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28 April 2010 GIFTWARE
Gift Map
I am in the process of designing and patenting the “Gift Map.” This is an invention I came up with for creatively presenting gift cards to someone. A couple of years ago, having absolutely no idea what to give my wife on her birthday, I decided to buy gift cards. I bought five of them, but did not want to just tuck them in her card. After some serious brain-storming, I drew a map of the town and attached the gift cards to it where those stores were located. She loved it.
Officially, for the purpose of a patent, a gift map is a computer generated, not to scale, map of a genuine geographical location, such as a county, city, or town. This roughly 12X28 map, folded accordion style, contains multiple gift cards with monetary value for various businesses. The gift cards are positioned on the map with a temporary adhesive, relevant to their actual locations in that specific geographical region. In less technical terms- a gift map is just a regular folded map with five gift cards attached to it- designed in a unique and fun-looking style.
My plan is for gift maps to have themes based on the types of businesses on them. This makes it easy to buy one for a specific person or occasion. There are unlimited possibilities. Here are some of my ideas: An all restaurants map, a map for men (electronics, sporting goods, home improvement, etc.), a map for women (clothing, restaurants, salons, etc.), a children’s map (toys, electronics, fast-food restaurants, etc.), teen’s map, newlywed couples, retirees, new homeowners- the list goes on and on.
The sales of gift maps would generate revenue in the same manner as retailers selling their gift cards in other businesses than their own. It is common to see various gift cards offered in grocery stores, Wal-Marts, and other establishments everywhere. In keeping a percentage of these sales, as the retailers involved in this practice do, significant revenue is created. Since printing and assembly costs are fairly inexpensive, keeping a small percentage of each gift map sale would make a very decent profit. My plan is to offer $50 (five ten-dollar gift cards) and $100 (five twenty-dollar gift cards) gift maps.
Gift card sales have increased every year, as have the number of retailers who offer them. People are buying gift cards a lot- but one major knock on them is their lack of a personal touch. The gift map would change all of that. They could conceivably be uniquely made for every city and/or town across the United States, making it a realistic possibility for the gift map to catch on and become a money making machine across the country. My current job as a Postal clerk and family man, however, have prevented my finances from allowing me to see this project through and test-market in the Binghamton, NY area where I live and work.
I do not have the money needed to start up this project. That basically is printing costs and patent cost.
I am looking for partners and investors.
28 December 2009 HOUSEHOLD GOODS
Natural air purification system
Natural air purification system called Andrea utilizes living plant filtration to rapidly and efficiently remove airborne toxins. Andrea exploits and hastens the process of plant filtration with a whisper-quiet fan that draws air into the vessel, propels it through the leaves and root system and out through the water into the room.
This innovation enables much better de-pollution of indoor air than the ground-breaking tests done by NASA in the 1980s – the starting point for experiments by industrial designer Mathieu Lehanneur & Harvard professor David Edwards who created Andrea in 2007 and featured it in MoMA's critically-acclaimed exhibition, Design and the Elastic Mind.
Any kind of household plant can be used as the filtration agent, offering freedom to select the foliage that best suits the motif of any part of your home.
Curiously, the best-performing plants are quite common. They include Spathiphyllum (spath or peace lily), Dracaena marginata (rededged dragon tree), Chlorophytum comosum (spider plant) and Aloe vera.
With an effective range of roughly 33 square meters, Andrea works for most any room in the home or office where the threat of stagnant air or noxious gases are a concern. Thanks to its altogether pleasing form and a base that mimics ceramic pottery, this 21st century device manages to look quite traditional—a bonus for those averse to the gadget aesthetics of Sharper Image products.
Based on experiments performed by RTP Labs, Andrea improves the efficiency of formaldehyde removal from the air relative to plants alone by 360%. Relative to HEPA and carbon filters, comparison between the RTP Labs data and literature data show an improvement in formaldehyde filtration efficiency of 4400%. These data confirm that while plants alone in an interior setting are more efficient than HEPA and carbon filters at removing toxic gases from the air, they are significantly less efficient than Andrea. Even more important, the rate of gas removal by Andrea is, according to the RTP Labs data, over 1000% faster than for plants alone. That is, Andrea dramatically accelerates the efficiency of air cleaning relative to plants alone.
Website: www.andreaair.com
24 September 2009 ENERGY
Integrated solar roof tiles
Until recently generating electricity by solar energy meant covering a roof by ugly panels that were usually not seamlessly integrated into the roof surface.
USA based SRS Energy is one of the first companies that develops and manufactures solar roofing tiles designed to seamlessly integrate with traditional roofing products. The result is a stylish and simple solution for sustainable residential and commercial roofing that is undistinguishable from classical clay tiles.
The dark blue tiles, manufactured by SRS Energy, are jointly branded and distributed by US Tile and specifically designed to be compatible with the clay roof tiles manufactured by US Tile. Customers who purchase clay tiles will be given the option to upgrade a section of their roof to Solé Power Tiles. When installed, the system can offset a large proportion of a homeowner's energy costs—not to mention cleaning their carbon conscience. The system makes it easy for consumers to make a green choice, without having to settle for an unattractive product. There will be more tile styles and colours available making the product even more appealing to customers.
The tiles are made from a high-performance polymer that is lightweight, unbreakable and recyclable. Flexible solar technology by United Solar Ovonic is embedded inside each tile, allowing them to function independently of each other. The system performance is monitored remotely by SRS Energy and US Tile.
Sole Power Tile claims that they produce more energy that other building integrated photovoltaic solutions for the same system capacity. Higher rate of return, which in California ranges between 5-10 percent makes the monthly cost of an upgrade cheaper than monthly savings. The ROI calculations are based on pricing and eco incentives in California, US. So far more technical data like efficiency of electrical generation, real output in watt per tile for given light conditions are not available. This information would help to confirm ROI calculated for California as well as to estimate ROI for other countries as well.
It will be only matter of time when this kind of products will be available world wide allowing many small entrepreneurs and dealers be a part of the new business opportunity.
Website: www.srsenergy.com
25 May 2009 GIFTWARE
Fresh flowers labelling business needs representatives
Our company offers you a unique idea for business - the label on fresh flowers to your greeting words and pictures. The process of applying labels to the flowers is very simple and it handles even a child.
Stickers on the flowers are made of thin material, they hardly noticeable on the petals, creating a sense of naturalness and make a difference is your bouquet.
Stickers on the flowers can be applied to roses, tulips, lilies, orchids and other flowers with a smooth surface petal (including leaves of potted plants).
Just imagine how your girlfriend will be pleased if you give her a bouquet of flowers on each of which will be written, "I love you." I think she will be ecstatic!
I am sure that in your town are many different flower shops, the idea was - the stickers on the flowers they are very happy. They will be able to earn much more if you start to supply them with stickers for flowers. And you can earn good money.
The average wage in the city with a population of 300 000 people, will be 3000 $ -4000 $.
Willingness to work and earn money.
We are ready to supply you a sticker for the flowers. And you will become an official representative of the newest, unique product in your city or even country.
If you want to become an official representative in your city, please contact us.
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