incubaker

[incubaker2]

Coffee Cup with Built in Sleeve

One of our favorite inventors and designers, Scott Amron, has done it again. Using innovate materials and design to create a simpler product with better functionality. Scott has created a disposable coffee cup with a built in sleeve. When a hot beverage is poured in the cup the sleeve swells to pad your hand from the heat. Check out the video below to see it in action...watch to the end to see the product taken to the extreme :-)

[incubaker2]

RosePad

I remember back in the day when we first started using computers in school.  I think my classroom had a Mac Plus and it was an instant hit with all my classmates.  At the time, the applications were simple/intuitive to the point where simple point, click and drag was all we needed to do.  We used it to draw and play games like Oregon Trail and Bolo (my all time fav). A lot has changed.  Students use computers in their everyday lives at school, home and in some cases keep one in their pocket.  Whats going on in the world?…Oh I’ll go to Hulu and watch the latest Daily show; what is everyone up to? …lets head over to Facebook.  Literally at their fingertips, students can find what they need courtesy of the web. But has the classroom changed all that much?  We have replaced handwritten papers with word documents and library research has been swapped with Google.  But my fear is that schools have been too slow to adapt to newer web technologies and are quickly realizing that students are learning and creating in much different ways that in the past.  Students are so connected outside of the classroom that they are fully immersed in online social networks, games and creating real content (blogs, tweets, status, videos, etc). This disconnect or what we consider a gap…is what sparked the RosePad idea.  Along with my other partners (Matt and Guillermo) we decided to create an education platform for secondary schools.  We will take many of the features that social networks have such as messaging, collaboration and applications but focus that offering for schools.  The applications are really the key as we plan on creating dynamic apps that allow for students to work together in real time whether it be a paper or simply a debate practice.  See an example here http://www.rosepad.com/our-screencast/ 3 weeks ago this journey started …keep posted on our progress with @rosepad ; also huge thanks to my incubaker family for supporting us.

[incubaker2]

tap water

The other day I was working out at the gym and was going attempting to get water into my mouth from the lousy water fountain.  Seriously low arching water fountain with a weird taste...my face was basically touching the thing.  The funny thing is that I have been experiencing this my whole life...the crappy water fountain with no water pressure and funky taste or color...WTF.   Also, the water coming out of those things isnt as appetizing when you are watching the person in front of you is basically putting their entire mouth over the faucet...you know who you are. Why are we using the same fountains as I had when I was 7 yrs old?  The answer cant be using bottled water coolers...it cant be.  The water is in this country is perfectly fine coming out of the tap...I live in SF and enjoy some of the best.   A quick glance at google shows me that all current retailers are selling same fountains as the 1980's.  You would think that some of the manufacturers are thinking, why is the pressure always low, does it get worse over time? The bottled water market

has literally exploded over the last few years and the factors range from public perception to "health" benefits of the bottled water.  I think that we should add crappy water fountains to that list.  Isn't it true?  If I cant find places to fill out my water bottle quickly and cleanly, why wouldn't I buy a bottle. What will get people to stop using bottled water?  What would be more hygienic and efficient? I just want every building to have a some sort of water bottle filler.  Maybe it is something like the kinds you find in fast food restaurants or maybe its a bit fancier and you insert your bottle and take out a filled one.  Force people to purchase refillable bottles to use the free taps.  Im sure some cobranding could increase the amount of people who use tap vs bottled water (i.e. brita branded water fountain).  Lets replace these ancient water fountains with a product we can use. By the way...I love what I'm seeing out of NYC from Tapit which displays places in the city to refill your water jug.  Their mission "But the TapIt network is not just about going bottle-less; less bottles, less recycling, less water privatization and extraction, it’s about understanding why those things are a problem and finding new and sustainable 21st century solutions."

[incubaker2]

You are 5 Minutes from Inbox Zero

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.

[incubaker2]

Sponge in Style

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!

[incubaker2]

Smart Phone, Smart Car...Why not Smart Volume?

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.

Another way of improving this would be to have different "environment settings". Now cars have memory settings for seats and GPS software, but not yet for A/C, sound and windows which each affect each other (when one is changed, the other two are usually changed as well). It would be nice if you could simply press a button to open the windows, turn off the A/C and pump the TUNES!

[incubaker2]

Future of Retail

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.

[incubaker2]

young innovation contest

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)

[incubaker2]

learn more

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.

[incubaker2]

We’ve Moved!

Thanks to the amazing people at Arnold Worldwide, we have moved into our new office space here in NYC. The air is fresh here on the 11th floor, and we are excited to continue to creating from this lovely space! The three floor office we share is full of inspiration, and overflowing with technology, books, and and some of the most creative people in the city, we couldn't have dreamed of a better space!

So, if you are in Union Sq. shoot us an email (tank[at]incubaker.com) and we can meet up, trade stories, share ideas and who knows, perhaps we can change the world :-)

If you aren’t in NYC, but still wanna share in the fun feel free to send cookies and cupcakes to:

Arnold Worldwide Mailroom ATTN:  Incubaker (11th Floor) 110 5th Avenue New York, NY 10011

[incubaker2]

Amazing race tour

So I spent an awesome weekend in Zurich with fellow incubaker, Fabian.  As he was showing me around the sites of Zurich, he told me about an awesome scavenger hunt in NYC for his friend's birthday.  In a nutshell, the scavenger hunt paired groups of 3 on a quest of clues that pointed them all over Manhattan.  Every effort was made to make this an event to remember as people scoured the city looking into bars, gardens and other locations for puzzles, clues and even passwords into secret gmail accounts.

We got to thinking...why isnt there a tour group that offers "Amazing Race" type of tours around cities?  What better way to really explore the city than make it a game and feel rewarded at the end.  For example, at the airport you are handed an envelope which outlines the overall mission that guides you to the hotel you are staying at and also where you get your first clue.  People are guided thru the city, public transport, great eating spots and sites and finally a party.   Clues can be hidden in public places, people or just puzzles and symbols.  The tour doesn't have to be for just tourists but also for long time city residents that either want to do some exploring or planning an event (i.e. birthday).  Unforgettable?  I think so...

[incubaker2]

I Go smart card

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.

[incubaker2]

ink less printer

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.

[incubaker2]

accessing a world of knowledge

For many people understanding facts is easy, but connecting the information to other information in our brains, and connecting them to a certain place on a map and a specific time in relation to other milestones is where we gain the true value of knowledge. Creating a visual and interactive method of engaging with a world of information is a daunting task but with advancements in user interface and tagging we at incubaker think we are not far off. We have come up with a concept that could be as engaging and educational for a 8 year old as it would for an 18 or even 80 year old. It is bit hard to describe so bare with me… The idea: Imagine a globe (similar to the Google Earth desktop application) with a multi-point timeline below it (similar to the kind seen on Google finance), and on the side, there are a few core categories; ‘Arts & Culture’, ‘Politics’, ‘Religion’ etc… There is also a search bar on the top of the page (see Figure above for sketch). This gives us a three dimensional axis on which to represent data; geographical, chronological and qualitative. Putting all technical steps aside (we will get to that later), lets understand how the site would interact with the user. Lets search for: ice cream. Example: I type in ice cream in the search bar with all categories selected. The earth spins backwards as it loads the information representing its search back in time. It begins with the first instance of ice cream, Faloodeh. A mixture of iced rosewater and vermicelli, with added flavors of saffron and other fruit/flower flavors created in ancient Persia circa 400 BC. I see a small marker on my globe in Persia depicting the location of origin. I can now narrow my time line view to the time of 400 BC, or expand it to modern day. As I expand my graph I see Markers pop up all over the globe representing advancements in the evolution of ice cream. For example a marker in Delhi where they began making sorbets in the 16th century. Now that we have the information lets bring it to life. I select the beginning of time on my time line, and I select all categories and I click “Play” on my search for ‘Ice cream’. The glob shows me the marker in Persia with a caption for Faloodeh, with a trail that takes me to Delhi with a caption for Sorbet, and the trail continues until I get to modern day ice cream, and the multiple flavors of Ben & Jerry’s. Technical Details: Now that you have heard the concept, lets dive into some technical details. I am not a programmer, but from what I understand, this concept only really requires a powerful semantic search that is able to break down sentences and tag the information (geo tags, time tags, and content tags). Despite how some feel about the information on sites like wikipedia, I am a strong supporter of community created content. With the vast amount of information available, a great first step would be to tag all wikipedia content. This new concept would serve only as an advanced and more visual/interactive interface for wikipedia. Other Uses and Applications: As I discussed this concept with Flavio and Fabian, we found that this same concept would work great for breaking news stories. As news broke across the globe you could see the globe spin and a news caption pop-up based on a certain keyword or category selection. I think this would make a great open source project, and I would love feedback or a collaboration team so leave a comment or send a mail if your interested!

[incubaker2]

Virgin America is Flying Ahead

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”.

[incubaker2]

Incubaker’s Holstee team in LA

Last week Mike and I flew out to Cali making stops in LA’s fashion district and some inspiring locations along the way! Here is a quick recap: [Repost from HOLSTEE blog] Pocket Fabrics! Mike and I went to just about every fabric shop checking out their latest styles. Keeping in mind some of the tips Andy and I had discussed earlier, we tried to identify some new styles to bring Holstee into the next season. We've organized a bunch of great pocket fabrics and would like you to pick which ones we go to production with in the next round ! We will be releasing the new pocket styles on facebook first, so make we're connected! Good Magazine

Good Magazine is one of our current favorite publications. It is a great source for all things ‘good’ – with bit size articles and visuals that make the thought provoking information digestible and enjoyable to read. In any case, Mike noticed they had an open-ended invitation to visit their HQ in LA. So we planned to take care of some morning emails there. Despite the fact that we popped in unannounced, we were greeted with great hospitality from the super friendly staff. We got the chance to speak with Amrit, who shared our passion for new ideas and gave us some great tips for places to go in LA! Toms Shoes

I have long been a fan of Toms Shoes. Much of our inspiration came from companies like them. With the power of positive energy pumping through our circulation, we decided to head to Santa Monica and visit the Toms Shoes headquarter. We didn't really know what to expect but we had a feeling ‘good’ things would happen once there… and well…they did! We spoke with Allison, one of the company's first employees, as she took us through the inspiring story of Toms growth. I had read the story before, but hearing it first hand in the Toms headquarters surrounded by people designing upcoming shoe styles, preparing for a photoshoot and managing their shoe inventory all at the same time the story had new meaning. We left with new appreciation for Toms, and the strategy required for creating a company that is able to scale in order to truly create a sustainable impact. Avita Coop On a roll we decided to stoop into one of LA’s hippest eco-boutiques to find out what new products were on pulse. We spoke with Janelle, the owner. Janelle has leading insight into some of the cutting edge products and fashions in the eco-world and we were glad to tap into some of her thoughts. We look forward to working with Avita coop with our next round of shirts! Multeepurpose While at Good Magazine, I noticed a small postcard that caught my attention. It said “effortless activism” the phrase instantly resonated with me and I quickly looked up the link for Multeepurpose online. Mike and I agreed: we we're not sure how we may be able to collaborate, but that we needed to get connected with these people. Navigating through LA’s rush hour Mike and I made our way to the Multeepurpose where we learned about some of the neat projects Ruriko and her team were working on. We both instantly realized shared interests, I wouldn't be surprised if we see some collaborations soon! Overall it was one great field trip in LA. Oh, did I mention we did all that in one day?! When your work is your passion superhero like productivity seems to come natural ;-)

[incubaker2]

Eye-Fi for every eye

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).

*FYI - at CES '09, Eye Fi announced that their newer chips will allow for wireless uploading of videos to your computer and even youtube!

This is a diagram from the Eye-Fi site on how the technology works