Entries Tagged 'innovation' ↓

Often we hear that research boosts innovation, yet look at the following two maps (click on the thumbnails to see full-size images).

Star Scientists:

Innovation:

Now, I don’t know what is definition of “star scientist” or “innovation” used to compile the data for these maps. But even if the definitions are only broadly reasonable, the huge spike of Japanese innovation seems rather surprising, given the conspicuous absence of a corresponding spike in renowned scientists.

So what makes the Japanese so innovative? Or do they just look innovative to Westerners because their way of thinking is different from ours?

(Maps taken from the website for Richard’s Florida new book, Who’s Your City?.)

Catching up with my overdue feed-reading I come upon this pearl of modern patent-making:

Cereality has patents pending to give them an exclusive right to six business methods, including “displaying and mixing competitively branded food products” and adding “a third portion of liquid.” If these patents are approved by the U.S. Patent Office, Cereality would have a complete monopoly on cereal bar business–just for being the first to put together the legalese necessary to describe mixing breakfast cereal.

I wonder why we still haven’t seen anyone trying to patent burgers. Now that would be a profitable one!

(via Boing Boing: Putting-milk-in-cereal patent-application: kill business-method patents now!)

Article at BBC News:

A US inventor has come up with a hi-tech way of allowing the deceased to talk from beyond the grave - by fixing video screens to their tombstones. [...] …messages could include telling life stories or having the final say on a disagreement.

[...]

Mr Barrows, of Burlingame, California, has filed a patent application for his design of a tombstone that can accommodate video equipment operated by a remote control.

[...]

The tombstone could be coin-operated or swiped with a credit card. “Cemeteries could basically one day charge fees to rent the headsets you need to listen to [the messages],” he added.

I just wonder, how long before someone proposes webcams inside the coffins?

“So if you hear a loud explosion this July 4 weekend, it may not be a firework. It may simply be Coca Cola marketing people dueling it with the USAF.” (from The Register’s “Wireless cola gives USAF target practice”)