Here’s a wacky idea: an edible keyboard.

Now why would a person want to eat a keyboard? Surely the keyboard is for medium to long-term use?

Well some people don’t get a lunch break. Having an edible keyboard means they can eat while they work. So it increases productivity. (Ok that argument doesn’t really work but bare with me - marketers might like it).

Other (humorous) reasons why you might need an edible keyboard (it doesn’t have to be chocolate by the way):

1. Eat while you work gets a whole new meaning
2. After it’s been eaten, you’ll now have an excuse not to do more work (the dog ate my keyboard)
3. It can help you gain weight (all you’ll ever think about is food)
4. It can help you lose weight (if you set goals only to eat a letter at a time )
5. It’s a talking point in the office (more rather a munching point)
6. It can help you reach a deadline (what if the project has to be completed after lunch, for instance)
7. It can be refilled with food and drink you order online with it (an edible mouse has to be the next step)
8. It saves you the hassle of going to the shops
9. It gives a whole new meaning to the term ‘electrical food’
10. It’s a fun way to waste money

Check out this link for edible chocolate keyboards.

A far more useful invention would be a keyboard that is food and drink proof or, even better, has a space to place your food and drink. That way you can for instance, eat while you work to save you time and really increase productivity.

I had a dream about this the other night: I was given a pair of shoes made by Lamborghini, which were beautifully designed, strikingly black, and had built in motors that drove you around. So in a sense they were like motorized roller skates.

In fact I found a video on YouTube that depicts, in a far less elegant manner and in lego, what I’m talking about:

I see two potential difficulties with such an idea: safety and comfort. It would compete with the Segway, which is probably easier to nagivate. Anyway it’s an interesting idea nonetheless, and it would be really great if sports car manufacturers (or should we call them designers) like Lamborghini and Ferrari started designing non-car motors.

Objects that can have multiple uses always interest me. An interesting concept is the Fishtank Table. Tired of boring table clothes and placemats? Why not turn your table into something live and entertaining.

To create a fishtank table, simply purchase a Fishtank and all the bits and pieces (don’t forget the fish!). Then get a piece of wood or rubber to cover the top. Make sure that your fish are oxygenated and there you have your table.

It would be amazing to see restaurants using such a concept, where every table is alive with brightly colored and luminescent fish. It would be quite funny (and perhaps ironic) to see this in a fish restaurant.

Hmm..the next idea I have is a fishtank restaurant.

Old people don’t always have many comforts in life. They’ve lost loved ones and friends over the years, and can often feel lonely and alone in the world. An invention I’ve had to help bring back psychological comfort in their lives is a holding hand umbrella and holding hand walking stick (and in fact this could be extended to any apparatus that has a handle).

The basic idea is that the handle of the walking stick be moulded into the shape of a hand. Thus, when gripped, it feels like holding a hand. The same goes for an umbrella, or any thing that has a handle. It gives a person the comfort and psychological feeling of holding someone’s hand. The same invention could be adapated for children, to give them the feeling that their mother or father is holding their hand when they’re not around.

I have not yet produced a prototype of this invention idea, but am willing to share the concept with anyone who wishes to develop it. If you’re interested in pursuing it, please contact me.

With a lot of focus going into China recently, a lot of people have asked me about Chinese inventions. What did the Chinese invent, and what modern day inventions should we give the Chinese credit for?
According to Joseph Needham , we can thank the Chinese for their four great contributions to humanity: paper, gunpowder, the compass, and printing.

Paper and Printing

The origins of the inventions of paper and printing began around 2000 BCE, where the Chinese wrote onto bamboo strips and sowed them together. Apparently silk was also used but being expensive it was only used in royal circles. The great drive towards this invention was the need to record, the need to create a history. So when you think of the invention of paper and printing, think of how that necessitated a change towards recording a more accurate history and moving beyond the reliance upon oral recordings and traditions. There is also evidence to suggest that the Chinese invented toilet paper.

Gunpowder

The Chinese apparently invented Gunpowder in the search for elixir of immortality. It was no doubt invented by alchemists or pre-chemists whilst experimenting with various elements and they eventually started experimenting with saltpetre (or Potassium Nitrate), which is critical to oxidizing gunpowder. This led to them using it for fireworks and also for more sinister means such as bombs.

The Compass

The concept of the compass must be linked with that of magnetism. However it is possible that the Chinese ‘discovered’ magnetism by observing how needles could be set up and pointed almost by their own in a particular direction. This taught the Chinese how to magnetise a needle and thus how to find their way (as the needle would always point in a particular direction, no mater which direction they were). Thus the discovery of something intangible was made possible by the discovery of something tangible. The Chinese produced various forms of compasse, using for instance needles floating in water, or later a compass which specific points used in maritime navigation.

Other Chinese Inventions

I have already spoken about the Invention of the toothbrush, which is an invention by the Chinese. Other interesting ideas include the parachute, porcelain, tea, steel, and windmills.

For for information on the subject, check out the List of Chinese inventions.

It’s often difficult to think that something so commonplace - like a toothbrush - must have been invented at some point in time.

People have been brushing their teeth in one form or another since a few thousand years BC. In those days they didn’t have modern technology to produce nylon (like we find in our brushes today), so relied on sticks which they sharpened and cleaned their teeth with.

The idea of using bristles in a toothbrush only came about in the 16th century in a province in China. They used hairs from a hog tied to an object like a stick.

Much later, this time in the 20th century, nylon technology was developed and introduced into toothbrushes. And so was the invention of toothpaste!

Doing some research on the topic, I have come across a toothbrush invented in Japan that does not even require toothpaste. It apparently uses the metals iron, copper, and magnesium to create a small electrical reaction that (allegedly) cleans your teeth. I’m still sceptical, but check out the Proton Toothbrush if you’re interested.

Here’s a great invention for men who shave their heads. It’s known as the HeadBlade:

As you can see you simply attach the blade to your dominant hand and run it across your head. The reason it’s a good invention is that it takes a past invention (the razer) and improves the process. Apparently the inventor tried to get Gillette and Schick to buy into the idea to no avail. This spurred him on to develop it himself using his own funding and funding from his father and friends. The result is a very successful invention that has sold over 20 million units.