With the recent release of Apple’s latest version of the iPhone and all the other recent technological advancements, it is obvious, innovation is king!

So, how could someone have an excuse for not at least trying to be innovative? 

We found 100 lame excuses that people give to NOT innovate!  We’ve picked 15, but you can read the entire list here!

Heard any of these before?

1.  It’s an idea too far ahead of its time.

2.  We’re in a down economy.

3.  I’m getting close to retirement.

4.  I’ve never done anything like this before.

5.  I’ve tried before and failed.

6.  I’m not sure how to begin.

7.  Maybe next year.

8.  I’m just not the creative type.

9.  I’m not good at presenting my ideas.

10.  I don’t have the time.

11.  We’re not in the kind of business likely to innovate.

12.  No one, besides me, really cares about innovation.

13.  I won’t be able to get enough resources.

14.  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

15.  Nothing ever changes around here.

What excuses will they think of next?!    Read all 100 excuses here – they even included ways to move beyond the excuses at the bottom of the page!

Whether you’re looking to quickly jot down an idea, find inspiration for new ideas or learn more about what’s happening in the invention world today — there’s an app for it!

We’ve scoured the app store to find must-have inventor apps.  Without question, our favorite is Davison’s Inventionland app, which, just like America’s largest invention factory, inspires creators to dream and pursue their ideas!

For your viewing pleasure, here are 10 more top invention apps:

Get Inspired

IDEO Method Cards — Developed by IDEO, a top product design and development firms, this app includes 51 cards that help inspire design and creativity.

FitMind Creative Thinking — Exercising your mind is simple with this app!  It includes multiple programs that simulate frequencies, allowing your mind to relax and engage in creative thinking.

Organize Your Ideas

Evernote — With this app, you can document your ideas by writing notes, snapping photos or recording voice memos.  Remembering your idea has never been easier!

Idea Sketch — Have a more complex idea?  This app allows you to diagram your idea by organizing your thoughts into a color-coded mind map, concept map or flow chart.

Sketch it Out

ZeptoPad — When words are just simply not enough, this app allows you to sketch out your invention idea by creating vector images.

EazyDraw — Complete with multiple drawing screens, drawing scales, English & metric units, CMKY and RGB colors, this app is a great tool for sketching out a vector visualization of your idea.

Educate Yourself

Famous Inventions and Patents — Learn about the inventions that changed the world!  This app includes full text descriptions and technical drawings of some of history’s most important inventions.

Inventions News — Keep up to date with the latest invention-related news, videos, articles and columns.

Inventors Handbook — This app is perfect for any inventor who has a brilliant idea, but doesn’t know what to do next.

Patent Legal Coach — Learn everything you need to know about applying for a patent.  This app guides users through every step of the patent process – from search, drawings and claims to written description.

Next time you’re searching for fresh apps, don’t forget that creativity and innovation are only a finger click away!

The Senate has deemed it so! In a unanimous May 3, 2011 vote, the U.S. Senate approved an immediate resolution that made May – National Inventors Month! Similar to many inventions, the month-long celebration actually began as one idea, was improved upon and turned into another!

Previously, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the inventing community and the general public had accepted and celebrated August as National Inventors Month. With Senate approval, the move to May allows for greater inventor recognition in schools and more opportunities to inspire and celebrate innovation across the nation! In honor of this creative month, we did some digging and found some fun trivia about some very familiar inventions!

Did you know:

- The British inventor of the World Wide Web never patented his technology, because he was afraid it would become too expensive to use and the Web would never go world-wide!

- The formula for Coca-Cola has never been patented! Only selected company employees know the secret recipe!

- The grocery store owner who invented the shopping cart hired fake shoppers to push the invention around his store, because his customers didn’t want to give up their baskets!

- Long before the iPhone and iPad, the first Apple computer was born in Steve Jobs’ parents’ garage and Jobs had to sell his car to raise funds for his first commercial order!

- Parker Brothers execs initially passed on the Monopoly game because it took too long to play; but, the company president got his hands on a copy, stayed up until 1 a.m. to play it one night and he was hooked! The rest is history!

“The things that make America great are the things we invent. The strength of this nation was formed by idea people and inventors who had the freedom to dream big and create new things.” So begins the new video, “Davison, Making Ideas,” which captures the timeless power of inventing and shows how that spirit is championed by the Davison Inventing Method. We are posting this video as a tribute and an inspiration to idea people everywhere.

“I believe we must believe in a better future, and you start that off by fueling the human spirit,” said George Davison, founder and CEO. “We have spent many years climbing the ladder in this business, and I’m very proud of our team putting together such an inspirational message in this new video. It pays respect to some of our greatest mentors of the past, and transitions us to believe in ourselves and a better future. It’s wonderful when you create something to inspire others. Great work team.”

Listeners of Blog Talk Radio got some great insight and advice from Mr. Davison when he was interviewed for an episode of Inventor’s Showcase. He was joined by Angel Bush, host of Your 15 Minutes Radio, along with guest host Jennifer Cannon, an inventor and entrepreneur. In the half-hour interview, Mr. Davison offers a wealth of great information for inventors. He explains how he developed the Davison Inventing Method and talks about everything from creativity to patenting to development to marketing, and some of the pitfalls inventors should avoid along the way.

“I was glad to offer what I’ve learned to their radio audience,” said Mr. Davison. “I’m proud of all the failures I’ve had over the years, because they’ve taught me many of the things not to do when working on inventions and innovation. If I can help other innovators like myself to achieve more, then I’ve met one of my personal life goals.”

Take a listen to the informative interview:

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George Davison is featured in a groundbreaking interview on the hit morning show “The Balancing Act,” on Lifetime TV. Mr. Davison, along with Sharon, inventor of the Cool Cot House, and Katie, president of Hugs Pet Products, team up to tell the full story of new product development and explain how the Davison Inventing Method gets new product ideas to the stores.

Mr. Davison is joined by Sharon, inventor of the Cool Cot House, and Katie, president of Hugs Pet Products, as they tell the story of inventing from three different perspectives and show how a new idea makes its way to the marketplace, from start to finish. Sharon talked about how she came up with the idea, Mr. Davison explained his development methodology, and Katie talked about how Hugs gets all of its product samples from Davison, which they take to buyers.

“It likely was the first time that an inventor, the developer and licensor, and the manufacturer and marketer were all on screen together, explaining how it takes a team to launch new products,” said Mr. Davison. “By having all three of us together, we have a really powerful story to tell, and viewers are getting to see first hand the value of what Davison has to offer.”

If you have a new product idea click here: To Submit Your Idea to Davison for a No Cost Consultation.

Can you imagine how great it would be to know what one question you should ask before you get started on something you’ve never done before? The answer would tell you whether a person or company is legitimate so you can trust them with your idea. Read more »