...as we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others,
we should be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any invention of ours;
and this we should do so Freely and Generously

Invention: Local Network Cubic Interface

Type: Consumer Good

Summary: Personal local networks have become increasingly sophisticated, now with the increasing popularity of personal computers, laptops, media centers and handheld devices like the IPhone.  The Local Network Graphical Interface acts as an operating system for an entire network of devices.  This will allow all of these devices to connect and interact allowing every user on the network to take advantage of all of the services and files possessed by every device.  As visualized here: The Graphical Interface of the operating system is a cube, with each device representing one side of the cube and allowing the user to access any device by selecting the side of the cube assigned to the desired device.

Explanation: The Local Network Cubic Interface is first a server, run from most likely a powerful (but by todays standards inexpensive) tower CPU.  The server would run a network client over a LAN or WAN that would be able to connect to 6 or more devices per user.   Each device would be assigned a side of a cube, 1-6.  Then from any of the devices, the user would be able to select which device they would like to have access to. Once the user selects a side of the cube that device’s interface will appear on the device the user is using. For example, if the user was on his IPhone and needed to connect to the Server, they would select the server, Side 1, and the desktop of the server would then appear on the IPhone and the user could interact with the server as if locally.  Or if the user was on their media center and wanted to access music that was only on their IPhone (such as if they had just downloaded it), they would select the IPhone, Side X of the cube and a graphical representation of the IPhone would appear.  Multiple users on the network with access to the specific cube could access the same device or devices simultaneously as long as the hardware can support it.  Multiple such cubes could also be connected, allowing users to share access of their hardware and files with other cubes.  While this outlines the consumer use for such an interface, there would be a number of applications for business networks as well.

Utility: While networks and devices have advanced in complexity, their has not been any widely available way to visualize and provide access between the devices in a user friendly manner.  The Local Network Cubic Interface is like an operating system for an entire set of devices allowing the user to easily take advantage of powerful hardware on some devices and better portability of others while having access to any media, applications or documents that are on any of their devices.

Invention: Discovering Fine Artists

Type: Online Service

Summary: Fine Art (Physical paintings, sculptures, etc) is the domain of the well known and the wealthy.  In many ways, it is one of the few art forms without wide commercialization.  Discovering Artists supports undiscovered artisans through telling their story and marketing their talent.

Explanation: Discovering Fine Artists is an online community of weblogs created by individual artists with each artists’ weblog chronologically detailing the artistic process of each piece of art created.  Discovering Artists has an initial web-portal, which serves to highlight members of the community as well as maintain a list of categorized blogs of artists in the community.  Each individual artist’s blog is of both their lives as well as their work.  Successful blogs will chronologically record the steps taken to create a piece of fine art (including preliminary sketches and photographs of the incomplete works), the influences of the piece and the life of the artist during the time of creation.  The blogs may also allow for audience feedback and professional critiques from the community, allowing the artist to receive additional influence, if desired. The purpose is that this will create a story behind the piece of art, making its meaning more accessible and understood by those outside of predefined, typically very high-end or well to-do, communities of art patrons.  Once the story and piece of art is complete, the artist has the option to sell the piece through Discovering Artists’ online web auction platform with each piece coming with a bound hard copy of the artwork’s story.  A much higher percentage of the sale would be given to the artist than is typical of most brick and mortar art galleries as well as the wider audience and story would generate higher returns for each piece.  In addition, Discovering Artists would allow the artist to sell reproduced pieces of popular works, generating additional revenue for the artist.  Discovering Artists would charge a commission on each sold piece of work and each reproduced piece, but that commission would be able to be small due to higher volume and lower overhead than traditional galleries.  Discovering Artists would also put on traveling art shows in major cities, so that pieces of work could be admired in their physical form.

Utility: First, by adding a defined story to a piece of art, art becomes less intimidating, and opens it up to a wider audience.   Second, with a wider audience and a more equitable distribution of the artwork’s revenue, more fine artists would be able to become professionals, adding to society as a whole.  Third, unknown artists or part-time artists, are able to show and develop their talent in a potential global artistic community.

Invention: Green Dry Cleaning

Type: Novel Service

Summary: Too many hangers, too much plastic: Dry cleaning has a lot of waste and that waste also creates a lot of hassle and clutter.

Explanation: A dry cleaner that requires an up front purchase of a garment bag and a deposit on hangers.  When a customer joins the dry cleaner, the cleaner requires that the customer purchase at least one of their over-sized garment bags.  The garment bags are reusable and protect the newly cleaned slacks and shirts during transport, replacing the need for single use plastic sheaths. In addition, the specially designed bags can be used to house dirty laundry and hangars needing to go back to the cleaners. The garment bag, with cloths and hangars, is dropped off en masse.  When the customer picks up their laundry, the cloths are back in the garment bag and every shirt/suit/pants is on a reusable, nice, hanger which the customer is charged a deposit on.  The customer’s account tracks when a hanger is brought back (credits the account) and each hanger given to the customer (debits the account).  This removes the need for wire/cardboard hangers that clutter up closets and generate waste.  Other novel “green” methods may also be employed for branding, including delivery using low/no emissions vehicles.

Utility: Overall, the green dry cleaner saves on materials, plastic and hangers, and passes on the costs of some materials to the customers.  Moreover, due to the uniqueness of the green dry cleaner, it adds an differentiating element in a mostly commoditized service industry. Customers receive high quality hangers and garment bags adding to the level of service as well as saving themselves the hassle of dealing with all of the cumbersome waste.

Invention: Comedic Cover Acts

Type: Performance Art

Summary:  Comedians specialized in delivery perform exact covers of famous comedic acts of past.

Explanation: Similar to cover bands, covering greatest hits from bands past, cover comedian would seek to copy and emulate top previous acts reliving classic comedic stylings such as Eddie Murphy, Mitch Hedberg, and Steve Martin.

Utility: Audiences unfamiliar with the comedic act as well as comedic aficionados who would like to relive the act, would enjoy well performed comedy covers.

Invention: Employee Invest / Divest Option

Type: Organizational Convention

Summary:  Employees gain ownership in their company as long as they are there and when they leave, the company purchases back the equity over a period of time for redistribution.

Explanation: After employees join and stay at an organization they begin to accrue ownership in the company through shares being awarded at the end of each term. The allotment may be divided based on democratic process or other method. Once they leave, after a grace period, these shares are purchased back by the company for redistribution at market levels.  With this convention all current employees are able to gain and increase their ownership in the company, incentivizing performance and efficiency.  Former employees will have their investment returned to them, generating real returns on the lasting success they were able to build.

Utility: This convention can be applied to most business types, except perhaps unstable industries with high growth or a contracting market.  It incentivizes long term thinking and short term performance to gain additional equity while protecting the equity currently earned so that it grows.  Equity continually stays with current stakeholders with little being outside the company, and that which is outside the company, is continually being bought and returned to the company/current employees.

Application: One possible example would be that of an independent coffee house:  Owner 1 starts the coffee house with 100% equity of a business saleable for $100,000.  He hires 3 employees.  Employee 1 works 40 hours/week, employees 2 and 3 20 hours per week.   After 5 years, Employee 1 owns 5% and Employees 2 and 3 2%/piece of a company worth $200,000.  Owner, who still owns 91% of the company, decides to leave.  Employee 1 hires another employee.  Over the next 5 years, Employee 1 owns 15% of the company, Employee 2 and 3 owns 5%/piece, employee 3 owns 3% and the owner has sold an additional 19% of a $250,000 stake, which nets him roughly $50,000 in payments and still owns 72% of the company.   Employee 2 also leaves.  After 1 years, he has sold back 2% of his stake at $5000 and still holds an additional 3% to be bought back in the next 1-2 years.

Invention: Consultant Room Brokerage

Type: Online Service

Summary:  Online Service and community that allows traveling consultants (those who are typically away 4 or more nights a week) to rent out their apartments while they are gone.

Explanation: An online service made up of professionals who are typically away for 4 or more nights a week which allows them to rent their room to other professionals with clients in their town while earning hotel-level pay per night compensation.  The community would rate each persons apartment and each member in the community to ensure quality of both apartments and members, with those receiving consistently negative feedback being placed on probation or being removed.  The service provider collects payment for the room rental from the consulting firm as the per diem for a hotel stay and takes a commission.  Members should be required to use the service whenever possible in order to receive the benefit of renting their room.

Utility: Consultants who travel will be able to earn a significant second income renting out their rooms while having the privilege of staying in fully appointed apartments while traveling.

Invention: Rain Proof Window Fan

Type: Consumer Good

Summary:  A fan that mounts in a standard window which can provide ventilation to an enclosure without allowing in rain during a storm.

Explanation: A standard parallel duel rotor window mount fan with an additional downward facing air-scoop.  This fan is configured such that all air pulled into the room by the fan is shielded from falling rain, allowing a room to be ventilated without rain water getting in a ruining window encasements.

Utility: Allows for ventilating a room when otherwise all windows would need to be closed without resorting to an air conditioner. 

Invention: Sushi Tacos

Type: Food

Summary:  The use of a flour tortilla as the primary carbohydrate in sushi rather than rice.  

Explanation:  Sushi is typically described, in its classic form, as raw fish and other ingredients made into a roll with white rice as the outside layer.   The Sushi Taco is similar in all ingredients except for the rice:  Take a flour taco tortilla, lay in a long strip of sushi-grade raw fish (or other meat, such as bbq eel or crab meat), add supporting ingredients (such as avocado or cucumber) and sauce (wasabi soy sauce or other).  Eat with your hands.

Utility: A different, larger and easier to eat on the go format for sushi.  Can be prepared without the use of a sushi chef.