Tag: Prototyping

This neat little invention caught my attention for its sheer uselessness. Yup, you read me right. The following clip features one of the most useless things I've ever seen. It's so useless, it prompted me to spend 20 minutes explorng its history and another 20 minutes writing this post. I hope you enjoy its uselessness as much as me!

Over the past two weeks, we have published the Sun Newspaper’s parody of the iPhone ads (and other mobile alternatives to print newspapers), Time Inc's prediction of what magazines of the future might look like and a fake (or real) leak of Apple's new Tablet Mac (aka MacTablet aka TabletMac aka iPad aka Apple Slate). But this concept piece put together by design collective BERG certainly has wow factor.

With only a couple more weeks before the COMET program closes (to be replaced with the Commercialisation Australia program), it has been announced that six emerging technologies have received grants totaling $442,400, or $70,400 each.

Ford is currently bringing to market an inflatable seatbelt design for rear-seat passengers. The concept incorporates the added safety of airbag technology to reduce head, neck and chest injuries caused by seatbelt restraint in a crash.

Ford is currently bringing to market an inflatable seatbelt design for rear-seat passengers. The concept incorporates the added safety of airbag technology to reduce head, neck and chest injuries caused by seatbelt restraint in a crash.

Bardia Housman is an Australian entrepreneur who recently completed his second successful exit, selling Business Catalyst (makers of e-commerce software suite GoodBarry) to Adobe Systems. Australian specialist recruitment and M&A outfit MitchellLake captured this candid interview at the South Food+Wine Bar in San Francisco last month.

Bardia Housman is an Australian entrepreneur who recently completed his second successful exit, selling Business Catalyst (makers of e-commerce software suite GoodBarry) to Adobe Systems. Australian specialist recruitment and M&A outfit MitchellLake captured this candid interview at the South Food+Wine Bar in San Francisco last month.

These three amusing sketches are courtesy of the BAFTA-award-winning comedy sketch program Harry and Paul, featuring Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse. While clearly lampooning the regular UK Dragons, who won't be familiar to most Australians, there's also much mirth to be found in their portrayal of the shows endless line of absurdly optimistic entrepreneur-pitchers.

These three amusing sketches are courtesy of the BAFTA-award-winning comedy sketch program Harry and Paul, featuring Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse. While clearly lampooning the regular UK Dragons, who won't be familiar to most Australians, there's also much mirth to be found in their portrayal of the shows endless line of absurdly optimistic entrepreneur-pitchers.

Senator Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, has announced the latest round of COMET funding, with 14 projects sharing $985,600.

Sydney University’s Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering is on the hunt again for Australia’s greatest innovators. Nominations are being sort for the Innovation Heroes Award, which the Warren Centre bestows each year on innovators who have created successful products or services from brilliant engineering ideas or inventions.

Sydney University’s Warren Centre for Advanced Engineering is on the hunt again for Australia’s greatest innovators. Nominations are being sort for the Innovation Heroes Award, which the Warren Centre bestows each year on innovators who have created successful products or services from brilliant engineering ideas or inventions.

At the FOOMA Japan 2009 conference, these sushi and patisserie robotic arms were a standout. They could soon replace humans on production lines where soft touch is critical, but the imagination boggles.

With all the chatter about the wave of soon-to-be-released tablet computers, and with the newspaper industry foraging around for a viable digital replacement for paper, it's good to remind ourselves that this is just the beginning. Pretty soon we could be rolling up our laptop and tucking it under our arm like a yoga mat. Check out this conceptual "Rolltop" from www.orkin-design.de.

As one of this year's 30under30 winners, Clint Walker was instrumental in building, running and selling the enormously successful Rising Sun Research (RSR), which was also named the Coolest of the Cool at Anthill's 2007 Cool Company Awards. He's now in startup round two with his second company, Run with Robots.

In recent months, several companies have carved out innovative niches for themselves in the beauty industry, launching ground-breaking products and services designed to meet the needs of cosmetics consumers in unique, cutting-edge ways.

The news yesterday that the Federal Government has unveiled details of its $196 million Commercialisation Australia (CA) initiative has been welcomed by many entrepreneurs and innovation consultants. These same intended beneficiaries might also be forgiven for wondering whether it is an improvement on the $1 billion Commercial Ready Scheme it is designed to replace.

The news yesterday that the Federal Government has unveiled details of its $196 million Commercialisation Australia (CA) initiative has been welcomed by many entrepreneurs and innovation consultants. These same intended beneficiaries might also be forgiven for wondering whether it is an improvement on the $1 billion Commercial Ready Scheme it is designed to replace.

I'm often the recipient of emails and phone calls from readers asking whether we can help promote a new product or service. It's all part and parcel of the job. But it creates a dilemma. Who do I help and who do I dismiss? (Because we obviously can't help everyone.)

Some people have too much time on their hands. This is absurd, yet I cannot look away.