http://inventors.about.com/ Get the latest headlines from the About.com http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hh http://www.about.com/ 118 20 en-us 2012-02-18T10:08:04Z Sat, 18 Feb 2012 10:08:04 +0000 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/21/siri-says.htm <p><img src="http://0.tqn.com/d/inventors/1/G/E/B/1/siri.jpg" border="2" alt="siri" hspace="5" align="right" />Did you know that Siri the voice recognition software found on the new <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/istartinventions/a/iPhone.htm">iPhone</a> has its technological roots with the Department of Defense. However, it seems that while the army didn't know what to do with her, <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventions/a/Apple_Computers.htm">Apple</a> certainly did.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/21/siri-says.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/21/siri-says.htm Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:47:39 +0000 2012-02-21T15:47:39Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/18/in-a-plain-brown-envelope.htm <p><img src="http://0.tqn.com/d/inventors/1/G/D/B/1/Alex_Steinweiss.jpg" border="2" alt="alex steinweiss" hspace="5" align="left" />Before 1938, and before&#160;Alex&#160;Steinweiss started working for Columbia Records, did you know that records came packaged in a plain brown paper wrapping? Alex&#160;Steinweiss changed everything. And caused records sales to increase at a red hot rate. Meet the king of the album cover, <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/sstartinventors/a/Album-Cover.htm">Alex&#160;Steinweiss</a>. Photo Credit: Alex Steinweiss in New York in 1947 with examples of his album covers in front of him. Photographer William P Gottlieb, courtesy of the Gottlieb Collection, Library of Congress</p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/18/in-a-plain-brown-envelope.htm Sat, 18 Feb 2012 10:08:04 +0000 2012-02-18T10:08:04Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/18/i-just-want-things-to-work-properly.htm <p><img src="http://0.tqn.com/d/inventors/1/G/B/8/1/AM02-03-image1.JPG" alt="james dyson" hspace="5" align="right" /></p> <p>That's a direct quote from British&#160;industrial designer <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/dstartinventors/p/Sir-James-Dyson.htm">James Dyson</a>, the inventor of those really cool vacuum cleaners with the ball and no bags.</p> <p>I have to give a shout out to James for starting the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://www.jamesdysonfoundation.com/">James Dyson Foundation</a> and for his dedication to supporting student education in design and engineering. The foundation website is full of valuable resources.<em> Photo of James Dyson courtesy of Dyson Company</em></p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/18/i-just-want-things-to-work-properly.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/18/i-just-want-things-to-work-properly.htm Sat, 18 Feb 2012 10:00:02 +0000 2012-02-18T10:00:02Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/18/invention-focused-museums.htm <p><img src="http://0.tqn.com/d/inventors/1/C/H/J/edison13.jpg" alt="thomas edison" hspace="5" align="right" /></p> <p>MSNBC has put together a fab list of <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42076881/ns/travel-destination_travel/">Museums chock full of inventions</a>. If you are traveling stateside this summer do plan on visiting these gems.</p> <p>What's cool about these places is that it makes you appreciate that these things didn't just appear out of thin air," says Doug Kirby, publisher of <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://www.roadsideamerica.com/">RoadsideAmerica.com</a>. "For example, at the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://www.floridastateparks.org/johngorriemuseum/default.cfm">John Gorrie Museum</a> in Florida, even kids immediately understand the difference the invention of air conditioning made in their lives." <em>Photo LOC</em></p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/18/invention-focused-museums.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/18/invention-focused-museums.htm Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:56:54 +0000 2012-02-18T09:56:54Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/12/it-may-be-too-good-to-be-true-if-you-hear.htm <p><img src="http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/i/z/hearing.jpg" alt="" align="right" /></p> <ul> <li>"We think your idea has great market potential."</li> <li>"Our company has licensed a lot of invention ideas successfully."</li> <li>"You need to hurry and patent your idea before someone else does." </li> <li>"Congratulations! We've done a patent search on your idea, and we have some great news. There's nothing like it out there."</li> <li>"Our research department, engineers, and patent attorneys have evaluated your idea. We definitely want to move forward."</li> <li>"Our company has evaluated your idea, and now wants to prepare a more in-depth research report. It'll be several hundred dollars." </li> <li>"Our company makes most of its money from the royalties it gets from licensing its clients' ideas. Of course, we need some money from you before we get started."</li> </ul>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/12/it-may-be-too-good-to-be-true-if-you-hear.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/12/it-may-be-too-good-to-be-true-if-you-hear.htm Sun, 12 Feb 2012 07:24:40 +0000 2012-02-12T07:24:40Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/12/who-invented-the-chocolate-heart-2.htm <p><img class="alignnone" src="http://0.tqn.com/h/inventors/1/3/8/B/1/chocolateheart.jpg" border="2" alt="Opened red box of chocolate hearts" hspace="5" align="right" />I don't know. Someone please tell me if they do know. However, numerous heart shaped objects and Valentine's Day card ideas have been patented. In honor of Valentine's Day here are a few articles of interest:</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/12/who-invented-the-chocolate-heart-2.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/12/who-invented-the-chocolate-heart-2.htm Sun, 12 Feb 2012 07:13:11 +0000 2012-02-12T07:13:11Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/12/codename-dulcimer.htm <p><img src="http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/O/z/ipodblog.jpg" alt="ipod family" align="left" />One man that could be named a "father" of the iPod is Tony Fadell. Tony Fadell wanted to invent a better <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/mstartinventions/a/MPThree.htm">MP3</a> player. After being turned down by RealNetworks and Phillips, Fadell found support for his project with <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventions/a/Apple_Computers.htm">Apple Computers</a>. Tony Fadell went to work for Apple in 2001 as an independent contractor, leading a team of thirty people to develop the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/istartinventions/a/iPod.htm">iPod</a>. The formal codename for the project was P-68, but informally, the team used the term "Dulcimer".</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/12/codename-dulcimer.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/12/codename-dulcimer.htm Sun, 12 Feb 2012 00:00:04 +0000 2012-02-12T00:00:04Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/04/the-sound-of-music.htm <p><img src="http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/2/A/music6.gif" border="0" alt="" hspace="5" width="145" height="145" align="right" />By definition music is "an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner." Learn about the inventions behind the music and discover who invented the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/pstartinventions/a/piano.htm">piano</a>, <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventions/a/Clarinet.htm">clarinet</a> and other <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/mstartinventions/tp/musicalinstrument.htm">musical instruments</a>. <em>Illustration: Free Photos</em></p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/04/the-sound-of-music.htm Sat, 04 Feb 2012 11:12:54 +0000 2012-02-04T11:12:54Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/04/for-students-stories-about-great-thinkers.htm <p><img src="http://z.about.com/d/inventors/1/0/5/z/smallfrisbee.jpg" alt="frisbee patent" align="left" />The following <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/articlesandresources/a/great_thinkers.htm">stories</a> about great thinkers and inventors will help to motivate your students and enhance their appreciation of the contributions of inventors.</p> <p>In case you didn't already know we have resources on <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/lessonplanskidinventors/tp/Science_For_Kids.htm">Inventing 101</a> for students and <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/kidinventions/Inventions_Made_By_Kids.htm">Inventions Made By Kids</a> <em>Illustration Mary Bellis</em></p> http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/04/for-students-stories-about-great-thinkers.htm Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:27:48 +0000 2012-02-04T01:27:48Z http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/01/reader-submissions.htm <p>I'd like to thank all my readers who have submitted to the <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/blackinventors/a/Black_History.htm">African American Inventors Patent Holders List</a>. The following inventors have been recently added.</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/blackinventors/qt/Tom-Bray.htm">Tom Bray</a></li> <li><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://inventors.about.com/od/blackinventors/qt/Dewayne-Mcculley.htm">DeWayne McCulley</a></li> </ul> http://inventors.about.com/b/2012/02/01/reader-submissions.htm Wed, 01 Feb 2012 06:16:10 +0000 2012-02-01T06:16:10Z