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I have been fascinated with the way that a certain technology diffuses across the spectrum of possible product applications. Take self-adhesive stickers, which have been a child's plaything for years. Postage stamps have been lick-and-stick for years. Suddenly somebody came up with the brilliant idea
of self-adhesive postage stamps. And just recently, I have been seeing self-adhesive envelopes.
Another example is velcro. Why did it take so long for someone to figure out to put Velcro on children's shoes?
Or wheels on suitcases?
To speed up this process, make a gigantic matrix of all technologies and applications. This will allow you to find the holes in the matrix, the as-yet-unthought of applications. That way we don't have to wait years for the light bulb to go off in some inventor's brain.
And think of all the half-baked ideas we will generate!!!
footnote: my annotate button isn't working here, so I will add this here:
Samsonite states that they came out with the first suitcase on wheels in 1975. Twenty-eight years hardly qualifies as "forever."
Samsonite
http://www.samsonit...ssrelease_corp2.jsp
First suitcase with wheels was 1975 [mystic2311, Oct 04 2004]
Self adhesive stamps
http://www.auspost....ex.asp?link_id=4.88
[sufc, Oct 04 2004]
Antique 19th Century Steamer Trunk
http://cgi.ebay.com...7474&category=20092
Wheeled luggage. [phoenix, Oct 04 2004]
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Annotation:
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"Why did it take so long for someone to figure out to put Velcro on children's shoes? Or wheels on suitcases?"
Velcro was (relatively) expensive for many years after its development. Luggage has had wheels forever. |
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jutta, do you have a cite for sel-adhesive stamps being introduced in 1975? why wouldn't they catch on right away? nobody likes to lick stuff that isnt sweet or part of some erotic act... |
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I have a link saying 1964 was the start for self adhesive stamps. I think Jutta is right in saying they were introduced to the USA in the mid 70's. |
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Thatcher was a chemist by training and was employed as a
food technologist. One of her projects was to determine
how much air could be pumped into ice cream before it
collapsed. That explains the whole Reagan/Thatcher era. |
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If self-adhesive stamps were introduced in 1964 or 1970
why didn't the USPS start selling them until the mid-90s?
Ditto for wheeled suitcases. They weren't really common
until the 80s. |
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jutta, the matrix allows a systematic approach, without
which one is merely grasping at straws. |
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I'm having a big party the day she dies and you are all invited. |
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"Ditto for wheeled suitcases. They weren't really common until the 80s."
I think you'll find you're thinking of a modern suitcase - something suitable for transport by airplane. It wasn't until people began hauling more of their belongings with them (and taking longer trips) that airline luggage required wheels. |
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So my idea of Velcro RFIDs on wheeled airline luggage may not fly as a patent...? |
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Thanks phoenix for the correction. I read somewhere
that in-line skates were actually invented back in the
1800s as well. |
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Thanks blaise for the interesting commentary. I will be
sending you my patent application for Velcro stamps. :) |
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Once you have written this program, ill definately buy it!! I think its one of the coolest ideas ever. Someone I know thought of a way of lifting up the toilet seat with the same mechanism which is used in opening trash cans (you know, that lever you step on). This would avoid the whole wife shouting at you for leaving the toilet seat up dilemma. Point is that someone else already patented this idea about a year before, both of these technologies have been around for ages, you could have invented that in the 60's. |
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If you can come up with a new combination of technologies before someone else, hey!!! |
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xxxxxxxx | G.M. | Stirling engine | pirates | cats | custard |
G.M
Stirling E.
pirates
cats
custard
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" jutta, do you have a cite for sel-adhesive stamps being introduced in 1975? why wouldn't they catch on right away? nobody likes to lick stuff that isnt sweet or part of some erotic act... |
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— mystic2311, Dec 06 2003 " |
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Great, now I just conceived the idea of vagina-flavored postage stamps. Which would actually be pretty cool, if it was done with all natural flavorings and didn't taste like all the other artificially flavored products. |
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