30 seconds....

Stay-Open-Freezer Bags Put wires in the plastic bag about where the zip lock thingy is so you could bend the wires to hold the bag open while filling with soup or whatever.

Audio Sneakers Build audio circuitry into kids shoes so when you take a step the shoe makes a sound such as Clip-Klop, or squish squish, and make a few selectable sounds.

Diaper Alert: Make diapers change color when they get wet, so you don't have to poke your finger in to see if it is wet and needs changing.

Iphone amplifier: Create a case for the iphone that has an amplifier so you can easily hear your Iphone without having to hold it up to your ear.

Selective Vegetable Harvester: There are no vegetable harvesting machines that harvest only the ripe vegetables. Tomato harvesters rip up the whole plant. Machines are needed for just about any fruit too. Harvesting machines are needed for apples, oranges, pears, peaches, broccoli, eggplant, cauliflower, etc.

Teflon Tape Dispenser: A dispenser that would make it easy to find the end of the tape and to cut it off where you want it. Teflon tape used in plumbing is a real pain to use.

Once you've had that brilliant idea, then what to do?

Well there are several things that need to be done but in what order is difficult to determine ahead of time. In some cases your first step would be to build a prototype. This would tell you if it could be made economically and how well it works. For other inventions you might want to check first to see if it is already patented. I recommend using Google's patent search service.

With some ideas you would want to find out first if there was even a market... if no one wants it then why bother?

If it's a really good idea, and people want it, and you can't find anything like it by doing a patent search on Google, then the next step would be to have a professional patent search done by a reputable patent attorney. It will cost you about $500, but it's worth every penny.

For help with new products, inventions, online marketing, prototyping and more: Invention Ideas for Students Do something with that great novel new idea you've got!

For free expert SEO visit Expert Professional SEO

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Lund

What Do You Do When They Steal Your Inventions and Innovations Faster Than You Create Them?

2009-07-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

Intellectual Property Law is something which is needed to guarantee that investment capital will flow to new ideas and innovations marketplace. If someone is able to get a patent on an idea or concept then they are able to put money into that idea and bring it to market without having to worry about everyone copying their idea and competing against them, at least right away. Proponents say it is very much necessary and needed.

Others believe that far too many people come up with concepts and never capitalize on them; all they do is get a patent and wait for someone else to pay the money for their idea. While this is true it is not the only complaint about intellectual property law. Many believe that patents and intellectual property laws actually create monopolies and therefore are diametrically opposed to other rules such as antitrust regulations.

It gets even more complicated with international issues, and culture. In Asian countries people freely share ideas and information with friends. In capitalistic societies people have no problem sharing information, but they like to keep intellectual ideas that can produce an income a secret, and keep it under their control. You can see how this could cause trade disputes in the real world.

Most businesses and entrepreneurs that make money off their innovations like the safety net of patent law. Still, this is not the case in all industries or with all corporations or companies. For instance, Open Source code in the computer industry is taken to such an extreme that it is almost like a religion with the proponents. A very good book on this topic but I like to recommend to you is;

"Burning the Ships; Intellectual Property and Transformation of Microsoft" by Marshall Phelps; John Wiley and Sons Publishers, New York, NY; 2009; ISBN: 9780470432150.

Lance Winslow is a retired franchisor - Lance Winslow's Bio. Lance Winslow is formerly the CEO of WashGuys family of franchises which Lance; http://www.windowwashguys.com/links.shtml /.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Invention Ideas - Top 3 Items You Must Know Before Selling Your Invention Ideas to Big Companies

2009-06-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

One of the most important things to consider before selling your invention to a big a company is what they are looking for and how they will evaluate your idea. Companies may use the following 3 items to evaluate your idea before they consider buying or licensing the invention:

#1. What is the primary benefit to the company that your are submitting your idea to?

Is your idea...
A. Faster to manufacture than alternate competing technology?
B. Cheaper to make than alternate competing technology?
C. A better product than alternate competing technology?
D. Or, comparable to alternate competing technology?

Consider these questions and how the relate to your idea. Ask yourself: which of the above questions fit my idea? Now, write a short description of how one of the above questions fits your invention.

Chose one of the above questions and follow up with some detail regarding the following subcategory. For example, what is a key benefit from one of the items below?

A. Is the idea an improved process?
B. Is there a better product consistency?
C. Can the material outperform comparable material?
D. Is the packaging unique or have a high selling quality?
E. What is the interaction with the consumer?

#2. What is the primary benefit to a consumer?

A. Faster and easier to use than alternate competing technology?
B. Cheaper to purchase than alternate competing technology?
C. A better product than alternate competing technology?
D. Or, comparable to alternate competing technology

Consider the above questions, then follow up in detail how your invention related to the below subcategories.

A. Does your invention offer the consumer convenience?
B. Is your invention more durable?
C. How about ergonomics? Is the invention easy use and does not cause fatigue?
D. Is the invention fashionable, and decorative?
E. Does the invention improve functionality?
F. Is there a new unique function built in the invention?
G. What are the portability qualities of the invention?

#3. Why do you think this is a strategic fit for the company?

The above question may be the most important question that you'll have to answer. Consider this question carefully before writing it down and sending the answer to the company that you are submitting your idea to. A good example may be...

1. This invention is the first of its kind and will open new possibilities
2. My idea is a solution to a limiting factor of an existing competing product

The company may only accept the idea if it fits within the brand(s) of the company or could be used to compete with alternate products. A strategic fit for a company is an invention that can be used to strengthen their existing brand. Carefully consider this before submitting your idea and you may find the exact product description or solution that the company is looking for.

An example of an evaluation process can be found on the corporate website of Newell Rubbermaid. Newell Rubbermaid owns 11 home and family brands. They also own 19 office product brands and 10 tools, hardware & commercial product brands.

There are over 350 companies, investors, product scouts, manufacturing reps and licensing agents, seeking ideas listed in The FREE Inventor's Phone Book. Also included in the ebook are resources, guides and contacts you can use to profit from your idea fast.

Download The Inventor's Phone eBook right now for FREE! The largest resource of companies, investors, product scouts, manufacturing reps and licensing agents seeking ideas. Submit your inventions ideas to big companies for free! http://www.inventorsphonebook.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gallion

Inventions - How To Get Your Invention Idea Into The Right Hands

2009-06-20T20:16:00.000-07:00

Whether your goal is to land a licensing deal with a major manufacturer, sell your product to Walmart, or find an investor with deep pockets to fund your project, you will need to create a proposal to convince someone to do something.

Your proposal must convince your target that your product will benefit them somehow. Entrepreneurs lose sight of this when trying to sell or license their products. No one wants to know how cool or great your idea is, they want to know that people will buy it.

Step 1: Research your target

You first need to determine what your target's needs are by researching their history from beginning to end. You can generally find a summary of a company's history at the library in the periodicals section or online. You can search Google, Yahoo, or go to Hoovers.com. You can also locate the company's website and look up their 'about us' page. Look at their press releases, especially the most recent ones.

Through these sources, you can determine the direction a company is going, and whether or not your product fits their current or future product line.

Step 2: Locate the decision maker

Find out who the key decision makers are. This is usually the product manager, Vice president, President, or owner. The best way to find out who is in charge of licensing or adding new products to a company's product line is to call and ask. Many companies have departments for this now.

Whether it is a department or individual, someone is waiting for your call. Most companies are looking for new products, and even if your target company is not actively seeking out new product ideas, No one will turn down a money maker. Good ideas never have a hard time finding a home, especially if they come professionally presented.

Step 3: How to contact your target

After you have researched some companies in your preferred market and determined which ones you want to present proposals to, begin contacting them. Phone calls are more effective and quicker than emails. Call and ask for the name of the person in charge of adding new products to the product line. Ask the name of every person you talk to, starting with the receptionist. That way, you can say, "Hello Mr. Downs, Marianne said that you are the person to talk to about adding new products to your company's line."

If you do this in a natural tone, it comes across as a referral from Marianne. Now, you do not want to be dishonest, but perception is quite important, and you want to appear confident and in the loop.

Step 4: Making your initial pitch

Once you reach the right person, introduce yourself, and say, " my company has developed an item that we feel will fit your current product line. What is your protocol for reviewing potential new products?" Then just listen and write down all the key information and follow it to the letter.

To avoid feeling intimidation if you have never done this before, keep in mind that they are hoping to receive a phone call from someone who really does have a unique money maker that will increase their company's revenue and make them look like trend spotters.

So tell them that, "I believe this product will significantly increase your company's revenue." Every company loves to hear that phrase, and it immediately piques their interest. Now you can tell them what product category it fits into, but you do not need to describe your invention.

Step 5: Confidentiality Agreement

Ask him/her to sign a Confidentiality Agreement, or he/she may ask you to sign theirs. Either way, enter an agreement that says that you will show them confidential information to be considered for their company's product line.

Step 6: Send your proposal

Now you can send your proposal with the comfort of knowing that:

1) they are expecting it,

2) they want to see it, and

3) they are not going to steal your idea.

Always remember to be professional, well informed, and flexible to negotiate. Send your package with a cover letter restating what was discussed. Stamp or print 'REQUESTED MATERIAL' on the package, and then call to let them know that it is on the way. Contact the company about two to three weeks later, plenty of time for them to review, digest, make judgments, and arrive at conclusions.

Arik Bannister is the owner of CommercialMaker, the leading online video ad production company, helping businesses throughout the world market their products and services online and on television. Arik is also the author of the Market University Product Marketing Kit, a complete guide to producing and selling new inventions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arik_Bannister

Invention Ideas - Do I Need a Patent Before Selling Invention Ideas to Big Companies?

2009-06-20T20:08:00.000-07:00

Having invention ideas protected by a patent gives the patent owner definite legal rights. A patent agent or lawyer can inform you of those patent invention rights. Invention ideas that are not protected by a patent or that are not patentable may be used liberally by anyone. This may decrease the invention commercial value. For this one reason some companies view patent protection key for their own invention ideas and for invention ideas submitted to them. Therefore, those companies may expect inventors submitting inventions to them to seek invention patent rights issued by a patent just as any company would be required to protect their own invention ideas.

There may be complex legal issues connected to invention ideas submitted to big companies. Those issues can involve joint development of the same invention. Another example could be two inventors that developed the invention together, including trade secret ownership and confidential rights. A patent agent or lawyer can help you with those issues before applying for an invention patent.

Your patent agent or lawyer may advise or recommend that you obtain an issued patent before submitting your ideas to a big company. However, some companies may allow you to disclose and discuss your idea after an invention patent application has been filled. Keep in mind that the companies that you submit your ideas to before an invention patent has been issued could be under no obligation to keep your idea a secret. They may also be under no obligation to neither pay anything nor refrain from using your idea while the invention idea is being evaluated unless a written agreement has been completed.

Following the invention idea evaluation, the company may be under no obligation to keep your invention idea a secret or may not refrain from using your invention ideas unless an agreement in writing is completed. The benefit of having an issued invention patent is that it entitles you to rights as defined by the invention patent claims. Depending on the company that you are submitting your ideas to, a patent agent may urge you to acquire an issued invention patent before submitting your inventions to a company for evaluation.

However, there are several other companies that will review your invention ideas before an invention patent application is in progress. Or, before an invention patent has been issued. For example, the company Plaid will accept invention ideas before an invention patent has been issued. The company Plaid does agree to keep your invention idea submission confidential and will not use or disclose the invention idea to any third parties or employees of Plaid, other than those Plaid employees who participate in the review of the idea submission, unless such disclosure is required by law or unless Plaid acquires knowledge of the submissions prior to your disclosure thereof.

Sears is an exception, and may accept invention ideas prior to an invention patent have been issued or an invention patent application is in process. However, by considering a submitted idea, Sears may not obligate itself to pay any compensation whatsoever for its use of un-patentable ideas. Also, Sears may make no commitment that your submitted invention ideas shall be kept a secret or confidential. It may be necessary for a large company like Sears to refer your invention idea submission to a number of persons at Sears or at third parties, such as vendors and manufacturers, who have business dealings with Sears. Consider this when submitting your invention to large companies, because this may be necessary to thoroughly evaluate your invention idea submission. You may want to consider including a period of limiting time for the company that you are submitting you invention idea to evaluate your invention idea. An appropriate amount of time may be 45 to 60 days to evaluate an invention submission.

Always be sure to establish contact with the company that you are submitting your idea to before sending any material or detailed descriptions of your invention idea. Confirm if the company accepts outside idea submission and what the company's submission rules and guidelines are. Remember, until a contract is signed and completed, your only legal rights in and to the submissions remain with you.

Visit http://inventorsphonebook.com for more resources and to submit your invention ideas to companies listed in the FREE Inventor's Phone Book.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gallion

Invention Ideas - Top 3 Items You Must Know Before Selling Your Invention Ideas to Big Companies

2009-06-20T19:55:00.000-07:00

#1. What is the primary benefit to the company that your are submitting your idea to?

Consider these questions and how the relate to your idea. Ask yourself: which of the above questions fit my idea? Now, write a short description of how one of the above questions fits your invention.

Chose one of the above questions and follow up with some detail regarding the following subcategory. For example, what is a key benefit from one of the items below?

#2. What is the primary benefit to a consumer?

Consider the above questions, then follow up in detail how your invention related to the below subcategories.

#3. Why do you think this is a strategic fit for the company?

1. This invention is the first of its kind and will open new possibilities
2. My idea is a solution to a limiting factor of an existing competing product

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gallion

How to Submit Your Invention Ideas

2009-06-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

An idea can certainly change million of lives. If you are an inventor and has some great idea, read on to know how to go about it. A great idea can make some real difference in the lives of other people including your own. However, before you turn your idea into a profit making venture, never forget to obtain a patent right. As a first step, it is very important to protect your idea from getting stolen. Also it is quite essential to know if the idea is new or not. Getting patent is the only way to judge the authenticity of your idea.

Getting a patent right is a simple process. All you need is a patent lawyer, who can guide you to file and submit your proposed idea to Patent and Trademark office. Getting copyright or patent can save and insure you against any potential problem in future. The next step would be contacting the right company to market your idea. Today there are massive numbers of companies available who can provide their professional help for an idea worth generating a huge profit.

However, it is important to understand the legalities before you get into partnership with any company. A company may try to compensate you over your idea and remove you from further production process. Inventing something is not an easy task. It takes years to consider and re-consider the pros and cons of an invention. It will be your sole decision to agree on such terms or not, after all it's your idea. More than any financial gain, it is the fame that matters but the choice will be always yours!

About Author:
Pauline Go is an online leading expert in education. She also offers top quality articles like Biography Of Paul Wolfowitz, Einstein Selfless Great Deed.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pauline_Go

Mosquito Killer - Mosquito Spray

2009-06-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to try this in the summer!

Mosquito Spray...Worth a try
I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared. The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well.. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children swing area, and the standing water nearby. During the summer, I don't leave home without it.....Pass it on.

OUR FRIEND'S COMMENTS: I tried this on my deck and around all of my doors. It works - in fact, it killed them instantly. I bought my bottle from Target and it cost me $1.89. It really doesn't take much, and it is a big bottle, too; so it is not as expensive to use as the can of Bug-spray you buy that doesn't last 30 minutes. So, try this, please. It will last a couple of days.. Don't spray directly on a wood door (like your front door), but spray around the frame. Spray around the window frames, and even inside the dog house.

Now this is a good mosquito after spraying!!!

Source: FWD mail

Submit Idea - How to Submit Your Invention Ideas to Big Companies

2009-06-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

If you are considering submitting any of your invention ideas to a company, it is very important to first determine if the company accepts unsolicited invention submissions. Do not submit anything without first making contact or understanding the company's invention submission guidelines.

If you submit an idea to a company without contacting them or understanding their submission guidelines, you may receive a rejection notice. Without the proper documents or compliance with the submission guidelines, the company that you are submitting to may reject the submission without even a glimpse of your submitted materials.

Corporations want to protect their interests and protect themselves from lawsuits. The sole purpose of an idea submission policy is to avoid potential misunderstandings or disputes, and provide reasonable protection to corporations products released later that may appear similar. For this reason, corporations will not accept submitted ideas unless there is an agreement established and followed.

For example, Sears will not consider any idea submitted to it unless it is submitted subject to Sears Terms of Submission Agreement. If you don't follow the guidelines or establish your own with the company that you are submitting to, your idea could be quickly rejected, and the opportunity may well be lost.

Almost every major corporation has their own invention idea submission guidelines.
You may find the companies submission guidelines posted on their website. If you don't find a submission guideline on the website, be sure to call and ask for one before sending any information to the company.

Before preparing your submission material to any corporation, be sure to understand their submission guidelines. Only submit material or files that they are capable of receiving. Only send electronic files, via e-mail or CD-ROM unless the company is capable of reading those electronic files. For example, some companies will only accept paper copies of the material that is mailed attached with signed documents. The company may request original signed copies that are not faxed, scanned or e-mail to prevent fraud.

Some companies may spend up to 60 days reviewing your invention idea submission. After contacting the company and submitting your idea, ask for the typical time to review your idea. Always follow up after an allowed amount of time to review the idea has passed.

Always ask before sending any information and be sure to read and understand the company's submission guidelines before submitting your invention ideas. Reading the submission guidelines can also give you a clear understanding of what type of product the company is looking for. Be sure to read the guidelines and study the company that you are submitting you invention idea to. Knowing what the company is looking for can help you tweak your invention idea, and give you the edge to increase your chances of profiting from your idea.

Visit http://inventorsphonebook.com for more resources and submit your invention ideas to companies listed in the Inventor's Phone Book.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jason_Gallion

Easy Invention Ideas

2009-05-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

by: Steve Gillman

Easy invention ideas? Why easy? Sometimes it's just too intimidating to think about building a new type of car, television, or other complicated invention. So these are ideas for garage or basement tinkerers. Coming up with a prototype for most of these will cost no more than the money in your pocket. They are not patented yet, as far as I know.

Wild Game Carrier

Deer hunters regularly die of heart attacks while carrying their bucks out of the woods. The invention here would solve that problem. It would have an inflatable wheel, using coated nylon that won't puncture easily. Once you get your deer, blow up the wheel, and using the clamps on either side, you attach two poles or sticks that you cut on site. Attach the simple nylon sling between the sticks, and you have a wheel-barrow-like device that will carry a deer over even rough trails. Probably weighing no more than two pounds, it could be carried easily in a day pack.

Helium Kites

Perhaps its been done, but I haven't seen them sold yet. With some lift from the helium, these kites could be flown in any amount of wind. Properly designed, they would still fly something like a kite, and with some maneuverability if designed like a stunt kite. A first prototype could be a kite with a small helium balloon attached. That's an easy invention.

Ad Kites

This is more of a marketing idea than an invention. Have advertisements on kites and get paid to fly them at the beach or during big outdoor events. In my former small-town home they paid for planes to drag ads around during festivals, so the market might be there.

Disposable Clothing

If dollar stores can keep putting t-shirts on the shelves, we know they are getting cheap to make. So how about a line of shirts that are low-quality, but good enough to use, and cost very little to manufacture? You sell them in boxes of 12, as "disposable clothing." Where's the market? Maybe people who want less laundry to do on long trips. I set aside old clothes for just that purpose, which is where the idea came from. Also, some people might want to have some cheap things to wear for doing dirty jobs.

Kayak Shoes

Imagine this: You are wearing two little "kayaks" on your feet. Two more smaller ones at the end of two ski-poles help you balance as you walk across the nearest lake. At 8 feet long and 8 inches around, they would hold about 170 pounds each, by the way. To try this one, remember that to figure the volume of a cylindrical object, you multiply pi (3.14) times the radius squared times the length. Oh, and each cubic foot of air will support about 64 pounds.

Wind Tents

An easy invention idea from childhood. Me and my brothers spent summers at the beach, on Lake Michigan. Many nights, the wind blew steady off the water, and we discovered that we could make a "wind tent" out of an old blanket. With three sides pinned down, using rocks and sand, the wind held the "tent" open. We camped out in these tents, although when the wind died, the tent did. Maybe someone could make and market a plastic version. A colorful square of plastic - this is one of the easiest of the easy invention ideas.

How to Prototype an Idea or Invention

2009-05-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

Presentation to interested parties

When presenting your idea to an investor or company representative it might not actually be necessary to have a prototype. It is often possible to communicate the idea or invention to an interested party using a graphic presentation. The idea should be designed, ideally using computer aided design, and then images of the product laid out on presentation boards. It is probably best to get a professional product designer to complete the design work and show how the product looks and what it does. Try to find a design company that specialises in product design for inventors. One UK based company is Innovate Design.

If funds are tight it is better to spend the money on a professional presentation rather than a prototype. The presentation will be more cost effective than the prototype and will be quicker to produce. The work done during the design stage can help reduce the cost of the prototyping stage if it becomes necessary at a later date.

When a prototype is necessary

Concept prototypes are sometimes necessary to either prove that an idea works or instantly convey an idea that is hard to explain on paper. If people need to interact with the idea to be persuaded of its benefits then a prototype could make that important difference.

Often people are more prepared to back an idea if they can see that a lot of the development work has already been done and a prototype demonstrates this. An inventor could typically expect to charge more for an idea if it has been prototyped so it is worth considering if the funds are available.

How much will a prototype cost?

Prototypes costs vary hugely depending on the size and complexity of the idea. Typically for a small handheld product with a unique shape it could be in the region of two to three thousand pounds.

Why are prototypes so expensive?

Often the idea has to be designed first to establish the layout of internal components and the shape of the casing among other considerations. Then a virtual model has to be built using computer aided design and then finally a prototype can be built using rapid prototyping. All of this takes time and therefore it is expensive.

What is rapid prototyping?

Rapid prototyping is a technology that takes a 3D computer model and builds a 3D plastic part. There are three basic techniques for rapid prototyping: Stereolithography, Selective Laser Sintering and Fusion Deposition Modelling. For all these processes the model needs to be professionally designed using computer aided design.

Are there cheaper ways of building a prototype?

Some ideas can be prototyped simply from existing products or by using ordinary materials and these will be cheaper than prototypes that are built using rapid prototyping. Another cheaper way is to build a prototype that proves the principle of the idea without necessarily looking like the final product. This is called a ‘proof of principle’ prototype. Alternatively an aesthetic model could be built that shows what the product will look like but does not prove whether it will work.

What are the different types of prototype?

There are three main categories of prototype:

1. Proof of principle: A prototype that simply proves that a particularly new system or mechanism works. Often it is just part of the overall idea and it does not need to look like the final product.

2. Aesthetic model: A prototype that looks like the final product but is not fully functional.

3. Pre-production prototype: A pre-production prototype looks, feels and works like the final product. This type of prototype can be produced to mimic how it would actually be manufactured to check that everything will fit together correctly.

How can I get a prototype built?

If you do not have the facilities or expertise to manufacture the prototype yourself then there are companies that specialise in building prototype inventions.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=279172&ca=Advice

Take Your Invention Idea to Market

2009-05-22T19:24:00.000-07:00

One of the keys to inventor success is to know how to sell your invention. Not all inventions are good. Of the good ones, even fewer are great. Studies show that at best 20% of inventions sell well in the market place. You, as the inventor have to know the basics of selling invention ideas.

One of the first things to know when trying to sell your invention is that it is yours to sell. The best way to determine this is to check the market for similar products. Go to the stores or distributors where your new invention would sell and study the products that are like it. Look at the packaging, review the manufacturer info and look at how and where it is displayed.

Another key thing to do is to make sure that you are not stealing someone else’s invention idea. You can’t sell your invention if it isn’t really yours. A quick patent search will help you make sure that your invention idea is new and that you can sell your invention without the fear of a big lawsuit.

Google offers a patent search tool that will allow you to search over 7 million patents. At some point you will have to decide to invest in a more detailed patent search.

Once you know that the invention idea is really yours you can start to really dig into the details of how to sell your invention. Who would you sell it to? Who would make it? Would you sell directly to the end customer or through a distribution network? All of this will help you to determine the best way to position your invention in the marketplace.

A review of the 4Ps of marketing will help you to make the right decisions to sell your invention.

Product – This is your invention. Does it solve a problem or fill a need?
Price – How will you price your invention? Will the price cover all of the costs of making, packaging and distributing your invention product and still be attractive to your potential customer?
Place – This is the location where you will sell your invention. Is it in a store, on the Internet, or through a distributor?
Promotions – This is the communication action that you will take to sell your invention. It includes advertising, public relations, marketing campaigns, and buzz marketing.

These are just a few of the key principles involved in selling invention ideas. There are several others that can help you succeed as an inventor, but these are the ones that you really need to understand to start the process down the right path.

Answering the question of “how do I sell my invention” leads one to ask other questions about the invention process. Some of the other questions are "how do I protect my invention idea" and "should I partner or go it alone".

Seek invention assistance so that you also learn when and how to patent an invention. There are several alternatives for the protection of intellectual property, however the patent is the most commonly known. Learn the basics of intellectual property protection so that you can seek the proper guidance in this very specialized area.

When you understand the basics of the invention process, particularly in regards to marketing, and find the right team to help you navigate the intellectual property protection laws you will be one major step closer to taking your invention to market to help make society a better place.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=318406&ca=Business

Using an Invention Submission Company to Submit Your Invention

2009-05-08T08:53:00.000-07:00

You hear them on late night television, newspapers and magazines, even the radio and the internet. The ad goes something like this, “Hey inventor, call our toll free number and we’ll help you protect your idea and get rich quick”.

The question is; should you use an invention submission corporation to help you submit your invention? If you’ve ever heard one of their compelling ads, they make it sound like you’d be crazy not to.

Ultimately, we’ll let you make up your own mind about the invention submission industry, but first, here are a few things you should know. You need to realize that these companies make a living from inventors just like you. But they only make money if you use them to help you submit your invention. Therefore, an unscrupulous invention submission company will tell you what you need to hear to get you to spend thousands of dollars with them. They feed off your enthusiasm and will urge you to patent and submit your invention by making highly exaggerated claims about the market potential of your invention.

Now, it’s not to say that your invention won’t make money, but no one could really tell you what your invention is worth. The only way to know is to patent it, market it and then count up how much money you’ve made after a period of time.

But, an unscrupulous company will tell you that your invention stands to make you a fortune (no matter what) and any costs you incur now will be trivial. The problem is that many vulnerable inventors fall for it. They hire an invention submission company, spend thousands of dollars, don't get the patent protection they need and wind up with less than nothing in the end.

Therefore, it is worth your time to research your options. For every invention submission company around, there are probably a dozen or more registered patent practitioners. A patent practitioner registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is bound to a code of ethics or they risk being disbarred. Check out the individuals in your town and get referrals if you can.

Please visit Patent Law Portal to find a patent attorney or agent near you and begin the process toward protecting your invention.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_Parmley

Easy Invention Ideas - How To Have Them

2009-04-25T21:25:00.000-07:00

Want easy invention ideas? Dreaming up new products and inventions is fun, and it can be easy too. Try the following two techniques and soon you'll have a list of new ideas.

Easy Invention Ideas - Start With What's There

One of the easiest ways to create new ideas for inventions is to look at what already exists and find a way to make it better. You can start with things in your own home. These may even be the most marketable ideas - consider how many new kitchen gadgets are sold every year.

Look at the toaster, for example. How could it be improved, replaced, or the need for it eliminated? You could eliminate the need for it if you designed a stove with a toaster built into it. You could replace it with something like a waffle iron. You could improve it by making it faster, perhaps with a combination toasting element and microwave heater.

Look around the room and pick out any item you see. Imagine how it would be if it was bigger, smaller, faster, slower, or different in some way. As I write this, I am looking at a calculator. I would like to be able to talk to it. I could just say, "Mortgage payment, $140,000 loan, fifteen-year amortization, six point five percent interest rate," and it would announce, "$1219.56 per month." With all the latest voice-recognition technology out there, this is possible.

Want an easy way to create a lot of new invention ideas fast? Make a list of everything in your house. Then work your way down the list, thinking of some way to improve or re-invent each item. If nothing comes to mind, move on to the next item on the list after a minute or two.

Easy Invention Ideas - Use What Irritates

What irritates you? Do you hate the way the ice builds up on the edge of your roof? Do you get annoyed with the way the dog slops his water and food all over the kitchen floor? Annoyances and irritating things are not just problems, but excellent opportunities for easy invention ideas.

Suppose you are tired of burning your tongue on hot coffee. What could save you from this irritation? Perhaps a cup with a built-in thermometer that shows green once the coffee has cooled enough? Maybe a cooling device to set a coffee cup in, like a small fan that blows across the coffee when the cup is set on the device?

Annoyed with the necessity of brushing your teeth so often? Maybe there is a Teflon-like coating that could be applied, so food wouldn't stick. If it was anti-bacterial as well, you might avoid plaque even after days without brushing.

Looking at what is around you and imagining small or large improvements is easy. It also isn't too difficult to train yourself to look at problems as opportunities. There are dozens of other techniques that will give you easy invention ideas, but start with these two simple ones and you can have a hundred new ideas today.

Copyright Steve Gillman. For inventions, new product ideas, business ideas, story ideas, political and economic theories, deep thoughts, and a free course on How To Have New Ideas, visit http://www.999ideas.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Gillman

Philips Drag & Draw - Digital Drawing Tool

2009-04-14T10:46:00.000-07:00

When we talk about Philips, we know that it's a Dutch company that is making good lamps and has a lot of invention ideas. If you go to Philips website, you'll find a lot of products that make you say "Wow". Most of them are innovative designs.

I found from the internet when I was searching for innovation ideas that Philips had an event to show its products and technologies. One of those innovation ideas, is the "Drag & Draw". It's like a pen and bucket that you can draw anything on the wall. But it's light!!. I mean you can draw the light on the wall and can also choose the color you want. It works together with the light bucket. You can stir the pen inside the light bucket and create any color you want then use the pen to draw anything you like.

In the video that I show you here, you'll see a boy is drawing a car with "light". The light then sticks to wall. After that, he used the pen as a "magic wand", then the car on the wall can move with the scenery around it. Amazing!!!

Actually, it is a device which uses laser and light to project an image on to a wall. What an inventive idea it is!!

See also another cool ideas from Philips at the following video clip.

Real Anti-Clock

2009-03-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

This is not my invention idea. But I found it interesting that someone had thought about this.

I went to India for meeting and machine installation and I had a chance to go visit the garden in India. I was a beautiful place. It's a garden that has several tiers. Water falls down from top tier to the lower.

I stopped at one place inside the garden where I can see a clock hanging at the wall. Somehow, there's a person who has invention idea. He had made the anti-clock.

See how interesting it is :)

A fly in the toilet of Schiphol airport

2009-03-09T08:42:00.000-07:00

In January 2009, I had to go to Roosendaal in The Netherlands to join the meeting. It was terrible, it was very cold to me. I think it was about - 7 ^oC.

Snow at Roosendaal, The Netherlands

I stayed 2-3 days at Roosendaal and went to Poland for another meeting by car. My Dutch colleague drove a big van carrying 8 people for 12 hours with only 1 time stop. He was a very good driver, actually. I couldn't imagine how I should do if I was a driver.

Poland in the morning

On the departure date, I was walking at Schiphol airport and I found something at the toilet.

Schiphol airport, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

I noticed a fly inside the urinal. At first, I thought it was because no one cleaned the toilet. But when I saw other urinals, I saw the same. So the flies must be there for some reasons. When I looked more close, the fly turned into the black outline of a fly, etched into the porcelain.

A fly-in-urinal

According to statistics, since the icon of the fly has been in use, it improves the aim. If a man sees a fly, he aims at it. The general hygiene in the toilets has improved by 80%, apart from putting a smile on everyone's faces.

Interesting invention ideas..eh?

I also found some products from the internet ...

We decided to adopt the idea and market the product on a large scale. So far the Toilet Marksman has been greeted with enthusiasm on the belief that it will appeal to customers in all walks of life and age groups as a necessary and fun giving product.

The Toilet Marksman is a special quality sticker with a secret formula cover that gives to the product long term resistance – it won't come off for at least few years !

Absolutely GREAT for pubs, bars, clubs, restaraunts or any other place with men :)

Here's some info from Wikipedia: Some urinals for men incorporate fly targets: images of flies that are either printed on labels stuck to the inside of the urinal or embossed directly into the porcelain. Men often feel a compulsion to aim their urine stream at the fly, and thus the fly target helps prevent men from urinating outside the basin or bowl of the urinal. Maintenance crews at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam reported in 2005 that adding a fly target to urinals reduced bathroom cleaning costs by giving men something to aim at. The urinals at terminal 4 of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City have a fly target in the urinals.