A Quirky CNBC Appearence
Archive for December, 2009
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Mon 28 Dec 2009
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Wed 16 Dec 2009
Check Your Mailbox
Merry Chrismahanukwanzakah
While we wish a Merry Chrismahanuwanzakah to everyone all around the world, this message goes out specifically to US customers/members:
Check your mail.
Not your email.
Your real, physical, delivered by the dude/dudetette in blue type of mail.
We’ve sent out a bit of holiday awesome… which we hope everyone will appreciate.
Much Love,
The quirky team
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Tue 15 Dec 2009
An Interview With Stephen Stewart
As we always do when a product moves into manufacturing – it’s time to hear a few words from Stephen Stewart the original ideator behind Cordies – our on your desk cable management system
1. When did you think of the idea for Cordies?
There’s a little glass stand I have on my desk for my iPhone. I had used it to keep my laptop’s power cord on my desk when I unplugged it, as I was sick of fumbling around on the floor for it. The glass stand sort of reminded me of a paper weight, and so one day I had the brainwave of having a little weight specifically for cables. I think I was driving at the time the thought hit me.
2. Had you tried to make this thing on your own already?
No, though I had improvised with anything that happened to be lying around my desk.
3. What do you do? (job-wise, ya know, when you are not on quirky)
I am a lawyer, specialising in commercial contracts, IT and IP. Having advised on IP aspects of product design in the past, being involved in the whole product development process has been quite interesting for me. In my spare time, when not on Quirky, I spend a lot of time listening to, making and playing music.
4. Where are you from?
Belfast, Northern Ireland, though I now live in Leeds, England.
5. Who/where do you derive your creative inspiration from?
Ultimately my parents I guess, and my brothers. We are a creative family. Oh, and Slash of course.
6. What do you wish quirky had that it does not already?
A general discussion board so we can talk about things generally, rather than as comments on products or blog posts; a good description of the product selection process (i.e. what goes on after ratings); sales counters after presales; detail about the next steps for products after presales targets are met.
7. What store would you love to see Cordies in?
Basically as many as possible of course. But in terms of specifics, the Apple Store would be cool, as would the online gadget retailers (e.g. in the UK Firebox, IWOOT, etc) and tech stores, the big supermarkets….
8. What is your favorite deli meat? What is your favorite cereal?
Deli meat: ham. With cheese. In a baguette. In Paris. Cereal: Muesli with lots of extra nuts and fruit. But really I’d rather have sausages, bacon, soda bread, potato farls, scrambled eggs and black pudding, washed down with about five cups of tea. -
Tue 15 Dec 2009
Glow ‘n Go Hits Quirky’s Online Store
Glow ‘n Go is availble for pre-sale – Commit now for $29! We need 605 pre-sale commitments to move this product into production.
Glow ‘n Go is a portable night light for children with a built in clock and alarm. The Glow ‘n Go acts as the perfect tool to help your children navigate any dark hallway when they awake to go the bathroom in the middle of the night or simply as a night light when they are afraid of the dark. Your Kids can simply press the large button on the front of the unit to illuminate the Glow ‘n Go for 20 minutes.
In addition to the light, Glow ‘n Go can also function as an alarm clock. Help your kids set the time to sound and illuminate using the rubber coated buttons in the back of the unit. Feel free to use this as a standard morning wake up alarm for your kids, or as a “go signal” letting your child know its OK to wake up Mommy or Daddy, or even to let them know its time to shut off the tv and go to bed!
The Glow ‘n Go unit is made of hard, durable plastic with large, colored rubber buttons. The interior handle is made of soft plastic ensuring a good comfortable grip for your kids. We’ve added a non slip base for stability that also functions as protection for your furniture and table surfaces should your child set his/her Glow ‘n Go down on your favorite table top.
Glow ‘n Go has a built in rechargeable battery with an attached AC adaptor cord that can be plugged into a wall socket during the day when not in use. -
Wed 9 Dec 2009
Inside Quirky HQ During A 24 Hour Throwdown
PanoAwesome, originally uploaded by QuirkyDotCom.Micah Spear, our faithful Design Intern & Photographer did a great job of capturing the events that unfolded on Monday. Take a Peek Over At Our Flickr Page
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Wed 9 Dec 2009
Quirky Products Make Great Holiday Gifts
If you are planning to give quirky products as holiday gifts keep in mind that we can ship PowerCurl DigiDude, and Split Stick immediately.
As you may already be aware, Beamer, Scratch-n-Scroll, and Cordies will not arrive on time.
If you’d still like to give Beamer, Scratch-n-Scroll, or Cordies as a holiday gift, you still can!
We’ve made printable documents letting people know they have not been forgotten and that their awesome gift is on its way. You can print these out from each of the respective product pages or simply download them here:
Beamer
Scratch-n-Scroll
Cordies
Get your chrismahannaqwanzakkah shopping done on quirky! -
Tue 8 Dec 2009
Petal Drops Hits Quirky’s Online Store – Designed in 24 hours!
We did it – another 24 design success! Thanks to everyone who participated and stayed awake with us. Petal Drops is available for $4.50 in pre-sales. Commit now!
Designed by the Quirky Community in just 24 hours, Petal Drops is a flower shaped funnel that fits on top of standard threaded water & soda bottles providing you with a chance to elegantly and easily capture rain water, and repurpose it for watering your plants. Rainy days may not seem so bad anymore!
Constructed out of 100% recycled HDPE, Petal Drops’ beautiful form and flower shape makes it something you would not mind placing in your garden or on your patio – it may even blend right in! Simply set it down in your desired location and place some pebbles or pennies in the bottle if it’s a particularly windy day. Once it starts to rain, you’ll watch as the petals act as a super funnel — collecting & storing rain water efficiently in that bottle you were o-so-close to chucking.
Once full, pour out the water wherever you choose… feed that thirsty plant, wash the chalk off your driveway, give fido a bath, etc. As ‘they’ say… every little bit counts. -
Mon 7 Dec 2009
Developing A Green Product in 24 Hours | Quick & Quirky 12/7/09
Today, while world leaders gather in Copenhagen, the quirky community will show the world the positive impact of eco-efficient product design & collaboration.
Quick & Quirky, our (somewhat) monthly attempt to do the impossible… develop an entire product in 24 hours.
This time we set out with a simple mission: to come together over the next 24 hours and create a socially and environmentally responsible product developed from the ground up with nothing but the most sustainable materials. With any luck this new thingamajig will become a mainstay in the lives of all humans.
Tall order, we know.
As with all Quick & Quirky events, product idea submissions are FREE– so, no excuses, k?
Rough schedule, so – hop to.
Get involved in quick & quirky
Learn more about quirky’s process
Learn more about what’s going on in Copenhagen -
Sun 6 Dec 2009
An Interview With Jenny Tyler
As we always do when a product moves into manufacturing – it’s time to hear a few words from Jenny Tyler the original ideator behind the Beamer – our iphone case with build in light. Below is an interview with Jenny:
1. When did you think of the idea for the Beamer?
I was chatting with a few friends about the Quirky site and we were all thinking of some cool inventions to submit. I had a Blackberry at the time and it had a flash and a couple of my friends had an iPhone. This being said the concept came from all of us…well everyone claims it to be theirs independently:) Either way, a month later I asked if anyone had submitted it and no one had….so I jumped on it. Everyone is really excited about it’s success so far…funny thing is I received an email from one of the members in the Quirky community the day it opened for voting detailing he was going to submit the exact same concept that week but ran out of time. I got lucky:)
2. Had you tried to make this thing on your own already?
No, but I have brought a product from concept to fruition before and understand the complexities and struggles that come along with it. This Quirky site is genius as it takes away all of the hard work involved in bringing a product from concept to fruition. I have so many ideas to submit, and am planning on making this Quirky site an integral part of my future product ideas.
3. What do you do? (job-wise, ya know, when you are not on quirky)
Presently I run an environmental firm, DF Technical & Consulting Services Ltd., out of Vancouver, BC. They have become an official dealer of my first successful invention www.canairi.com. 9 years of research and development later I brought to life an amazing stand alone real-time indoor environmental monitoring system for both residential and commercial buildings. Upon detection of any threats, our team is alerted in real-time via cell phone or pager so immediate action can be taken. Our core focus is Environmental Risk Management and our market niche is real-time leak detection for green-roofs and wall perimeters. It is going really well but believe me when I say this, the work entailed is at times overwhelming. I cannot stress enough how incredible Quirky is, it will change the world of manufacturing and offer all of the inventors an opportunity to get their ideas into the market place without having to go through the years of struggle myself and many others have undergone.
4. Where are you from?
I am from Canada but grew up sporadically in Trinidad and Tobago where the best half of my family resides.
5. Who/where do you derive your creative inspiration from?
I am most creative when I am alone unable to be influenced by others. I admire the most people like Howard Hughes, Albert Einstein and Richard Branson. These types of people have no limitations and have inspired me to do my best to never place any on myself. “Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand. Albert Einstein.
6. What do you wish quirky had that it does not already?
1000 Retail locations across North America;)
7. What store would you love to see Beamer in?
Target, Wal-Mart, Best-Buy, Telus, Rogers, online iPhone accessory stores.
8. What is your favorite deli meat? What is your favorite cereal?
Lol…none of the above really…funny:)
Stay tuned for an interview with Stephen Stewart of Cordies! -
Sat 5 Dec 2009
Cordies Hit Threshold!
As of a couple of minutes ago, cordies, quirky’s on your desk cable management system, has hit its pre-sales threshold. This is quirky’s 6th product off to manufacturing. That’s awesome, quirks! Congrats to Stephen Stewart and all cordies’ influencers.
We will keep you posted and give manufacturing updates soon!
Cordies is an on-your-desk cable management system that organizes your assorted computer cables while also keeping them weighted down so they don’t slide off your desk when disconnected.
Cordies’ playful form, small size, and quirky colors makes it a product that you’d like placing on your desk.
Each cordie (spanning about 3.5 inches wide) has 3 individual loop spaces enabling you to store many cables at once. You can stack cables on top of one another inside each loop, leaving ample space for your power cords, USB cords, cell phone charger, audio cables, headphones, firewire, and more.
Cordies are made of weighted yet flexible rubber, allowing for a perfectly sturdy grip.