The Economic Times: These two gentlemen personify the global ambitions of their companies. Jalaj Dani, the thirty-something scion of Asian Paints practically lives out of his suitcase. He has to. Asian Paints, manufactures in 21 countries, are a licensee in 4, and sells in 65 countries, employing 1,400 people outside India from 22 nationalities . Since 1999, the company has […]
Rising Giants
Keychain Plants
bTang reBlog: I love simple genius ideas. To sell small living plants for your keychain is a genius idea. Soroban Geeks reports about the latest fad in Japan. Tiny plants are placed in plastic domes to be carried around on keychains. They cost about $10 and measure 41x25mm. Japanese Keychain Mini Plants [bTang reBlog]
Sunglasses with a Digital Music Player
BusinessWeek: Often technology companies think just because a product is technically feasible that it will be commercially desirable. So they mix two products — a watch and an Internet news feed, for example — and come up with a technological jackalope, a hybrid product that does neither of its functions particularly well. So when I first heard of the Oakley […]
Go Partying with PartyBuddys
NYTimes.com: Dressed in a sober business suit, Jorge Lima, 30, a salesman for a pharmaceuticals company, looked out of place among the gyrating house music mavens at Cielo, a lounge with a futuristic theme in the meatpacking district known for a rotating cast of celebrity D.J.’s. But Mr. Lima didn’t mind. On a recent Saturday night, sitting at a private […]
The Battery of our Shirts
Reuters: It may only be a matter of time before we will be using our shirts to charge our cellphones. Researchers at the University of Toronto have invented a flexible plastic solar cell that is said to be five times more efficient than current methods in converting energy from the sun into electrical energy. Team leader Ted Sargent, a professor […]
My Treehouse
We Make Money Not Art: The HangOut is a 2.9 meters diameter housing module designed — by Vancouver-based Tom Chud — to be suspended from a tree. It comes with a double bed, counter, table, bench seats and storage lockers. Four attachment points on the top and four on the bottom carry the weight of the dwelling. The spheres are […]
How To Sell Toys
Influx Insights: Great ideas need to be relevant, yet unexpected. And everywhere the idea lives should feel like the right home. A recent collaboration between Kidrobot and fashion and art publication, Visionaire, is an example of how to develop an idea that feels fluid rather than forced. An idea that exploits a cultural trend, but doesn’t scream, “me too!” For […]
I Love My Neighbourhood!
Business 2.0 Blog: Here is a sweet story courtesy of Josh Rubin’s hot products site. Neighborhoodies is the success story of a couple kids running a t-shirt business out of a basement apartment and 2 years later having a thriving 30 person company. As the name suggests, their t-shirts, hoodies and underwear shout out local pride. It’s taking I Love […]
Desktop Dining
Iconoculture: Too swamped to hit the food court? Deskbound diners keep their workspaces clean with Vessel’s workplace dish set, a stylish, professionally minded mess kit that wraps up neatly in a desktop-size placemat. The pert, practical kit packs a complete personal workplace place-setting, including a plate, bowl, cup, and utensil set. It’s designed to fit in front of a keyboard […]
Real Estate Prices On The Go
The Mobile Technology Weblog: SMSeenHuis (“Text a House”) is a Dutch service that allows mobile users to text the Real Estate boards outside residential houses. In response, they get details of asking price, address, number of rooms and square footage, along with the Real Estate Agent contact details. Participating real estate agents pay a EUR 20 fee (USD 27 / […]