Technology
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Background: Sometimes, you want to drink a beverage, but it’s too hot. The issue: You could just wait for it to cool off naturally, but who has time for that! And if you were drinking from an insulated thermos, this cooling-off process could take hours. Proposal: The basic idea is simple: an ultra-long curly straw…
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Background: Some cars have a “remote start” feature to start a car before you actually get inside. This feature is typically used in regions with extremely cold weather. The issue: Some people like to entirely turn off their laptops when traveling or over a weekend. But then they have to wait a couple of minutes…
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The issue: One ever-present hazard for bicyclists is the possibility of being “doored”—hit by a suddenly-opened driver’s side door of a parked car. A similar issue confounds carpool passengers: when exiting a full vehicle, the driver’s-side passenger must open the door directly into traffic (since they cannot exit on the curb side). This presents the…
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The issue: Using a cell phone outdoors can present two main problems, as shown in Figure 1. Specifically, you may be far from a tower (and thus, get poor reception) and the harsh light of the noon sun may make it very difficult to read the text on your phone, especially with the recently-popularized “dark…
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Background: Online communities often have rivalries with one another, especially if the topics that they cover are extremely similar. For example, one could imagine a vicious feud between two different communities of saltwater aquarium enthusiasts. Proposal: Maybe we can harness and direct this mean-spiritedness in an interesting way that will, if nothing else, at least…
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Background: When you receive a message on a phone, usually the phone vibrates or makes an alert sound. The issue: If someone sends several short messages in a row (e.g. “Here is the restaurant:” “(link to restaurant address)” “We’ll be there at 7 pm.”) or if a conversation has several participants, your phone will be…
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Background: People generally enjoy having a good view from their home or office windows. However, some locations have a bad view (e.g. a dark alley or cement wall) or cannot accommodate windows at all (e.g. interior offices or basements). Proposal: Modern flatscreen displays can be as large as office windows (and some types consume very…
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Background: “Lost cat” and “lost dog” signs are often placed up on telephone poles (Fig. 1), but it’s unlikely that a specific person who sees a lost pet will also have seen the sign (or even know that the pet is actually lost in the first place). Proposal: In order to add more people…
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Background: Many companies issue ID badges to their employees. Sometimes these come in multiple forms: one type of badge for permanent workers, and a different color for temporary employees. Proposal: In order make the time-limited nature of temporary employees more clear—and perhaps to remind the temporary employee to start applying for jobs again—a low-power timer…
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Background: Rail-based transportation has an inescapable problem: in a single-track situation, there is no way for a train to pull over and let another train pass. The issue: Thus, a single stopped train can block an entire track indefinitely. And a slow train can’t be overtaken by an express train. This can be solved by…
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