Archive for the ‘Innovation’ Category
You are 5 Minutes from Inbox Zero
Monday, January 11th, 2010
The Issue:
On a day to day basis, I find that I am most productive when I start by jotting down my priorities for the day. I often then try to budget how long each priority will take and make a schedule with it before responding email. I typically look at the number of emails I have, double it and that’s how long I estimate responding will take that morning. This is rarely accurate. The truth is, it tough to know how long clearing an inbox will take- until you go through each email.
Proposed Solution:
A Gmail labs/ plugin that tells you approximately how many minutes worth of emails you have to get to the coveted inbox zero. It may not be super accurate the first week or so, but overtime it could be. I’m not a developer, but I would guess it could consider many variables to do this, including:
- number of emails
- who they are from
- the length of the email
- the time or day you are responding
- emails you are cc’d on vs directly to you
…to name a few.
I imagine that it could eventually be able to even give you the number of minutes it has taken you to respond to an email in the past.
PS- Google people… if you’re reading this, I would also love the ability to ‘link’ to emails in from past conversations.. instead of copying & pasting large text blocks or forwarding separate emails.
PPS- I’m a gmail lover / user.. but I suppose this concept could work for any email platform.
Sponge in Style
Tuesday, January 5th, 2010
A while back we interviewed Priscilla Barton, creator of the OXO MagTacks a genius product that added functionality in its simple style. Well, she has done it again!
We are loving these Smart Sponges with their retro styling. The sponges come wafer thin and expand before use saving space till you actually need them. The best part is each sponge is labeled so you never forget what you use it for! No more getting confused on which is for the countertop and which for the dishes.
Here is an excerpt from the Smart Sponge site on the sponges:
If you have guests or roommates that don’t have the same level of germ-consciousness as you do, i.e. if you’re a little OCD, these sponges will not disappoint. Keep your roommate from using the counter sponge for dishes. Or even worse, keep them from using the toilet sponge for the bathroom sink! Yuck!
Smart Sponges are now available. Put an end to sponge anonymity!
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Smart Phone, Smart Car…Why not Smart Volume?
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
As I was driving around sunny Southern California, running errands with my windows open, blasting music, I realized that at each stoplight my music was too loud, so I would turn it down. Then, when I started again, the music would be too quiet. I did some research and found that the cars already have a system to compensate for this. Lexus and Toyota have “auto sound leveling” which I did not know that I had on my prius. I tested it out and it seems as though it does not compensate for having the windows open- only for speed. I still have to turn the volume up when I open my windows, and sometimes even when I enter the freeway. Hopefully we see more speed related options coming out on cars. For example: the windows rolling up and A/C turning on at a certain speed.Future of Retail
Saturday, November 21st, 2009
Increasingly I find people are going into stores with no intention of actually buying anything. They are going to stores to touch, try and ask questions about a product in person then jot down the description of the ones plan to buy so later they can go online to purchase it for less $ and have it sent directly to them. A trend like this which provides so much benefit to consumers is likely to grow, even at the detriment of retail stores.
What if stores just stopped holding inventory or distributing physical products all together? By taking the ‘Experience Store’ concept to the next level, stores could still offer an opportunity for customers to come in, look at sunglasses, try them on, ask if they float – and if they like them, they could even complete the transaction in the store (or opt to have the product info emailed). In this model, no products ever enter or leave the actual store. Instead of making profits from selling inventory, they would make money by leasing space directly to manufacturers who want to drive awareness and get products into consumers hands. Orders placed in the store could be referred directly to fulfillment centers managed directly by manufacturers.
Why stores might love this..
> they would save a great deal of space that would otherwise be taken up by inventory/ stock rooms. Thus allowing them to offer more product variety
> they would no longer have to worry about the risks of managing (theft, loss, damage, returns) / forecasting inventory (overstocking or stocking out)
Why manufacturers might love this..
>By side stepping the need to sell their products wholesale (typically 1/2 the retail price) to store fronts, they will be able to reap much much higher profitability by selling directly to the customer
>getting closer to the customer end consumer means they will be able to ramp up, cut or tweak production faster
Why consumers might love this..
> More product variety in stores
> Since stores will need a much smaller margin to cover their overhead (as they no longer carry inventory costs) the end price to consumers would be significantly lowered
> less shopping bags! 
Despite all the pro’s there are still potential drawbacks to this strategy…
> It completely disrupts the way traditional distribution systems have been built, meaning lots of upfront $$ will be required to perfect it
>there are those times when we all like to have products immediately, in which case this system would not cut it.
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young innovation contest
Monday, August 10th, 2009
I was recently browsing thru the entries for the James Dyson Awards and came across some neat new concepts that I wanted to share. If you are unfamiliar with the award, it is a contest to uncover the best new product design, industrial design and engineering university level students all over the world.
Shrinking Milk Jug – I have actually seen this one on a few other blogs as well. The idea is the milk jug collapses in size as you drink more milk leaving less air trapped inside. As a result, less air means less milk spoilage…great concept for the US and under-developed countries.
Steady Grip - This was a funny one that really makes sense. It is meant to replace cheap flimsy shopping baskets that you find at all grocery stores. The design of the basket helps distribute the weight of the basket so it is easier to hold and it doesn’t hit your legs with each stride.
Refridgerator – This neat fridge uses a transparent door and holds food in many different sections to minimize the about of opening and closing (and your utility bill)
learn more
Monday, July 6th, 2009
What do you really learn in elementary school? Parents spend so much time stressing out over picking the perfect school district or program that they sometimes follow the “book” too closely. Should we be concerned at getting the highest test score or reading above your grade level? A few innovative programs challenge the norm and focus on inspiring the creative and lifestyle qualities in young learners. I really find them interesting and hope to find more programs budding up in our local neighborhoods.
The Blue school is a program created by the same people who brought us the Blue Man Group theatrical production. This NYC school flips the education model upside-down by letting young students pick the things they want to learn while making sure the innovative and creative process is started at any early age. It wouldn’t be out of question to see yoga teachers, bench building to poem writing.
The mission says it all, “to cultivate creative, joyful, and compassionate inquirers who use courageous and innovative thinking to build a harmonious and sustainable world.” Read more about the program here and check out a sample lesson from the Blue School.
Another great program is called The Edible Schoolyard, which teaches middle school kids in Berkley, CA about the benefits of creating a sustainable garden and inspire students of the important connection between food, health and the environment. In addition to growing a garden, kids learn cooking tecniques and the importance of understanding where your food comes from, balancing a meal, cooking and sharing in joy of eating. Read more about the program here.
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I Go smart card
Thursday, June 4th, 2009
I recently read about the I Go smart card and was truly blown away. The I Go concept is pretty straightforward as it connects all of Chicago’s buses, subways, trains and car-sharing programs into one shared system all accessible from ONE smart card. Imagine going up to one universal kiosk and putting money on your smart card that allows you to ride a bus to a train and then finally drive in a shared car.
I appreciate the concept since living in San Francisco has been a public transportation headache as its disconnected systems have been a interesting learning curve from the BART, Muni, Caltrain to a few car sharing programs. Boston’s Charlie card system is quite successful as it connects all the subways and buses in the city, nicely managing transfers via the card. My only hope if the cities open up the system to start allowing for using the smart cards at vending machines or merchants.
ink less printer
Saturday, April 25th, 2009
I came across this neat new technology from Zink Imaging that has essentially eliminated the need for ink cartridges. We all go thru that painful cycle of not wanting to go out and buy new ink while our printers slowly churn out unreadable copies of spotted ink. Zink is neat in that the ink is actually embedded in the paper while the printer uses special heat sensors to heat up the crystals in the ink to bring the color to life.
It is especially useful in mobile printers as it greatly reduces the size and weight. The printer shown here is produced by Dell by licensing Zink technology.
Virgin America is Flying Ahead
Friday, March 20th, 2009
Currently flying from JFK to SFO on Virgin America and there are a few innovative things here that are definitely worth noting. (For those who have recently flown Virgin America, this may not be news to you but if you see that I missed something please post it in the comments!)
Ambiance – For better or worse I felt like I was stepping onto a space shuttle the cabin was lit up with blue and pink lights, and sections were divided with tinted windows. Almost felt like I was walking into a techno club. I am on the fence about the ‘futuristic’ environment they have chosen to create, but it wasn’t a dingy cramped feeling that one often feels when getting on a plane. Plus the modern finishings some how made me feel safer, as if the plane had more recently been tended to.
Safety Video – This was cool. The safety video was drawn out like a cartoon, and built in some brief comedic relief. Very cute, but still informative.
TV /Movies/ Games / Music – Nothing too new here, but having on-demand movies, music, and TV is always great!
Food / Drinks – At any time during the flight you can tap on the on screen menu and order food or drinks to your seat. Genius. This eliminates the bottlenecks and chaos of Flight attendants carting those awkward food trucks down the aisle and gives people what they want when they want it. I literally tapped on coffee, plus sugar, and milk, and a few moments later my selection in hand.
Chatting – This really impressed me. There was a Chat Room available so I could use my controller (which had a built in qwerty keyboard) to chat to everyone on the plane who was in the room! I could also select individual seats on the plane and initiate a conversation with them. I often meet some of the most inspiration people on planes, so any ways to increase communication is great!
Shopping – while I am not a huge shopper and I do see this as a great business strategy for Virgin. People can browse through products and buy them instantly from their seat. What would be very cool is if while listening to the music I could order an album and have an email sent to me to download a digital copy of the album when off the plane. Or order the playlist I create to download on iTunes once landed. Also in the shopping section I was glad to see that Virgin offered the ability for people to buy carbon credits to offset the carbon footprint of their flight!
In terms of airlines, Jet Blue and Virgin are close competitors in my book. Jet Blue seems leaps ahead in customer service – got to love the jokes of the flight attendants and pilots!
The user interface for the media center on Virgin does leave much to be desired, but the functionality is there.
To all the other airlines out there…get your act together. Flying should be fun and easy, learn from your competitors in a time of decreased travel if you want to be the airline of choice you should live by the maxim “innovate or die”.
Eye-Fi for every eye
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
I just came across a really neat technology that will really help certain customers reduce some of the hassle of uploading photos from your digital camera to your computer (or sites like flickr or facebook). Eye-Fi is a memory card (SD format) that allows for you to wirelessly upload photos to your computer or favorite photo sharing website. All you have to do is pop in your new memory card in your camera (see image below). Even though wireless digital cameras are out on the market, they are still a relatively newer technology that is still a bit pricey compared to regular cameras. Furthermore, most camera owners are still happy with their current model and have no intentions of upgrading in the next few years. This is a great bridge technology that makes it really easy for the average user to upgrade their current camera. This has great implications for frequent bloggers, facebook addicts, and people who wait for ever to upload their photos (trips, vacations, parties and events).
