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Archive for the tag “innovation”

19 Dec 2012
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Space-Age Solution to Parking

Parking in most US cities can be a drag. If you’re lucky enough to find an unoccupied spot, you still have to find enough change to fill up the meter. Then, if your errand takes longer than expected, you run the risk of getting a ticket.

Things are different in Indianapolis. A couple of years ago, the city partnered with a division of Xerox to take over management of the city’s parking meter system. ParkIndy replaced all the old meters with new meters that accept credit cards. Even better, drivers with smart phones can now download apps that make it easy to pay for parking, extend the parking time and even find an open spot. Sure, parking at meters is a little more expensive, but the experience for drivers in Indianapolis is much improved.

The best part about this public-private partnership is that the arrangement will help the city’s bottom line. The old system generated less than $100,000 in 2010. In 2011, the new parking meters generated more than one million dollars. Over the course of the 50-year lease, the city will make upwards of $350 million.

Reason TV reports.

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Posted in Dazzle Me with Science and tagged , ,
26 Sep 2012

Fall Asleep Anywhere, Anytime

If you don’t mind looking silly, a new product makes it easier to take power naps wherever you are. It’s called the Ostrich Pillow and you wear it like a face mask. You can even snooze at work, providing the boss is away or as lenient as Ron Swanson.

Ostrich Pillow hasn’t gone into mass production yet, but has appeared on Kickstarter, and nearly topped its goal the very first day. It’s the creation of Kawamura-Ganjavian, an architectural and design firm with studios in Madrid, Spain, and Lausanne, Switzerland.

If you’re worried that people might call you lazy sleeping in an Ostrich Pillow, relax. A six-year study has proven that people who take at least three naps a week have a 37 percent lower risk of heart-related diseases. H/T My Disguises

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19 Sep 2012
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Have Cardboard, Will Travel

Israeli inventor Izhar Gafni has designed a bicycle that costs $9, can carry weights of up to 485 pounds and last two years or longer. The beauty of his bicycle: It’s constructed from cardboard. Gafni is now approaching investors and hopes to mass-produce his bikes soon in Israel, Europe and North America. H/T Geek Press

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Meanwhile, in Germany, Tom Hambrock and Juri Spetter have unveiled the FLIZ, another new bicycle that’s pedal-free. Their design is based on the world’s first bicycle, the “Laufrad,” created by German inventor Karl Drais in 1817. It also operated without pedals. H/T iOwntheWorld

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