Endgadget: Although some women do indeed prefer an in-store (human) professional when looking for a new lineup of cosmetics to try, those independent ladies who'd rather take things solo just might prefer this method. Mitsukoshi, Shiseido, and Fujitsu have teamed up to bring a virtual, real-time makeover machine into Japanese department stores in order to give women a chance to test out a smorgasbord of shades on their virtual face before throwing down their hard earned loot. Sure, we've seen hypothetical approaches before, but this rendition lacks the mess and time requirements of previous methods by allowing customers to snap an image of their face, and then scan electronic tags of interesting looking makeup in order to dash their on-screen persona with whatever they please.
Japanese department stores trialing virtual makeover machines [Engadget]
Media Life: The Wall Street Journal is smelling out a new way to advertise. The newspaper, which recently debuted a new design, is gearing up to offer advertisers the ability to run scented ads. These ads would be on the regular newspaper pages and not on inserts, according to details that emerged in yesterday's earnings conference call. Rather than lifting a flap, the way most current scent advertising is distributed, the reader would rub the ad in order to release the scent, much like the scratch-and-sniff stickers kids play with. The paper has not yet completely refined the technology, but so far it has developed the ability to create chocolate and perfume scents. A WSJ spokesperson this morning said that no advertisers have been approached yet about using the technology, which is part of the paper's push to find new ways to add value for advertisers.
A smelly proposition: WSJ sniffing out scented ads [Media Life]
New Business Ideas/Opportunities Featured In This Issue:
MOBILE
Mobile Phone Ads
Cellular phone carriers like Verizon, Sprint and Cingular, now the new AT&T, are beginning to test and roll out advertising on mobile phone screens and their subscribers will enjoy improved mobile Internet services and content provided free or at reduced prices.
SMS Your Wine
After encountering a great wine in a restaurant or at a friend's house, instead of vowing to remember the name and vintage, Dutch consumers can now dash off an sms to BuyYourWine.com. The online wine seller will then get back to them with a price and delivery details.
RETAIL
Social Retailing
The Social Retailing technology uses an in-store three-paneled "magic mirror" that can send photos or videos of shoppers in outfit options to their MySpace page or to friend's emails and mobiles for instant opinions.
TOURISM
Teen Concierge
Four Seasons hotels hire teen concierges who specialize in providing tips on cool hangouts, stores and activities. Other hotels feature teen-focused spa treatments, such as makeup lessons and facials for acne-prone skin. And some, such as Loews Coronado, are setting aside space and events just for adolescents.
CULTURE & MUSIC
Social Networking for Kids
Thankfully, there are several sites that a 9-year-old can explore without alarming their parents, including Whyville.net, ClubPenguin.com and even National Geographic, which has a My Page for kids. Disney, is jumping into the social-networking and pledges will be safe for children.
TECHNOLOGY
Bone Wedding Ring
"With this bone, I thee wed." Five U.K. couples recently sealed their vows by exchanging rings made from their own bone tissue, grown in the lab from sample cells. Scientists harvested the cells from tiny slivers extracted from the couples' jawbones.
HOMES & LIVING
Sexy Homes
Just ask brothers and business partners Michael and Ronald Lipka, who launched SexyFurnishings.com in April 2001 - and kissed their decidedly un-sexy backgrounds in accounting and engineering goodbye. The secret, they found, was being able to sell sexy at an affordable price.
Omopping
Cleaning products had never exactly excited us until we discovered method. You may be tempted to cheat on your Swiffer with their new ergonomically correct omop that comes with a washable microfiber mop pad.
FOOD & BEVERAGES
Chicken on the Go
In December, Bumble Bee began selling packaged, cooked, skinless and boneless chicken breasts that are intended as entrees and can be heated in ovens or microwaves. The chicken is available in three seasoned varieties: garlic and herb, southwest seasonings and barbecue sauce.
Create Your Own Fizzy Drink
Soda-Club machines let consumers control the flavor and fizz levels of their seltzers and soda pops by making them right at home. Carbonated soft drink consumption is down, but a product that emphasizes control, personalization, value and reduction of bottle waste stands a chance of revitalizing the category once again.
Meals and Wheels
Victor and Elvia Galindo first started selling chips and sodas to keep tire-shop customers out of the way. In 2004, Elvia turned that into a full-time restaurant. Now Victor’s Tires is more than a tire shop. It’s a place where neighbors gather to socialize and catch up. A surefire way to build customer loyalty: Serve them good food.
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Instant Dentistry
Instant messaging. Video-on-demand. And now, instant crowns. D4D, a digital dental system that makes and fits new teeth in a single visit, is in clinical field trials awaiting final FDA approval. Dentists capture an image of the tooth site with a handheld scanner and feed it into a software program to model the design.
Cupid Scent
New research in the emerging science of aromachology has shown that a woman’s sense of smell is the gateway to increased desire and sexual well-being. Recently introduced to North America, the Scentuelle patch consists of a complex combination of scent molecules that stimulate the libido by targeting the brain’s smell receptors.
DESIGN
Clinic Dining
The Clinic resembles an organized maze with pill shaped rooms interlocking into one another for easy access. The Clinic has two floors. The first fulfills your entertainment requirements, with a number of bars, a dance club, and merchandise store. The entire floor is clinic inspired, that is to say 'hospital chic' adorned.
Portable Bar
This portable bar allows you a quick bar set up, anytime anywhere, and has everything you need at your fingertips. The bar includes ice well, a full size bus bin with additional inserts for another eight juice containers, bottles, and other extra supplies.
ONLINE & SOCIAL NETWORKS
STUART
Created by famed art collector Charles Saatchi, STUART (“Student Art”) aims to connect collectors that are unable to physically attend every gallery and view new works for themselves with the students that need help finding an audience for their talents. Students create profiles and upload their art, and can then chat online, giving each other feedback and of course, networking with important collectors.
View this issue of the CoolBusinessIdeas Newsletter by clicking here. Subscribe for free by clicking here.
Springwise: New York restaurant booking service PrimeTime Tables - "specializing in impossible reservations" - has created a bit of a storm in the NYC/food blogging teacup. The service, touted as a very exclusive dining club, can procure members short-notice reservations at the hottest restaurants in New York, Miami, Colorado and The Hamptons, many of which are booked weeks in advance.
The company was founded by Pascal Riffaud, former concierge at hotels like the St. Regis in New York and the Ritz in Paris. Mr Riffaud also runs Personal Concierge International, a concierge service that can enhance its members' lives in many ways, including access to 'fully committed' restaurants.
Table Snagging Service [Springwise]
Iconoculture: Soda-Club machines let consumers control the flavor and fizz levels of their seltzers and soda pops by making them right at home. The freestanding, no-batteries-required device uses tap water, a carbonator, flavored mixes and reusable/resealable bottles. Each carbonator will create about 110 liters of soda and each mix will flavor the equivalent of 36 cans of soda.
Soda-Club's regular soda flavors have two-thirds less sugar than regular store-bought varieties, thanks to a blend of Splenda and sugar. Diet versions are 100% Splenda. Carbonated soft drink consumption is down, but a product that emphasizes control, personalization, value and reduction of bottle waste stands a chance of revitalizing the category once again.
Create your own pop! [Iconoculture]
TrendCentral: Cleaning products had never exactly excited us until we discovered method. You may be tempted to cheat on your Swiffer with their new ergonomically correct omop that comes with a washable microfiber mop pad (so you no longer have to spend a fortune on those disposable mop-head contraptions). Your back, bank account and the environment will all thank you.
Method Omop [TrendCentral]
BornRich: This Portable Bar is designed for those on the move! This portable bar allows you a quick bar set up, anytime anywhere, and has everything you need at your fingertips. The bar is made from a thick marine quality plastic and is completely durable to withstand any spills of ice, water, liquor or juices. The bar includes ice well, a full size bus bin with additional inserts for another eight juice containers, bottles, and other extra supplies. There is even a metal speed rail fitted on to the front of the bar-top, that can hold eleven 750ml bottles or ten 1litre bottles and is very sturdy. The complete bar fits easily into the road case that is also the base of the bar and it takes approximately five minutes to set-up. The road case features wheels for mobility and can be carried with you wherever you go! In case, you find it unattractive, we have got a stylish option too, Justin Case Portable Bar System.
Portable Bar For Those On the Move! [BornRich]
The Observer UK: Never have there been so many ways for busy professionals to outsource their lives. Now, perhaps inevitably, it's the turn of their babies.
No need for expectant parents to wade through books or trudge round shops for the latest products guaranteed to turn others green with envy. Instead, for a fee of up to £2,500, parents-to-be can sit back while every detail of the pregnancy, their child's birth and their new family's early years is arranged on their behalf.
'We will organise everything from sourcing the best baby carrier to creating the baby's bedroom and arranging parent confidence classes,' said Keely Paice, founder of Baby Planners and the former editor of an international business magazine. 'Once baby arrives, we will hire the best maternity nurse, shortlist nannies and nurseries, advise on feeding patterns and help with establishing routine. In addition, we will be on call by phone and email 24 hours a day for one-to-one advice.'
The average woman, said Paice, spends between 150 and 250 hours preparing for her first child. 'Our service might seem like another entry on a long list of unexpected expenses, but we can save time, money and hassle,' said Paice, who has two young children. 'The market for baby products has never been more competitive or confusing. I've met a woman who wasted hundreds of pounds buying three pushchairs because she kept choosing inappropriate models.'
The service has dozens of clients on its books, and Paice has been contacted by nine companies worldwide who want to franchise her idea.
Busy mums call in 'baby planners' at £2,500 a go [The Observer UK]
New York Times Online: People often say they do not like advertisements, but that may change if the ads start lowering their cellphone bills.
Cellular phone carriers like Verizon, Sprint and Cingular, now the new AT&T, are beginning to test and roll out advertising on mobile phone screens, and by next year, cellphone advertising is likely to be more common.
In exchange, the companies say, their subscribers will enjoy improved mobile Internet services and content provided free or at reduced prices. Other companies like Virgin Mobile USA and Amp’d Mobile are taking the idea a step further, rewarding customers for viewing ads by lowering their cellphone bills.
Amp’d, a cellphone company that aims its marketing at 18- to 24-year-olds in the United States, will begin offering an opt-in advertising plan this year. Customers who sign up will gain access to free shows and other content — if they are willing to put up with some ads.
Madison Avenue Calling [New York Times Online]
MarketingVox: Interactive services firm IconNicholson has created a new type of in-store experience that combines social networking and shopping, and has come to be known as Social Retailing, according to fashion.psfk.
Demonstrated at the National Retail Federation conference earlier this week, the Social Retailing technology uses an in-store three-paneled "magic mirror" that can send photos or videos of shoppers in outfit options to their MySpace page or to friend's emails and mobiles for instant opinions.
The technology will also allow customers to see what others have purchased, and also view similar options that are not in stock but can be purchased online and delivered to their homes.
Social Retailing: The New In-Store Experience [MarketingVox]
Delaware Online: Kathleen Cochran, general manager of San Diego's Loews Coronado Bay Resort & Spa, learned a simple truth from her family about traveling: "When teenagers aren't happy, no one's happy."
"It's just really awful," said Cochran, whose three children are 11, 14 and 16. "I call it 'forced family fun.' "
Armed with her own experiences -- and with an assist from her kids -- Cochran set out to make her hotel teen-friendly, an emerging trend in vacation spots trying to cater to the family.
Four Seasons hotels hire teen concierges who specialize in providing tips on cool hangouts, stores and activities. Other hotels feature teen-focused spa treatments, such as makeup lessons and facials for acne-prone skin. And some, such as Loews Coronado, are setting aside space and events just for adolescents.
Four Seasons hotels began hiring local teens to work as concierges last year at its properties in Toronto, London, New York, Atlanta, Chicago and Whistler, British Columbia. "It's really helpful to have another teen help find teens something to do," Adam Podborski, a 17-year-old concierge at the Whistler resort, said. "Otherwise, it might be just dismissed as, 'Oh, that's just something they're telling me to do.' "
Keen scene for teens [Delaware Online - The News Journal]
The Cool Hunter: With so many dining and nightlife concepts appearing in the world's most prestigious cities, it can be difficult separating the 'flash in the pans' from the genuinely unique establishments that are here to stay. Singapore's, The Clinic, makes its distinction in a most stylized manner.
Spanning over 15,000 sq ft of space, The Clinic resembles an organized maze with pill shaped rooms interlocking into one another for easy access. The Clinic has two floors. The first fulfills your entertainment requirements, with a number of bars, a dance club, and merchandise store. The entire floor is clinic inspired, that is to say 'hospital chic' adorned. That’s where artist Damien Hirst comes in. His pop art graces the walls of The Clinic, whilst his vision goes even further. Syringes, drips, pills and hospital whites are the order of the day in The Clinics decor. This satirical look at medical chic is both stunning and entertaining.
THE CLINIC - SINGAPORE (Think Damien Hirst on Prozac) [The Cool Hunter]
Bradenton Herald: Are you concerned that your wanna-be-cool-too preteen might be following their older siblings onto social-networking Web sites such as MySpace.com and Facebook.com?
Thankfully, there are several sites that a 9-year-old can explore without alarming their parents, including Whyville.net, ClubPenguin.com and even National Geographic, which has a My Page for kids.
Now the world's biggest kid brand, Disney, is jumping into the social-networking trend with a splashy, fun and character-laden Web site that Disney pledges will be safe for children. The launch date has not been released but expect it before January ends.
While I'm a little uncomfortable with the obvious emphasis on Disney-branded characters, from Hannah Montana to Captain Jack Sparrow and the engaging new world of Pixie Hollow for Tinkerbell and her fairy friends, I bet that your kid will have a blast playing here.
Taking the lead from other social-networking sites, Disney will let your little girl create her own fairy, give it a personality and share that character with her friends. If you have a son, let him play a game with Lightning McQueen and then brag to his buddies via chat about his high score.
"We wanted to break new ground," said Paul Yanover, executive vice president for Disney Online, during a private screening last week at the International Consumer Electronics Show here. "We want to immerse people in the characters, stories and experiences that are Disney."
Disney to offer kids' social site [Bradenton Herald]
Iconoculture: "With this bone, I thee wed." Five U.K. couples recently sealed their vows by exchanging rings made from their own bone tissue, grown in the lab from sample cells. Scientists harvested the cells from tiny slivers extracted from the couples' jawbones, then grew new tissue in bioglass scaffolds that mimic human bone structure. Artists fused the pure white bone with silver to create the unique rings. Beyond being an ultraromantic way to say "I do," the technique holds great promise as a way to grow new bone material for patients who need replacements.
Biojewelry: Wedding bands made from the happy couple's bone tissue [Iconoculture]
Ecommerce-Guide.com: Sexy still sells.
Just ask brothers and business partners Michael and Ronald Lipka, who launched SexyFurnishings.com in April 2001 - and kissed their decidedly un-sexy backgrounds in accounting and engineering goodbye.
The secret, they found, was being able to sell sexy at an affordable price.
It all started in 2000 when Michael Lipka happened upon a crowd gathered outside a Boston furniture store. "It was this great big chair shaped just like a high-heeled shoe, and it was sitting out in front of the store for people to look at and sit in," recalls Lipka. "It was a typical dark and dreary Boston day with not that many people walking around, but there were still dozens of people standing around this chair."
But Michael also noticed that all of the potential customers were making themselves scarce after reading the chair's price tag, which was over $1,000. "This clearly was a great piece of furniture, but the main problem people had with it was the price," he says.
SexyFurnishings.com [Ecommerce-Guide.com]
Bend Weekly: In December, Bumble Bee began selling packaged, cooked, skinless and boneless chicken breasts that are intended as entrees and can be heated in ovens or microwaves. The chicken is available in three seasoned varieties: garlic and herb, southwest seasonings and barbecue sauce.
It marks the first time any products other than seafood have been marketed under the Bumble Bee brand.
Chicken and prepackaged entrees are part of the tuna industry's efforts to market its products to younger customers who don't buy many canned items, as well as to counter damage to its image caused by mercury health scares.
"We knew that a lot of people liked chicken, but it really wasn't too convenient to prepare," Lischewski said. "But if we can give people something that is nutritious and high-protein that they can prepare in just a couple of minutes, they will accept it."
Tuna industry thinking outside the can with new products [Bend Weekly]
Iconoculture: Instant messaging. Video-on-demand. And now, instant crowns. D4D, a digital dental system that makes and fits new teeth in a single visit, is in clinical field trials awaiting final FDA approval. Dentists capture an image of the tooth site with a handheld scanner and feed it into a software program to model the design. A computerized milling machine makes the finished crown in just 30 minutes, so the patient can be fitted on the spot.
No one enjoys a trip to the dentist. Downsizing the process of getting crowns from two visits to one would be a great leap forward for dental patients everywhere. Digital technology continues to revolutionize healthcare in bold ways, opening the door for further innovations.
Coming to your dentist’s office: Instant crowns [Iconoculture]
Springwise: After encountering a great wine in a restaurant or at a friend's house, instead of vowing to remember the name and vintage, Dutch consumers can now dash off an sms to BuyYourWine.com. The online wine seller will then get back to them with a price and delivery details.
In the US, WineZap offers a similar service. If someone emails or texts them the vintage and wine name, WineZap will email or text them the current low, high and average prices for that wine. If a user adds their zipcode, WineZap includes a list of the nearest retailers that stock the wine, as well as their prices.
Selling wine by sms [Springwise]
Scentuellepatch: Is feeling sexy just a memory? You’re not alone. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, millions of women long to re-ignite the passion they enjoyed during those first heady days of their relationship. But for a growing number of women, their desires are overwhelmed by their increasingly busy lives. They get lost to deadlines and schedules, crying babies and expanding waistlines, menopause and aging. The reasons for their flagging libidos are as long as their to-do lists.
But new research in the emerging science of aromachology has shown that a woman’s sense of smell is the gateway to increased desire and sexual well-being. Recently introduced to North America, the Scentuelle patch consists of a complex combination of scent molecules that stimulate the libido by targeting the brain’s smell receptors. It reproduces the effect of the body’s ‘feel good’ hormone, dopamine, which controls sexual desire.
Simply place the small, transparent patch in a discreet place, such as the inside of the wrist, and smell it regularly throughout the day. Scentuelle begins to work from the first sniff and its effect is cumulative, building to an optimum level after three weeks. Nothing enters the bloodstream so there are no side effects and a doctor’s prescription is not required.
With Cupid just around the corner, it’s time for women to start feeling sexy again. Scentuelle can make this a Valentine’s Day to remember – and keep that passion burning all year-round.
If Cupid had Scentuelle, he wouldn’t need arrows [Scentuellepatch]
Shiny Shiny: I was gutted to find out that these bendy USB drives are still in the concept stage. I mean, look at them! Not only do they link together, allowing you to instantly increase your storage capacity, they also look like tons o' fun, helping many a bored office worker get through the day. You could even use them to fashion yourself a handy USB bracelet or necklace, if you were that way inclined. They're the brainchild of designer Vicky Wei, who worked out that two USB sticks have more storage than one, and decided to stick some together and see what happened. Luckily it worked out for her: I can only hope we'll be seeing them on sale soon!
Linkable, bendy USB drives - fun and function! [Shiny Shiny]
TrendCentral: Art Basel Miami may have been just last month, but the young art world is once again on everyone’s mind. For years now, trendsetters have cited deviantArt, a popular site that provides a forum for visual artists to show their work and receive feedback from the community, as a favored web destination. Now there is a similar new kid on the block—with a big name attached.
Created by famed art collector Charles Saatchi, STUART (“Student Art”) aims to connect collectors that are unable to physically attend every gallery and view new works for themselves with the students that need help finding an audience for their talents. Students create profiles and upload their art, and can then chat online, giving each other feedback and of course, networking with important collectors. This non-profit online gallery has been giving the Saatchi site millions of new hits a day, and museum curators and dealers are already meeting and buying from some students. We think it will quickly prove to be a popular social network for young people studying and creating art, making it for artists what MySpace is to musicians.
The hot new networking site for art students [TrendCentral]
New Business Ideas/Opportunities Featured In This Issue:
TECHNOLOGY
3D Laser Crystal
Our developments revolutionize the marking of different materials by laser technology. With our laser subsurface engraving method the surface remains untouched. The desired marking is carried out inside the material. We call this method “Vitropgraphy”
Personalise Your Electronic Devices
Just days ago, millions of people around the world were gifted at least one of the "big 10" electronic devices boosting in store and online. In capitalizing on this trend towards personalization mytego.com has developed a technology where customers can personalize any one of those "big 10" electronic devices.
GADGETS
H3 Campack
The Backpack offers easy control for your digital video camera, (most versions of the 4th and 5th gen) iPod, and Bluetooth-equipped phone. The primary focus of the backpack is an external lens that connects directly to your video camera (compatible with a variety of cameras) and a joystick remote on the shoulder strap.
AGRICULTURAL & ENVIRONMENTAL
Biodegradable Plates
It's true, I don't host many brunches or entertain a lot from home, but if I did, I would definitely get these biodegradable dinnerware sets, not just because they are attractive (call me boring, but I hate paper plates with designs on them, especially seasonal and holiday themes).
DESIGN
Your Own Bag
Pimp your bag with Timbuk2's Build Your Own service. You can design your own messenger bag for your laptop or textbooks. Choose the size, material, colors and accessories that best suit.
FOOD & BEVERAGE
Smoothie Does It
If you're looking to be energised, want a boost for your love life or just a hangover cure, crushed fruit, yoghurt and milk may just hold the answer. According to a new report by consumer analysts Mintel, smoothie sales have soared in the past five years, and Bradford's health conscious shoppers have been reaching for the drinks in their hundreds moving the product from niche market to mainstream.
Celery Straws
Duda Farm Fresh Foods in Florida has engineered celery stalks with hollow centers. These "celery straws" can flavor Bloody Marys through sipping or hold a hidden cream cheese or peanut butter surprise. Watch for the edible swizzle sticks to start appearing at restaurants and hotels soon.
MARKETING
Marketing Air Fresheners
Younger customers are at the forefront of the boom in air fresheners, which have grown up since the first Air Wicks and Glade sprays hit the shelves two generations ago. Thousands of new products have made their debuts — plug-ins, fragrance fans, diffusers, flashing light shows — becoming pricier and fancier every year..
ENTERTAINMENT
Ping Pong Not Doubles Anymore
Boyd has successfully prototyped a new three player version of ping pong, cleverly named TriPong, that uses plexiglass "nets" to divide the table into three wedges, one for each player. Each wedge contains a neutral zone and a scoring zone, hit the ball into a players scoring zone and they fail to return the shot, you score. Simple enough.
HEALTH & BEAUTY
Mobile Spa
Some people won’t be able to travel, due to either lack of time or of money. Therefore Arizona Mobile Spa provides services directly to clients at home, at the office, or in a hotel suite. Arizona Mobile works via a network of spa professionals.
TOURISM
Spiritual Retreats
In its many forms, spiritual tourism is the "oldest and now one of the fastest- growing segments in the travel industry," said Dallen Timothy, an associate professor at Arizona State University and a co-editor of "Tourism, Religion & Spiritual Journeys"
ADVERTISING
360 Degree Attention
The patent-pending 360 Degree Mobile Video Billboard delivers ad content (even 30-second moving spots) to thousands of eyeballs in a given hit. Right now it's in New York, LA, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco. You attach it to your car, truck or SUV.
MARKETING
Selling time
Entrepreneurial Peter Sauer has devised an intriguing way to earn money to pay his college expenses. Sauer created a promotional Web site named www.OneYearForSale.com, which offers exactly what it says: a year’s worth of web time at the price of $1 per minute.
CULTURE & MUSIC
My Love Song
Have you ever wished that you could write your own love song for that special someone in your life? TailoredMusic.com enables anyone to create their own personalized love song with the confidence and finesse of an experienced songwriter.
FASHION
Doodad Couture
Many women covet a $6,000 Hermes Birkin bag. But for Amanda Miller, who carries one to work, the appeal lies not in the exclusive bag but what's on it. Hanging from her Birkin are unusual charms, including a skull from Prada and a plastic bunny in a space suit that she bought from a vending machine in Tokyo.
View this issue of the CoolBusinessIdeas Newsletter by clicking here. Subscribe for free by clicking here.
Iconoculture: Victor and Elvia Galindo first started selling chips and sodas to keep tire-shop customers out of the way. In 2004, Elvia turned that into a full-time restaurant.
While Victor specializes in hubcaps and shiny custom wheels, Elvia specializes in tamales and sincronizada, a quesadilla stuffed with ham, avocado, cheese, green pepper and tomatoes.
Now Victor’s Tires is more than a tire shop. It’s a place where neighbors gather to socialize and catch up.
A surefire way to build customer loyalty: Serve them good food.
Cars and food are staples of Latino culture.
Tires and tamales: The perfect combo [Iconoculture]
Vitro Laser GmbH: Our developments revolutionize the marking of different materials by laser technology. Conventional methods are limited to the marking of the materials’ surface. With our laser subsurface engraving method the surface remains untouched. The desired marking is carried out inside the material.
The laser beam will be precisely focused in order to keep the finest formations and details of the masters. Every design is represented point by point and with a clear structure. We call this method “Vitropgraphy”. Two dimensional as well as three dimensional designs from all areas can be engraved. The result will convince you with its pin sharp quality.
Laser subsurface engravings can be made in all kinds of translucent materials e.g. glass, tempered or laminated glass, acrylic glass, ceramic glass, sapphire, polycarbonate etc.
The process of subsurface engraving works precise and detailed with highest speed and offers an extremely efficient and economic production. On top of that our systems offer user-friendly interfaces which guarantee high comfort during your daily work and an easy orientation.
Vitro Laser GmbH
ProductDose: So, say your on your way down the side of a mountain on a snowboard when you realize that that you completely forgot about a conference call you had to be in. Out of luck? Not if you're equipped with this O'Neill H3 Campack. The Backpack offers easy control for your digital video camera, (most versions of the 4th and 5th gen) iPod, and Bluetooth-equipped phone. The primary focus of the backpack is an external lens that connects directly to your video camera (compatible with a variety of cameras) and a joystick remote on the shoulder strap. If that doesn't cover it for you, the H3 collection alsofeatures a jacket with iPod and phone control right at your sleeve, as well as an "audio beanie" with integrated earphones.
H3 Campack: Video, Audio, Bluetooth [ProductDose]
Popgadget: It's true, I don't host many brunches or entertain a lot from home, but if I did, I would definitely get these biodegradable dinnerware sets, not just because they are attractive (call me boring, but I hate paper plates with designs on them, especially seasonal and holiday themes), but because they are made of 100% biodegradable, compostable sugar cane fiber, and the utensils are made of 80% potato starch and 20% vegetable oil.
Sugar cane fiber is a renewable resource, and these pieces are much sturdier than paper; thus they're "microwavable, freezer safe, oil resistant, and capable of handling hot foods and beverages." Never mind that some people consider using disposable dinnerware tacky when entertaining (maybe it's a cultural thing, but I grew up using paper plates at every family gathering), but if you'd rather use your fine china when guests are over, consider these the next time you're planning a picnic.
Biodegradable dinnerware [Popgadget]
FreshTrend: Pimp your bag with Timbuk2's Build Your Own service.
You can design your own messenger bag for your laptop or textbooks. Choose the size, material, colors and accessories that best suit you.
Or if you're looking to gift a Timbuk2 bag then check out their Bag in a Box which in essence is a gift certificate that anyone can redeem for their own Timbuk2 bag.
Create Your Own Perfect Laptop Bag [FreshTrend]
eMediaWire: Just days ago, millions of people around the world were gifted at least one of the "big 10" electronic devices boosting in store and online sales in 2006 including Nintendo Wii, Sony PS3 and PSP, ipod Nano, Blackberry, Treo, DELL Notebook Laptop, Motorola and Palm. In capitalizing on this trend towards personalization mytego.com has developed a technology where customers - all over the world - can personalize any one of those "big 10" electronic devices or any other portable electronic device with a TEGO skin.
A TEGO is a durable, waterproof high quality vinyl adhesive skin that goes on in seconds and comes off clean. mytego.com allows users to affordably design a personalized TEGO skin for any portable electronic device with any picture, image or text. They can also choose one of many images in the mytego.com library. Though TEGO skins have been a popular product worldwide since introduced by Mytego in 2003, Doyle Buehler, president of Mytego Inc. believes 2007 is the year everyone will be taking advantage of the opportunity for personalization.
"The trend towards personalization is becoming more and more pronounced in our society. We see it now in everyday things, and now we have given consumers the tools to be their own creative genius and design exactly what they want. We have seen it start with special ring tones and screen graphics for phones in the late 1990's. Now this personalization has moved more mainstream, into all portable electronics like ipods, game systems etc. Everybody has the inherent desire to be different and stand out -- Mytego gives them just the tools that they need to address this need. Our online design interface is the only one like it in the world, where users can see in real time what their design will look like. Our unique business system allows us to produce individual products for each customer, giving each and every individual customer the ultimate choice and freedom." predicts Buehler.
Visit www.myTego.com for more details.
Mytego Inc. Introduces New Trend for Personalization of Electronic Devices [eMediaWire]
New York Times: College stinks. Just ask Emily Watson, a sophomore at Dartmouth, who sprays her dorm room once a week and her clothes two to three times a week with fresheners, usually in citrus or other fruity flavors.
Ms. Watson did not grow up using air fresheners, but a Febreze commercial two years ago changed all that. “If you’re in a frat basement or something, you kind of stink afterwards, and you want to wear your jeans the next day,” Ms. Watson said.
Younger customers like Ms. Watson are at the forefront of the boom in air fresheners, which have grown up since the first Air Wicks and Glade sprays hit the shelves two generations ago. Glade’s first sprays in evergreen and blossom scents appeared in 1956 and were marketed to suburban families as a way to banish cooking and tobacco smells. Since then, thousands of new products have made their debuts — plug-ins, fragrance fans, diffusers, flashing light shows — becoming pricier and fancier every year.
Sensing Opportunity in Dormitory Air [New York Times]
Bradford.co.uk: If you're looking to be energised, want a boost for your love life or just a hangover cure, crushed fruit, yoghurt and milk may just hold the answer.
According to a new report by consumer analysts Mintel, smoothie sales have soared in the past five years, and Bradford's health conscious shoppers have been reaching for the drinks in their hundreds moving the product from niche market to mainstream.
Concoctions of blueberries, raspberries, bananas, coconut, passion fruit and peach either laced or blended with honey have helped smoothie sales rise by 523 per cent to hit £134 million in that time.
Larger companies are also cashing in on the consumer trend.
Bradford-based drinks company Soya Health Foods is launching a new soya smoothie later this year.
The company which employs 15 people at its factory in Bradford Lane, Barkerend, claims the new product will help lower cholesterol.
Marketing manager Robin Gleave said: "The market for smoothies has exploded and is no longer a niche market.
"The product we are launching is a little bit different and is soya-based.
"People are buying into smoothies because they think that they are better for you than other drinks but there is no evidence to suggest that."
Smoothie does it for new trend [Bradford.co.uk
FreshTrend: Inventor Secil Boyd's latest creation may just take the game of ping pong to a new level.
Boyd has successfully prototyped a new three player version of ping pong, cleverly named TriPong, that uses plexiglass "nets" to divide the table into three wedges, one for each player. Each wedge contains a neutral zone and a scoring zone, hit the ball into a players scoring zone and they fail to return the shot, you score. Simple enough.
The TriPong table is currently not available for retail but Boyd is in negotiations with a major sports company to bring the three person ping-pong table to market by the end of 2007.
Ping Pong For Three? [FreshTrend]
Iconoculture: Duda Farm Fresh Foods in Florida has engineered celery stalks with hollow centers.
These "celery straws" can flavor Bloody Marys through sipping or hold a hidden cream cheese or peanut butter surprise.
Watch for the edible swizzle sticks to start appearing at restaurants and hotels soon; marketing to the home chef might come further down the road.
An element of surprise and novelty makes eating and drinking even more festive.
Fringe consumers who are wary of any sort of nature tinkering might balk at tweaked celery, but most imbibers will relish the chance to rev up their Bloody Mary or snack-time experience.
Celery that sucks [Iconoculture]
TrendBlog: Some people won’t be able to travel, due to either lack of time or of money. Therefore Arizona Mobile Spa provides services directly to clients at home, at the office, or in a hotel suite. Arizona Mobile works via a network of spa professionals. The mobile spa service offers packages for groups of four and up. Some options are spa parties, corporate events, corporate chair massages, wedding parties, bridal parties, and bachelorette parties. Ideal for relaxation, networking, socializing and starting a healthy livestyle on the spot.
Intensive Spas [TrendBlog]
TailoredMusic.com is a group of professional musicians dedicated to helping you to create the ultimate romantic gift—the gift of custom-tailored music.
Have you ever wished that you could write your own love song for that special someone in your life? TailoredMusic.com enables anyone to create their own personalized love song with the confidence and finesse of an experienced songwriter.
TailoredMusic.com
International Herald Tribune: In its many forms, spiritual tourism is the "oldest and now one of the fastest- growing segments in the travel industry," said Dallen Timothy, an associate professor at Arizona State University and a co-editor of "Tourism, Religion & Spiritual Journeys" (Routledge, 2006).
Timothy said the niche could also be hard to quantify, partly because of its changing definition. It now embraces yoga and other retreats, metaphysical quests, astrology and adventure tours, visits to places like Stonehenge in England and weekends at New Age spas and wellness centers.
The rising popularity of spiritual tourism can be traced to several factors, including a trend toward vacations that help travelers achieve a higher sense of purpose through volunteering, education, culture and art. In addition, travel experts cite a growing middle class of Asians and Middle Easterners whose religions prescribe traveling to places they hold holy.
Raymond Bickson, managing director of Taj Hotels & Resorts, based in Mumbai, said that "as baby boomers age and gray, they have more time and more disposable income to look within." Three years ago, noticing that many of the guests at his 57 hotels in India were seeking spiritual experiences, he added activities like meditation sessions and chanting ceremonies. Revenue from spa programs has tripled since then, he said.
In a survey released in November, the Travel Industry Association found that 25 percent of respondents in a representative sample of 1,500 adults said they were interested in spiritual vacations. The appeal of such journeys was spread equally among three age groups, 18 to 34, 35 to 54, and 55 and over.
Easing spiritual journeys with creature comforts [International Herald Tribune]
Entrepreneurial Michigan College student Peter Sauer has devised an intriguing way to earn money to pay his college expenses. Sauer created a promotional Web site named www.OneYearForSale.com, which offers exactly what it says: a year’s worth of web time at the price of $1 per minute. Buyers can display their message on the site’s home page for as many minutes as they want.
The 19-year-old Grand Valley State University sophomore came up with the idea after a dull summer of house painting. “Time is money,” Sauer says, “so why not sell it?” Sauer graduated from Okemos High School. He is majoring in business at Grand Valley.
Buyers can purchase as many or as few minutes as they like. In return the buyers get to create a message, which is then displayed on the site for each minute they purchased. The message can include a link to any Web site the customer desires.
A few possibilities:
1. Promoting a business at an affordable ad rate
2. Wishing a loved one a Happy Birthday the new-fashioned way
3. Promoting oneself to potential employers
While messages can be almost anything, Sauer encourages people to make their messages funny, unusual and/or interesting. The Web site messages, he says, could help other businesses get attention and take off. Who knows? A nicely worded marriage proposal might even lead to a lifetime of happiness. How else could consumers use their dollars? “A Coke? A 20-minute phone call? Something off of McDonald’s dollar menu,” says Sauer. Purchased minutes will start displaying on January 1, 2007 at www.OneYearForSale.com
Everything Alabama: Many women covet a $6,000 Hermes Birkin bag. But for Amanda Miller, who carries one to work, the appeal lies not in the exclusive bag but what's on it. Hanging from her Birkin are unusual charms, including a skull from Prada and a plastic bunny in a space suit that she bought from a vending machine in Tokyo.
The doodads convey "not only do I have style and a perspective on history, but that I have a real sense of whimsy," says Miller, a 28-year-old travel-industry publicist in New York.
An odd but growing product niche in the luxury-goods business these days: Accessories for accessories. The items, first popularized in Japan, appeal to an increasing appetite among consumers - and often younger consumers - for personalizing the way they look. With luxury-goods companies now making handbag charms, they also provide consumers with a lower-price entry point to the world of Coach, Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Prada.
Other accessories are getting accessories too. For Christmas, Bottega Veneta introduced a shoe with a change purse attached to it. La Loop, which sells $85 to $500 necklaces to hold sunglasses at Bergdorf Goodman, will unveil a lower-price line at J.C. Penney early next year. And Kodak recently started selling jeweled wristbands and necklaces to hold its cameras, along with camera clutches in pink and green.
Doodad couture the latest trend for accessorizing the accessories [Everything Alabama]
Adrants: Here's something we don't get to report every day. Massachusetts company Alt Terrain LLC unleashes an actual new media platform. We were like, is that possible?
The patent-pending 360 Degree Mobile Video Billboard delivers ad content (even 30-second moving spots) to thousands of eyeballs in a given hit. Right now it's in New York, LA, Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco. You attach it to your car, truck or SUV.
360 Mobile Video Billboard Brings Times Square to a 'burb Near You [Adrants]
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