Pierre de Beaumont, at 95; founder of Brookstone Co.

Pierre de Beaumont started Brookstone Company from his farmhouse parlor in the Berkshires in 1965. A former engineer for Packard Motor Car, he put a classified ad peddling special tools in Popular Mechanics magazine and filled orders the same day they landed in his mailbox.


Launching their business with an initial investment of $500, Mr. de Beaumont and his wife, Mary Deland (Robbins), eventually saw the venture mushroom into 300 retail outlets, where mall shoppers still plunk down in massage chairs and marvel at gizmos and gadgets for better living.

Innovation in the Courts - Tablets are Nothing New, Now Mainstream

1/20/2011

At CES the most innovative products were various tablets. True, they have come along way, but what's new please?

About 10 years I was working in the CJIC office of Santa Clara County. I worked on a project with an objective to alleviate carpel tunnel syndrome among court clerks. This was an effort to relieve court clerks of their use of keyboards because of the high volume of cases and necessary typing associated with docket entries. The proposed solution was a windows based graphical user interface. I proposed the use of an Acer pen tab computer that could also be carried around and affixed to a wall as a space saver. The Santa Clara Superior Court had contracted with the County and would require a large systems work-over to meet the objective and my recommendation. The cost for the Superior Court to have the county CJIC office do the work was excessive. So the Superior Court continued to maintain its text based keyboard applications for some time with - no doubt - more costs associated with carpel tunnel claims.


I left my work in government because there was always some limitation to getting things done. Ironically, in my view, the money is not the issue in government. Instead it is the the amount of money a government agency is expected to pay for a service, even - and maybe especially - when an internal agency does the work. I believe government business is an opportunity for businesses, where businesses can showcase their products; where they can offer them at a reduced cost for public service and for strategic marketing opportunity. And I certainly believe internal agencies should develop means to assist their counterparts with services at reduced costs.

There are no competitive market forces to compel government to act, so government needs help. I suggest government act boldly to improve its administration by reducing costs through efficiencies of operations, including the implementation of the most innovative technologies. And I propose that businesses help with a sense of duty and a willingness to innovate....NO RISK, NO REWARD!!  (I recognize that this will require reform in both government and business)

Choose Your Idea Carefully - Hopefully You Have Many...

I normally post about inventors who have arrived at an idea from their knowledge of what exists, creating something useful from natural laws and out of necessity, but today I want to share some thoughts. I believe that one of the greatest joys in life is having these ideas and being able to articulate them. It is another question as to whether one should venture to act upon them.  The journey to get there is not a joyful one – though I do believe the journey, and victories along the way, are the most fulfilling times (filled with achievement) - offset by what often seem to be insurmountable obstacles. Wow, incredible to overcome those!

We filter through many ideas in our daily activities, and then, when one sticks (the epiphany), and we can't get it out of our head, we execute upon it...for better or for worse, in richness and in poorness. Inventors, choose your path carefully!

Matt Potts

Trevor Baylis Introduced the Wind-Up Radio in 1996

There was not much awareness of the Aids epidemic in Africa in the 90s, so Trevor Baylis invented a solution to spread the word and save lives. A major issue was the cost of battery power for radios and the lack of electricity. Inventor Trevor Baylis came up with a solution to this problem in 1996, when he introduced the world to the first-ever hand-powered, wind-up radio. You've seen the commercialization of many other hand-powered products since - mostly radios and flashlights - courtesy of the ingenuity of Trevor. I expect much more innovation in this area in the future; many more hand-powered, and very possibly foot-powered, commercial products. This is one to watch closely...

In 1888 Theophilus Van Kannel Invented the Revolving Door

Theophilus Van Kannel invented the revolving door in 1988. It became the entrance for the modern skyscraper. The revolving door served as an airlock, preventing the rapid influx of cold air into warm buildings on chilly, windy days. The revolving door was also useful in keeping out street noises, fumes and other outdoor elements.

Afred Nobel - Literary, Inventor of Dynamite, and Peacemaker

Despite much hardship in his life - including the loss of his brother in one of his experiments, and his family's losses after the Crimean War - Alfred Nobel persevered to become a legendary contributor in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Peace, Literature and Economics. While dynamite was arguably not his most beneficial contribution, the wealth he amassed in its sales enabled him to contribute immeasurably.

Rene Lacoste - Inventor of the Steel Tennis Racquet ... And More

In 1963 Rene Lacoste invented the first steel tennis racquet. Remarkably, Rene was a great tennis player in the 1920s, winning 7 Grand Slams. Furthermore, it is said that the Lacoste label was the first to be placed on the outside of a shirt. And there's  much more to be said about this incredible sportsman and innovator - a contributor to apparel, tennis and international team tennis competition.