Poor Mr Murdoch. Now it seems that his old world of online newspapers is going to start charging for access to certain content (again).
Today’s invention is an alternative prop for the existing advertising-based business model, which is currently so under pressure.
The idea is to allow readers to move to the next page of a news (or other) online item only once they have clicked to share it with someone else.
e-books are now starting to sell.
Today’s invention is twofold:
1) When reading any kind of text, I’d find it much easier to follow if the characters named had a small facial image inserted automatically and consistently in the text (via eg image search).
2) I’d like to be able to see a map, for any book, of the dwell time on each page. This could form a simple linear graph and it could be communicated back to eg Amazon with the results averaged so as to characterise the kind of reading required (ie painstaking, accelerating pace, stopped halfway through etc).
People often chew the ends of their writing instruments.
Today’s invention is a disposable cylindrical sleeve which fits on the end of a pen or pencil.
Bristles, like those on a toothbrush, extend radially outwards from the sleeve so that chewers can clean their teeth and massage their gums -rather than grinding plastic or wood splinters into their mouths.
After use, the sleeve can be discarded and replaced. Sleeves might be flavoured and/or pretreated with mouthwash.
Various electronic devices (which shall remain nameless) seem to be developing a reputation for bursting into flames during charging.
Today’s invention offers a way to ensure that such charging can occur safely when unsupervised. It’s a ceramic-lined, airtight suitcase, big enough to accommodate items as large as a laptop+transformer or cordless drill battery unit etc.
This would have a power socket moulded into the casing and accessible from inside (with a cable running outside to a mains socket).
The case would contain temperature sensors and a smoke alarm which would activate an internal halon extinguisher in the event of an overheating problem.
Computer mice are often no longer used in conjunction with laptops and many optical mice can operate happily without using a mat.
Today’s invention is for people who still like the combination of laptop and mouse (whilst not wanting not to scratch the surface they habitually work on).
It’s a laptop sleeve which is also usable as a mousemat.
I’d have the sleeve open to one side, leaving the machine sitting on the inner surface of one side of the case, whilst the inside of the case lid acts as the mat on one side of the machine.
Shopping trolleys in a wintry supermarket carpark are hard to see amongst the various milling pedestrians and manoeuvring vehicles.
Today’s invention is to equip each trolley with a head-height lamp on a stalk, ideally rotating like those on ambulances. These carts cost about £400 each, so the addition of a lamp would be still a small extra.
Such trolleys might also be given indicators so that cars could be made aware of which way they were going to turn (Once in motion, these can be hard to change direction and motorists need to give them a very wide berth indeed….especially if the ground is icy).
I’m keen to help these people come up with an alternative to the waste associated with disposable cups.
Today’s invention is therefore a reusable cup which takes the form of an annular bracelet or wristlet. This would be made of thin injection moulded plastic (like normal throwaway plastic cups). Such items are stable and unlikely easily to be knocked over in use. They would also fit existing cup holders.
This design can be conveniently worn under a shirtcuff or trouserleg, when empty, so that it’s always available. It would be slipped off and the annulus filled with beverage. Two such bracelet cups might be nested so that the outer acted as insulation for the liquid-filled inner. A lip is provided to enable easier drinking.
When the user has had enough, to clean the cup, a string is attached through another lip in the base (not shown). This allows the cup to be whirled around (outside) in order to drive all liquid from the cup and air dry it for reuse.
Hatchbacks are a great idea (especially in this form).
When it comes to reversing them, however, life becomes complicated.
Today’s invention is therefore a small modification to all such vehicles. When reverse gear is engaged, the hatch is unlocked and automatically raised so as to be only slightly higher than the roof of the car.
This allows the driver to see behind him or her very much more clearly (and also acts as an extra signal that a reverse manoeuvre is in progress).
I stayed at a hotel in Birmingham recently where I witnessed a biggish fire in an outside ashtray. The staff seemed not to care less, which was their default viewpoint on everything.
Today’s invention is a safer ashtray for those determined to continue lolling about entrances whilst smoking.
It’s in the form of a hollowed-out tree branch with a wooden lid. The branch end and lid are angled to allow the container to be pressed into eg a flowerbed and also so that rainwater will flow in through the hole in the top. This hole is small enough to stop people putting waste paper etc in but just big enough to admit a cigarette.
Before use, some funghi spores are dropped in so that the whole system will be converted to compost -suitable for digging directly into the flowerbed, once full. The rainwater helps the funghi grow and greatly reduces the chances of a fire starting within the branch.
Today’s invention is for athletes of all standards working on a climbing wall.
Shoes and gloves would each be fitted with a small coloured lamp.
Hand and footholds would each have an array of four different coloured LEDs (recessed, but visible).
A trainer could remotely activate a pair of lamps on foot and foothold to indicate were best to step next (or even challenge the wearer to do non-standard moves). This process could also be automated and the speed of ascent adjusted to the experience level of the climber in question.
