Tag: Prototyping

Great packaging can improve a good product and ensure that a great product hits the jackpot. Here are the best Australian package designs for 2009 as awarded by the Australian Packaging Association.

In August, we decided to explore the many facets of capital raising - from angel investment and grants to venture capital and private equity. For want of a better name, we called the exercise Anthill’s Venture Capital month. The theme tossed up plenty of investment advice and discussion. But it also triggered some strong reactions from Australian inventors who think that the investment culture in Australia needs a dramatic overhaul. Trevor Rose was among the most ardent, so we invited him to provide a 'right of reply'.

Design Victoria today launched Transform Your Design Business, an online guide that aims to equip designers with the know-how to successfully navigate the grants space and write strong grant applications.

Gretha Oost has adopted an unusual approach to raise capital. The Melbourne mum, designer and Pitch Club contestant has decided to trial a 'crowdfunding' approach to launch her award winning product 321 Water.

Business expenditure on research and development (BERD) has jumped by 15 per cent, reaching $14,380 million in 2007-08, according to statistics released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Friday.

Business expenditure on research and development (BERD) has jumped by 15 per cent, reaching $14,380 million in 2007-08, according to statistics released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Friday.

The Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering at the University of Sydney used the occasion of Engineering Week to launch www.engineeringicons.org.au. The site is designed to encourage more high school students to see engineering as an interesting and viable career path.

Later in the evening, perhaps after a second or third round of cocktails (all the pubs were closed), Cummings shared his views that raising capital is a time consuming process and that, in particular, he would be seeking a strategic partner. That's why I was particularly pleased to receive news yesterday that Travellr.com has secured growth capital from none other than the travel insurance and travel services company The Worlds Normad Group.

Sacha Baron Cohen might be making more waves these days with his other alter egos, Borat and Brüno, but his original breakout character, Ali G (ayyyeee), was where it all began. In this clip, Ali G gets his entrepreneur on, pitching his idea for "Ice Cream Gloves" to a less-than-wooed Donald Trump and a series of bemused US VCs.

Because it's Friday (and Beer O'Clock is nigh), we thought it might be fun to assemble Anthill's Top 10 Most Brainless Consumer Products. We made it to five before our thirst became too great. So, we're delegating the remaining five to you!

Because it's Friday (and Beer O'Clock is nigh), we thought it might be fun to assemble Anthill's Top 10 Most Brainless Consumer Products. We made it to five before our thirst became too great. So, we're delegating the remaining five to you!

The passage last Thursday of the Tax Laws Amendment Bill (2009 Measures no 4) represents the Rudd Government's first significant milestone on the road to delivering a more streamlined R&D Tax Credit for innovative Australian businesses.

The passage last Thursday of the Tax Laws Amendment Bill (2009 Measures no 4) represents the Rudd Government's first significant milestone on the road to delivering a more streamlined R&D Tax Credit for innovative Australian businesses.

A breakthrough by researchers at the University of Sydney is set to harmonise two of today's hottest emerging trends: cloud computing and energy efficiency.

The fields of science and technology are undeniably dominated by men. However, the contributions of women in these areas has been overlooked and underestimated throughout history. At the recent 2009 Women in Technology (WiT) Awards presentation, WiT President and i.lab CEO Anne-Marie Birkill delivered a keynote address in which she lauded the little-known achievements of female scientists and technologists, and called for greater acknowledgement and support for women today. Here is an edited extract from Birkill’s speech.

In a little over 10 days, we will be sending a fleet of mobile-billboards down the busy streets of inner-city Australia to promote our 2009 Cool Company Awards. I'm talking about Scooter Advertising, courtesy of our friends at Subterfuge. In accordance with my blog post of yesterday on using social media to promote the 'cools', it occurred to me that this exercise presents an excellent opportunity to promote two-way reader engagement. So far, we've developed three potential poster and themes (below).

In this video from the wonderful Academic Earth, Robert Sutton, author of "Weird Ideas that Work", argues that authority has its place, but most businesses succeed when creativity is allowed to flourish.

Most people have a vague understanding of the various types of intellectual property rights, but few know exactly which rights relate to them and even fewer know how much this will cost. This new series takes readers through the ins and outs of intellectual property rights protection specifically for knowledge-economy businesses.

Sad news this week that INNOVIC, the support organisation for innovative Victorian startups, will be restructured due to lack of government funding.

Spencer Maughan is an Australian expat based in California. When not consulting to Silicon Valley venture capitalists (including Top 10 VC firm Venrock), he spends his time attempting to free the world of Malaria. I caught up with Maughan three weeks ago, just as his Facebook application, Fight Malaria, was entering Beta Testing.