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Archive for February, 2012

  • Tue, Feb 28 2012

    Brainstorm update!

    By c tran at 5:00 pm

    After reviewing the feedback on last week’s brainstorm, we asked all of you to post your suggestions for ways in which we could improve the excitement, interaction, and reward level of the process. We received some awesome ideas, and are ready to kick them into action.  Here is an update on the improvements we will be implementing this week:

    Every Wednesday we will have a Community Brainstorm at 6pm!

    The brainstorm will be live-streamed as usual on the Quirky Brainstorm Channel.

    If you cannot tune into the live stream you can still follow along, tweet your comments, and twitpic some inspiration by following the quirky brainstorm hashtag (#Qstorm) on twitter.

    We will have 2 of our esteemed invention ambassadors representing the community at the table. They will kick us off with your comments and suggestions from the original submission, as well as tag team the live-stream chat and twitter feed throughout the session.

    What is the best way to prepare for a brainstorm?
    Review the original submission and leave your comments in the suggestion box. Whether you are able to attend the brainstorm or not, your suggestions will be part of our discussion.
    Don’t over prepare. Brainstorms work best when we bounce off of each others ideas. It’s just as important to follow the conversation, as it is to provide input. We will do our best to constantly improve sound quality and tweet updates.

    We will kick off each brainstorm in the following way:
    Review the original submission
    Review the eval reaction
    Review the comments
    Review the suggestions
    React to any pre-storm tweets
    And start the brainstorm!

    This week we will be brainstorming:
    Beth Lowgren’s Custom Fit Ice Pack
    And Evonne Wilks’s Mini Mantis

    Keep in mind, the brainstorm session is an ongoing experiment. We will constantly be tweaking the process in order to elevate the level of execution.  So keep your suggestions coming, and tune in tomorrow at 6!

    • 10 Comments
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  • Tue, Feb 28 2012

    Pack and Pedal: Introducing…Rider

    By c tran at 12:06 pm


    Meet Rider, the portable bike basket you’ll never want to ride without!  Get rid of that clunky metal bike basket and replace it with the functional and stylish Rider.  When you need it, simply mount the metal folding frame to the arms of your bike and secure the fabric basket featuring handles and an interior pocket.  No more things to transport?  Simply fold up the basket and store it away!  Let Rider take a load off your back.

    Inventor Jon Owejan found himself having to transport items that simply didn’t fit into a messenger bag while riding his bike.  His solution was a collapsible bike basket that piqued the interest of our bike riding community.  After collaborating with a group of 1362 influencers and our design staff, Rider is now ready to take on the world—or simply your gallon of milk.  Check it out in the Upcoming section.

    Features:
    -Easy to attach stainless steel folding frame
    -Silicone rubber piece grips to bike stem
    -Fabric basket with interior pocket and handles
    -Basket features two elastic bands to hold the folding frame when not in use or a water bottle

    Materials:
    -Stainless steel frame
    -PP parts around the ball joint of the frame
    -Silicone coated twist tie wraps around handlebars
    -Nylon webbing for the handles
    -Elastic bands
    -Heavy Duck Poly with PU Coating for the bag

    Dimensions:
    -Frame when open: 10.25″W x 10.25″H
    -Frame when closed: 10.25″W x 4.25″H
    -Bag: 7″H x 9.75″W x 5.75″D


    Price, qty and features subject to change during production process.

    • 6 Comments
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  • Mon, Feb 27 2012

    Invention Picks Of The Week!

    By Invention Ambassadors at 12:00 pm

    Kerry Collins, a Construction Site Safety Official from Eugene, Oregon found his wife sharpening one of her eyebrow pencils and trying to get the falling shavings into the neck of a water bottle. Kerry saw her attempt to keep the countertop clean and thought of an idea that would combine a sharpener and a water bottle, much like his wife was using, and create a new type of pencil sharpener. This product would be a way to recycle water bottles and prevent messes that standard sharpeners without a collection unit produce. Quirky looks forward to looking into all of the ways this idea could become a reality.

    Patti DiBart, a writer and mother from New York City, found herself running behind schedule and didn’t have time to iron her clothing. She had a flat iron heated for hairstyling and decided to try and use it in lieu of a standard iron. She was surprised at how well it worked and how much more convenient her hair straightening iron was than her standard iron. Patti’s idea for a flat iron for clothing would be a convenient, portable and easy way to make sure you’re always looking your best! Quirky is excited to explore Patti’s idea for easier ironing.

    While traveling through Europe on his bike, Will Gibbs, a Mechanical Engineer who now resides in Seattle, had to keep his luggage slim.  He realized that he could pack all of his belongings relatively flat, except for his phone charger, which became a bit of a nuisance.  It was the thickest thing in his bag and there was just no way to keep the cord organized.  Since he likes to be tidy, he wanted to come up with a new design that would not include a thick, bulky charger with cords that never stay wrapped and are constantly a tangled mess.  Using his engineering background, he developed this flatpack design that could easily go in someone’s pocket, and maybe even a wallet.  Quirky was really intrigued by this idea and immediately jumped at the chance to  see what we could come up with.

    Terry Tallman is a recently retired coal miner from West Virginia. He frequently uses a tape measurer for different projects that he is working on.  He gets very frustrated when using a tape measurer because it tends to come loose from the object it is supposed to hook on to, or it bends and starts flopping around when Terry is trying to measure something. His invention idea is to implement the same type of rolling measurer that an appraiser uses to measure the outside perimeter of a house, scale it down, and make a consumer version of it. Quirky looks forward to reviewing community concepts for this idea and then brainstorming ways to make this product a reality.

    Beth Lowgren is from Sonoma County, California where her jobs include being a web designer, graphic designer, and Mom! Beth was sitting down icing her latest bruise when she noticed that the ice pack kept falling off. She believes that this was caused by the odd-square shape of the ice pack that she was using. Beth’s invention idea is a trianguler shaped ice pack that the user can stick together, which will allow the user to cover any bruise more efficiently. Quirky staff members agree with Beth that ice packs never fit or stay on the way we need them to.

    • 7 Comments
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  • Sat, Feb 25 2012

    Woah there…

    By Nathaniel at 2:56 pm

    We were experiencing some trouble with one of our service providers a few minutes ago and apologize for any interruption.

    Things should be working as usual now, but let us know if they aren’t at questions@quirky.com.



    • 2 Comments
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  • Thu, Feb 23 2012

    Pardon the interruption: No launch today

    By Rob G. at 12:00 pm

    No launch today? What gives? Well we had a spiffy new product ready to roll, but some last minute changes needed to be made. Regular schedule will resume next week with a new product debut on Tuesday. See ya then!

    • 7 Comments
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  • Wed, Feb 22 2012

    We’re Making This.. Silo

    By Invention Ambassadors at 12:30 pm
    Silo is moving into production!  Our retailers are confident in the product.  Take a look at it in the Upcoming Section and help us determine the price, by playing the Pricing Game.

    Congratulations to Jan Habraken and the 1480 community members that helped influence the product!

    • 1 Comment
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  • Tue, Feb 21 2012

    No Invention Picks This Week

    By Invention Ambassadors at 4:02 pm

    While the Quirky Staff didn’t pick any new invention ideas at last week’s staff evaluation meeting, we did have a vibrant discussion on the following ideas:


    The ideators of these invention ideas will now be able to use the feedback that they received from Quirky and decide if they would like to resubmit the idea, put it in the Quirky vault for later consideration, or take it off of Quirky completely and try to develop their product elsewhere.


    • 11 Comments
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  • Tue, Feb 21 2012

    This battle-station is fully operational: First HD brainstorm tomorrow!

    By Rob G. at 12:30 pm

    Brainstorms are back! Now that our state of the art camera system is in place, we can continue this tradition in high definition! For those new to the process, here’s how it goes: every Wednesday at noon ET, QDS blows a few product ideas wide open to kick off the design process. You can take part in that. Here’s how:

    1. Topics will be posted on Mon before the Wed brainstorm sesh. In your wildest dreams, what would be the perfect way to make that product? What should it do, and what problems should it prevent? It’s a brainstorm, so anything goes.

    2. Visit the Quirky Brainstorm Channel at noon ET on Wed. Log in on Ustream and throw ideas at us in the live chat.

    3. Can’t join the live brainstorm? Be sure to add your comments here before Wed at noon, and we’ll have them in mind.

    Got all that? Great. This week’s topic is:

    -Collapsible Cookware

    • 3 Comments
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  • Tue, Feb 21 2012

    Conquer the Crease: Introducing… Outline

    By baron at 12:00 pm

    Sometimes, the solution to a common problem is simplicity itself. Say hello to Outline, a flexible frame that allows you to keep clothing taut and seams aligned while ironing your favorite threads. Outline consists of a flexible steel loop with a movable handle: sliding the handle forward will condense the loop for easy insertion into a sleeve, while retracting it will cause the loop to expand, conforming perfectly to the outline of the fabric. The handle can also  separate if the full width of the loop is needed, so there’s no garment too large for this mighty little helper. Best of all, Outline’s flexible form allows it to be stored anywhere, whether in your laundry closet or wrapped around the base of your ironing board. Who knows, with a tool this painless, you might finally be able to enjoy your ironing (we’re crossing our fingers).

    Inventor Jeff Hufford wanted to take the hassle out of ironing clothes, and after several attempts to redesign the iron and ironing board, decided to take his project in a brand new direction. After collaborating with Quirky and a group of 2142 influencers to refine the design, Outline has finally come to life, and can be praised/inspected/scrutinized in the Upcoming section.

    Features:
    – Silicone-coated spring steel loop that expands to keep clothing taut, and seams lined-up.
    – Sliding handle that adjusts the width of the loop, allowing for easy insertion into sleeves.

    Materials:
    – Silicone-coated spring steel.
    – Polypropylene handle – 19.5 grams

    Dimensions:
    – Handle: 2.5″ L x 1″ W
    – Loop: Approx. 24″

    Price, qty and features subject to change during production process

    • 15 Comments
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  • Mon, Feb 20 2012

    Scheduled Maintenance

    By nathan at 7:27 pm

    There will be a small maintenance period tonight between 11:30 and 11:59 pm EST. We will be pushing new updates. If everything goes well, the actual downtime should be less than 5 minutes.

    -Nathan

    • No Comments
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