invention

Futuristic handcuffs would administer shocks, drugs

Sometimes an invention comes along that makes you excited about the future.

For a long time, it seems that handcuffs have been stuck in the movies of old. They restrain you, but, odd for our interactive world, that's all they seem to do.

Might I tempt you toward futuristic handcuffs that will offer you a small involuntary judder?… Read more

Bezos: Amazon Web Services is lean manufacturing for IT

LAS VEGAS -- Just minutes ago, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos likened Amazon Web Services to everything from Toyota's lean manufacturing methods to something slightly closer to home: the Kindle Fire business model.

Bezos took to the stage with Amazon CTO Werner Vogels here at the Amazon Web Services (AWS) re:Invent conference, acknowledging that retail is a low-margin business and insisting that he's sticking to that game plan with AWS. "High margins cover a lot of sins," Bezos said. "We wouldn't know how to do a high-margin business. Low margins keep you aligned with … Read more

The 404 1,159: Where we challenge you to a vote-off (podcast)

Tune into today's show to hear an update to The 404's Halloween Samsung Galaxy SIII Giveaway Contest! With all the chaos of last week, we're editing some of the rules (see full list at the bottom of this page), but here's how to enter:

Follow @the404. Tweet out using #404S3 a photo and quick description why you need a new phone. Your photo MUST include your Twitter handle handwritten in the image. The submission deadline is Sunday 11/11 at Midnight ET.… Read more

U.S. patent office to hang a shingle in Silicon Valley

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is coming to Silicon Valley in hopes of fostering more efficient patent applications in the tech world.

The office announced that it is opening three more satellite offices throughout the country, including one in heart of California's tech hub. The PTO is already set to open a satellite office in Detroit on July 13 as a part of recent patent reform legislation, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act.

Silicon Valley leaders have been lobbying for a satellite office for three years, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The area accounted for almost one … Read more

Invention kit for banana pianos, alphabet soup keyboards

For the most part, keyboards just aren't very exciting. They sit there and go clickety-clack. What if you want a keyboard that goes squish-squash or splish-splash? Then you turn to the MaKey MaKey Invention Kit.

MaKey MaKey is a kit that turns just about any object into a touchpad. It consists of a circuit board and a set of alligator clips.

Clip those clips onto fruit, people, or pieces of bread. Even pencil markings can work. Open up a Web site or a program, plug the board into your computer's USB port, and you're good to go.… Read more

Twitter's new patent pledge: First, do no evil

Twitter today announced what could lead to a reduction of hostilities in the patent wars threatening to engulf Silicon Valley: a pledge to do no evil.

The pledge, which could become a kind of Hippocratic Oath for tech companies with patents, gives Twitter employees more control over their inventions -- and, most importantly, promises that the patents will only be used for defensive purposes, not to block other companies from innovating.

"One of the great things about Twitter is working with so many talented folks who dream up and build incredible products day in and day out. Like many … Read more

Edison tops Jobs as world's greatest innovator

A group of 1,000 young people consider the world's greatest innovator to be Thomas Edison, whose crowning left the late Steve Jobs in second place.

Edison, the creator of the light bulb and phonograph, among many other inventions, earned the top title among 52 percent of those polled by Lemelson-MIT, a program that tries to honor inventors who have improved our lives and gauge peoples' perceptions about innovation.

Often lauded for his spirit of creativity, especially following his death, Jobs took second place with 24 percent citing him as the greatest innovator of all time.

The results surprised … Read more

The America Invents Act and the individual inventor

commentary Much has been said about how the newly passed patent reform legislation, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, benefits large corporations. While that argument certainly can be made, Congress did not forget the individual inventor entirely. The creation of a "micro entity" encourages the individual inventor to get back into the patent game by reducing the fees required for filing an application.

Jerome Lemelson is considered by some to be one of the most prolific inventors of all time. With more the 600 patents to his name, Lemelson was able to generate over a billion dollars in licensing … Read more

Patent overhaul signed into law by Obama

The Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, also known as the latest version of the patent reform bill, was signed into law today by President Barack Obama.

President Obama signed the legislation following a tour of the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va., where he also stumped for the American Jobs Act of 2011, the Associated Press reports.

The bill is the first success in a series of attempts at reforming patent legislation in the U.S., following similar proposals in 2005, 2007, and 2009. The act was approved by the House in late June, then approved … Read more