Infinite Innovation

catalystparadigm: “What is social innovation?” Great response...

Thu, 24 May 2012 17:03:10 -0400

“What is social innovation?”

Great response from Mission Measurement’s Jason Saul.

Via Fast Company’ 30 Second MBA

Give Jason Saul 30 seconds, he’ll give you social innovation.

paulrschaefer: Innovation from the finest at MIT. MIT solves...

Thu, 24 May 2012 15:01:05 -0400

paulrschaefer:

Innovation from the finest at MIT.

MIT solves one of the world’s foremost problems, getting ketchup out of the bottle.

This morning during his talk at ExpoManagement in Madrid,...

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:21:34 -0400

This morning during his talk at ExpoManagement in Madrid, Bernardo Hernandez, Director of Product at Google, showed the audience this incredible video of the first self-driving car user.

World Innovation Forum in Mexico

Wed, 23 May 2012 17:53:03 -0400

World Innovation Forum in Mexico:

The World Innovation Forum is taking place today and tomorrow in Guanajuato, Mexico (the NYC event is in June). We’ve been tweeting like mad from @wobi_en with the hashtag #WIFNY. You can follow along on Twitter and read our recaps on the WOBI blog.

hytnnovation: Almighty Board : digital cutting board ©...

Wed, 23 May 2012 13:30:34 -0400

hytnnovation:

Almighty Board : digital cutting board

© Jaewan Jeong

But is it waterproof?

…the Polite Umbrella, which folds up when you squeeze past...

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:02:24 -0400

…the Polite Umbrella, which folds up when you squeeze past people on the sidewalk.

http://joannagoddard.blogspot.ca/2009/07/polite-umbrella.html

GENIUS! Everyone in every major city across the world needs one of these.

How Pixar found the perfect sweet spot by mixing the best...

Tue, 22 May 2012 16:51:00 -0400

How Pixar found the perfect sweet spot by mixing the best creative and technical talent.

Creators of both the stories and much of the technology for computer animation for movies such as Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Cars, and Brave, Pixar has a culture that drives innovation. Evolving from a Technical Director to Chief Technology Officer, Steve May’s 14-years at Pixar have helped make the company the success it is today. In this video he explains how the company created a culture where art and technology inspire one another to achieve excellence. See more innovation videos like this at WOBI.

wildcat2030: If you like the idea of getting free energy from...

Tue, 22 May 2012 16:20:39 -0400

wildcat2030:

If you like the idea of getting free energy from the sun, but don’t want to deal with the complications of installing a solar array on your roof, Umbrosa has created a lovely backyard sun shade that does double-duty—turning those rays into electricity. As umbrellas go the Eclipse’s design is striking, but it isn’t really an umbrella at all… (via Stylish Sun Shade Is the Easiest Way To Harness Solar Power For Your Home | Impact Lab)

Throw out your backyard umbrella and get one of these immediately!

vantagelearningblog: TED Talk Friday: How to Use a Paper...

Tue, 22 May 2012 07:31:27 -0400

vantagelearningblog:

TED Talk Friday: How to Use a Paper Towel

You use paper towels to dry your hands every day, but chances are, you’re doing it wrong. In this enlightening and funny short talk at TEDxConcordiaUPortland, Joe Smith reveals the trick to perfect paper towel technique.

It may not be revolutionary, and it’s not necessarily groundbreaking, but if everyone followed Joe Smith’s lessons on “How to Use a Paper Towel” it could have a major impact on our world.

cocreationnews: Why Social Learning Benefits Your Business -...

Mon, 21 May 2012 17:42:48 -0400

cocreationnews:

Why Social Learning Benefits Your Business - Mashable covers why social learning and collaborative workplaces foster innovation and creativity and how to implement them in your organization:

Tony Bingham, president and CEO of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD), defines social learning as “learning that happens outside a formal structure or classroom and is really the way people have always learned from each other. Social learning centers on information sharing, collaboration and co-creation.”

Are you or is your company making use of social learning?

futuramb: Here’s an interesting early arrival in the coming...

Mon, 21 May 2012 12:13:22 -0400

futuramb:

Here’s an interesting early arrival in the coming boom of 3D printing.

The Dubai-based company Precise Concepts is offering a service called This Is Me, which sells 3D scanned and 3D printed copies of yourself.

A 6-inch, full color statue costs about $300 – $400 USD, which they scan and print off-site. The statues are made of a plastic resin with full-color print, relatively realistic phototexturing.

(via Noah Raford » 3D Printing in the Mall: A Sign of Things to Come)

What’s cooler than getting a bobble head in your image, a 6-inch full color 3D printed statue of course.

springwise: In Seoul, retailer uses 3D QR codes and the sun to...

Fri, 18 May 2012 14:31:35 -0400

springwise:

In Seoul, retailer uses 3D QR codes and the sun to deliver discounts only during its quiet times

Periodic lulls in business are a fact of life for most retailers, and we’ve already seen solutions including daily deals that are valid only during those quiet times. Recently, however, we came across a concept that takes such efforts even further. Specifically, Korean Emart recently placed 3D QR code sculptures throughout the city of Seoul that could only be scanned between noon and 1 pm each day — consumers who succeeded were rewarded with discounts at the store during those quiet shopping hours. READ MORE…

The ancient concept of a sundial and the new technology of QR code scanning, come together in this new and creative sculpture that gives out discounts during normally quiet business hours.

99% Conference 2012: Key Takeaways On Making Ideas Happen

Fri, 18 May 2012 06:44:34 -0400

99% Conference 2012: Key Takeaways On Making Ideas Happen:

brandblare:

Wisdom at Work was the theme of the recent 99% Conference held in New York City. It focused on the people, processes and practices surrounding idea execution. This article shares key takeaways from a number of the visionary speakers who participated. Here are my top 3 favourites:

“It’s not the first impression that counts. It’s the second, third, fourth and fifth impression.” - from Neil Blumenthal (Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Warby Parker) and Jenn Hyman (Co-Founder and CEO, Rent The Runway) relating to building a meaningful customer experience.

“Do your ‘One Thing’ better than anyone else.” - from Jason Goldberg (Founder & CEO, Fab.com) about maintaining your focus and owning a niche.

“Celebrate your small wins.” - from Teresa Amabile (Professor, Harvard Business School) about stepping back and finding perspective. Incremental progress is the single most powerful motivator in the workplace.

Phase Two of innovation is making your ideas reality.

Molten Chocolate Cake

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:47:29 -0400

Molten Chocolate Cake:

endlessfindings:

Yum!

“invention that lets us happily acknowledge the endless creative potential of food—this chocolate molten cake takes it to a whole new level. Place a chocolate candle in your cake, light it up and soon enough you have a piping hot and delectable desert.”

Dessert is mother of innovation!

esjord: How web video powers global innovation Chris Anderson...

Thu, 17 May 2012 10:17:18 -0400

esjord:

How web video powers global innovation

Chris Anderson explains how the phenomenon of web video induces “crowd accelerated innovation”.

A recent New York Times article entitled “Bodies Inert,...

Wed, 16 May 2012 15:05:48 -0400

A recent New York Times article entitled “Bodies Inert, They Moved a Robot With Their Minds” share the results of a recent study that has enabled two quadriplegic individuals to move and grab objects by commanding a robotic arm with their mind. Though this technology is in its infancy, this concept has been around for ages.

longreads: From Clay Christensen’s forthcoming book How Will...

Tue, 15 May 2012 16:11:28 -0400

longreads:

From Clay Christensen’s forthcoming book How Will You Measure Your Life?, an examination of how businesses and individuals fail to understand the challenges posed by smaller competitors with less to lose:

Case studies such as this one helped me resolve a paradox that has appeared repeatedly in my attempts to help established companies that are confronted by disruptive entrants—as was the case with Blockbuster. Once their executives understood the peril that the disruptive attackers posed, I would say, ‘Okay. Now the problem is that your sales force is not going to be able to sell these disruptive products. They need to be sold to different customers, for different purposes. You need to create a different sales force.’ Inevitably they would respond, ‘Clay, you have no idea how much it costs to create a new sales force. We need to leverage our existing sales team.’

The language of the disruptive attackers was completely different: ‘It’s time to create the sales force.’ Hence, the paradox: Why is it that the big, established companies that have so much capital find these initiatives to be so costly? And why do the small entrants with much less capital find them to be straightforward?

“Excerpt: The Trap of Marginal Thinking.” — Clayton M. Christensen, Harvard Business School

More #longreads from Harvard Business School

Congrats to past WIF speaker Clay Christensen on the release of his new book “How Will You Measure Your Life?” which reaches beyond the impact of your work and provides a series guidelines for finding meaning and happiness in life.

glassislife: After 4 years of product development, O-I just...

Mon, 14 May 2012 14:17:20 -0400

glassislife:

After 4 years of product development, O-I just introduced VersaFlow - a spouted jar for mess-less pouring.

It’s doing a test-run at Walt Churchill’s Market, but could be coming your way soon!

Let us know what you think >

Another great example of simple yet ingenious innovation.

inmarspiration: A ‘dry-mustache’ cup. Today is going to be...

Mon, 14 May 2012 11:57:33 -0400

inmarspiration:

A ‘dry-mustache’ cup.

Today is going to be all about using the concept of innovation in the simplest ways. Here’s the first example.

emergentfutures: Wikispeed: How A 100 mpg Car Was Developed In...

Mon, 14 May 2012 09:56:08 -0400

emergentfutures:

Wikispeed: How A 100 mpg Car Was Developed In 3 Months

What if the car you drove to work every day got 100 mpg? Joe Justice and his Wikispeed team have developed a functional prototype. Using Agile radical management methods, their prototype was developed in just three months, instead of the multi-year process that traditional manufacturing requires.

Full Story: Forbes

The real innovation here is the short development cycle.