GUSH magazine: Buyjake.com is a website set up by a mother who thinks her child is so cute that companies will want to put their logos on his clothing or him for $100 000 a year. “I will dress in your company’s provided apparel (and sport a tattoo!) everywhere I go for the amount of time chosen. Want me to do a commercial? How about a public appearance? I’ll do that too.** All advertising must be pre-approved by Mom (nothing distasteful).”

A company called perfectpopcorn.com, has actually offered Jake $350 for a month’s worth of wearing their clothing. “Here is what Tim Farina, President & CEO of Javanni Inc. has to say about Baby Jake: In today’s creative world of advertising we not only need to know our customers but we need to find creative ways of reaching them to deliver our message.

Children - A New Advertising Medium? [GUSH magazine]

CoolBusinessIdeas Newsletter Issue 28: 01 July 2006 - 31 July 2006

New Business Ideas/Opportunities Featured In This Issue:

TOURISM
Mystery Threatre
Part theatre, part scavenger hunt, part walking tour, Accomplice: New York is giving participants a whole new way to experience the city.

Youth Vacations
Targeting 18-35 year-olds, Contiki is a hip vacation company that gives participants the opportunity to travel the world, while exploring at their own pace.

MOBILE
Missile Alert!
Israeli start-up Cellact, has begun marketing a system to kibbutzim (collective communities), towns and factories in northern Israel that enables the issue of warnings of missile attacks.

ONLINE & SOCIAL NETWORKS
Tennis, Anybody?
The website lets tennis players find other players of their own skill level, and also lets players record scores and matches, review tennis gear, schedule events and read the latest tennis news.

Yearbook Dot Com
John Shin refuses to buy a copy of his high school yearbook. Instead, he's turning to the internet to preserve and share memories of his sophomore year.

Sexy Online Dating
It's an adult (18+) massively multiplayer online dating game, where players can create their own avatars and explore a 'sexy' world.

NON PROFIT & CHARITY
Ecomiles
Ecomiles, a rewards program where the points translate into charitable donations, can contribute to any of 12 charities, including the World Wildlife Fund and economic development groups such as SOS Children's Villages.

CONSUMER GOODS
Wrist Bottle
A company called HydroSport is marketing a new water bottle that fits on your wrist.

Handy Dispenser Flap
Cerealtop™ has a clever slider system that means it can be adjusted to suit just about any box.

Neat Nets
Neat Nets by Parents of Invention are colorful, mesh bags for keeping toys -- or most anything else -- orderly and visible.

Foot Technology
Walkers are standing up and taking note of Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) trainers.

ADVERTISING
Spacevertising
It seems we’re running out of advertising space (or at least good/fresh space) so now companies are eager to increase their market share in space.

TECHNOLOGY
Replay That Smell
Imagine being able to record a smell and play it back later, just as you can with sounds or images.

GADGETS
Headband + Headphones + Headset
This headband helps you dress it up by functioning as a headband-cum-headphones-cum-headset. Whew!

Power On The Go
Road warriors running low on juice can open up Solio's three solar panels, which fan out like a clover, and charge up their electronic gadgets with a small connector cord, on the spot.

No Noise Headphones
The Quiet Comfort 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones from Bose offer the audio performance, noise reduction, and comfortable fit of the second model in an on-ear design.

Easy Power Strip
The E-rope, designed by Chul Min Kang and Sung Hun Lim, is a modular power strip which can be twisted about to better accommodate cable gore with large, bulky plugs.

Feminine Army Knife
The Miss Army Knife is the all-in-one pocket tool for the girl-on-the-go.

Gesture Music
Walking machine is a portable audio piece designed to enable wearers to move through the streets hearing and broadcasting the amplified sound of their own footsteps in real time.

RETAIL
Intelligent Fitting Room
Downloading the sound, or another ring tone in that same high-frequency range, allows them to hear their cellphones ring when their parents and teachers (mostly) cannot.

FOOD & BEVERAGES
Canine Cafe
If the Chicago City Council passes an ordinance letting dogs dine alongside their owners at outdoor cafés, Chief Didier Durand of Cyrano's Bistrot will serve a $5 prix fixe canine menu to his patrons' pets.

Hose Nose
The nose is filled with "Candy Slime". It appears to have elastic straps on the back, as if you're supposed to wear it over your real nose.

Ice Rocks
Ice Rocks are prepackaged, ready-to-freeze individual ice cubes made from French spring water. Geared primarily toward the (upscale) tourism market, they assure worried travelers that the ice is safe to use.

LIFESTYLE & LUXURY
Floating Bed
Back in our formative years we were mighty impressed by the levitating pens in the Science Museum shop, and now somebody’s taken the concept to exciting new heights by making a floating bed.

DESIGN
Dining On Computer
No longer do you have to face tough question: “one more round of de_dust or finally eat something for the first time in 37 hours?” You can very easily consume your tea cakes and earl grey while grinding goblins.

HOMES & LIVING
Ventilated Door
The Light + Air door is designed to enhance cross ventilation without giving up any security or light.

AUTOMOBILES
Car Worth By SMS
Dutch CarSpotter also offers consumers price information by sms to guide them through sales and negotiating.

SERVICES
The Window Cleaner
When Terry Mullins was searching for someone to clean his windows, he discovered that the traditional domestic window cleaner has all but disappeared. So, after two years of research and planning he has launched The Local Window Cleaner Ltd.

View this issue of the CoolBusinessIdeas Newsletter by clicking here. Subscribe for free by clicking here.

CBS TV47: Its a scorcher out there, and nowhere is the heat more searing than inside your car. A new product advertised on TV claims it can get you out of the hot seat.

Auto Cool is a solar-powered fan that you can install on your window. The solar panels on the Auto Cool power the fan inside your car, and the fan sucks the heat out.

The Auto Cool sells for $16.95 at the As Seen on TV Store.

Does It Work: Auto Cool [CBS TV47]

Mobiledia: Whirlpool today began testing "smart" washing machines and dryers, monitored and controled from computers and cell phones.

The pilot project, called "Laundry Time," is part of an open collaboration involving Whirlpool Corporation, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, Panasonic and Procter & Gamble.

To be conducted in Atlanta homes between today and early September, Laundry Time is built around a connected laundry solution that links a washer and dryer to a home network and sends text messages about the laundry's progress to a computer, TV and/or cell phone. The technology lets consumers manage the laundry process from remote locations such as a grocery store or soccer game, freeing them up to go about their day rather than forcing them to stay home to manage the process.

Whirlpool Tests 'Smart' Washers Controlled by Cell Phones [Mobiledia]

IHT: In Japan, cellphones have become a tool for writing and reading e-mail messages. Now, publishers in Japan want mobile subscribers to read more than simple text messages.

Publishers like Shinchosha and Kodansha and their distribution partner have been bolstering readership for novels and comics on cellphones. According to Shinchosha, cellphone users are gravitating to authors like Mika Naito, who writes romantic novels popular with women in their 20s and 30s. Naito's 2004 novel "Love Link" recorded 1.5 million paid accesses over a six- month period in which it was serially distributed. Another of her novels, "Love*," posted free on a mobile Web site, received 14 million accesses over six months.

Wireless: Some text messages read like page turners [IHT]

TrendCentral: The latest hot show in New York isn’t in the Theatre District, or even in any theatre for that matter. In fact, audiences are more like “participants” as they’re on their feet for the duration of the performance. Part theatre, part scavenger hunt, part walking tour, Accomplice: New York is giving participants a whole new way to experience the city, even among locals who previously thought tours are just for out-of-towners.

After signing up, participants receive a “mystery” phone call a day or two prior to the show, telling them where to meet. (Think of it as the new version of the popular ‘80s Murder Mystery Party.) Teams of eight then embark on a crime-solving Lower Manhattan-based adventure, picking up clues along the way from “random” encounters with Accomplice cast members.

Interactive theatre [TrendCentral]

Globes: Israeli start-up Cellact, a developer of cellular messaging technology, has begun marketing a system to kibbutzim (collective communities), towns and factories in northern Israel that enables the issue of warnings of missile attacks. The system, which will be available to subscribers of all cellular companies, will issue a warning of a missile or bomb attack, shooting, or other emergency announcements.

The system enables key emergency services staff (police, firefighters, rescue teams, and stand-by details) to be paged from anywhere, including the field, by SMS through any licensed cellular phone. The service will be charged at NIS 0.20 per message.

The communities that have installed the system include, Kibbutz Baram, Kibbutz Dafna, Kibbutz Rosh Hanikra, Kibbutz Lahav, Kibbutz Maale Gilboa, Moshav Mei Ami, residents at Ram-On, Moshav Mevo Horon and the Misgav regional council.

Missile warnings via SMS [Globes]

Springwise: Mesh Tennis is a new social networking site just for tennis players, connecting the tennis community online.

The website lets tennis players find other players of their own skill level, in their own area. It also lets players record scores and matches, review tennis gear, schedule events and read the latest tennis news. Becoming a member is free.

Groups can be formed for club teams, school teams or doubles. Another smart feature is a Google Maps mash-up, which lets members add court locations, using different coloured markers for hard, clay and grass courts. Very useful for travelling players who'd like to find somewhere to play.

Connecting off the court [Springwise]

Business 2.0: Airline miles are nice, but wouldn't you feel better about splurging on a new flat-panel TV if you were helping to save endangered species? That's the idea behind Ecomiles, a rewards program where the points translate into charitable donations.

Members simply log on to Ecomiles's e-commerce portal, which links up with Barnes & Noble (Charts), eBay (Charts), Hotwire, and more than 800 other sites that award ecomiles for purchases. The miles are redeemed for dollars, which members can contribute to any of 12 charities, including the World Wildlife Fund and economic development groups such as SOS Children's Villages.

"We essentially wanted to establish a global development currency," says Marcus Courage, Ecomiles's chief marketing officer and the managing director of Africapractice, a corporate citizenship consultancy.
Helping people make a difference

For-profit Ecomiles was founded in 2004 by a South African entrepreneur named Gustav Erlank and the VC firm Madagascar Development Partners. Ecomiles works with the United Nations Development Program to pinpoint charitable groups and projects in need of funding.

Though not yet profitable, the startup generates revenue by taking a small percentage of each transaction and selling advertising on its website.

The company now has nearly 10,000 members, who can distribute their contributions among the different charities however they choose. Ecomiles even sends users regular updates to let them track the progress of their pet projects.

One stop shopping to save the world [Business 2.0]

Strange New Products: A company called HydroSport is marketing a new water bottle that fits on your wrist.

Described as a "Wrist Water Bottle", each unit holds 5.5oz of water or sports drink, for a total of 11oz when you have one on each wrist. When fully loaded, the unique bottle weighs one-half pound, providing you with some additional exercise.

The company claims its also helps keep your body temperature cool.

At $9.99 each, they're available in a variety of colors, and even come in kids sizes. The company will even offer to put your logo on them.

Wrist Water Bottle [Strange New Products]

Trend Hunter: It seems we’re running out of advertising space (or at least good/fresh space) so now companies are eager to increase their market share in space. In 1985, Coca-Cola and Pepsi seized an opportunity to test the viability of carbonated drinks in space. Both companies benefited from the first unofficial taste test in space. Then in 2001 Pizza Hut flew with the Russian Space Agency and became the first to deliver pizza in space. Radio Shack followed with a commercial aboard the International Space Station. It featured a Russian cosmonaut opening a Father’s Day present. NASA has been reluctant to participate, but marketers say advertising could help fund scientific research. NASA is currently working with the Bush administration to conduct an evaluation for a commercialization strategy in space.

Spacevertising [Trend Hunter]

TrendCentral: In addition to jewelry and electronics, recent high school grads have been telling us the most sought after graduation gift isn’t actually a material possession, but rather an experience. Pre-paid trips from Contiki were the most desired gifts amongst the recently graduated Class of 2006.

Targeting 18-35 year-olds, Contiki is a hip vacation company that gives participants the opportunity to travel the world, while exploring at their own pace. Guides lead travellers to all the best sights but unlike most tightly-scheduled tour programs, travellers are “free” to check things out on their own without a guide breathing down their necks.

Youth travel company is a hit with high school grads [TrendCentral]

PRWEB: Cerealtop™ is a box lid made up of two parts and sealed with a handy dispenser flap. Made from food-safe plastic, Cerealtop™ has a clever slider system that means it can be adjusted to suit just about any box.

These days, breakfast muesli and cereals come in every conceivable flavour and pack. Atmospheric advertising campaigns are created to promote them, talking about energy, balance and even Zen.

But just how user-friendly are these creators of health? 750 g Maxi Packs filled to the brim and a plastic inner pack with a cardboard box round it. Not exactly what you’d call convenient.

Cerealtop [PRWEB]

New Scientist: Imagine being able to record a smell and play it back later, just as you can with sounds or images.

Engineers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan are building an odour recorder capable of doing just that. Simply point the gadget at a freshly baked cookie, for example, and it will analyse its odour and reproduce it for you using a host of non-toxic chemicals.

The device could be used to improve online shopping by allowing you to sniff foods or fragrances before you buy, to add an extra dimension to virtual reality environments and even to assist military doctors treating soldiers remotely by recreating bile, blood or urine odours that might help a diagnosis.

Device records smells to play back later [New Scientist]

Popgadget: For most of us who use headphones while commuting, jogging or otherwise, it generally seems like a hard task to look stylish and wear headphones at the same time. But what if you could do both? Take a look at Swapsets, an interesting new line of headbands for women by designer Steffi Thomas.

Featured on the ZDNet review “Wild for women’s gadgets,” this headband helps you dress it up by functioning as a headband-cum-headphones-cum-headset. Whew! Seems like a pretty ingenious idea and the product itself looks too adorable to resist. The headset is optional and so are Dangles, which can be attached to the bottom of the headband to look like earrings.

Swapsets headphones-cum-headband [Popgadget]

SFLORG.com: Researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)'s Institute of Textiles and Clothing have recently developed "An intelligent Simulator for Cross-selling & Up-selling using Smart Fitting Room & Smart Dressing Mirror". It is envisaged to help fashion retailers boost business volume by improving sales and customer services.

This system uses the technology of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to detect items brought into a fitting room or placed in front of a dressing mirror. When an item is picked into the fitting room or placed in front of a dressing mirror, the product ID will be immediately detected and transmitted to the system through the antennae and reader.

The mix-and-match database of the system will then deliver recommendations to the customer through a touch-screen LCD monitor or projected screen. In the fitting room, if the customer is interested to pick the recommended mix-and-match items, he/she can make their choice by clicking the items shown on screen. The salesman in the shop counter will thus be informed, through the intercom system, of the additional items required by the customer inside the fitting room.

PolyU develops intelligent dressing mirror and fitting room [SFLORG.com]

Iconoculture: If the Chicago City Council passes an ordinance letting dogs dine alongside their owners at outdoor cafés, chef Didier Durand of Cyrano's Bistrot will serve a $5 prix fixe canine menu to his patrons' pets. Chef Durand has spent months testing the canine menu on his poodle, Princess. Possible dishes include ostrich pâté and bone marrow gateau – and a ceramic bowl full of mineral water, naturellement.

Chicago restaurant plans to offer four-course canine menu [Iconoculture]

Wired: John Shin refuses to buy a copy of his high school yearbook. Instead, he's turning to the internet to preserve and share memories of his sophomore year. The 15-year-old has posted a collection of school-related photos and videos, as do many of his classmates. They're able to exchange virtual notes, vote for the most likely to succeed and take part in other yearbook traditions.

The Tuckahoe High School student is trying to persuade as many as his friends as possible to sign up at MyYearbook.com -- and save some money, too.

"I'm going to bring everyone who matters to me to MyYearbook," said John, who attends school in Eastchester, a suburb just north of New York City. "I'm confident in that, and besides, they're like $70."

But skeptics wonder if the free website can ever truly replace the traditional printed chronicle of high-school memories -- even for the generation that's grown up with the internet.

"Students continue to say they prefer print yearbooks for obvious reasons," said Rich Stoebe, director of communications for Jostens, which sells yearbooks, class rings and other scholastic memorabilia.

After all, will anyone want to haul a laptop to the 25th class reunion? And what happens if the technology changes or something happens to the dot-com?

Jostens and other yearbook companies have responded to changes in technology by offering a supplemental DVD offering student-compiled music, photos and video.

High Schoolers Pick Web Yearbook [Wired]

Iconoculture: Fun in the sun gets a jolt of power with Solio, a solar-powered battery charger for iPods, GPS, cellphones and even digital cameras, that folds up into a 4-in.-by-2-in. teardrop. Road warriors running low on juice can open up Solio's three solar panels, which fan out like a clover, and charge up their electronic gadgets with a small connector cord, on the spot.

Taking toys on the road is becoming an essential part of travel, and portable, simple and universal tools that keep them going are key to making consumers feel prepared. For cautious travelers, a degree of self-sufficiency around important gadgets creates feelings of security and empowerment.

Compact Solio solar charger [Iconoculture]

Yenra: The Quiet Comfort 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones from Bose offer the audio performance, noise reduction, and comfortable fit of the second model in an on-ear design.

To reduce size without compromising performance, Bose engineers relied on research in on-head audio and noise reduction. The result is an acoustic design to provide audio quality across a full range of audible frequencies, a new electronic design that delivers superb noise reduction, and a new mechanical design offering a comfortable fit for long-term listening.

Noise Cancelling Headphones [Yenra]

Strange New Products: Why couldn't they've had stuff like this when I was a kid?

"Hose Nose" is a new offering from San Diego, CA-based Kandy Kastle. The nose is filled with "Candy Slime". It appears to have elastic straps on the back, as if you're supposed to wear it over your real nose.

The package is marked, "Catch It On Your Tongue", presumbly allowing you to wear a novelty nose that leaks sugary mucus on your mouth. A different kind of nose candy!

Now and then I'll see a two-year old kid with real mucus running out of his/her nose and over their lips. Kandy Kastle would like us to never grow up.

Nose Candy of a Sugary Kind [Strange New Products]

Orlando Sentinel: Forget those plain-Jane plastic bags for storing your child's toys. Now, there's an easy and practical way to store everything from building blocks to action figures.

Neat Nets by Parents of Invention are colorful, mesh bags for keeping toys -- or most anything else -- orderly and visible. They are easy to stack and see through, so you can always find what you're looking for. There are three different colors in each package. Cost is $9.99.

Visit parentsofinvention.com.

New Stuff | Fun, Funky and Functional [Orlando Sentinel]

Cool Hunting: Ice Rocks are prepackaged, ready-to-freeze individual ice cubes made from French spring water. Geared primarily toward the (upscale) tourism market, they assure worried travelers that the ice is safe to use. Scotch Rocks, a version marketed to bars and whisky drinkers, and Kid Rocks, cubes made from fruit juice, are also in the works. Visit the Ice Rocks webpage for more information.

Ice Rocks [Cool Hunting]

Stuff Magazine: Back in our formative years we were mighty impressed by the levitating pens in the Science Museum shop, and now somebody’s taken the concept to exciting new heights by making a floating bed.

You can credit a Dutchman by the name of Janjaap Ruijssenaars for making one of the coolest pieces of furniture we’ve ever seen. He’s apparently dedicated the last six years of his life to the project, which is wholly understandable – we can’t think of anything more worthwhile.

There’s no anti-gravity gubbins involved; it merely uses magnets to stay off the ground, can carry a weight of 900kg and is held in place by some virtually invisible tethers.

Only the wealthiest of heads will be able to rest on its pillows anyway – a full-sized model is expected to cost €1.2 million (£832,000).

Behold the floating bed [Stuff Magazine UK]

Engadget: As we all know, the biggest problem with conventional power strips are the unconventional plugs with whom the ol' girl mates. These boys come in all sizes and shapes resulting in at least one or two unusable sockets due to overlap. Well no more dear reader, at least not if the 2006 IDEA award winning design concept from the kids over at Brooklyn's Platt Institute is taken from art to part anytime soon. The E-rope, designed by Chul Min Kang and Sung Hun Lim, is a modular power strip which can be twisted about to better accommodate cable gore with large, bulky plugs. Worried about vampire devices quietly leaching power off the mains? No problem, just give the socket section a 90-degree twist to strangle-off the current. Of course, while you're down there you could just unplug the damn thing but that's just an inconvenient truth, eh?

E-rope [Engadget]

Ohgizmo: Designer Duck Young Kong has shown his latest innovation over at Yanko Design and it’s called The Keyboard Food Tray. No longer do you have to face tough question: “one more round of de_dust or finally eat something for the first time in 37 hours?” You can very easily consume your tea cakes and earl grey while grinding goblins.

It’s still in the design phase, so there is no pricing and information is limited. Hopefully this will help out all the Koreans who die due to MMOs problem.

Keyboard Food Tray [Ohgizmo]

Gizmodo: The Light + Air door is designed to enhance cross ventilation without giving up any security or light. Slide a lever to the right, and the circular openings are exposed—not big enough for anyone to stick a hand in and open the door, but large enough to let the sunshine and fresh air pass through.

Who wants to live without air-conditioning if there is poor ventilation? The Light + Air Door design concept is an answer to that pressing and probably upcoming problem: how do you stay comfortable when it costs $2000 a month to keep your abode cool? Just don't install this door if you live in a submarine.

Light + Air Door [Gizmodo]

Springwise: Dutch CarSpotter also offers consumers price information by sms to guide them through sales and negotiating. Besides year, make and price, CarSpotter sends users details on a vehicle's maximum speed, horsepower and acceleration. Although the service was meant to improve price transparency and the balance of information between dealers and buyers, it turns out that people also use CarSpotter for fun, texting their employer or neighbour's license plate to find out how much their car is worth. CarSpotter also works for motorcycles. CarSpotter valuations are priced at EUR 1.50, and the number to text to is 2020.

Car prices by text message [Springwise]

Iconoculture: Walkers are standing up and taking note of Masai Barefoot Technology (MBT) trainers. Based on the erect barefoot stride of Africa’s Masai tribe, the chunky-soled shoes create a rocking motion that improves posture and balance.

Aesthetically, these shoes look more orthopedic than Orvis (although with the popularity of things like CROCS, who are we to judge?), but they promise to turn shuffling along into a core workout. The MBT style range includes nursing clogs, sandals, hiking boots and running shoes. But rocking out doesn’t come cheap: They cost $245 to $265 a pair.

Masai Barefoot Technology puts healthy rock in your walk [Iconoculture]

Popgadget: So we’ve seen the Swiss Army knives that have tools specific to fishing, watchmaking, golfing, even mountain biking and snowboarding, but what about one for the ladies?

The Miss Army Knife is the all-in-one pocket tool for the girl-on-the-go. Encased in a pink (as opposed to the classic red) case, the Miss Army features flashlight, keychain, needle & thread, safety pin, corkscrew, mirror, pen, tweezers, perfume bottle, bottle opener, screwdriver, scissors, knife, ruler, nail file, and pill box.

Keep the Miss ‘A’ in your bag and be Semper Paratus.

Miss Army Knife [Popgadget]

we make money not art: Walking machine, by Jessica Thompson, is a portable audio piece designed to enable wearers to move through the streets hearing and broadcasting the amplified sound of their own footsteps in real time.

By broadcasting the sound directly as a result of his or her own motion and gesture, the wearer becomes controller, performer and audience. The effect is that of a private game in public space, where movement and gesture become a means of articulating presence and the simple act of walking becomes both legitimized and liberated through technological intervention.

Walking machine [we make money not art]

Springwise: One to watch is Naughty America, launching this summer.

It's an adult (18+) massively multiplayer online dating game, where players can create their own avatars and explore a 'sexy' world, or turn on their webcams for some real world 'action'. Real-world meet-ups can be arranged for as well.

Given the huge success for anything that involves social software, sex, and meeting up, Naughty America may well be the success its founders are expecting. And although they're inviting players from across the globe, there's a vibrant opportunity to set up Naughty Belgium, Naughty Singapore, Naughty Dubai, etc.

Naughty youniverse [Springwise]

CoolBusinessIdeas Newsletter Issue 27: 01/05/06 - 02/07/06

New Business Ideas/Opportunities Featured In This Issue:

BRANDING
Linking with Consumers
Mr. Fluevog has been soliciting ideas from them — encouraging brand enthusiasts to submit their own sketches for leather boots, high-heeled dress shoes, even sneakers with flair.

TRAVEL AND TRANSPORT
In Need of SkyRest
The miraculous, wedge-shaped travel pillow makes even the most uncomfortable spots downright pleasant.

AUTOMOBILES
The New Car Wash
Facing growing competition from the likes of Home Depot Inc. and Sam's Club, car washes around the country are launching new services aimed at grabbing customers' interest.

The Kenguru
Kenguru is small, stylish and cheerful vehicle whose contours are similar to those of a Smart car. A joystick instead of a steering wheel means that drivers with limited arm mobility can comfortably control the vehicle.

HEALTH AND BEAUTY
Ingestible Skin Care
Borba, a manufacturer of cosmetics and skin care products, extended its line of "ingestible skin care" products with its new "Chocolate Clarifying Bar".

Slimming Toothpaste
Go brush your teeth. White Glo Crave Away and F.A.S.T. are two toothpastes that claim to curb hunger cravings with herbal formulas that signal the brain that the body has eaten.

CONSUMER GOODS
Diaper Bags
These attractive ziplock pouches are made from 100% cotton with mesh backing so you can see the contents at a glance.

Beer Buddy
Simply slide the Beer Butler along the table and you can keep your attention on the game, because it will ingeniously stop when it reaches the edge without spilling a drop!

Shredding Scissors
Save electricity by shredding your unwanted bank card applications manually with these Shredding Scissors.

Bite and Drink
Probably more than you need, but the new 25-ounce CamelBak bottle comes with such a nifty cap design that you might consider owning one more.

LIFESTYLE AND LUXURY
Luxury Bed + TV
Facing growing competition from the likes of Home Depot Inc. and Sam's Club, car washes around the country are launching new services aimed at grabbing customers' interest.

Fusion Fitness
These fusion workouts combine the intimacy of personal training with the challenge of boot camp-style conditioning in private, class-like settings.

Authentic Cigars
Young smokers are sucking up a more dignified breed of cigar, with sophisticated aromatic essences of exotic fruits, herbs or crushed coffee beans subtly infused into the tobacco.

AGRICULTURAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL
30 Millions Solar Water Heaters
Huang Ming has earned a fortune manufacturing solar heaters which capture the sun's energy to provide water for baths and washing and are at the forefront of a renewable energy drive.

HOMES AND LIVING
Washroom Fun
It’s official, Sudoku has jumped the shark. Why read the newspaper during your washroom visit, when you can challenge your brain with Sudoku.

Fit & Fresh
Stories about the trials of eating healthy at work led MEDport which markets, distributes, warehouses and manufactures consumer health care products, to try to find a solution.

MOBILE
Repellent Ringtone
Downloading the sound, or another ring tone in that same high-frequency range, allows them to hear their cellphones ring when their parents and teachers (mostly) cannot.

Nu Mobile
myNuMo is a new teen-oriented, online community with a similar model for user-created mobile phone content.

SPORTS AND GAMES
Soccer Anywhere
You can actually play in your own soccer pitch anytime anywhere with Subbuteo Giant Inflatable Pitch!.

ONLINE AND SOCIAL NETWORKS
MySpace for Cars
Users enter information on cars they own, or want to own. Other users can tag and comment the vehicle, and contact the owner and/or add him or her as a friend.

FOOD AND BEVERAGES
Beans in Toast
For those who find baked beans on toast just too messy to put together, help is on the way. Heinz has devised a frozen baked bean sandwich which simply needs to be heated in a toaster.

Mangos and Apples for Busy People
Although nothing beats fresh fruit, and apples and bananas are conveniently packaged by nature, sometimes consumers favour something even easier.

Meal Assembly
Though they vary in style, all of the dinner assembly companies offer essentially the same service: customers schedule a session online, picking meals from a monthly menu.

GADGETS
Triple Scoop
It's summertime, and the livin' is . . . way too hot to be easy. Fortunately, manufacturers keep churning out delicious new ways to feed these seasonal cravings.

Dual Screen Cellphone
Alloy Total Product Design has come up with The Polygon, a cool new concept phone.

MEDIA AND PUBLISHING
Liquid Mag
Step into liquid. Imbibe magazine covers everything from cocktails to wine to beer to juice to coffee to tea. The motto: All that's fit to drink.

CULTURE AND MUSIC
The Nail Tattoo
Using a super fine needle, the tattoo artist goes through the first few layers of your nail to create an extremely detailed image directly onto the nail.

TOURISM
Quirky Nights Under French Skies
Handcrafted from different woods, each tent is furnished with a double or king-sized bed and has a relaxation area complete with hammocks.

SERVICES
The Window Cleaner
When Terry Mullins was searching for someone to clean his windows, he discovered that the traditional domestic window cleaner has all but disappeared, launching The Local Window Cleaner Ltd.

ADVERTISING
In-game Advertising
High-tech spy Sam Fisher uses a Sony Ericsson phone to snap a picture of terrorists and reads his mission briefings on his PDA.

ROBOTS
Robots Tutors
Achim Nurse poked his bandaged fingers at an orange button and half a second later, , a 5-foot-tall steel-blue robot raised its hand.

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