Tiniest Train Ever!

October 27, 2009

I would go cross-eyed trying to build this thing! Try not to go cross-eyed viewing the video.

Generate Your Own Barcode

October 07, 2009

Today marks the 57th anniversary of the first patent of the barcode. It was patented by Norman Woodland and Bernard Silver, who sold the patent before the industry standard UPC ever took off. The Telegraph has a nice history piece here as does HowStuffworks.

Personally, I couldn't believe that the bar code was invented soooo long ago and that it's still in such wide use today. And what's more, the concept for the bar code has been adopted by modern technologies, such as RFID tags, pet microchipping and location-tracking technology for streamlining supply chains.

To mark the anniversary, Google's search page has it's name in bar code type. You can do the same and generate your own barcode by clicking on the link.

Michael Jackson Had a Patent

June 26, 2009

The news of Michael Jackson's death yesterday threw me off. At first I thought it was a rumor. But alas, no. I grew up with his music and have many favorite songs. Indeed, I consider him the King of Pop. His death was a big surprise, but then this morning, another surprise: Jackson had a patent.

The title: Method and means for creating anti-gravity illusion.

It's a system that consists of a special shoe that has a hitch designed to attach to a projection in a stage. When the shoe engages with the component in the stage, the performer can lean forward beyond his or her center of gravity.

Why did he invent it? According to the patent, he had dance steps in his video performances where he and members of his dance crew would appear to lean forward beyond the center of gravity. This illusion was achieved by using cables attached to each dancer's waist. But the set up required stage hands to help out and was too clumsy for use during live performances.

The solution: The shoes. The video shows the anti-gravity shoes in action, live:

What an amazing performer. A genius musician and this idea shows that his intelligence and creativity went beyond music.

Video Sums Up Cool Tech Jobs Wide Angle

June 25, 2009

Wide Angle: Invention Engines

April 20, 2009

Necessity is the Mother of invention, but people get their inspiration from other places, too. This week on Discovery Tech -- in conjunction with Discovery Channel's latest TV show Doing da Vinci -- will be looking at the people and the places that turn inspiration into innovation. Explore this week's Wide Angle: Invention Engines.

• IM Interview: Ways of the Master Inventor.
  Each year, IBM asks a small group of employees to join the ranks of Master Inventor. This elite group of people invents and mentor others to invent. Tracy Staedter chats with Andy Standfor-Clark, one such person.

• Podcast: A Robot Arm Leonardo Might Have Liked
  Imagine Leonardo painting the Mona Lisa with this baby, remotely, via a webcam and wi-fi connection. Whoah. Film that Ron Howard!

• News: Crowd Sourcing Taps the Masses for Ideas
  Tapping the world's wisdom, in the place of traditional research and development, is the job of InnoCentive CEO Dwayne Spradlin.

• Blog: Inventors Wanted
  This week your trusty tech team is taking on invention. From Leonardo da Vinci to modern-day master inventors, there's plenty of inspiration to go around ... especially if you're thinking about the greater good. While searching for invention engines that help turn smart ideas into reality, I came across several particularly cool catalysts.

• Top 10: Unsung Inventions
  You use these items every day. Some are for entertainment; others have saved your life. But you never give them a second thought. See what you take for granted every day.

• Top 10: Accidental Inventions
  Louis Pasteur said, "Chance favors the prepared mind." That's the genius behind all these accidental inventions - the scientists were prepared. They did their science on the brink and were able to see the magic in a mistake, setback, or coincidence.

• Timeline: Da Vinci's Life and Work
  This slide show highlights the journey that was Leonardo's, from the day he was born, on April 15, 1452, to May 2, 1519, the day he died.

• Puzzle: Leonardo da Vinci's Sketches
  This genius inventor lived about 500 years ago, but his sketches are as familiar as anything around today.

• Feature: Super Soaker Inventor Invents New Thermoelectric Generator
  Lonnie Johnson has moved on from high-powered squirt guns to a chip that converts heat from the sun -- or anything else -- into electricity.

• News: Solar Engine Whips Waste Heat Into Power
  A new engine with no moving parts has been shown to convert waste heat and concentrated solar energy into electricity better than conventional solar panels.

• Slide Show: Da Vinci's Inventions
  Leonardo da Vinci was famously fascinated with translating nature's inventiveness into human technology. See sketches and prototypes of machines and devices he imagined.

MORE DISCOVERY TECH WIDE ANGLES