Iconoculture: What it lacks in Russell Crowe, it makes up for in authenticity. Visitors to Jerash, Jordan, can watch the Roman Army and Chariot Experience (RACE) – an authentic reenactment of Roman chariot races staged in a restored ancient Roman hippodrome. OK, there are no lions and no thumbs-down executions. But otherwise, it’s authentic. Reenactors are former Jordanian police officers and soldiers (AP Worldstream 7.1.05).

The emperor of RACE is Stellan Lind, a Swede with a thing for Ben-Hur. Says Lind: “Chariot racing is the biggest spectator sport of all times. Chariot racing went on from about 680 BC to 6, 7, 800 AD, not year after year but century after century after century, and the chariot racing was organized just like Formula One racing today” (Morning Edition 8.15.05). World-traveling history buffs line up for heart-racing, gritty experiences that help them escape the modern world and connect with ancient life.

When In Jordan... [Iconoculture]

DailyCandy: You’re standing in a crowded record store attempting to hum (over blaring emo-core) the melody of an unidentified song you heard on the radio to a bemohawked salesperson who has a look on his face that, translated into English, means "kill me now."

Wow. You’d pay money not to go through that again. So do. For just 99 cents, 411-Song, a service available through your cell phone, can identify any little dittie from a fifteen-second snippet.

Whether in your car, at a club, or hanging at a too-cool-for-questions-like-that dinner party, just dial the number, wait for the beep, then hold your phone up. Within moments you get a text message with the names of the song and artist.

Name That Tune [DailyCandy]

Entrepreneur: Trudi McCullough happened to learn about decorative painting and wall finishes while searching the net for fun activities for her children. Inspired, McCullough--once an art major and a former art gallery owner--did more research, took an art class at a local college and began to practice painting and finishing around her own home. “Our house transformed a lot,” laughs McCullough, 40.

Before long, McCullough was starting to do work for friends. As requests grew, she used the money she made to buy supplies and take more classes. Her hobby turned into a business when she began to set up booths at local trade shows, but it wasn’t until she started giving demonstrations at the biannual California State Home and Garden show in Sacramento that business really took off. After cutting a deal with the show owners--she agreed to give free demonstrations in exchange for a mention in their TV ads--McCullough was able to market her business for next to nothing. She also saved money by using professional contacts from class to score deals on liability insurance and website design.

Finish Line [Entrepreneur]

Small Business Trends: Pay-per-call is an advertising service that connects online searchers with your business by phone. You place an Internet ad, and Internet surfers who respond to the ad call you on the phone. You pay for the ads similarly to pay-per-click advertising, except you pay per phone call, rather than per click-through. As with any advertising, it is still up to you to convert the lead into a sale.

The image above shows a pay-per-call ad from a search I just ran a few minutes ago for "Cleveland web designer." Similarly, I found listings for "Akron mortgage," "Columbus home builder," "Toledo florist," and "Cincinnati auto repair." You see a listing on the search page, with a telephone number underneath. When you click on the listing, rather than taking you to a website, it takes you instead to a second page with information about the business, its products and services, a telephone number, and business hours to call.

It seems like an excellent solution for small businesses, because more small businesses are prepared to deal with a phone call, than with an Internet lead.

Pay Per Call Advertising [Small Business Trends]

Entrepreneur: The saying goes, what's good for the goose is good for the gander. In Patrick Meiering's case, what's good for the owner is good for the pet. In 1995, Meiering was out on a four-hour hike with his chocolate lab, Zuke, when he noticed his canine companion was looking a bit worn out. He shared some of his Clif Bar with Zuke and, after seeing Zuke's positive reaction, decided to create an energy bar just for dogs.

When Meiering returned to his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a few days later, he quit his job at a consulting firm and spent $15,000 of his own money and money borrowed from friends and family to create the first batch of Power Bones energy/endurance supplements in his garage.

Meiering perfected Power Bones by testing them on Zuke. When he was satisfied with the results, he began selling his product to local pet and natural-food stores. Zuke further inspired his owner when Meiering noticed his pet wasnt as mobile as before. In 2000, Meiering came up with Hip Action, nutritious treats loaded with glucosamine and chondroitin to help dogs and cats with joint pain. In 2001, he moved the business to Durango.

Bred in the Bone [Entrepreneur]

Popgadget: UK-based designer Diana Irani is working on the Re_Medi fashion label that not only makes you look good on the outside, but also makes you feel even better on the inside. The clothes will be made from specially developed fabrics that release a controlled dose of a complementary or homeopathic medicine into your bloodstream through your skin while you wear it.

The advantage of "wearing your own remedy" means you don’t have to think about taking it in the first place.

"By taking alternative remedies through your skin, the ingredients don’t get filtered through the digestive system," the designer explains. "And unlike taking your medicine, you’re not going to forget to put on your own clothes!"

My favourite bit of the project is this one: "My first priority is that Re_medi should be a beautiful product. I don’t want to sell anything just because it’s ‘good for you’. You have to fall in love with the product first."

Feelgood fashion [Popgadget]

Springwise: Benjys Delivered is a service that definitely delivers: it's a fast growing 'mobile pop up' business owned by Benjys, one of the biggest sandwich retailers in the UK. Fully equipped vans unfurl into actual sandwich and coffee shops, delivering sandwiches, salads, hot pies, snacks and bean-to-cup specialty coffees to hungry office workers in food and beverage challenged business parks.

Nationwide opportunities are available for potential 'vanchisees' in the UK. At a franchise fee of GBP 15,000 (USD 27,665/EUR 22,070) per franchise, more than 114 new "vanchisees" took to the road last year, and there are now five permanent hubs in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Portsmouth.

Vanchising [Springwise]

Ubercool: When the first Hard Rock Café opened in London in 1971, it set the stage for using restaurant venues for both infotainment and shopping, a trend that grew with such concept plays as Planet Hollywood, Rainforest Café and even Hooters.

Last night, Ubercool had the distinct pleasure of attending a preview dinner of the first U.S. outpost of Amsterdam’s supperclub, which officially opens in San Francisco on Sept. 20. Since 1990, supperclub has acquired a reputation for deftly combining dining, theatrical performances and art:

Art canvas decor — Dining room décor is white, which provides, an inspiring canvas for the “colorful personalities” supperclub inevitably attracts. And by utilizing lighting, dining room hues can be changed throughout the evening.
Reclining dining — The restaurant dispenses with chairs and instead uses bed-like seating, an idea later adopted by such restaurants as Miami’s B.E.D., which opened in December 1999.

Like Amsterdam, San Francisco’s supperclub is designed by Dutch architecture firm, Concrete, which has also created such groundbreaking retail outlets as the Lairesse Apotheek or drugstore.

supperclub San Francisco [Ubercool]

Springwise: We reported on nearly-free short term rental cars in Europe a long time ago; leave it to entrepreneurs and marketers from around the world to add some really interesting twists, turning a new corner in Carvertising. In Austria, CoolCar offers long term (12-48 months) rental cars decked out in ads, including the Mini One and the Citroen C4, for only EUR 199 (USD 249/GBP 135) per month if drivers make enough miles. The lease also includes insurance and service costs, and obviously provides an interesting alternative to buying or leasing a regular car.

In France, Liberty Drive offers a similar long-term rental service, offering Smart cars for EUR 150 per month. But they also have a program that rewards existing Smart car owners for participating in carvertising campaigns, paying these MINIPRENEURS up to EUR 100 per month if they turn their cars into driving billboards. Clients have included Coca Cola Light, Kookai, Evian, Always, Club Med, Schwarzkopf, Gillette, Nike, Samsung, Tele2. Liberty Drive is looking for franchisees in French cities with over 100,000 inhabitants.

Carvertising 2.0 [Springwise]

Springwise: MyFoodPhone and Nutrax are LIFE CACHING based diet services: with their cameraphones, users take pictures of everything they eat, and send them to their own Registered Dietician. Once a week, on a personalized web page where customers keep track of their weight and other biometric information, they'll get video feedback from their dietician, who analyzes their nutritional intake and advises them on how to modify their eating habits. MyFoodPhone charges customers about USD 99 (EUR 79/GBP 53.70) a month for the service, while Nutrax offers a few cheaper options. In their own words: "Much more fun - and motivating - than pen and paper food journaling!"

Food phones [Springwise]

Entrepreneur: Give me $1,000, and I'll give you results." Those were the words David Aitken used to convince the owners of The Heritage Group to invest in his idea. Aitken, 30, was a call-center manager for the Utah company, which specialized in residential mortgage refinancing. Aitken knew the refinancing boom they were riding would eventually end, so he approached owners Brad Stone, 52; Mark Strong, 58; and Leah Young, 36, with a new idea: Help small-business owners develop websites to rival those of larger companies. So little capital was necessary to get started, says Strong, that investing in it was a "no-brainer."

Armed with only $1,000, Aitken hired a part-time telemarketer for $8 an hour to call business owners on a list he purchased for $250. Aitken made follow-up sales calls in his off hours. Once he started selling the $199 websites, Aitken brought on his brother Jeremy and friend Eddie Dockery to help build them. All three worked without compensation for several months, with the promise that if Heritage Web Solutions became successful, they would be guaranteed spots in the new company.

Seeing the Sites [Entrepreneur]

TRENDWATCHING.COM: Taking it one step further is US-based eMachineshop.com, which lets ordinary consumers download free, easy-to-use software which they can use to design objects like car parts, door knobs, in metal or plastic. They can then get a quote, order the product online and eMachineshop will forward the design to a 'real world' machine shop for manufacturing. Suddenly, MINIPRENEURS have injection molding, milling, turning, laser cutting, waterjet cutting, wired EDM, tapping, bending, blanking, punching, plastic extrusion, thermoforming, and casting at their fingertips. Who's going to set up local competitors to service MINIPRENEURS in Asia, Europe, South America?

Minipreneurs [TRENDWATCHING.COM]

bizCommunity.com: Beverage packaging manufacturer Nampak Bevcan has introduced a new slimline can which hopes to put the 'cool' back into the can by appealing to today's image-conscious consumers.

Managing director John Moyes says: "Changing the familiar look of the beverage can enhance the appeal of the drink it contains. We decided that with increasing competition from 'fashionable' containers, it was time to improve the image of the can to boost its appeal."

Moyes notes that the slimline can has already been a resounding success in the market; with Coca-Cola one of the first beverages to get to market with the new format container, with excellent consumer acceptance.

Be cool with a slimline can [bizCommunity.com]

Western People: A Ballina man who is already one of the most successful businessmen in the West of Ireland is embarking on a new venture to match potential employers with qualified drivers who are available for work.

Tiernan Gill, who established Gills Driving School thirty-five years ago, said, "I have quite a number of truck owners contacting me and asking if I knew of anyone who had recently passed the artic. licence and who was looking for a job."

He added that qualified drivers were very hard got at present and potential employers often had to go through a lengthy process of advertising and interviewing on a number of occasions before they got the right person.

Tiernan Gill says what he intends to do is to interview drivers who are looking for jobs and then to rate them - one to ten - on a number of factors including driving ability and personality.
He said the agency, which is the first of its kind in Connacht, presents a lot of advantages for both the employee and the employer. For example, for the employee it opens up a wide range of opportunities for jobs all over Connacht and for the employer it represents time and costs saved in interviewing and advertising.

New business idea will put truck drivers into top gear [Western People]

Iconoculture: Shiny, colorful, and, oh yeah, bugged out. Still, Weevil Bangles boast a certain creature charm. The Lucite bracelets feature real bugs as design elements. Maxilla and Mandible specializes in gruesome “museum specimen” delights, like skull beads, candy crickets, and curious rocks and fossils (Frommer's New York Guide 2005). But its Weevil Bangles are attracting fashion lab rats (Lucky 9.05). Black, pink, yellow, green, or clear-backed Lucite surrounds four iridescent weevils or metallic Thai shield bugs. If bugs creep you out, here's a fashion heads-up: 25-year-old Pratt grad Hiroshi Kure's Neolithic-terrific resin skulls are already the ring thing in Japan and are starting to break big stateside (Jane 9.05).

Bug bracelets? Skull rings? Think of it as the avenging return of punky Victorian Goth or just a thrilling splash of "dark." For fashionable consumers, wearing the unexpected is more than a cause for conversation. It's a fun walk on the Dark Side.

Fashion Bugs [Iconoculture]

BarPeople.net: With an innovative approach to social networking and based on the premise that "people with similar interests share similar spaces", BarPeople.net is set to take the London social scene by storm.

BarPeople.net is currently giving visitors exclusive and free prelaunch invitations. Visitors to the site can signup for these at http://www.barpeople.net

BarPeople.net revolves around the simple premise that "people with similar interests share similar spaces". It enables its users to meet other people who visit the same bars, clubs and restaurants as themselves.

Integrated into the site is a private messaging system that enables users to easily contact other members of the site, incorporating profiles and photos. In addition, the site also enables users to discover new places by finding out where like minded people socialise.

The user merely needs to register, login and enter the names of their favourite bars, clubs and restaurants. From then on – the site does the hard work – matching similar uses by their choice of venues. The users that match each other the most will be shown to each other, enabling them to contact each other if they wish. The site automatically shows each user new bars, clubs and restaurant which they may or may not have heard of, that like minded people visit.

The site has, since it entered its prelaunch phase on the 1st September 2005, attracted considerable interest both within the entertainments industry as well as amongst Londoners. The site is currently focusing its attention on the London social scene, but with plans to open sites for New York, Sydney and countless other global cities – BarPeople.net seems set to trigger a global revolution in social networking.

The potential of the site is limitless. With second tier integration planned to incorporate advanced tools, such as maps and text messaging, it intends to be the hub of socialising for its users.

BarPeople.net

Springwise: TRENDWATCHING.COM's GRAVANITY trend is not exactly fading yet: every month, we receive spottings of new goods, services and experiences designed to make consumers feel like VIPs, if not guaranteeing them immortality. From MyTwinn dolls to the Reality Village (see this edition).

The most personal service spotted so far? CATGee, part of DNA Products, which lets ordinary folks capture and store their own DNA, for self discovery or for future generations. At a cost of GBP 19.95 (USD 36.80/EUR 30), customers preserve can their DNA on a CATGee storage card.

Each DNA snapshot consists of a unique series of numbers (a DNA code) drawn from analysis of certain key locations on personal strands of DNA. From this code, the company will also generate a unique DNA image. It comes embedded in a plastic ID card, as well as in full digital format so it can be used to personalize clothing, possessions, email messages and so on. Needless to say, CATGee is more than willing to do the customizing for you: on the website, t-shirts and mugs now await GRAVANITY stricken individuals. (Spotted by Aud Willcocks, Springspotter Network.)

Immortality guaranteed [Springwise]

CNET: A new shopping Web site due to launch Aug. 22 will let people buy products online from companies that share their customers' social values.

Alonovo.com lets people define the social and environmental values they feel are important and see how different merchants perform in those areas using data from KLD Research and Analytics. The areas include labor relations, animal rights, fair trade, charitable giving, clean-energy use and recycling, among others.

The sales are made through Amazon.com and buyers have access to merchants affiliated with that site.

Alonovo.com--the word alonovo is Latin for "sustainable change"--earns a commission of 5 percent to 7.5 percent for every transaction and will donate 20 percent of that commission to a nonprofit organization of the buyer's choice. The list includes American Red Cross, The Sierra Club, UNICEF and Global Exchange.

Socially responsible online shopping [CNET]

ChannelNewsAsia.com: Xavel Inc. has a client base marketing gurus dream about.

When they're done shopping, customers are in the habit of e-mailing their friends to pass on a recommendation.

The Tokyo-based fashion retailer operates a cellphone shopping site, not a conventional outlet. It means the referred customer can be making the same purchase within minutes.

Net effect: Projected sales of between 7 billion and 8 billion yen for the year through September from its mail-order operations, 50 percent more than in the previous year.

This kind of word-of-mouth advertising is not only ringing up profits for Xavel, it is helping to create a new industry.

Annual sales from mobile shopping are nearing 1 trillion yen in Japan.

Downloads of screen images and ringtones continue to dominate cellphone showcases. But fashion and other conventional retail ware are starting to get cyber shelf space.

Young women are leading the charge into mobile shopping.

Xavel's site shows it knows who its customers are. It is sprinkled with whimsical pictures and symbols.

Boutiques spring up in cellphones [ChannelNewsAsia.com]

TrendBlog: "Sorry I can't make tonight, but this round is on me." Corney & Barrow, one of London’s Financial District’s largest bar operators, have joined forces with Buy Me a Beer.com to makes it possible for people to buy their friends a drink online. These drinks may be "virtual," but they still quench the thirst after a hard day at the office. Users select a drink (by glass or bottle), pay by credit card, after which a text message (SMS) with a code is sent to their friend. The happy recipient then presents his or her phone with their virtual voucher to any Corney & Barrow bar to redeem their free drink.

Clearly this concept has the potential to work for all kinds of services and products, especially as phones become more sophisticated in terms of integrating social networking software and blue-tooth type technologies. It could also join forces with "Tech To Go" type promotions, and links naturally to many other current trends.

Mobile Marketing [TrendBlog]

BloggingBaby: Picture this: you’re sitting at a swanky bar (okay, maybe it’s just a Chevy’s) and your cell phone does a little musical number to let you know that you have a new text message. You flip your phone open and check your inbox. Ah ha! It’s your EggAlert reminding you that you’re about to ovulate. EggAlert is software created by PDA Healthware that will send a text message to your cell phone to let you know when it’s the best time of the cycle to conceive, or when to expect your menstrual period. It also claims to "increase your ability to naturally select a boy or a girl."

EggAlert uses cell phones to help conceive [BloggingBaby]

TheGreenHead: Looking for an alternative to traditional and clichéd Japanese paper lanterns? Check out these new Balloon Lamps from designer/musician Kouichi Okamoto. Best of all, they have no wires to mess with and they come with a built-in hook for hanging! Margarita Nights at Green Head HQ are about to become much more festive! Very Cool.

"The BalloonLamp is based on the Japanese Chochin; a portable lamp which was illuminated by candlelight, from the EDO period. Designer/musician Kouichi Okamoto has updated this lamp by replacing the candle with a LED and the paper lantern with a standard rubber balloon. Since the LED light source does not generate any heat the balloon is safe from being damaged or melted. The balloon also makes a great diffuser for the bright LED."

"The BalloonLamp is very portable and can be used indoors or outdoors for decorating, camping or backyard parties. It can be deflated after use and easily stored."

Balloon Lamp [TheGreenHead]

Ubercool: In the 1920s, the automobile completely changed the dating scene, ushering in such meaningful concepts as the back seat and the drive-in. The free love mantra of the 60s provided yet another outlet for the sexual revolution.

As Time Compression engulfs society, it’s evident that the experience of meeting potential partners is once again being uprooted, propelling the phenomena of online dating and speed-dating.

Online dating is driven by more than hormones. Like the rest of the world, the U.S. is slowly becoming a nation of singles. The number of singles 18+ has surged to 110 million. The U.S. online dating industry is expected to climb 9% in 2005 with revenues reaching $516 million based on consumer subscriptions alone, according to Jupiter Research. Jupiter predicts online dating will top $640 million in 2008.

A bevy of dating sites, currently numbering more than 1,000, cater to every conceivable consumer interest, thereby fueling growth. There are dating sites for tall people, pet owners, vegetarians, interracial dating and Jewish people. Other specialized categories include: “date rating” sites, like LemonDate, or background-checking sites, like True.com.

Online Dating [Ubercool]

999 Today: Come rain or shine, the all new Volvo C70 convertible that also doubles as a coupé, is set to make its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this month.

Thanks to a unique three-piece retractable hardtop, customers of the second-generation, all new Volvo C70 can enjoy life without compromise - whether the roof is up or down, says Volvo.

"We've succeeded in creating an attractive convertible which, at the touch of a button, converts into an equally elegant coupé, giving the customer two cars in one - with space for four adults," said Hans-Olov Olsson, Volvo Cars chief executive. The Volvo C70 is about the same size as its predecessor and remains a full four-seater.

The all new Volvo C70 - a convertible and coupé [999 Today]

Yenra: The new iBra from Wacoal is a completely stitchless, seamless, and tagless contour bra. Sleek, sexy, and sophisticated, the iBra is designed with the most technologically-advanced fabrics and manufacturing techniques so nothing ever gets in the way of comfort.

The innovative design of the iBra approaches comfort from the inside out, focusing on every point-of-contact that a bra makes with the body. By eliminating stitches and seams, the iBra leaves only a smooth fabric surface against the body.

Designer trends this fall indicate a mood that is creative and feminine, and the iBra will enhance the season's looks with confidence. The all-day comfort and smooth, sleek lines of the iBra will also make it a good everyday bra.

ibra [Yenra]

Entrepreneur: A former engineer for Volvo, Curtis Jacobson, 38, made toys as a hobby in his spare time--frequently using his eight nieces and nephews to test-market his innovations. But he knew he was onto something when he got the idea for ArtHouses. "You could have the kids designing their own wallpaper or siding, and that got me to the idea of building a dollhouse with walls that display 8.5-by-11-[inch] paper artwork," says Jacobson, who launched the business with personal savings. Made of furniture-grade plywood and plastic, the dollhouses are collapsible and can be assembled by a child in just two minutes.

Though Jacobson originally believed toy stores and museum gift shops would be the top markets for his product, he's seen the most interest from elementary school teachers, who use ArtHouses as creative teaching tools. Conducive to group projects and the imagination, ArtHouses have been used to teach poetry, explain color theory and more. Currently, primary schools in Brevard County, Florida, have incorporated ArtHouses into after-school programs and the summer school curriculum.

Customized dollhouses kids [Entrepreneur]

Iconoculture: Minty fresh gone stale? Tired taste buds get a breath of fresh air with Breath Palette toothpastes. The polishes for pearly whites come in 32 unexpected flavors like Bitter Chocolate, Indian Curry, Sweet Salt, and Pumpkin Pudding.

The cavity fighters, invented in Japan, scrub tooth surfaces with super-fine microbeads and break down plaque with Xylitol. All 32 flavors have a menthol finish, and their fruity or exotic flavors come from infusions of natural fragrances. Despite the sweet selections, they’re free of sugar as well as synthetic surfactants and alcohol.

Many consumers are hungry for ways to spice up the medicine cabinet and their personal hygiene routine. Even mainstream brands like Crest are heeding the call with unconventional flavors. Give brushers a way to tease their tongues while they clean their teeth, and they’ll be sure to brush three times a day – maybe more.

CHANGE OF PASTE [Iconoculture]

The Spoof!: The latest invention from down under has just rolled off the production line! Car shoes, yes you read right.
And Car Shoes are proving to be more than just a ‘fad’. The shoes developed by Australian inventor Ima Tinkerer has suddenly become big business. According to Ima the shoes can get up to sixty kilometres per litre on unleaded fuel and reach an astounding 300k.p.h in 12 seconds.

Ima says he was inspired by a 70’s television show called ‘The Roller game’ where the participants went round and round a velodrome type track and belted the crap out of each other. Ima hopes his version will revive the game.

A female version has been released in high heels with diamante headlights in a range of colours. This is the sporty V4 engine with double overhead cams and all models are fuel injected.

Note: The story as represented above is written as a satire or parody. It is fictitious. It is just an idea that can possibly be adopted.

Car Shoes take Australia by Storm [The Spoof!]

The Cool Hunter: It had to happen. As practically everything we use in the home – from TV sets to cell phones, ipods and computers – have shrunk in size and increased in efficiency, it was only a matter of time before the home itself became a transportable, order-in, pocket sized commodity. Ok, so it won’t fit in your pocket but the Micro-Compact Home can be easily craned into position and comes complete with a sound system, flat screen TV and air-conditioning. And at roughly 77 sq metres, the two level dwelling isn’t a whole lot smaller than your average inner city studio apartment. The thoroughly urban invention was a joint project between students at the Technical University of Munich and the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Plans for the first Micro-Compact village using prototype units are currently under way at the University of Munich campus. Or for 50,000 euros you can buy your own although we’re not sure how welcoming your local council would be.

A New Home - To Go Please [The Cool Hunter]

BusinessWeek: It's not safe coaching third base -- or any base, for that matter -- when the ZOOperstars are in town. Just ask the countless coaches who have been swallowed whole by 10-foot-tall Clammy Sosa, one of the most popular of the ZOOperstars.

In the mascot troupe's signature bit, the impressively tall inflatable clam clad in a Sammy Sosa jersey greedily "devours" opposing coaches, bat boys, or whoever else happens to be around, then spits out his meal's shirt, shoes, and cap, all while Weird Al Yankovic's Eat It plays in the background.

"Yeah, the Eat It skit is a real favorite," says Dominic Latkovski, who founded ZOOperstars with his brother, Brennan, in 1998. "The crowd loves it."

It's just one reason why the Louisville-based ZOOperstars have turned into one of the hottest sideline acts in the sports world. The company's goal is to perform in 300 shows at various events this year -- from the hardwood of the National Basketball Assn. to the fields of Minor League Baseball, the company's biggest sport. Latkovski says revenue from ZOOperstars may hit $1 million this year.

ZOOperstars: Sport's Sultans of Silly [BusinessWeek]

Tech Digest: For many of us, realising man’s dream of flight extends only as far as miniature bags of peanuts and complementary booze, but at lest there are a wide variety of gadgets that will bring the joy of soaring the heavens safely to the living room. We have already seen the outlandish X-UFO and now, for the more traditional would-be pilot, the Sky Soldier Airplane has been unleashed. The plane is made from flexible, hard wearing plastic to defend against its inevitable conflict with the side of a building and it can cruise away to a distance of 200ft.

Only weighing in at 66g means that the Sky Soldier doesn’t have a detachable power source, instead you have to recharge it from the remote control containing 6 x AA batteries. Each recharge provides around eight minutes of flight which is a little limited, but made up for by the quick recharge action. This gadget is probably best suited for people who are lucky enough to have access to a large indoor area such as a hanger, barn or public library and at £34.99 it seems like a bargain. Sky Soldier Airplane is available now from Gadgeter.

Sky Soldier Airplane [Tech Digest]