Entrepreneur.com: When Victoria Malmer went online to research different diets, she noticed a common thread among the many different discussion groups: the desire for water that didn't taste so plain. After discussing her findings with friend Paul Staunton, both felt a definite market existed for water flavorings. And by making them calorie- and sugar-free, they would appeal not only to diet-conscious individuals, but also to diabetics and anyone else mindful of their sugar intake. "We realized that whether it's low-carb, low-fat or no-bread, diets come and go," says Staunton. "We wanted to have something that would cross all borders. Everyone wants to drink more water."

Malmer, 42, and Staunton, 46, contacted different flavor manufacturers and conducted a double-blind taste test on their friends with fruit-flavored samples. Based on those results, the partners started with 16 fruit flavors, including peach, pineapple, raspberry and strawberry. Rather than sell flavored bottled water, they opted instead to package the concentrated flavors (available sweetened or unsweetened, but all calorie-free) in small, 1-ounce dropper bottles for $9.95 each. Their rationale: You don't have to lug around a bottled drink to a destination, the flavor can be added to any beverage or food, and you can adjust the intensity of the flavor to your liking.

Staunton, a database programmer, and Malmer, a newspaper editor, operate PAES in their off hours but have already won the 2004 Carb-Aware Consumer Choice Awards Product of the Year and received a good amount of media buzz. Sold through Flavors2Go.com and Castus Superstores, they currently have a distributor in Canada and the United Arab Emirates. With 2005 sales projections breaking $250,000, the co-founders have also introduced an imitation honey that is enticing even more customers to indulge their sweet tooths.

For Sweet Tooths [Entrepreneur.com]

Trendwatching: Remix Culture is about clever programmers modifying Sony's Portable PlayStation days after it hit the shelves Only days in the US this March; remix fanatics have added chat and TV to the device's functionalities, cleverly capitalizing on the PSP's WiFi connection and other built-in, semi-locked online capabilities.

Is Remix Culture a techie-only affair?

Nope. It works just fine for sneakers, too: all over the web, sneaker freaks are uploading pics of their 'remixed' shoes; check out French Shoes-Up, a gallery where Adidas customers display their own version of Adidas' Superstar line, celebrating its 35th anniversary (see picture above). And who by now hasn't heard of the Adidas Zissou sneakers featured in the movie 'The Life Aquatic'. White/yellow sneakers with light blue striping (see below), these fictional shoes had thousands of sneaker freaks lusting after them, until remixers not only designed and produced their own - the DIY guide is still online - but also put them up for sale on eBay earlier this year.

Customer-Made [Trendwatching]

FortWayne.com: Now that every corner beauty shop calls itself a day spa, along comes something new: the day resort.

That’s what Cornelia Zicu calls the haven she opened recently on top of the Ferragamo building in Manhattan.

The main level houses 11 facial and massage rooms, luxurious locker rooms, a hair salon, a separate barbershop and a tranquil relaxation area where staff members brew tea or pour Champagne for guests awaiting treatments.

For a true urban treat, though, there’s the roof garden (scheduled to open in June) where guests can catch some sun or have a lazy lunch from Cafe Cornelia.

The roof level also features three soaking tubs, four body treatment rooms and a pool for Watsu massage.

A signature massage is $150, a facial is $175 – and each comes with an array of tempting enhancers such as hot stones or aromatherapy that sends the prices higher.

Day resort new trend in pampering [FortWayne.com]

Iconoculture: Live for the rush ... and proud of it? Muscovie Design jewelry is stylish, even subtle, molecular-based jewelry that lets adrenaline, serotonin, and caffeine junkies wear their passion. The sterling-silver earrings, rings, and necklaces sprout circles embedded with brightly colored acrylic. The arrangements represent the molecular structures of six different “substances that affect mood” – and they’re chemically accurate, too (MotherDigital.info 1.8.05). Proof that, for women, “science becomes you” (MightyGoods.com 1.7.05).

The jewelry’s mod design makes it a sophisticated way to flaunt a fetish. Jewelry junkies can even customize the molecular mounting and choose a round or square ring band (TheCarrotBox.com 1.9.05). Distinctive wearables, like Biojewelry and LifeGems, provide personality clues and make for decorative conversation starters. And they’re so much cooler than an “I heart coffee” T-shirt.

Wearable Wit [Iconoculture]

Wired News: Sony Online Entertainment, the developer of massively multiplayer online games like EverQuest and Star Wars Galaxies, is the first major U.S. publisher to facilitate the buying and selling of virtual goods.

Late Tuesday, the company unveiled Station Exchange, an auction site that allows players to spend real money on virtual weapons, armor, coins and new, high-level characters.

The service isn't set to go live until the end of June, and will initially be restricted to the wildly popular EverQuest II game, which in five months has built a player base of more than 350,000.

If the service is a success, similar auction services will be established for Sony's other online games, the company said.

The move is surprising because SOE has been one of the fiercest and most vocal opponents of MMO players who spend real money on virtual assets.

Like SOE, most MMO publishers ban the practice, making the traffic of virtual goods almost entirely illicit. Players are often cheated by shady traders who don't deliver as promised or who rescind payment after getting an item. As a result, SOE claims its customer service staff is constantly bogged down with angry players who have been defrauded.

But virtual goods may be worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year, and there's a lot of money to be made brokering the deals.

Sony Gets Real on Virtual Goods [Wired News]

Yenra: Vista del Campo, a student housing development on the University of California, Irvine campus, was named Best Student Housing Apartment Community by the National Association of Home Builders. The award went to the complex's architectural firm, KTGY Group, for the 1,488-bed community developed and managed by American Campus Communities.

"The University appreciates the spirit of cooperation between the developer, owner and architects on this project," said Richard Orr of UCI. "This award signifies how a synergistic approach to a privatized development results in a thriving student community."

Vista del Campo's 16,800 square-foot community center features a state-of-the-art theater, a computer center, game room, conference room, social lounge with fireplace, dining room with kitchen private study rooms, modern fitness center, laundry facilities and management offices. Outside amenities feature a resort-style swimming pool with spa, courtyards with barbeque grills and picnic areas, sand volleyball court and a basketball court. The community combines numerous small courtyards that provide easy points of social interaction along a 28-foot wide Great Street, a pedestrian and bicycle traffic area functioning as the artery of the community

"The design concept came when we observed students flocking to densely populated areas like Balboa Island," said Clint Braun of ACC. "We attempted to replicate that social atmosphere by breaking a large development into smaller neighborhoods."

The community has been successful in attracting students UCI to Vista del Campo. Ten months before opening, Vista del Campo was leased to capacity. The community currently has 1,000 students on the Fall 2005 waiting list. Following the success of the $104.5 million Vista del Campo, a second phase with 1,564 beds is under construction and scheduled for completion in Fall 2006.

Student Housing [Yenra]

CoolBusinessIdeas Newsletter Issue 14: 10/04/05 - 23/04/05

New Business Ideas/Opportunities Featured In This Issue:

CONSUMER GOODS
Kleenex Moist Cloth
Kleenex Moist Cloths are thick, soft, disposable hand and face cloths created for use around the home.

Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteens
Oral-B is pushing its new Brush Aways product with a sampling campaign at Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteens.

TRENDS & INSIGHTS
Local Shopping on the Internet
70 percent of American households now find local businesses using the Internet!

TV Advertising Trends
One of the great contradictions of modern American life is that almost everyone watches television while almost no one agrees anymore about what it really means to watch television.

FOOD & BEVERAGE
Hooah! Energy Bar
Hooah!, an energy bar that has been officially fueling American soldiers in Iraq, is now available to civilians too!

Whims!
Pepperidge Farm has announced the launch of Whims(TM) cookies, a unique line of bite-sized cookies.

TECHNOLOGY
High-Tech Threads
Textiles are no longer just the stuff of clothing, carpets and furniture covering, but can also be found in lifesaving medical devices.

Technologies for 2025
What will be the revolutionary technologies of the next 20 years? As any futurist will admit, there's simply no clear answer. Read to find out more…

Learning Ecosystem Through Tech
Erez Kikin-Gil 's Eco Pod is a TUI-controlled system that mimics the growth of a plant and allows children to keep track of their class garden and learn.

LIFESTYLE
Mood-Lites
Mood-Lites, the ultimate lighting to enhance the spa lifestyle, dubbed a "must have" by The New York Daily News, has arrived!

SERVICES
Why I Bank With Umpqua
Umpqua's advance guard: trucks filled with free ice-cream sandwiches.

Biographies Online For Future Historians?
In an age when e-mail and text messaging are making letter writing obsolete one program is fighting to create an online permanent record for future historians and biographers.

MARKETING
Targeting Blogs
Carat Interactive in the US has launched a new practice dedicated to using blogs as an advertising medium.

Marketing With Aroma
Help consumers overcome boredom and throw in some empathy as well! Last year, Senseo Coffee Machines installed coffee machines at a number of Dutch bus and tram stops, offering waiting passengers a cup of fresh brewed coffee.

GADGETS
The Ring That Wakes You Up Gently
This alarm clock provides a fresh awakening by synchronizing with the user's sleep cycles.

GAMES
Game of Life
Victoria Gatling has developed software without high-octane explosions, vulgarity or murder.

ADVERTISING
Dynamic In-Game Advertising
New York start-up Massive is set to launch its in-game advertising network.

FASHION
More Than Just a Silver Spoon
In the last year, two categories in retailing seem to be doing well: infants and luxury.

MOBILE
Mobile TV
Mobile TV is going to be a gold mine, according to a new report by ABI Research.

This Phone Recognises My Speech
The Samsung SPH-P207 is the first to incorporate speech-recognition technology for dictation of text messages.

RETAIL
Wearing the Game
Sports fans love sporting team pride. With dress shirts, two-team jerseys, retro sportswear, and plenty of booty for female fans, today’s merchandise goes beyond the traditional jersey!

ENTERTAINMENT
Party On The Go
Airstream’s convertible RV, the SkyDeck, features a rooftop lounge with an entertainment center, wet bar, and beach umbrellas -- an ultimate party pad on wheels!

TOURISM
Space Tourism Franchise
Space pioneer Burt Rutan foresees space tourism companies running like a fast-food franchises, with his company licensing spacecraft to tour operators.

View this issue of the CoolBusinessIdeas Newsletter by clicking here. Subscribe for free (bonus gifts included with subscription) by clicking here.

ITWorld: Efforts to introduce electronic-ticketing systems in Germany's huge mass transit sector have moved forward with the successful testing of a smart card system that combines RFID (radio frequency identification).

T-Systems International GmbH, the IT services and infrastructure arm of German telco Deutsche Telekom AG, has developed an e-ticketing system in collaboration with the German Mass Transit Authority (VDV), which represents hundreds of regional bus and train companies in the country, said Frankfurt-based T-Systems in a statement on Thursday.

The system consists of several components: the so-called "VDV core application," a semiconductor-based smart card equipped with a miniature antenna, RFID technology for retrieving data from the cards over the airwaves and sensor-based card readers.

The technology allows passengers to pass by a card reader without having to swipe or insert their cards into the device.

RFID hooks ride on German mass transit [ITWorld]

PicturePhoning.com: MobuzzTV is mobile video entertainment tailor made for cellphones, a channel which broadcasts "daily visual snacks to the content curious generation".

Its available through (European) operators or by downloading online. See how to page.

It's fast, it's fun, it's cheeky, it's irreverant. It's fabulous. It's exactly what mobile entertainment should be. It's about art, it's about tech, it's about entertainment, it's about the lighter side of world news and it's my new favorite place for finding new stories and just having a good time.

In their own words:

Do you generally go online to check on the latest trends and information? Are you a fan of blogs? Do you appreciate a lighthearted, even irreverent take on current events? But do you hate being tied to your computer? Then MobuzzTV may be just what’re looking for.

Daily news, celebrity interviews, cyber news, and a variety of other features, mobuzztv strives to keep you informed and entertained no matter where you are.

mobuzzTV - Cool and Sticky Content [PicturePhoning.com]

USATODAY: The force is already out in force as the May 19 debut of Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith nears. Consumers are being flooded with Star Wars-themed TV commercials, print ads, soft-drink promotions, video games and "collectible" action figures and toys.

But "buyer beware," warns Jeremy Beckett, author of The Official Price Guide to Star Wars Memorabilia. Most of the collectibles that fans and treasure-hunters will squirrel away will be virtually worthless in the future beyond sentimental value because of the quantities being churned out.

Star Wars is one of the all-time moneymaking franchises, generating nearly $3.4 billion in global box office and $9 billion in retail sales since 1977. As the buzz builds for the finale of George Lucas' space series, consumers won't be able to swing a light saber without seeing, hearing or reading references to Darth Vader, Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi over the next month.

Promotional partners Pepsi, Burger King, Cingular Wireless, America Online, M&M/Mars and Kellogg are launching a multimillion-dollar cross-promotion to push their own brands while basking in the reflected glory of Hollywood. As partners, they get the rights to use Star Wars characters in their advertising.

Star Wars In Action [USATODAY]

BusinessWeek: A wireless phone's main function is converting human speech into digital signals and back again. So why not harness handsets' speech-processing ability to solve a problem nearly everyone encounters when using cell phones for e-mail or other data applications? I'm referring to the difficulty of entering text on a dial pad, which speech recognition can remedy.

Manufacturers are finally getting serious about this solution. Use of spoken commands to dial calls and control other functions has been around for a while on some high-end handsets. But the Samsung SPH-P207 ($200 with a two-year contract from Cingular Wireless) is the first to incorporate speech-recognition technology for dictation of text messages. I found that, once I got the hang of the technique, speaking messages was much faster than tapping them out.

At Last, a Phone That Takes Dictation [BusinessWeek]

New Scientist: Space pioneer Burt Rutan foresees space tourism companies running like a fast-food franchises, with his company licensing spacecraft to tour operators. But he says he may have trouble cutting through federal regulations to get there.

His company, Scaled Composites, built SpaceShipOne, the rocket plane that won the Ansari X Prize for private space flight in 2004. Scaled Composites has already signed a deal to build five spaceships for Virgin Galactic - a division of the Virgin Group.

Rutan declined to give detailed information about his future business plans before the US House Committee on Science’s Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics on Wednesday. But he did say he sees it running like a Wendy’s fast-food franchise, with his company implementing strict rules for tour operators about safety and operations. “We won’t sell spaceships to space lines that aren’t safe to fly,” he says.

Unlike SpaceShipOne, the next generation of Scaled Composite spaceships will have large cabins and big windows. Passengers will be able to float around the cabin during the four to five minutes of weightlessness. The trips will be a reasonably straightforward up and down voyage: Rutan says his company has not made the technological breakthroughs necessary for safe and affordable orbital trips as yet.

In the first year of operation, Rutan estimates that 500 people could fly to the fringe of space, about 100 kilometres. By the twelfth year, that number could reach 100,000, he says.

Space tourism industry to run 'like fast-food franchises' [New Scientist]

We Make Money Not Art: Erez Kikin-Gil 's Eco Pod is a TUI-controlled system that mimics the growth of a plant and allows children to keep track of their class garden and learn how the different natural elements influence it, and each other, over time.

One pod represents the wind, another the sun's heat, a third one the light and the last one represents the rain. Each pod can be manipulated with a movement or action characteristic of the natural element it represents. If you blow on the "wind" pod, you'll see on the computer screen the effect wind can have on a flower, if you pour water onto the "rain" pod, the flower will be watered as well, etc.

The Eco Pod keeps track of daily changes in the plant environment, by employing environmental sensors, they monitor the water level in the soil, the amount of light, the temperature, and the wind. The system also captures daily images of the plant.

Every now and then, the child can take the Eco-Pods to the information retrieval system and transfer the data to the "plant diary" software. This way, the kid can see the changes of the different elements over time, draw conclusions about their impact on the growth of the plant, but also internalize Systems Thinking concepts, such as feedback loops, stocks and flows, and changes over time.

Learning Ecosystem Through Tech [We Make Money Not Art]

Iconoculture: Airstream’s convertible RV, the SkyDeck, features a rooftop lounge with an entertainment center, wet bar, and beach umbrellas.

It’s an ultimate party pad on wheels. For ultraluxe road warriors, every day has the potential to be a day in the sun. So why not live it up?

The latest status symbol in the RV park? Cocktail parties up top, my dear. Airstream flips its lid for luxury with its convertible SkyDeck, a fully furnished rooftop lounge complete with barbecue, entertainment center, wet bar, and jaunty beach umbrellas. An elegant hardwood staircase inside the coach leads up to the deck, which pops open with the flick of two switches in just 30 seconds. The open-air patio seats at least 15 people on comfy cushions, yet adds only 10 inches of height to a standard coach when it’s collapsed.

The panoramic view from the rooftop alone might lure some affluents to take this, the ultimate party pad on wheels, for a test drive. For outdoor partiers, upscale tailgaters, and the superluxury RV crowd, every day feels like a day in the sun. So why not bask?

Party On The Go [Iconoculture]

Brand Republic: Oral-B is pushing its new Brush Aways product with a sampling campaign at Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteens that is an unusual twist on the post-meal mint. From April 18, at the end of every meal customers will be offered a complimentary Brush Away in place of the normal mint that accompanies the bill.

The idea behind the Brush Away is that people no longer need a traditional toothbrush, a swig of water and a blob of toothpaste to clean their teeth. The product is a textured teeth wipe that is individually wrapped and slide overs the user's fingertip

Rufus Hall, managing director of Ha! Ha! Bar & Canteens, said: "Our customers really respond to quirky new inventions -- it's all part of the Ha! Ha! experience."

The latest launch in the oral care and beauty market is Oral-B's biggest initiative for three years and is being supported by a £1.7m advertising campaign.

Oral-B backs Brush Aways launch with Ha! Ha! Bar sampling dirve [Brand Republic]

Iconoculture: Baseball caps are de rigueur for Sunday afternoon games. Now the entrepreneurs behind GameWear have stitched together a baseball necklace they hope becomes standard attire. A fan can send GameWear a commemorative baseball for fashioning into a "wearable trophy" necklace made from the ball’s leather and 108 stitches. While diehards aren't likely to part with an autographed Cal Ripken, foul balls are fair game. And those leery of parting with memorabilia can purchase premade necklaces and bracelets sporting favorite team logos.

Sports fans love sporting team pride. With dress shirts, two-team jerseys, retro sportswear, and plenty of booty for female fans, today’s merchandise goes beyond the traditional jersey. Add GameWear’s unique ball baubles to the list, giving fans a chance to cheer collectively while flaunting individual style.

Ball Bling [Iconoculture]

Trendwatching.com: Who likes to wait? Help consumers overcome boredom and throw in some empathy as well! Last year, Senseo Coffee Machines installed coffee machines at a number of Dutch bus and tram stops, offering waiting passengers a cup of fresh brewed coffee. Perhaps not the most spectacular TRYVERTISING stunt ever, but ten times more relevant to consumers than a billboard trying to show the aromas.

TRYVERTISING [Trendwatching.com]

Global:Ideas:Bank: In an age when e-mail and text messaging are making letter writing obsolete one program is fighting to create an online permanent record for future historians and biographers. The website www.libraryoflife.org is the brainchild of Stephen Forsyth who wanted a way to preserve the memory of his late brother, James. The project aims to record the names and biographies of as many people as possible. The site offers options to those who wish to keep their details private but other can post full biographies and photos.

Anyone can registrar there name and picture for free. For a fee of £16.25 they will be able to post unlimited text, up to 200 pictures, five minutes of film, and 20 minutes of sound. "The website will ensure that all future generations can learn from our experiences," said Henry Chamberlain, the managing director of the Library of Life Trust. "We believe it will become a duty for the young to help the older generations to take part."

The sites goal is to record generations of experiences and advice they are afraid is being lost in emails, text messages, and phone calls.

Biographies Online For Future Historians? [Global:Ideas:Bank]

The Mobile Technology Weblog: Mobile TV is going to be a gold mine and errr...bigger than a big thing on Planet Big, if we're to believe a new report by ABI Research. This will surely have mobile operators celebrating in the streets and and writing out Purchase Orders to buy copies of the report telling them how clever and successful they're going to be.

Even more promisingly, this new genre of mobile programming will be based on the old "one to many" broadcast concept. And operators will be able to cross sell a range of related content like sports stats, ring tones, logos etc. "The list of revenue opportunities is huge" is case you hadn't figured out what they're saying.

Mobile TV is a Goldmine according to ABI Research [The Mobile Technology Weblog]

The New York Times: One of the great contradictions of modern American life is that almost everyone watches television while almost no one agrees anymore about what it really means to watch television. True, we know that as spring gets under way, new episodes of ''Desperate Housewives'' and ''C.S.I.'' and ''American Idol'' will battle for prime-time supremacy in the overnight Nielsen ratings. We also know that local broadcast stations around the country will begin scheming -- just as they do every April -- to win the May sweeps, the tense weeks when rival stations pursue a fierce one-upmanship of flamboyance and hype and the Nielsen-measured audience sizes determine future advertising rates. But when it comes to figuring out how many of us are watching these shows, and whether we're paying attention while we're watching and even whether we're actually noticing the advertisements among the shows we may or may not be watching -- well, this is where things get tricky.

For the past decade or so, watching television in America has been defined by the families recruited by Nielsen Media Research who have agreed to have an electronic meter attached to their televisions or to record in a diary what shows they watch. This setup may not last much longer. Just as programmers and advertisers are clamoring for a better understanding of the television audience, a wave of new consumer products has made it increasingly difficult to satisfy them. One day this January I sat in a Greenwich Village workroom with Bob Luff, the chief technology officer at Nielsen, as he pulled out gadget after gadget to show me what he's up against. Luff seemed to view the modern American home as a digital zoo where the lion is about to lie down with the lamb: radio is going on the Web, TV is going on cellphones, the Web is going on TV and everything, it seems, is moving to video-on-demand (V.O.D.) and (quite possibly) the iPod and the PlayStation Portable. ''Television and media,'' Luff said over the noise of five sets tuned to five different channels, ''will change more in the next 3 or 5 years than it's changed in the past 50.''

Our Ratings, Ourselves [The New York Times]

The New York Times: Babies wearing emeralds?

Well, why not? In the last year, two categories in retailing seem to be doing well: infants and luxury. Witness the success of Babies "R" Us, even as Toys "R" Us struggles. On the luxury end, see how Neiman Marcus's sales and stock price keep going up and up.

So it figures that some entrepreneur - maybe more than one - would try to put the two categories together. Although products like cashmere baby quilts and sterling silver rattles have been around for a long time, several companies are introducing items to bedazzle the youngest prince or princess.

One brand, BabyGund, offers "birth diamond" necklaces, starting at $620; "baby blossom" earrings with emeralds, at $280; and tiny necklaces and bracelets with pink sapphire hearts for hundreds and thousands of dollars.

Born With a Silver Spoon? No, That's So Ordinary [The New York Times]

PRNewswire: Pepperidge Farm, Incorporated, the leading premium baker in the U.S., today announced the launch of Whims(TM) cookies, a unique line of bite-sized cookies that continue the company's heritage of innovation. Whims, which come in two varieties, clusters and waves, provide consumers with a new munching experience, a sweet poppable treat that can be eaten at home, at work or on the go.

"Whims cookies have been a labor of love getting the product exactly right," said Jay Gould, Pepperidge Farm President. "At a time when the industry's overall sales have been flat, we've continued to maintain our growth by providing the very best in product quality combined with unique product innovations."

Everything about Whims cookies is designed to meet the consumers' desire for delicious snacks that are as convenient as they are scrumptious. The cookies, packaged in a unique canister that sits equally well in the kitchen cabinet or a car's cupholder, come in six flavors; three Crispy Waves: Chocolate Chip, Mint Chocolate Chip and Toffee Chip; and three Crunchy Clusters: Chocolate Chocolate, Chocolate Cashew and White Chocolate Pecan. The product's playfulness can even be seen at the retail shelf where package graphics are reversed on each side and canisters can be stacked either right side up or upside down.

New Pepperidge Farm Whims(TM) Reinvigorate the Cookie Category [PRNewswire]

CFO.com: When CFO began publishing, back in the primordial ooze of 1985, each issue contained a sizable amount of technology coverage. The editorial slant made sense. The arrival of IBM's original personal computer just a few years earlier, and the subsequent release of Lotus 1-2-3, had turned the finance function on its head. Suddenly liberated from the drudgery of manually tabulating figures, controllers and finance chiefs found they could close the books in days, not lunar cycles. Moreover, groundbreaking new programs like Quicken and Hardisk Accounting made rolling up columns into the general ledger a snap.

Not surprisingly, many, if not most, of the products we covered two decades ago seem quaint today. For instance, a mobile telephone that barely fits in the trunk of a car hardly qualifies as mobile now; likewise, a 28-pound Compaq Portable computer isn't all that portable. Nevertheless, a number of the first-generation products we've reported on over the years — accounting software, laptop computers, and, later, E-mail and enterprise resource planning software — have become standard operating equipment in the office of the 21st century.

What will be the revolutionary technologies of the next 20 years? As any futurist will admit, there's simply no clear answer. Experts say exponentially faster processors, coupled with a vastly improved communications network, could usher in the era of pervasive computing. It could just as easily usher in an era of pervasive irritability, as information overload becomes commonplace. Wild cards such as nanotechnology and phenotropics (software) may take things in completely unexpected directions.

That said, we decided to read the tea leaves and predict which innovations will radically transform commerce over the next two decades. Of course, we also consulted with analysts, scientists, and CIOs. While all had differing opinions on what the next big things will be, a few technologies kept coming up in our conversations, and we settled on those. Not content merely to identify the technologies, we also forecast the years when they will be widely adopted. (If we're wrong, talk to us in 2025.)

In the Year 2025 [CFO.com]

CNet: Be prepared for such moments to become a regular occurrence, thanks to a new service that inserts dynamic ads into video games. After several months of beta testing, New York start-up Massive is set to launch its in-game advertising network on Monday, with support from several major game publishers and mainstream advertisers such as Coca-Cola and Intel.

In-game advertising has become a growing source of revenue for publishers over the past few years, with developers of sports games in particular financing much of their work through product placement fees. Shag a deep fly ball in the latest baseball game, for example, and the outfield fence will probably be emblazoned with paid ads from real companies.

Massive will take advertising to another level by serving up dynamic ads, said Nicholas Longano, chief marketing officer for the Los Angeles-based company. Pass a virtual billboard in the latest "Splinter Cell" counterterrorism game, for example, and it could be hawking soft drinks one day and the latest Vin Diesel movie the next.

Play to pay: Service inserts ads in games [CNet]

Entrepreneur.com: Victoria Gatling, 36, started to notice a disturbing trend in her family's funeral-home business: "They were burying more and more young people, [victims] of so many violent, senseless crimes." Believing there was a connection between those violent crimes and today's video games, this mother of game-loving children decided to take matters into her own hands.

Starting with $50,000 from friends, family and personal savings, Gatling, a former marketing representative, developed software without high-octane explosions, vulgarity or murder. Her pioneer game, Obstacles of Life, features David, a character facing moral stumbling blocks. The deceptive characters wear street clothes "because I want the kids to know that the devil is not a man in a red suit with horns," says Gatling, who's since authored more than 35 games.

Gatling persuaded pastors to let her present the games to their congregations. Many parents, unaware of the violent content of games prior to her presentations, jumped to try the $14.99 alternatives, which are currently sold nationwide via phone and online orders, as well as regionally at church conventions. Year-end 2005 sales are expected to range between $500,000 and $600,000--Gatling is in talks with Wal-Mart stores and plans to pitch electronics boutiques and game shops later this year.

Game of Life [Entrepreneur.com]

We Make Money Not Art: One of my first stop yesterday at the Salone del Mobile in Milan was at Promise Design, New Design from Israel, at the Triennale.

Tomer Sapir's "Concept for a bedroom unit" integrates a table, a reading lamp and an alarm clock. The alarm clock provides a fresh awakening by synchronizing with the user's sleep cycles. We've heard of that before: there's a watch and a headband that do the same. I just find them rather clumsy.

Sapir's alarm works by measuring your sleep cycle and waits for you to be in your lightest phase of sleep before going off. Only this time the alarm teams up wirelessly with a simple, light ring you slip on your finger when going to bed. You set up the alarm at the latest time you want it to go off. The ring monitors your body activity and sends the signal to the alarm to wake you up when it senses that you're in the "light" phase of your sleep circle.

The alarm clock itself displays no number at all, two dots of light represent the minute hand and the hour hand, like a traditional analogue clock.

To make the lamp, the designer have your eye scanned. The image of the iris is then printed on the plastic shade of the lamp and a graphic designer samples the colours of the iris and uses them to paint some of the unit's parts.

The Ring That Wakes You Up Gently [We Make Money Not Art]

NetImperative: Carat Interactive in the US has launched a new practice dedicated to using blogs as an advertising medium.

The practice will focus on three key areas including: planning and buying ads on blogs and blog networks; "blog initiation", which is thought to be a contract blog operation; and blog monitoring, which will track comments on key brands throughout the blog community.

Carat is thought to be the first media buying agency to create such a practice, and has already worked with both Kodak and PalmOne on blog projects. The practice will be offered as part of Carat Interactive's integrated media planning and buying service, and will work in tandem with the creative and content group.

Said Carat Interactive president Toby Gabriner: "Some of the most loved and most trafficked sites on the web are blogs. Leading brands have a unique opportunity to extend their online advertising programme with blogs and, with this new focus within the media group, we can help clients understand how best to integrate blogging into their marketing programmes."

Carat Targets Blogs [NetImperative]

FastCompany: The residents of northern California got their first taste of Umpqua Bank last July when the ice-cream trucks rolled in. Only days earlier, the little-known Oregon community bank with the weird name had made headlines when it announced the acquisition of a local 27-branch bank. Now, here came Umpqua's advance guard: trucks filled with free ice-cream sandwiches.

Corny? Maybe. But as Ray Davis, Umpqua's CEO says, "It's the corny things that make the difference" when it comes to providing great customer service. Great service is something every bank claims to offer, of course -- and almost never does. Employees helplessly sit on their hands when customers have a simple request, shunting them off to a manager, or worse, the company's 800-number.

The problem, as Davis sees it, is culture. At most banks, a cultural focus on efficiency, process, and controls often stands in the way of doing right by customers. At Umpqua, every element of the culture is focused on serving customers. It's what keeps Umpqua growing in the highly competitive retail banking sector. When Davis, a onetime CPA who spent years as a banking consultant, took the lead job at Umpqua 11 years ago, the Oregon-based bank had just six branches and $140 million in assets. Now it has 92 branches, stretching from Napa to Seattle, and $5 billion in assets.

Cultural Phenomenon [Fast Company]

Yahoo! Finance: Move aside, dull, ordinary light bulbs -- Mood-lites, http://www.mood-lites.com, the ultimate lighting to enhance the spa lifestyle, dubbed a "must have" by The New York Daily News, has arrived to brighten your world!

Kathryn Goetzke White, the creator of Mood-lites, believes that Mood-lites is a holistic compliment to the spa lifestyle. "Mood-lites offer a variety of light-bulbs that will soothe your mind, body, and spirit," says Goetzke White. "Try putting 'Tranquility' in your massage treatment room to make it a more spiritual place, 'Renewal' in your tea and water relaxation area for revitalization, 'Happy' in your doorway or foyer to create an atmosphere of hospitality, 'Creativity' in your meditation room to encourage imagination, or infuse the room with vitality by adding 'Energy' in your recreational spaces," recommends White. "The opportunities are as infinite as your ingenuity."

The launch of Mood-lites includes a broad range of moods and colors, including Renewal(TM) (jade), Tranquility(TM) (sapphire), Serenity(TM) (turquoise), Passion(TM) (crimson), Creativity(TM) (purple), Happy(TM) (yellow) and Energy(TM) (orange). Mood-lites is the only colored bulb currently on the market with a coating that creates a special 'glow.' At a suggested retail price of $5.95, consumers don't have to purchase expensive colored shades or decorative lamps when they want to conjure up a new mood with lighting. Now all they need to do is buy a Mood-lites bulb and put it in a lamp -- and change the bulb whenever they are in the mood for something new and different!

Mood-Lites(TM), the Newest Innovation in Specialty Lighting, Showcases Light Bulbs That Enhance the Spa Lifestyle at the American Spa Expo [Yahoo! Finance]

New York Times: A knitted bag holds a weakened heart, helping it pump blood.

Electricity flows through the threads of a battery-powered fleece jacket, keeping the wearer warm. Carbon fibers are braided into structures that look like mushrooms, but are actually prototypes of automotive engine valves.

Other fibers are shaped into bicycle frames and sculling oars.

Textiles are no longer just the stuff of clothing, carpets and furniture covering.

Made of high-tech threads, they can also be found in lifesaving medical devices and the bodies of racing cars. One architect is proposing building a skyscraper out of carbon fibers.

A multitude of uses for 'extreme' textiles [NYT via IHT]

Iconoculture: "Heard. Understood. Acknowledged." That’s "Hooah!" – a military term, sure, but also an energy bar that has been officially fueling American soldiers in Iraq. Now available to civilians, too, the bar was developed by the Department of Defense and meets the performance-based combat requirements of MREs (meals ready to eat). The bar also has a minimum shelf life of three years at 80 degrees and six months at 100 degrees (Wall Street Journal 3.7.05). A portion of the proceeds from Hooah! Bar sales goes to fund research that improves soldiers’ quality of life.

Consumer interest in products developed for military use, like Hummers and rugged-ready laptops, is high. For many people, good enough for the troops means good enough for me. Products that support our soldiers – and maybe even amp civilian performance – make patriotic consumers stand and salute.