“The sketchpad system currently understands mechanical drawings. The system recognizes simple mechanical elements, such as springs, pulleys, and pin joints. It also has a way to describe concepts, such as fixed objects and gravity; for example, a downward-pointing arrow indicates gravity. “

Watch the amazing video here

More videos:

• Another mechanical demonstration
• Using the system for software design

1) Jointed roofrack
In this case increased flexibility means increased user convenience

2) Roofrack uses sides
In this case increased flexibility means more available space to use

3) Integrated bikerack
In this case increased flexibility means having a bikerack at one time, and not at other times

Wow! Modifying only one thing, its flexibility, already gives these racks 3 different advantages over competitor products. There are more benefits to be gained, I know for a fact that there are at least 15 distinct advantages of making products or parts of it more flexible.

How can you use that knowledge to improve your own products?

Look around you.
See what’s fixed.
How can you make it flexible?

(do it, it might seem hard at first, but once you get the hang of it, you will be amazed!)

Technologies like Microsofts Photosynth take a large collection of photos of a place or object and displays them in a reconstructed 3-Dimensional space. It will change the way you think about digital photos forever. Another one is this technology which makes a movie based on the interpretation of a single photograph. See Photosynth in action below; WOW!

My guess is that it will be only a matter of 1 to 2 years before this stuff hits the market and hits it big.

And there’s more… Can you imagine a combination of this technology together with the Augmented Reality techology I talked about last week? Connecting these 2 technologies could open new markets and would allow you i.e. to invite your friends and family to step into your photographs and see what you saw.

Sounds promising to me!

1. HUNGER AND THIRST: Magazine on a bottle
This could be how we get drinks for free in the future.
Have a coke. Have a smile.

2. SUPRISE! Peephole Pizza Guy
Nice alternative to the stacks of flyers we all have

3. PATIENCE & CURIOSITY – Conveyor belt ads
I’m sure you’ll want to see the entire belt before you leave the store

4. PLAYFULNESS – Wonderbra magazine ad
Have a feel of what a wonderbra would look like

5. CLEVERNESS – Fun shopping bags
There are tons like these.
All of them play on either (1) how they interact with the person
or (2) how the bag interacts with the print

One of the combinations I expect in the near future are self-repairing body kits. Because basically the building blocks are already here to make it work. How exactly are car manufacturers going to do it? Read on…

Fact
Fender benders, or small accidents with only minor damage, happen on a daily basis. Almost everyone driving a car will have its share of them sooner or later. I know I have. The downside of those accidents always leave a dent in your car. And a dent in your ego.

My problem statement
How can I get rid of the dent in my car without anyone knowing?

My solution
Get a hairdryer.

My secret? Shape Memory Polymers

Shape memory polymers (there’s an animation) has been around for some time now. They are basically the materials that will revolutionize the future. Probably you have already encountered similar materials like the alloys that’s used in the titanium frames of some glasses. You can bend them and bend them, but they always go back to their original position. Shape memory polymers is one of those ‘smart materials’ that become flexible when heated and remember their original shape from when they were formed.

Making parts of the body kit out of Shape Memory Polymers would allow us to repair the damage by simply heating the parts that are dented. Upon heating, the parts become flexible and as during the cooling the piece returns to its original shape. Just like when it left the factory. The process can be repeated over and over again. So, no more dents, no more embarassing moments.

Like I stated before, the technology is here, now we only need to use it.

Next I’m adding this all up…

A quick calculation;

• On any given day there are about 1.5 milion people in the air
• At least 5% of them must be carrying fluids that are too large to carry
• Knowing that the average price for a tube of paste is 3$.1.500.000 x 0.05
  = 75000 tubes a day
  x 3$
  = 225.000$

also think of this:

• All these people are buying new toothpaste the day after they landed. Or they get a free mini tube at their hotel. In that case the hotel bought it for them. Right?
• 90% of all people that took a flight have to get back eventually, so there must be at least a small amount of people that get their toothpaste taken-away again by TSA.
• Don’t forget about the ones in the hotel, which get renewed on a daily basis.
• And the ones that lose their luggage or forget their toothpaste back at the hotel

Let’s round it off at 250.000$ each day

On a yearly basis that means 250.000 x 365 = over 90 million $ per year!

Yes, Toothpaste makes the world go round!

…maybe the title is a bit too harsh. It might be a great product, but why am I not buying it? No doubt that this Nabaztag talking bunny is one of it’s first generation of ambient devices that really hits the market and is affordable at the same time.

 Here’s what’s missing:

• Open hardware model. It would be great if this baby would allow me to attach periphiral devices via USB. Maybe it could allow me to plug in my camera and automatically upload pictures to my Flickr account. Or what about webcam support? I can imagine the hardware and WIFI connection are ideal to stream video to the web. Nabaztag could be my remote watchdogbunny.
• Different models. I’m really waiting for some new and better designs of the product to really be tempted to buy it. It is a bit too Japanese toy-like for my interior. I prefer something along the lines of the products of Ambient Devices.
• LCD screen. There’s a whole other world besides Text-to-speech technology to let Nabaz’ interact with me. Integrating a full-color screen with some sort of open API would give the masses possibilties to make widgets like these. Other output devices could be added through USB as well.
• A better name. Yes, the name sounds catchy and unique. But can you use it in a sentence when talking to complete strangers?? No.

Let’s see what a second generation of these kinds of products bring, then maybe I will get one.

Think AskJeeves, but… HOTTTT!

Fun, but it’s not more than a gimmick to me. The search results are simply not usable at all. My guess is that our cute Ms. Dewey will only be the next Subservient Chicken. Good for a couple of chuckles, but even that wore out quite quick, didn’t it?

Take the hairdryer for example…I’m still wondering why large companies like Braun or Babyliss are practically stuck with some of their products. I see at least 4 things a hairdryer can learn from a contemporary shaving machine.

1. Make it wireless. Removing the wire would make these devices a lot easier to use. No more tangled cables or wires that seem to be 2 feet too short everytime you use them.
2. Add some style. Modern shaving machines have added stylish cradles so they can be shown off in the bathroom instead of hidden in the bathroom drawer. Basically, be a sexier product.
3. Give me feedback. Just like the shaving machine, there must me something useful the hairdryer can tell me. How about temperature, humidity levels and power consumption? Not only LCD screens would be a help, but also for example an audio signal when the device is overheating.
4. Integrate with beaty products. Some modern shaving machines dispense lotions during their use. Why doesn’t the hair blower dispense similar things? I’m thinking conditioners, gel or some other type of beauty product.

Note: this deals with physical folders, not the ones you have on your computer

If you’re like me you probably end up with a small to medium sized stack of documents on your desk each week that cannot quite be classified in your existing folders. Either the documents are too few in numbers to create a seperate folder or the topic does not really fit your existing folder structure.

This is where the Noguchi Filing System comes in… It does not attempt to classify your documents but gives you and easy way to find them back (if needed). You’ll see that in time you will have set of documents you will need often, and are quick to retrieve and a set of older documents that can be discarded of each year.

It’s simple but effective.

Step 1
Take at least 20 white and unused letter size envelopes (A4 in Europe)

Step 2
Cut off the top part – at least 2 inches or 6cm.

Step 3
Draw one line on each envelope
to act as a guide for writing the topics

Step 4
As soon as a new category arrives, take an envelope
and write down its topic in max. 3 words.

Stack the envelopes on a shelf at shoulder-height.

When you need stored documents, find the envelope, use it.

Try to place it on the shelf again ASAP,
placing it on the left hand side of all other envelopes.