Interesting article about new technologies and hype!

I found an interesting article about new technologies, hype and phases of success here:
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2006/08/11/1154803088604.html

It's an interesting read, especially with the patterns and lines of evolution of TRIZ in the back of your head. Maybe a comparison would be nice! Well, a future article maybe :-)

Drinks for Dogs

Oh my... trends...

Drinks for Dogs: " K9 Water Co: Vitamin fortified, flavored bottled water specifically formulated for dogs has been introduced under the titles of Puddle Water, Hose Water, Gutter Water and Toilet Water. The Original K9 Vita Water(tm) is fortified with vitamins such as A, B, C and manganese, and conveniently packaged in colorful, 1/2 liter, recyclable bottles, according to Don Magier, CEO, K9 Water Co. Inc. It is available at http://www.k9waterco.com, or check with your local pet store. 'Each variety is specifically formulated to provide your dog with essential vitamins that contribute to overall good health while providing the hydration that dogs need,' says Magier. The Original K9 Vita Water can be enjoyed in four of the flavors dogs enjoy most: chicken, beef, liver and lamb. 'Dogs are raving that it's REBARKABLY REFRESHING!' Magier says. 'As animal lovers and pooch parents ourselves, we're committed to producing the highest quality product we possibly can for dogs to enjoy. We use only purified water, human grade vitamins and no artificial colors. Our formula is the res"

Self Made Tent

Ideality again! A tent that builds itself! A great example that shows that there is a lot of room for improvement in "old" products!

Self Made Tent: " Yanko Design: Who has never dreamt of a tent that could erect itself without any help? – Just throw 2Seconds into the air and it will open up on its own before even reaching the ground. It is the spring hoops that enable this. The idea was to pre-assemble the different elements (room, double roof, hoops) to simplify the hiker's life as much as possible. The tent features coated double roof with waterproof seams for excellent water resistance, anti-condensation breathing room and extra-strong polyester fabric. The tent can accommodate two people and it can be folded in just 15 seconds. Self Made Tent [Yanko Design]"

PH-DVD format claims to bump discs up to 100GB

It's all about overcoming drawbacks! Problem solving, that is :-)

PH-DVD format claims to bump discs up to 100GB: "Filed under: HDTV, Storage Just when you thought the format wars couldn't get any stranger -- and just a day after we brought you the pride of Ukraine, VCDHD -- here comes another next-gen optical disc 'standard,' from Dr. Oron Zachar of Polarizonics Corp. (Yes, you read that right, and, no, this isn't the same character played by Peter Sellers in a 60s sci-fi flick). The good doctor claims that by 'exploiting the polarization element contained in all current DVD formats,' he can triple the capacity of most other optical disc formats, including DVDs, HD DVD, and Blu-ray discs using existing production equipment. We're not sure if any of this actually works, but Polarizonics is attracting at least some investment interest, so it could be worth keeping an eye on -- if only to find out what Polarizonics actually means. Read Permalink Email this Linking Blogs Comments "

Japan to roll out age-verifying cigarette machines

Ideality on the way: The cigarette machine checks age itself! Great!

Japan to roll out age-verifying cigarette machines: "Filed under: Misc. Gadgets In a move that's sure to annoy tobacco-lovers nationwide, especially underage ones, Japan has announced that the country's 620,000 cigarette vending machines will be replaced in 2008 with models that require an RFID-embedded age-verification card to release their delicious-but-deadly wares. This won't have much of an impact for those who buy their smokes by the carton or over-the-counter, but if a tobacco jones hits you while you're jammin' at the karaoke bar, you'd better be sporting your 'smoker's card' (which, conveniently, can also be used to pay for your habit) . We're not really sure how effective this system is going to be, though, as it probably won't be all that difficult for kids to buy one of these exclusive cards from some shady non-smoking adult. Read Permalink Email this Linking Blogs Comments "

Programmable Liquid Container lets you customize your cola

I think I heard this before, but it's definately a good "TRIZ-conform" idea (dynamization, make an object adapt to it's environment or user):

Programmable Liquid Container lets you customize your cola: "Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Household We used to think it was pretty sweet that we had two flavor options in each package of Nerds candy, so the idea of a customizable soda with an almost infinite combination of fragrances, flavors, and colors has us understandably excited. Massachusetts-based IPIFINI (the bold is part of the branding) has exceeded our wildest dreams with their Programmable Liquid Container, which contains small, flavor additive-filled (or paint-filled, for the home improvement set) 'buttons' around the periphery of the plastic container. Consumers press the appropriate buttons to create different flavors from a common base, such as cherry vanilla cola or raspberry tangerine lemonade, or get even wilder with aroma and food coloring options. IPIFINI claims to already be licensing the technology around various industries, so don't be surprised to see sodas and coffees (and probably some alcopops too) in the near future that let you choose your level of buzz.[Via The Raw Feed] Read Permalink Email this "

ALPS promises record-breaking hard drive densities by year's end

Well, breaking barriers while flashdrives are on the horizon. When will the new technology take over?

ALPS promises record-breaking hard drive densities by year's end: "Filed under: Storage Nothing gets our hearts racing like advancements in storage technology, so we're pretty giddy that the current 80GB-per-platter ceiling on 2.5-inch hard drives may soon get a boost, with 200GB drives possibly available before the end of the year. Japan's ALPS Technologies has claimed that it will present a new type of thin-film recording head at a private trade conference this May -- called TuMR -- that will enable perpendicular hard disc drive recording at an unparalleled 170 GB/in2 , compared to the paltry 132 GB/in2 that Seagate is able to muster today. Hitachi had previously announced a technology capable of 230 GB/in2 , but so far hasn't produced the goods, so ALPS (and also Western Digital, it would seem, for whom they supply parts) has a golden opportunity to step up and take the coveted density crown. Read Permalink Email this Linking Blogs Comments "