What they do:
Make digital clocks that run on water.
Inspiration:
Mark Bedol likes to think unique in designing and marketing every day items.
About the business:
You just pour water in it, and the inventor says, “Let science do the rest.” Introduced in 2009, Mark Bedol’s water-powered clock is basically a fuel cell. Inside is a piece of copper and a piece of zinc. The container becomes a battery when you add water. The clock itself is powered by an electron flow in the water. The clock was a hit with retailers around the country including stores like Saks Fifth Ave, Macy’s, and Neiman Marcus.
Jake Zien was a 17 year old with a quirky idea for a flexible power strip. Ben Kaufman was a 19 year with a start-up and a vision of harnessing ideas just like Jake’s.
Now, thanks to Kaufman’s invention crowdsourcing site Quirky, Zien and other inventors like him are seeing their products go from sketchpad to store shelf faster than they can say “perpetual royalties.”
Searching for comfort from the heat, Steven Villegas altered a pair of army surplus pants into a legless skirt, optimized for the working man. He called it the “Utilikilt.” His utilitarian man-skirt quickly became a surprise hit with construction workers, bikers, and other unlikely customers. On the latest episode of The Why Didn’t I Think of That? ® Podcast, we put the spotlight on this up-and-coming entrepreneur.
The Why Guys speak with Villegas about his unique product on this week’s Why Didn’t I Think of That? Podcast.
Wouldn’t it be nice if there were some sort of community where artists, tinkerers, geeks, and inventors of all shapes and sizes could pay a small monthly fee and have access to expensive, technical tools, as well as a work space in which to operate?
Well, actually, there is. It’s called TechShop.
While flavors like vanilla, cookie-dough, and rocky road may never go out of style, there’s no end to the possibilities when it comes to tickling taste buds. But… Riesling Poached Pear? Queen City Cayenne?
Can you imagine ordering a book and having to wait while it was printed and bound? Of course not. But some small businesses across the country are starting to realize that having well-stocked inventories isn’t necessary for their business.