This post is part of the Patent Series – you can read number 1 about the Smokers Hat.

Ther are two patents for today that keep up with the same comic level as the previous, I don’t know what some of the people that filled these patents were thinking of, but hey, a stupid idea for some can be great idea for others – and “tastes” are not a matter of debate. Lets start…

Baby Cage

For those lovely parents that like to sleep with babies on their bed, this is kind of a protection for the baby – you don’t want to hurt the small thing now do you? I think the idea is good but the design could be better, a cage isn’t the best thing for babies to remember on the following years, right? Just imagine your son going to the circus for the first time and seeing animals inside cages, what a coincidence…

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Going to sleep is not a simple matter as counting sheep - there are plenty of people who have trouble nodding off at the end of a long day, as their minds drift toward endless bills to pay and a mortgage that can’t seem to finish. This translates to poor sleep quality, resulting in a diminished performance at work the next day. It is then not surprising how sleepy one gets in the afternoon after a heavy lunch, where a cup of coffee is almost compulsory to hang on until the end of the day. NightCove is a unique bedside lamp that helps improve the quality of your sleep by bathing you in selected light wavelengths and sound frequencies that were specially adapted for the physiological needs of sleep.

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The analog joystick that is found on most gamepads is one of the better methods of interacting with a device, but unfortunately for those living a truly mobile lifestyle, the large size of the analog joystick makes it unwieldy to be used in a host of portable devices such as cellphones and even handheld consoles. What better way to work around this problem than this conceptual Compact Analog Joystick?

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You’re probably not going to be excited or interested when I say that this gadget is an iPod speaker system, after all, there’s hundreds of those, all of which are nearly identical. Now, this one won’t toast a bagel, improve your vision, or even dance to your music, but it will wirelessly send your tunes to 4 different speakers. Come on, admit it, you’re a little interested now.
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Nanobatteries, I sure love new words.

A company called mPhase has been developing a nanomaterial based battery with some very amazing properties. When they reach scale for mass production their claims for their nanobatteries are that they will be recyclable, they will have indefinite shelf life (in case you need to use it 50 years from now), and instant usability (which if they are touting seems odd, as that’s what you expect from a battery).

Traditional batteries, according to the mPhase site, have some built in limitations. They don’t lend themselves to miniaturization. They won’t work with production processes that put things on microchips, a big issue for such small things. They see the standard cost of materials as high. Finally, an issue on batteries I was previously unaware of which involves maintaining electrolytic separation (the energy generating chemicals from touching)

The plus side for these little buggers is huge! (follow the jump )

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It looks like Sony Ericsson will not stay watching while Nokia and Motorola expand their product offerings to gain market share on the mobile phone market. The company, in fact, recently announced not one but eight new mobile phones!

Four of those models are targeted at emerging markets (K200, K220,J110 and J120). Those mobile phones lack advanced features like 3G support or bluetooth connectivity, but they should be “good enough” for the average customer since they pack a digital camera and some multimedia functionalities. Read the rest of this entry »

If U.S. State Sen. Carl Kruger (D-Brooklyn) has his way, a new proposal would make it illegal to walk, jog or bike across the street in New York while using your iPod. Kruger wants to slap pedestrians with $100 fines for using electronic gadgets, like the iPod, while crossing the street. Last year, Australian Police issued a similar law that banned cyclists from using their iPods after a series of fatal accidents.

“This electronic gadgetry is reaching the point where it’s becoming not only endemic but it’s creating an atmosphere where we have a major public safety crisis at hand,” said Kruger in a telephone interview with Reuters. Two men were killed in his Kruger’s borough recently while listening to their iPods - one of which involved a 23-year-old who was killed in traffic while bystanders screamed “Watch out!” Kruger has named this safety issue iPod Oblivion, but the bill goes beyond just iPods. The bill seeks to ban all popular electric devices such as cell phones, Sony PSPs, Blackberries, etc.

“If you’re so involved in your electronic device that you can’t see or hear a car coming, this is indicative of a larger problem that requires some sort of enforcement beyond the application of common sense,” Kruger said.

Is an iPod crosswalk ban a little too Big Brother? Many people online aren’t taking the news of this bill too seriously. “I understand that they’re working on another bill in New York.” commented Digg.com user packernirvana. “A $200 penalty for those caught walking and chewing gum.” Maybe everyone just needs to exercise a little common sense when using their iPod. How hard is it to lower the volume and look both ways before you cross the street? Didn’t we all learn how to properly cross the street before we could tie our own shoelaces?

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