Latest Buy: Sleep is a very individual thing. Some like to sleep on their side or their back or their front. Some like a soft mattress whilst others prefer a bed of nails. And when it comes to waking up, some of us spring out of bed, whilst others need, well, how shall we put this, others need a rocket up them.

Problem solved. The Rocket Alarm Clock is here to ensure that if you have to take off in the morning, it will do just that.

Rocket Alarm ClockThe launch pad doubles as mission control, where you can set the time and the alarm from the LCD display. When it's time to get up, the red LED lights begin to flash and the countdown begins. 10 – 9 – if you wake up now you can abort the launch – 8 – 7 – 6 – you can still stop it – 5 – 4 – come on you space cadet get up – 3 – 2 – 1 – LIFT OFF! If you've failed to abort the mission by now, your soft-headed rocket has launched itself across the room – and the only way you're going to stop the alarm from sounding is by getting up and retrieving it!

Rocket Alarm Clock [Latest Buy]

TrendHunter: Attention male golfers! The game of golf is full of gadgets: gadgets that increase your distance; gadgets that straighten your drives; gadgets that hide your beer. The list goes on… Now, you can add a club that doubles as a toilet to the list. The Uroclub is a golf club with a hollow shaft that holds your pee.

Every aspect of this piece of equipment has been meticulously worked out to make it simple and trouble free to use. To start with, the UroClub is designed from a light weight resin with a molded grip. The cap opens and closes easily and is designed with a triple sealing system to ensure that it is leak proof.

The privacy shield hooks to the sides of the pants or belt and adds stability. This allows freedom of the hands to manipulate the club and zipper. The UroClub is intended to eliminate anxiety and any feeling of uneasiness on the course. It can be emptied at the nearest restroom or later on, when the golfer returns home.

Urinal Golf Clubs - The Uroclub [TrendHunter]

TrendBlog: Nike has launched a large-scale pan-European mobile marketing campaign in which it unveils a customization service called Nike PhotoID, which invites Nike fans to submit their randomly cellphone-taken pictures with brilliant colors to the company. The service will then analyze and withdraw from the pictures two dominant colors, make customized sneaker designs and send pictures of the designs back to the photographers, who can choose either to keep them as wall paper or order the personalized shoes.

Nike PhotoID [TrendBlog]

If you're stepping out to grab a coffee, decency requires you ask your co-workers if anyone else wants one. But on the way back to the office, you curse your own decency as you juggle multiple hot cups and the phone rings or you need to pull out your keys.

Here's a smart solution: A nifty solution is this carry-bag for coffees!

An elegant way to carry coffee and the carrier could be reused over and over again. Definitely a hit for coffee addicts and maybe our environmentalists as well!

TrendCentral: These simple canvas sneakers have been popular in China since the '20s and have recently gained a small, cultish following Stateside. The shoes' durability, comfort and flexible soles made them the choice footwear for Shaolin monks who wore them when practicing Kung Fu and Tai Chi. While they are still worn by martial artists, it's their simple, classic style - akin to American mainstays such as Converse All Stars and Keds - that resonates with fashionistas (both male and female) today.

Shaolin Chinese Sneakers [TrendCentral]

BoomersWithAttitude.com is a new online tee-shirt store that’s devoted exclusively to the most exceptional generation in the USA today: the Baby Boomers. It features distinctive, unique Tee-Shirts and other quality apparel that further expands on what this already vocal group of over 70,000,000 people has been doing for 45 plus years, that is, Expressing Themselves … with Attitude.

Simple and straightforward in design, and sometimes a bit spicy to boot, each tee-Shirt includes a unique, clever, funny, insightful, nostalgic, possibly stinging or otherwise thought-provoking message on the back, in addition to the standout "BWA - Boomers with Attitude" markings on the front. Most designs are offered in multiple colors.

TrendHunter: Tons of lighter fluid is used to light BBQs in the US every year which contributes to toxic residue on the foods cooked. The Baja BBQ firepack is made of charcoal packaging (100% recycled biodegradable paper pulp) which quickly ignites by lighting from the bottom. The chimney holes provide the ventilation needed to produce hot coals. The contents are 2 lbs of natural lump charcoal, all of which burn easily, producing hot coals ready to cook your meal in 15- 20 minutes without any nasty “flavourings”.

The creators are Mike and Maaike, a collaborative team formed by American Mike Simonian and Dutch born Maaike Evers who are into useful experimental design. They designed the Baja BBQ firepack for Lazzari with a patent pending.

Instant Eco Grills [TrendHunter]

TrendOriginal: Unusual smells aren’t generally the inspiration for scented candles, but Hotwicks doesn’t really seem to care. Among its unique collection of scented candles is the “Campfire Candle” which emits vapors reminiscent of a campfire-makes you feel like you’re camping and toasting marshmallows.

Hotwicks also have other unusual scents such as grass, popcorn and even urinal smells.

Campfire Scented Candle [TrendOriginal]

ProductDose: Gauging your health or fitness by weight is inexact and can actually be unhealthy, which is why using a regular scale to track your health goals is foolish and best left to supermodels. This HoMedics scale measures your body fat, body water, muscle mass, and bone mass. It's also got a Daily Calorie Predictor that tells you how many calories you should be consuming each day. Features include:

- Built-in scale with KnowledgeBook technology accurately measures weight, body fat, body water, muscle mass and bone mass

- Durable stainless-steel design; 2" backlit blue LCD display for easy viewing

Homedics Healthstation Body Fat Analyzer [ProductDose]

Babygadget: These Polar bear shelves have to be the ultimate in fun product design, though one has to ask if they'd look quite as good once stacked with random books and objects. Now, if you were enough of an obsessive to only store white-spined books on there, I could see the look really working. And having laid out over £2,000 (US$ 4,000), you'd really want it to work.

Polar Bear shelves [Babygadget]

You just turned away for a moment. You look in every direction - scanning the area. Your heart starts to pound as you call out their name. You start to panic and think the worst when your cell phone rings. A welcome voice tells you that they found your wandering child and all is well.

Has this happened to you? If you're a parent, chances are it's happened, maybe more than once. It's estimated in the US, that 2100 kids under the age of 18 go missing everyday. It's a terrifying situation, one that we all would like to avoid. Children wander, it's their nature. You have to do your best for them and hope for the best outcome.

Here is where Kids Safety Bands come in. Custom made of durable silicone rubber, the bands are laser engraved with your child's initials and your cell phone number(s). If your child gets lost, anyone can locate the cell number on the branded orange band and call you. The custom bands are $4.00 plus shipping.

http://www.kidssafetybands.com

Popgadget: If you're taking part in an Indian celebration, have a kid who wants a tattoo but is waaaaaaay too young, or you're just a mad crazy fan of henna, then Henna Penna is for you. As the name strongly implies, this product is henna... in a pen. Which is a godsend, as anyone who's tried to do anything with henna (multiple hair dyes, here) knows how messy the darn thing can be.

Henna Penna pens are available in a range of colors including emerald and traditional brown and black, and can be used with stencils or freehand. At $25.75 per pen (from Nonstop Bazaar) they're not dirt cheap, but they are all-natural and not tested on animals, so you your kids can play without fear. (Although I must advise some caution: designs fade, but can't be erased, so not something to play with on the face, perhaps...)

Home tattoos the safe way with Henna Penna [Popgadget]

Flip & Tumble is an unique and modern reusable bag created by Eva Bauer and friends right out of graduate school. While in graduate school at Stanford’s Product Design Program, they began researching how people use reusable bags because while almost everyone owned reusable bags, most didn’t remember them until they reached the checkout line. Flip & Tumble came out of an idea to design a bag that people wouldn’t forget. In their own words:

We felt that there had to be a good way to keep your bag with you all the time. For us, that meant two things. It had to compact easily so you could stash it in a messenger bag or purse, and it had to have a flexible “go anywhere” style.

We played with a variety of compacting systems, but ultimately took our cue from sockballs, those little balls formed from rolling your socks and stretching the end over. Our final design uses an elastic pouch system that works pretty much the same way.

Simply place your hand into the attached pouch, scrunch up the bag, stretch the pouch panels over the bag, and your bag is ready to tumble along.

Flip & Tumble

The Coloradoan: The stigma of thrift, consignment and resale stores are a thing of the past, and vintage has given new meaning to thrift.

Saving some green, whether it's dollar bills or the environment, the second-hand industry is thriving, benefiting from people looking to make a few extra bucks by selling their used stuff or buying items at a reduced price.

For Paula Sacks, business at her resale store reflects the economy and right now, people are in need of extra cash to make ends meet. "I find more people looking for extra ways to earn money," said the owner of Harmony Kids, 925 E. Harmony Road, which resells children's clothes, books, toys and baby equipment.

Resale is one of the fastest growing retail segments, experiencing roughly 5 percent growth each year, according to the National Association of Resale and Thrift Shops.

Even big name stores are noticing the impact. Goodwill opened a new Fort Collins store in August, capitalizing on the growing retail market on the south end of town.

"Knowledge of thrift is getting out. It's OK to shop thrift," said Ric Berninzoni, vice president of retail operations for Goodwill. The company recently launched a new advertising campaign with the slogan "It's not your grandmother's thrift store."

"(Resale) is an excellent market considering it's so green," said Laura Green, owner of Repeat Boutique. After 21 years in the industry, she's surprised the second-hand market isn't larger. "It's a booming business that has been fairly unrecognized in the last five, six, seven, eight, years. I don't know why it wasn't enormously apparent before."

Secondhand stores make vintage cool in tough times [The Coloradoan]

UV Scanner from Whatever works is a portable scanner which allows you to disinfect everything you might have to touch like door handles, telephones, computer keyboards, etc. Waving the UV light over an object will kill 99.9% of the germs you might come in contact with.

Via OhGizmo

* * *

TrendInsights. A blog to inspire, stimulate creativity and trend spotting.

Newswire: Creative Stationery Industries, Inc. of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, reports that its new self binding sheets can bond sheets with just a pull, no staples, no three holes punch, and no tools at all (US Patent 7,037,564). A new self binding paper that makes business reports look like a booklet.

The custom A4 size sheets fits copiers, Fax machines, and Printers, It’s made for your special paper projects just print your documents on the self binding paper and align the sheets and pull the entire tabs, except for the last one and your sheets are all bonded together.

Now make a folder or cover for your documents use an 11x17 sheet, print your information on the front and fold it in half, pull the last pull tab and now insert your bonded documents. This new self binding sheets will be sold in stationery and office products stores.

In tests, inventor has bonded over 400 sheets with remarkable result. Other uses are scrapbooks, file folders, term papers, reports, calendars, resume, business forms, catalogs, flyers, signs, manuals, information from the internet, church programs, all important documents, music notebook, artist Sketch pad, agreements, wills, organizers, school newspaper, company policy, all important documents the list goes on and on.

The company plans to have different sizes and colors and paper weights, plus removable sheets. And also a new self mailer paper, print your documents, bond them fold and seal. Inventor indicates “Secretaries and other can use this self binging product without the hassle of binding equipment; Homemaker can use this paper with their personal computer printer.

Creative Stationery Industries, Inc. Introduces New Innovative Self-binding Paper Solution [Newswire]

Carry your tunes into the future with this ultra-modern Messenger Bag by Australian company Smart Fabrics. It combines the ElekTex Smart Fabric control panel to allow you to control your iPod tunes. The ultra thin NXT Speaker is incorporated into the bag, so you can share your music or add that powerful punch to a presentation.

The Messenger Bag isn't stingy on comfort and practicality. There are loads of additional pockets for business or personal accessories, a water bottle pocket and there's even an extra soft air-flow open pocket in the back.

I've tried a number of battery-operated nose hair trimmers hoping one of them would last, be easy to clean, and remain sharp. Every one of them failed. This stainless steel trimmer is simplicity itself! No whirring motors, wimpy foil blades, batteries or delicate electronics. It costs a little more than some electric models but works elegantly and reliably. I also like the fact it is so compact I can sanitize the entire unit in the occasional alcohol bath. I always thought trimmers had to work at high speed to deliver a comfortable and painless cut. With this device, you simply stick the unit an 1/8-inch up your nose and rotate the shaft back and forth.

Groom Mate Nose & Ear Hair Trimmer [Cool Tools]

Every morning, one out of every two Americans starts their day with a bowl of breakfast cereal. Baby boomers love it for nostalgic reasons, but also because it is often healthier than restaurant alternatives. They represent an entire generation raised on cereal, and still love it because it is quick and simple, requiring no cooking.

CerealThing, Inc hopes to tap on this consumer trend. Founder Dave Ascone has invented what is known today as the CerealThing™, a mug-shaped milk and cereal container comprised of individual milk and cereal compartments, separated by a patented valve. CerealThing’s built-in cold pack and insulated milk compartment keeps the milk cold.

There is also a detachable spoon that delivers a complete breakfast experience in a single, easy to carry container. With CerealThing, health (and cost) conscious consumers can enjoy breakfast away from home anywhere and anytime. Dave is planning to offer his idea for sale, licensing or joint-venture.

http://www.cerealthing.com

In south Asia, the majority of shampoos, laundry detergents and other HABA/home cleaning products are sold in single-use sachets for a simple reason - many Indian consumers are not yet able to afford the purchase of traditionally sized packages.

In North America, sachets of this type have usually only been used as a giveaway for promoting consumer trial, or sold for use while traveling. However, Shoppers Drug Mart, Canada's leading pharmacy chain, has taken single use sachets and developed an entirely new category of high margin HABA goods.

This "Anti-Aging Micro Dermabrasion Duo" sachet is one of approximately 20 new private label sachet products, and retails for CDN $2.49 (CDN $1 = USD $1). Usage directions on the reverse of the package recommend use '2 to 3 times per week for best results' - clearly a big potential revenue source for Shoppers.

What consumer products do you use every day that could be repackaged or reformatted to sell incremental volume?

Graeme Spicer is a Canadian trendspotter, ethnographer and observer of all things retail. As Director of Retail Strategy at DW+Partners he spends his time consulting with leading retailers; presenting at conferences across North America; lecturing at OCAD, Canada's leading design school; and reading too many blogs. Graeme can be reached at graeme.spicer@gmail.com.

Gizmodiva: Hardcore Mario fans have another reason to rejoice, they can now get their hands on these awesome plush mats that can be laid down on their bedroom (or whichever room) floor. Featuring the icons from the Mario game, there are five options to play around with. If you have the space (and the money), then call for all five else opt for your fav icon. Each squishy floor tile measures 40cm x 40cm (15.74 x 15.74″), and come in Mario, Shroom, Goomba, Question Mark Block and Brick patterns. Apparently the Brick pattern is sold out nevertheless pick the up for $23 a piece.

Super Mario Bros Dot Design Mat spruce up your floor [Gizmodiva]

Iconoculture: They come in pink, blue, silver and black, but we're not talking Tupperware. Taser C2s are in hot demand at home-shopping parties in Arizona, where instead of trading recipes, suburban housewives take aim at cardboard cutouts.

“We have Tupperware parties and candle parties to protect our food and house, so why not have a Taser party to learn how to protect our lives and bodies?” asks Dana Shafman, who founded Shieldher Inc. to franchise the concept.

The gals don't drink-and-Taser (no alcohol is permitted) and they don't practice on each other. But they do learn how to handle the devices, which can hit attackers up to 15 ft. away with electrical volts that incapacitate them.

Hosts of Shieldher Taser parties, rolling out nationwide in 2008, get a free Taser for every 10 they sell in their homes.

Consumers are more concerned than ever about personal safety. Tasers empower women to protect themselves and their families without bringing firearms into the home.

Taser home-shopping parties a stunning success [Iconoculture]

It has the power to paralyze Assassins Creed and bring Need for Speed to a screeching halt on PlayStation®, Nintendo & Xbox™ games. A gamers worst enemy isn’t a video game villain. It’s just one scratch or chip in a video or computer game disc that can suddenly cause a gamers virtual world to come crashing down. It's voted as the Coolest Time Magazine invention.

Now, scratch-free digital entertainment is possible with d_skin™ Protective Disc Skins™, a break-through product in disc protection that snaps on, plays on and always stays on. d_skin Protective Disc Skins contains a special patented optically clear protective covers that act as a Skin for discs, guarding against scratches. The unique patented Liplock Seal™ snaps onto the edge of any standard-size disc and holds the protective "Skin" tight. The Skins ability to eliminate scratches extends disc life, which helps reduce the high cost of replacing damaged computer and video games. Visit www.d-skin.com for more information today.

d_skin Protective Disc Skins offer music fans, movie buffs and game enthusiasts a safer, longer-lasting method for protecting their purchases. Once discs have been "skinned", there’s no need to store them in bulky jewel cases, CD holders and CD sleeves. If the d_skin disc protector gets scratched, simply toss it and snap on a fresh one. d_skin Protective Disc Skins are designed to protect, computer games, DVD, data discs and music discs. In fact if it is a disc then d-skin can protect it. Visit www.dskin.com.

d_skin, was formed to help bring a stop to the untimely disc death running rampant among CDs, DVDs and video games everywhere. While d_skin Protective Disc Skins can't stop the widespread brutal and careless treatment of discs, it can curb the tragic end result: scratches that cause skipping and ruin discs. So, whether it's teenagers carelessly "forgetting" to put the DVD back in its case, or that sloppy roommate or significant other that just can't seem to find the jewel case for anything, d_skin Protective Disc Skins are the solution to end early disc death.

So, before you scratch your next game, get one of these Protective Disc Skins from www.dskin.com.

DVD

Protect the movies you love and watch them again and again. And, don't worry, d_skin® doesn't alter the quality. Your movies remain perfect, just as they were recorded.

Data

Don't lose critical business files or those priceless family pictures. d_skin® acts as another layer of protection, giving you a first line of defense against scratches.

Video Games

Even when the d_skin® gets scratched by busy little hands, your disc is still protected. Just toss the scratched Skin and snap on a fresh one.

Music

The d_skin® protective layer protects your CDs while they're playing - and when you forget to put them back in their cases!

This post is a sponsored blog post.

Cool Hunting: With a smell and taste just like the real Ben & Jerry's stuff, these new balms will bring you back to your Lip Smackers days—in a good way. The container looks like a mini ice cream pint and comes in three flavors: Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Peanut Butter Cup. Unfortunately, it's currently only available in the U.K. for £4 from Ben & Jerry's.

Ben & Jerry's Lip Balm [Cool Hunting]

The Cool Hunter: Energizer has developed a way to ensure our cell phones will never go flat again. The Energi To Go supplies immediate power anywhere at anytime. The device plugs into all major phone brands and runs on two long-lasting Energizer AA Lithium batteries. The Energi To Go ($20) provides up to nine additional hours of talk time once your own phone battery has lost power – so you’ll never feel anxious or stranded again.

Energizer - Energi To Go [The Cool Hunter]

Cool Tools: Whereas most glue sticks are designed to permanently stick paper to paper, this glue stick is designed to create instant, repositionable sticky notes out of just about anything (Scotch specifies fabric or paper). A swipe or two (they recommend at least two) with this stick, and your self-printed content/form/memo will stick temporarily to any flat dry surface without residue. I love this stuff and use it to make my various Getting Things Done/43 folders items and tasks stay put in my handheld binder. I jot my items and tasks down on variously colored pieces of paper of whatever size I need, rub the magic stickum on them, and they stay put in my binder until I decide to move them around. My inner child is happy because I get to play with stickers and glue; my inner adult is happy because I can continually and easily refine my GTD system until it is transparent to the tasks at hand; my inner artist is pleased by the happy riot of colors and shapes that my 'organization' system has become; and my inner accountant is happy that I'm not wasting so much money on little pads of sticky notes. And when it's time, it can all be peeled up and recycled. Although this stuff is more expensive than regular glue sticks, a little goes a long way. If any gets where it shouldn't, it washes off with water.

Scotch Restickable Adhesive Glue Stick [Cool Tools]

Paly Voice: Sushi rolls, strawberries, lemon chiffon cake, apples, Zodiac creatures, letters of the alphabet and Nintendo mushrooms. Junior Alyssa Burton is the creator of these miniature charms which she molds, hand paints and fastens to jewelry and cell phone key-chains.

What began as a cure for boredom has morphed into gifts for friends and a small business complete with a Facebook group and a Website of its own (www.freewebs.com/smileycharms).

"I was bored at home and I wanted something to do," Burton said. "I like to doodle, so I took my designs and turned them into tiny charms with clay that I found in the house."

Customizing charms is one of Burton's specialties. Lamb and Marks believe it is this quality that makes every charm unique and will lead to her success. Burton welcomes students to approach her with requests for custom orders or to look at her growing selection of charms on her Web site. Charms sell for $2 each and sometimes run a little higher depending on a specialized order.

Student turns boredom into business [Paly Voice]

Strange New Products: The Zilopop is marketed as a breath freshener, in the form of a stainless steel lollipop.

It's made in Germany and marketed in the USA by Charlotte, NC-based Frieling USA, where it's dubbed, "SmellKiller".

When your saliva touches Zilopop's stainles steel lolly, it activates its "weird science" to neutralize the foul-smelling molecules in your mouth.

After one to two minutes suck, all odors in the mouth removed. Zilopop consists of a very high-quality stainless steel, the property has, in conjunction with moisture to neutralize odors.

By suck at this stainless steel is the breath of food smells clean. The stainless steel zilopos is tested and safe.

Zilopop - Stainless Steel Lollipop [Strange New Products]

Gearlog: In the past couple years, plenty of laptop-bag makers have ventured beyond the ubiquitous black-nylon clones; but I rarely see a bag I'd use even if I didn't have a laptop to put in it. But the Vintage Laptop Satchel, from Solo, has such great, simple styling and uses such beautiful materials--espresso-colored buttery leather on the outside, a gorgeous rich-blue lining--that I'd take it anywhere.

It's really good looking, but it also fulfills its function admirably. The Satchel can fit laptops up to 15.4 inches; the laptop section isn't thickly padded, but it's fine for small bumps. Just don't fling the bag around. There's another section inside large enough for papers and magazines, as well as three gadget slots and a smaller zippered compartment.

Hands On: Solo Vintage Laptop Satchel [Gearlog]

Protect your discs the easy way with Protective Disc Skins from d_skin. They protect your DVD, data, video game and music discs from scratches even while they play. Just snap a d_skin onto your favorite discs and consider them protected. The beauty is, d_skin stays on your discs even while they play. That's right - your discs are totally readable right through the skin. Once your discs are skinned, there's nothing to take off or put on when you're playing, storing or transporting. One d_skin does it all.

Protective Disc Skins from d_skin

Babygadget: Forget the baby, can I have one of these? I'm falling asleep just looking at its coziness. Hushamok is an old concept (gently rocking baby to sleep in a snug hammock) in a sleek new form. The stylish, steel frame provides a sturdy base from which babe can swing, while the cotton hammock offers a secure environment. And it comes in a variety of hues from natural to orange (yeh!). The Hushamok claims to be lightweight (guess that steel frame is hollow) as well as portable. At over $400, it's a bit steep for only a few months use. But can you put a price on a good night sleep?

Hushamok [Babygadget]

PR Web: Jokari® is adding to its product offering a new innovative product called Cool-UpsTM. Cool-Ups are re-usable ice cream serving cones with a built in push-up handle that do double duty as an ice cream scoop and a serving vessel. This handy little contraption is mess-free and provides welcome refreshment on any day. They are easy to use, easy to clean and come in four bright fun colors. Cool-Ups are also designed with a protective cap to store ice cream in the Cool-Up in the freezer to serve later. They are available in packs of 4 for $4.99.

The novel design of this product has been entered into the 2008 Housewares Annual Design Awards in the Kitchen Hand Tools category. Winners to be announced at the end of this year.

Jokari® Announces New Product [PR Web]

Babygadget: The creators over at Boon (you know, the Frog Pod) sure have been busy. They've rolled out quite a number of new products, most notably in utensils and tableware.

The Catch Bowl is definitely something I would use and wonder why nobody has done before. The flexible, soft extension catches food and funnels it back into the bowl - perfect, I think, for all the soups the kid loves to eat. A suction cup at the bottom of the bowl keeps it in place.

New products from Boon [Babygadget]

TrendCentral: From the brand best known for their hardcore rubber outsoles comes a strange yet incredibly cool looking shoe — the FiveFingers. Catering to those outdoor sports fans who'd rather go barefoot, these glove-like shoes allow everyone from runners and kayakers to surfers, climbers and yogis to safely enjoy their activities while at the same time, retaining the sensation of being barefoot with no footwear constraints. Claiming to increase balance, agility, and posture, the variety of styles cater to both sports enthusiasts and the casual hiker, and perhaps, the design-savvy shoe addict as well.

Vibram FiveFingers [TrendCentral]