416. IdeaSpark*: Suspended Half-Piping July 31, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Experience, IdeaSpark*, Product, Video.add a comment
I would love to skate on a half-pipe, but I am a complete novice and a coward. That is why I want someone to construct a semi-circular half-pipe with a wire swing suspended above.
You would grip the attached handlebar, strap a skateboard to your feet, then thrash back and forth like a pendulum without worrying about wiping out. With enough practice, you won’t even need the wire.
It would be similar to the “Ridewire” video clip below, but actually fun. Clip via Trendhunter.
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415. Bright Idea: Noming Vases July 31, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Product.1 comment so far
Made from a paper and chalk-based material, these NoMing vases (as in not a fragile Ming vase) are waterproof, strong and reusable, and cheap ($15 for 4), making it the perfect addition when you buy flowers for someone. Initially flat, they are convenient for storage and shipment (similar to my IdeaSpark*: Post #223). Buy them HERE; via BLTD.
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414. Bright Idea: Park Planters July 31, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Art, Product.add a comment
Turn your potted plant into a urban park scene (voila! instant living art). Bonsai inspired, each piece is original, and some are a little raunchy (e.g. a fellatio scene). By Science + Sons designers, check them out HERE ($150 each). Via Freshome.
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413. Bright Idea: Nightlighter Flashlight July 31, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in IdeaSpark*, Product.1 comment so far
Perfect for walks at night (maybe there are lots of nocturnal hikers out there), this ergonomically designed flashlights illuminates your path and where you are heading, and is easy to carry. It uses 3 AAA batteries, has efficient LED bulbs, and cost $30 (buy it HERE). Via OhGizmo!
IdeaSpark*: Add a retractable dog leash to this, and I would by it. When Barkley craps at night, I need a convenient light pointing downwards to help me find his stool.
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412. Bright Idea: The Kenguru Car July 30, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Product, Transportation.1 comment so far
A person in a wheelchair can pull right into the Kenguru car and immediately drive away. This $12K Hungarian electric vehicle can go up to 25 mph and as far as 35 miles, and is steered with a joystick. Via SciFiTech.
Clearly, this is a Bright Idea, but I have 2 questions: (1) Is it being massed produced, and why only in Hungary? (2) What is the length? Because it should be able to be parked perpendicularly along the side of streets so the person can enter directly from the curb (i.e. parallel parking would limit clearance space behind the car for vehicle entrance/exit, and the curb would be an obstacle).
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411. Bright Idea: Udon Noodle Bowl July 30, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Food and Drink, Product.add a comment
Because it can get messy, noodle soup is best eaten close to your mouth. This bowl makes it easy and stylish to slurp down that udon, ramen, phò, or even spaghetti, especially as you are curled up on the couch in front of the TV on a cold evening. Buy it HERE ($28).
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410. Bright Idea: Soft Close Drawers July 30, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Product, Video.add a comment
I came across this Bright Idea on my recent travels: a drawer that gently closes itself. I once saw something similar with a luxury car door. I figure it is mostly to prevent hurt fingers and loud slamming. Check out my 21-second video clip to see it in action.
One company that produces these drawers is Blum, using this pictured device:
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409. Bright Idea: Labeling Tape July 30, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Product.1 comment so far
For those of you with crappy handwriting and a little extra cash: instant labeling tape. Like old school digital readouts, indicate a letter or numeral as you highlight several of the 14 white segments by blacking out the other ones with a marker. Get a 65-meter roll for £8 HERE; via Business2.o.
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408. Bright Idea: Qolf July 26, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Game, Video.add a comment
Work on your putting and chipping skills in this family activity. Qolf is an indoor/outdoor game that is a cross between croquet and golf. I haven’t tried it, but I think that any new way to play is a Bright Idea. Watch the 1 minute commercial below. Their website HERE ($40).
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407. Bright Ideas: Mini Charger Pockets July 26, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Product.add a comment
Keep your gadgets off the floor, if you want, with these two ideas. The left is the Socket Pocket, which has a slim profile, but needs to be installed ($15 HERE). On the right is the Load Thing, which is more portable and best for European sockets (€10 HERE). Via CoolestGadgets.
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406. Quickie Web: Flash: HBOVoyeur July 26, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Marketing, Quickie Web, Website.1 comment so far
Here is a little distraction for you: peep on people. You can visually access various sections of this building, sans sound (there is background music). Zoom out (click on the icon at top) to see other rooms in other city buildings (click on the purple highlights). Click on “Learn More” below for a little more info about the voyees.
This website is part of HBO’s new On-Demand series, HBOVoyeur. Check it out HERE; via JoshSpear.
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405. Bright Idea: Car Breathalyzer July 26, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Product, Service, Transportation.1 comment so far
Nissan has come up with this breathalyser that won’t allow the car to start unless the driver is blowing under the legal limit. Toyota is working on a similar system that analyzes the sweat of your hands.
Though I doubt it will be included in most cars as a standard feature, it could/should be installed for teenagers, people with a DUI history, and Mel Gibson. Via GadgetVenue.
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404. Bright Idea: Havaleena Outdoor Lights July 25, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Product.add a comment
Oooooh, pret-teee! These outdoor lights are aluminum tubes topped with clear acrylic diffusers. Four filters give you white, green, orange, or violet. Three AA batteries power a 1 watt LED for 50K hours (as if single battery giving you 16,667 hrs wouldn’t be enough). For $60 each, buy them HERE; via OhGizmo!
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403. Quickie Web: Game: Statetris July 25, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Game, Quickie Web.add a comment
Fun game + Education = Bright Idea.
Slide the states into place Tetris-like. This game is probably more relevant/interesting for my US readers. Let’s hope for the World version will soon be produced (or separate continent versions, excluding the Australian version, obviously). Play a round HERE; via Neatorama.
P.S. Here are the versions for Europe and Africa.
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402. Bright Idea: Pet Cacti July 25, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Product.add a comment
If little inanimate pebbles (i.e. Pet Rocks) could make Gary Dahl a millionaire, how about something that is actually alive? Give each of these tiny cacti its own name, and they could become the next Pet Rock fad.
Suspended in nourishing gel, these miniature plants do not require you to water or feed them. Take them with you everywhere, and all you have to do is keep them out of the sun. Called a Bio-tech Mobile Plant and intended as a cellphone strap accessory (for $9), this Bright Idea is from Japan. Check them out HERE; via InventorSpot.
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401. IdeaSpark*: Adjustable Pillow July 25, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in IdeaSpark*, Product.add a comment
They make inflatable pillows designed for travel, but this IdeaSpark* came to me last night as I realized my pillow height was not optimal: make a bed pillow where the top 2/3rds is memory foam for comfort. The bottom third would be inflatable, so you can adjust the height/thickness of the pillow to match your needs. Ahh….
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400. Bright Idea: Speedminton July 25, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Game, Product, Video.add a comment
I just ordered this hyped-up version of badminton that requires no net (I need to start exercising). Play it anywhere you have space to. Buy it HERE
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399. Bright Idea: Mobile Projection July 24, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Product.add a comment
One Day Soon: Microvision is teaming up with Motorola to eventually enable handheld devices to project larger images on any surface using laser (calling it Pico projection). Sharing is good. More HERE; via OhGizmo!
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398. Quickie Web: Game: Cursor Invisible July 24, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Game, Quickie Web.1 comment so far
Break the incoming plates without seeing where your mouse is pointing (hence the title, Cursor Invisible). An original twist on a common game play mechanic. Play a few rounds HERE; via GameLife.
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397. Bright Idea: the Porter Case II July 24, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Product.add a comment
This rolling suitcase is carry-on size, and can be used to carry another 200 lbs. of luggage on top when converted to a cart. Starting at around $270, check them out HERE. Via Businessweek.
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396. Quickie Web: Video: Pop ‘n Music July 24, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Game, Person, Video.add a comment
This game and prodigy are very similar to those in my Dance Dance Revolution posting (here). Like DDR, this game requires timing the right beats and notes to music (DDR requires feet; Pop ‘n Music, hands). The guy in this clip is incredible, even savant-like. It actually made me marvel at the vast capabilities of the human mind and dexterity. This 1.5 minute clip is via Neatorama.
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395. IdeaSpark*: X-Tips July 24, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in IdeaSpark*, Product.add a comment
This guy is cleaning the inside of his ear with a Q-tip, despite the on-the-box warning against doing this (it’s dangerous, they say). But that is exactly what 99.3% of us do with Q-tips, to get both the satisfaction of ridding our canals of that wax, and the visceral pleasure similar to scratching an itch you didn’t know you had.
IdeaSpark*: Create a new improved device like the Q-tip, designed for the ear canal. Instead of the cotton head, the “X-tip” will have very soft paper ridges, like a drill bit, to effectively scoop out the wax. The tip of the head will have a super-soft, blunt, feather-like protrusion, which would safely touch your ear drum, effectively warning you, if you are getting too deep.
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This IdeaSpark* posting was inspired by these Japanese swabs, designed this way because it is easier to see ear wax on a black background. Via Productdose.
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394. Sparked Art: Theo Jansen’s Kinetic Sculptures July 23, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Art, Product, Video.add a comment
Looking like robotic polypedes, these large ambulating contraptions are light-weight and wind-powered. Watch this 1 minute video clip. Theo Jansen’s website HERE; Via DarkRoastedBlend.
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393. Bright Idea: the Koku Cutting Board July 23, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Kitchen, Product.13 comments
On my Cutting Board 2.0 post (here), a reader kindly informed me that the Everyday Edisons‘ Koku Board has a website. This board has adjustable compartments (removable drawers) with measuring capabilities, a reversible cutting surface, and integrated graters. Check out the website HERE; Buy it HERE ($50).
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392. Bright Idea: Movable Outlets July 23, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Product.2 comments
Moving the Mountains to Mohamed: The Eubiq power system lets you slide outlets along 12 feet of the “Powertrack” to wherever you want them. Add as many outlets as will fit onto the track. They are also low to the floor and hence more out of sight. Nice. Their website and product demo HERE; via SciFiTech.
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391. Bright Idea: the Roadbag July 23, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Product.5 comments
I used to use a regular hospital issue urinal on my 8-hr car ride from college to home during breaks. It wasn’t so easy to use, especially as I worried about accidental spillage. But with the new Roadbag, a bladder-full (male) commuter pees with ease. The bag contains a powder (Polymerk) which turns urine into a gel, and is meant to be thrown away after being used. Though this Bright Idea is not green, and probably not cheap, I still thought it was creative. Via RGS.
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390. Quickie Web: Video: Bright Birds July 23, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Quickie Web, Video.add a comment
Here are quick clips of two birds coming up with some Bright Ideas (via Neatorama):
The first is a bird that hitches a ride on a moving car. I watched the entire thing to verify that the little guy wasn’t stuck (he isn’t). You only need to watch a few seconds to appreciate this crafty fellow.
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The second is a of a tool-using bird. This New Caledonian crow eventually bends a piece of wire to form a hook to retrieve an object in a tube. The clip is 38 seconds long. Link here.
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389. Bright Idea: Cutting Board 2.0 July 19, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in IdeaSpark*, Product.2 comments
Most of us who eat at home use a cutting board everyday. Here is an improved version, with magnetic side compartments to trap the food and scraps to simplify transport to their next destination, minimizing spillage. Called the “Waste and Want” cutting board, check it out HERE; Via SciFiTech. Quite similar to this Idea (on Everyday Edisons).
IdeaSpark*: Have several separate thin plastic cutting surfaces, each shaped to fit snuggly on top of this board. When you are done cutting, put the used cutting surface in the dishwasher, and the board remains clean. Get a new plastic surface from a storage space right under the board, and you are ready to prep again.
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388. Bright Idea: the Articulating Chair July 19, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Furniture, Product.add a comment
One simple flip changes the lounger on the left to the chair on the right. By Spore (their website HERE); via Core77.
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387. Quickie Web: Plaything: Monoface July 18, 2007
Posted by Matt Fleming, PsyD in Plaything, Quickie Web.1 comment so far
Monoface is an amusing and well-produced website where you create thousands of different faces by “mix-n-matching” the various mouths, noses, heads, and eyes. Have fun. Check it out HERE; via Neatorama.
I can see why everyone here is white, but the next version should have all races, with a skin tone adjuster (to make a smooth overall color match).
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