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!

While most of us are familiar with recent developments in the telephone industry, and may even carry the latest iPhone, Droid or Blackberry models, it is likely that few may know where these gadgets got their roots and just how far they’ve come through the years.

Over a century ago, in 1876, Alexander Graham Bell uttered the first words over what he called his “electrical speech machine.” Those words, “Mr. Watson, come here, I want you,” traveled only to his assistant who was working in the next room, but now resonate world-wide. Today, deemed National Telephone Day, we pause, if only momentarily, from sending those texts, updating our social media statuses or just checking news headlines, to recognize Bell’s legendary invention and how, with the help of many other inventors along the way, it has become so “smart!”

As the world reveled at the telephone’s initial capabilities, Bell went to work on several other inventions, including a flying machine and metal detector, to name just a couple. However, it didn’t take long for his electrical speech machine to evolve. Ten years after Bell patented his telephone, the first long-distance line was installed – it ran from New York to Philadelphia! Quickly following, William Gray invented the first pay phone, which was also installed in the U.S. Northeast.

While it may not be considered the first “picture message,” the first photograph was electronically transmitted in 1921. Bell’s invention went world-wide in 1935 when the first international call was placed. Mobile telephone service can be traced back to 1946, and originally linked vehicles to telephone networks through their radios; however, Martin Cooper, a British inventor, is credited with designing the first mobile phone in the 1970s. Caller ID originated in the 1980s, when faxing also gained popularity.

Advancing and evolving the mobile phone industry, 2G, or “second generation” service was introduced in the 1990s and allowed users to send SMS communications or text messages. The 2000s ushered in 3G service and, with that, the mobile internet craze. Today, 4G networks allow users to enjoy their fastest service yet.

So, over a century later and with the help of many talented inventors along the way, what’s next for Bell’s electrical speech machine? To 5G and beyond!

It may be hard to believe, but just 49 years ago Gaylord Nelson started an 8-year fight to have Earth Day recognized as a national holiday. Nelson wanted to bring awareness to environmental issues that nobody seemed to pay attention to at the time. Because of his persistent efforts, we not only have a national Earth Day, but we also have rules and regulations to help diminish adverse effects of pollution, such as the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act, and the Endangered Species Act.

At Davison, we share Nelson’s concerns and we are eager to develop more eco-friendly products, such as the BagStor. The BagStor makes it easy to reuse and recycle plastic bags, thereby cutting down on the amount of plastic waste in landfills and reducing the need to produce more plastic bags from oil. According to the Green is Universal website, it takes 1,000 years for a plastic bag to decompose!

Another eco-friendly product, which we created for a client, is the Can Pump & Pour. This gadget keeps an open can of soda fresh and carbonated until the user has finished it, thereby cutting down on the number of cans used (or half used) and thrown away.

More recently, we collaborated with Jokari to create the Water Infuser, which has a hinged sphere that can hold pieces of fruit, vegetables and herbs (lemon, cucumber, strawberries or mint). The sphere is then placed in a pitcher and, through small slits in the plastic, the water or tea is infused with natural flavors — offering a healthy and inexpensive alternative to sodas, sugary fruit drinks and bottled water. Not only is it healthier, but it reduces the amount of bottles a family would normally purchase, use, and toss.

As a company, we look forward to more “everyday idea people” coming to us with their eco-friendly ideas so we can all help preserve the environment. This Earth Day consider trying to lower your carbon footprint and doing something for the environment. You can always do one better and invent the next product that will help to make the world a greener place! Dare to Invent.

Today, as many of us file our tax returns, we can pause to remember an inventor who was born 559 years ago today — and who was way ahead of his time.

Everyone knows Leonardo Da Vinci was an amazing painter (the Mona Lisa, the Last Supper), but did you know he was an innovator as well? He invented some objects that are commonly used today, such as the scissors, calculator, odometer, helicopter, crossbow and armored car— to name a few.

All of his inventions began as drawings in a journal that he never let out of his sight (Mr. D has something similar). Other people attempted to build some of the inventions from his drawings, but usually with no success. Modern scientists feel that his ideas were far too advanced for anyone of that time to comprehend. Most of Da Vinci’s scientific studies were largely ignored due to his lack of any formal education. Scholars of his day believed his ideas were costly and would most likely fail.

In 1502, he designed a 720-foot single span bridge as part of a civil engineering project for Sultan Beyazid II. The Sultan didn’t attempt to build the bridge, because he believed it was impossible. Leonardo’s vision was brought back to life in 2001 when a smaller bridge based on his design was created in Norway. In 2006, the Turkish government decided to construct Leonardo’s bridge to span the Golden Horn, a river that divides the city of Istanbul.

Most people knew that Leonardo was not the average man, but his works were still viewed as impractical, unrealistic, and out of reach. If he had listened to all the criticism and given up, many of the inventions we use every day may have never come to fruition.

Da Vinci is a true testament to believing in yourself and doing what you love. Happy 559th Birthday to a Remarkable Inventor!

Many people know that Thomas Jefferson was the 3^rd president of the United States, the author of the Declaration of Independence and the founder of the University of Virginia, but not everyone associates him with being a successful inventor.

Jefferson created many well-known inventions such as the polygraph, the pedometer and the hideaway bed. Some of his most interesting inventions; however, are perhaps those that few have heard about. Check out a few of these inventions that are on display at the Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Moldboard of Least Resistance — A moldboard is the curved part of a plow that turns over the soil. Jefferson designed it so that it was light enough to be pulled by two small horses or mules with little effort. Because this was such a revolutionary invention at the time, France’s Society of Agriculture awarded him a gold metal for the design.

The Great Clock — This innovative clock was powered by two sets of cannonball-like weights that were eighteen pounds each. These weights drove its ticking noise and the gong that sound on the roof. The clock also revealed each day of the week and was wound every Sunday with a key to restart its weekly cycle. The Great Clock was designed by Jefferson; however, we must credit Peter Spruck for its development.

Spherical Sundial — Although original sundials are thought to have originated around 3500 B.C.,  Jefferson is credited to inventing the first spherical sundial — which was considered a novelty in its time. The horizontal lines were drawn for the Tropic of Cancer, the Equator, and the Tropic of Capricorn. The vertical lines that extended from tropic to tropic represented the hours of the day — indicated by Roman numerals below the Tropic of Capricorn.

There is no doubt that Jefferson was a president that strived on innovation — his own inventions are great indicators of his this. There is no better time than on his birthday to recognize how important his life and accomplishments were to both the U.S. and the rest of the world.

The #1 superstore domestics retailer has picked up three Hugs Pet Products for a test in 10 of its stores! The Pugz Shoes, Cool Cot and Auto Pet Dish are now selling in BB&B stores in Long Island, N.Y., Tampa, Fla., and several other cities. They are the first Hugs products to hit BB&B’s shelves, but hopefully not the last!

“It’s very exciting,” said Davison’s VP of Licensing. “Hopefully the products will test well and will sell out fast.”

All three products are client projects that we developed through our collaboration with Hugs for our clients: Kay – Pugz, Dennis – Auto Dish, and Deborah – Cool Cot. Pugz, the newest Hugs product to hit the market, resembles the popular Uggs boots, only for pampered canines – so adorable, it’s sure to be a hit! The inventors of the Pugz and Auto Pet Dish have not realized a net profit from their products.

The ideas were submitted and Davison’s design team began working on the projects years ago, in some cases. Once Hugs expressed an interest, the items were finalized by our corporate design team.

“It’s really cool that we can go back into our inventory and pull out something a corporation is looking for,” said the design manager. “It’s just a matter of the right company at the right time, and this is a perfect example of that.”

Congratulations to our clients and to everyone who worked on these great new products!

The Meatball Baker and the Party on the Go that we created for our clients, Jean and Joy, are featured in the Mother’s Day Kitchen Gift Guide on “Once a Month Mom.” The popular website is full of tips for busy moms, including how to cook a month’s worth of meals in one day. The site states the Meatball Baker is “a HUGE time saver” and the Party on the Go is “a great gift for the mom who likes to take food to others.” Check out the great reviews of our products, which are listed 9th and 10th under “Gadgets /Tools.” The Meatball Baker also will be given as a prize in the website’s Mother’s Day Kitchen Gift Guide giveaway! For anyone interested in entering to win one of the featured products, here are the contest rules. There are sure to be many happy winners, and many more fans of Davison products!

The Global Pet Expo, the pet industry’s largest annual trade show, featured more than 800 exhibitors and thousands of new products and pet product buyers from around the world. One of the most exciting new lines was Hugs Pet Products. The nearly 30 products with packaging in the Hugs booth all carried the Davison “D.”

“The show was awesome; we had a ton of products on display,” said Davison’s Vice President of Licensing, who traveled to the Orlando show with Davison’s President

The products we developed for the Hugs line were “very well received,” the VP said. They got a lot of interest from e-tailers and smaller chain stores, as well as some of the big ones. “Hopefully we’ll get orders placed there in the near future.”

The show was a wonderful venue to introduce the company’s new name and brand, which “the buyers loved,” he said. The owners also loved the new Hugs brand and logo we created for them, which gives the product a higher end look and evokes a “warm, fuzzy feeling.”

In addition to the original style, many of the products at the show featured a camouflage design so as to appeal to buyers from sporting goods stores, particularly male buyers who may not be as interested in ‘warm and fuzzy.’ Since a lot of people take their dogs hunting, it could be a good way to generate interest in those venues, he added.

The design and rebranding of the line was a “nice collaborative effort.” The brand and logo was Mr. Davison’s vision. A major role was played by members of Davison’s corporate design team, who were responsible for product design, graphic design, engineering, package design, trade show booth design and construction, as well as web design and production, copywriting and marketing. Fantastic job, everyone!

Among the products at the show that we developed for Hugs were seven we created for our inventor clients. Corporate products we created for the line also were at the show. In all, at least 25 products designed by Davison were featured.

It’s a triple play! Our Meatball Baker, Party on the Go and Perfect Slice are featured in the Winter 2009 edition of “Innovation,” the quarterly design publication of the Industrial Designers Society of America. Our senior concept designer, who created the Perfect Slice, submitted the products to the magazine. The Party on the Go was invented by our client, Joy, and the Meatball Baker was invented by our client, Jean. Congratulations, everyone!

What a nice surprise to see all three products in the Housewares section of the magazine, right up there with G.E., Bunn, Bosch, Oreck and Pyrex, in a full-page spread in “Innovation!” Each product shot includes a great description, as well as a link to Davison.