The prognosis is looking good for Hugs Pet Products as the innovative pet product company prepares to introduce another awesome Davison-designed product!

The newest item in their Hugs Care line, The Doggy Doctor Pet First Aid Kit is a compact, carrying case filled with all the essentials to keep your pet healthy and happy – in any emergency, accident or in everyday life!

Take a look at all the items the must-have survival kit includes:

1 Collapsible Water/Food Bowl
3 Potty Paws
1 Bottle
1 Instant Cold Compress
2×2 Sterile Gauze Dressing Pads
4×4 Sterile Gauze Dressing Pads
4 Sting-Relief Prep Pads
4 Antiseptic Providone-Iodine Prep Pads
4 Hand Sanitizer/Antiseptic Cleaning Wipes
4 Alcohol Cleansing Pads
1 Self-Adhesive Wrap
1 Emergency Survival Blanket
1 Gauze Roll
1 Pair Latex-Free Gloves
8 Cotton Swabs
1 Syringe
1 Roll Medical Tape
1 Leash
1 Tweezers/Magnifying Glass
1 Scissors

All of those items look like the recipe for success!  And, we’re eagerly awaiting the latest word from the road…  Our Licensing team has been hard at work presenting the Doggy Doctor to retailers like Petco, Bed Bath & Beyond and at industry trade shows.

You’ll be the first to know when we find out where you might be able to pick up this “home-veterinarian’s” best friend!

This corporate product was invented and licensed by Davison for its own benefit.

This week marks the birth of an undeniably influential inventor, without whom the words iPod, iPhone and iPad may never exist!  Steve Wozniak’s work has helped make the computer industry all that it is today.

Born and raised in California, Wozniak began his college career at the University of California, Berkeley.  Prior to finishing his degree, he secured a job at Hewlitt-Packard and left the university.  At the same time, Wozniak was involved in a local, experimental-computing organization with fellow entrepreneur, Steve Jobs.  With a little convincing, Wozniak joined Jobs in beginning a business to build personal computing systems.

Together, the pair raised $1300 to launch their venture, selling off personal items like a car and a calculator, and set up shop in Jobs’ family garage in 1976.  The dynamic duo sold their first 50 personal computers, or Apple Is, for $666 each, to a California computing company.  But, as we all know, they didn’t stop there.

The Apple II quickly followed as the first mass-marketed personal computer, revolutionizing the launch of the personal computer industry.  While Apple’s success has continued to soar, at the time, Wozniak moved on to other projects.  Today, he remains an official Apple employee and still collects a pay check!

From Apple, he went back to Berkeley, finished a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and became involved in education.  Wozniak began teaching and sponsoring programs for youth worldwide.

Ever the entrepreneur, he also went on to begin several other technology-forward companies, including CL 9, Wheels of Zeus, or “WoZ” and Acquicor Technology, among which developed remote control switches and wireless GPS technology.

Wozniak has been recognized extensively for all of his work in the computing industry.  In 1985, he received the President’s National Medal of Technology.  In 2000, he was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame and received the Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment for “single-handedly designing the first personal computer and for then redirecting his lifelong passion for mathematics and electronics toward lighting the fires of excitement for education in grade school students and their teachers.” (http://www.woz.org/)  Just a few examples of his commitment to tomorrow’s leaders, he has provided hundreds of laptops, America Online accounts and Internet access to students and teachers throughout his career.

Continuing to add to his seemingly never-ending list of accomplishments, Wozniak is a New York Times best-selling author who has also made several television appearances, including “Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List” and ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars.”

While the accolades and recognition that came along with Wozniak’s work come as no surprise, this innovator’s favorite computer game?  No, it’s not the graphically-enhanced Call of Duty, Guitar Hero or Halo, but a more traditional, old-favorite… Tetris.

Perhaps, for this computer genius, they just don’t make ‘em like they used to.

Nonetheless, from all of us clutching our favorite “iDevices,” Happy Birthday, Mr. Wozniak and THANK YOU!

*Information for this article and more information on Steve Wozniak provided by http://www.woz.org/ and http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/apple.html.

The Bread-It meal-prep product that we created for Xtraordinary Home Products is featured in the latest edition of HomeWorld Business magazine! The innovative item, which keeps breading ingredients neat and organized, is also headed to the marketplace — It will be for sale in the Solutions catalog and on QVC in February!

“It’s great to see; it’s good exposure, and hopefully that generates more interest in the product,” said Davison’s VP of Licensing. He also reported that Bed, Bath & Beyond is very interested in the Bread-It, so we may have even more good news to share in the future.

The VP spoke with Marie Louise Ludwig, the QVC host who will be presenting the product. “She really likes it; she thinks it’s neat. Now it’s just a matter of whether consumers think so,” he said. “The design team did another good job with this product. I’m sure we’ll get good results.”

The president of XHP was surprised with how quickly the product appeared in the magazine. “Funny how this got press so fast,” he wrote in an email about the article.

Apparently, the editors know great innovation when they see it! Congratulations to all those on Davison’s corporate design team who worked on this awesome new product — Great work everyone!

The Surprise Filled Dessert Pan made its marketplace debut this Sunday during “Cooking on Q Day,” QVC’s big event for hot new kitchen products! The product was featured in the popular “Cooking with David” segment from 12 -4 p.m. EST. Like many other new kitchen products created by Davison, the innovative bakeware got a lot of attention. The product sold more than 3,000 units in the first few minutes!

Check out the segment on QVC’s website

The new pan has posts in the bottom of each tin, so treats can be baked inside cupcakes and muffins, adding a burst of flavor. The idea originated during a brainstorming session with the corporation, which is now producing an entire line of pans based on the treat-filled concept. Among the possible spin-offs in the works are a jumbo cupcake pan and mini muffin pan. The product also will be shown at the 2011 International Housewares Show in March.

“It’s remarkable — here is another idea that will cause a lot of excitement in the cooking industry,” said George Davison, founder and CEO.

“Just when you thought a baking pan could never be innovated, our team reshapes an industry with innovation once again. I’m very proud of our entire team for bringing excitement to bakers everywhere.”

Surprisingly, the inspiration that led to the idea for the pan originated with the old flexible Gumby toys, which were manufactured by pouring the rubber around a post. “This is another example of twisting an old manufacturing technique into a totally different industry to breathe new innovation into it,” said the VP of Design. The design engineer tested the sample and made cup cakes with various fillings. As shown in the photos, he got delicious results.

Mr. Davison knew who the first customer would be — “I think my mom and her ‘grandma girlfriends’ were the first ones buying pans to make surprise filled cupcakes for their grandchildren! Moms and grandmas everywhere will be able to delight their loved ones with cupcakes with candy surprises inside.”

The innovative Travel Folding Stitcher’s Tools that we created for Prym is featured on the “Sewing Goods & Gadgets” page of Sew Beautiful, the leading American magazine devoted to heirloom sewing, smocking and the fine needle arts.

Titled “Stitch and Go,” the write-up states the tool is great for travel and is “a clever little invention” that “puts tools right at your fingertips.” The article also explains the product is a result of our collaboration with Prym and gives some details about Davison, as well as information for interested consumers.

Congratulations to all who worked on this fantastic new product!

The Better Bobbin Winder  and the Petite Press that we developed for Prym’s Dritz line are now selling in Kmart! The products have really taken off since they were launched in JoAnn stores. We designed the Bobbin Winder for a client who wanted a quick and convenient way to fill bobbins directly from the sewing machine. (The client is receiving royalties but has not yet realized a net profit.) We designed packaging for the Petite Press to clearly communicate its great features. No doubt, the addition of this major retailer will result in more royalties for all! 

The Better Bobbin that we created for the Dritz brand is featured as a “versatile bobbin winder” in a new slideshow of ”must-have quilting and sewing notions” on AllPeopleQuilt.com, the website of American Patchwork & Quilting magazine. The Better Homes and Gardens publication is read by more than 300,000 quilting and sewing enthusiasts, and many are likely to be interested in this “must have” bobbin winder, which is for sale in Jo-Ann Fabric & Craft Stores, A.C. Moore, Ultimate Craft Shop and many other retailers. Congratulations to our client, Thomas, and all who worked on this fantastic new product!

Our Meatball Baker is still going strong — the innovative bakeware that we designed for our client, Jean, is in the new Spring issue of Harriet Carter. Check it out!