Word: inventors
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 2000-2009
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Keeping Dry Inventor: Sally Ramsey, Ecology Coatings Availability: Commercial production in about 18 months To Learn More: ecologycoatings.com Like many great inventions, Ecology Coatings' new type of waterproof paper was an accident. While experimenting with a new protective coating for plastic in her lab, chief chemist Sally Ramsey put down paper to keep her workspace clean. But before she trashed the coated paper, she got curious. It turned out that she had created a waterproof and mildew-resistant paper that was easy to write on. The technology could be perfect for such low-cost paper products as shipping labels. Next...
Formfitting Inventor: Rikiya Fukuda Availability: Prototype only To Learn More: snipurl.com/jp3h (Japanese only) A door that fits like a glove? This one does. Fukuda's Automatic Door, designed in Japan, opens just enough to match the shape of the person or object passing through. The nifty motion-detecting portal saves energy by keeping a door from having to repeatedly open all the way. That helps maintain a stable temperature in a room and can prevent dirt and other materials from being swept inside. In addition to people, the new system can be used for small objects, like packages dropped...
Your TV, Anywhere Inventor: Blake Krikorian Availability: Now, $250 To Learn More: slingmedia.com Every so often, a handy gadget comes along and changes our TV habits. In the 1990s WebTV married the Net with the tube, and TiVo famously began freeing us from network schedules. Now comes a new appliance to shift not when you watch your TV but where. Slingbox hooks up to your home set and beams whatever is onscreen to any Web-enabled device loaded with special software. Waiting for a plane in Paris? Use your laptop and the airport's wireless network to watch the local...
Squeegee Clean Inventor: Blake Krikorian Availability: Now, $400 To Learn More: irobot.com Scooba, iRobot's follow-up to Roomba, the robotic vacuum, steals a few tricks from its predecessor to tackle a different chore: mopping tile, linoleum or sealed hardwood floors. With each pass, Scooba completes four tasks: it sweeps loose debris, sprays a special Clorox cleaning solution onto the floor, scrubs the surface with a brush and then uses a "squeegee-vac" to suck up the dirty water. Like Roomba, Scooba works around obstacles and has "cliff" sensors that prevent it from falling down stairs. Different sensors keep Scooba...
Tunnel Vision Inventor: Fascinations Availability: Now, $20, plus $3 for 25 live ants To Learn More: fascinations.com Want a low-maintenance pet that won't scratch, shed or sleep all day? AntWorks is a new kind of ant farm that replaces dirt or sand with a clear, seaweed-based gel that is packed with all the tasty sugar, water and nutrients that ants need to survive. Just pop in some ants, close the lid, and watch the insects start tunneling through the blue-tinted goop. A magnifying glass, included, lets you see the ants' surprisingly sharp claws and even...