1) PhoneSoap Smartphone Sanitizer ($60)

One of the most important parts of spring cleaning is germ control. This is the time of year all these pesky germs come out of hiding. That and the rapid changes in weather make it really easy to get sick. And once one person in the house gets sick, it’s pretty near impossible to contain. One of the most bacteria-ridden items is your phone. You’re setting it down on germy surfaces all day and then putting it near your face and mouth- yuck. Well, now there’s the PhoneSoap Smartphone Sanitizer, which zaps away germs and bacteria using specialized UV lights. It also has a built-in phone charger and acoustic amplifier so you can charge your phone or listen to music while it works its cleaning magic. This device isn’t exclusive to phones, it can also be used on smaller items like pens, jewelry and watches.

2) Forpow UV Toilet Sterilizer ($60)

One of the more dreaded spring-cleaning chores is toilet scrubbing. This handy little device makes this chore significantly less gross without any additional strain. This gadget adheres to the underside of the toilet bowl and uses an ultraviolet ray lamp to zap away bacteria, odors, mold, and microorganisms.

3) Eye-Vac EVPRO Stationary Vacuum ($119)

Sweeping up little messes around the house can be tasking with a dustpan. You’re always bending over and there’s always that little bit of dust that you can’t seem to get into the pan (no matter how much you struggle). This little gadget has an infrared activation system so it’ll suck up any debris that is pushed toward it. It’s fairly affordable as well and has an easy-dump canister so everything goes straight into the garbage can with no spills.

4) Black + Decker Cordless Lithium Hand Vac ($60)

Any avid spring cleaners out there will know how difficult it can be to lug your giant vacuum around just to use the hose to get little counter spaces and hard to reach corners. Having to unplug it and re-plug it every other room makes this chore quite a…well, chore. This lightweight cordless vacuum takes the hassle out of that task. Much easier than dragging your entire vacuum around, this device has a rechargeable long lasting battery and makes picking up stubborn dirt and dust a lot more convenient.

5) iRobot Roomba 960 ($699.99)

Another vacuum? Be honest, clean floors are half of the spring cleaning battle. Now, if you’re someone who really hates this chore and you’re also someone with a little extra money, something like the iRobot Roomba 960 would be a great option. This device essentially takes care of this chore all on its own. It seamlessly navigates throughout your home, keeping track of its location along the way. It also has patented Dirt Detect Technology which has sensors that can recognize concentrated areas of dirt throughout your home, thereby prompting the robot to clean more thoroughly in those areas. It has a long battery life and will connect itself to the charger when the job is done. It even has a mobile app so you can schedule cleanings and receive mobile updates and diagnostics right on your phone.

6) WINBOT Robotic Window Cleaner ($399.99)

Another major part of spring cleaning is tackling all the glass surfaces in your home: windows, mirrors, shower doors, tables. Similar to the Roomba, this gadget allows you to take care of this task without lifting a finger. Simply attach the bot to the glass surface and it takes care of the rest. It’ll notify you with a friendly tune when it has finished it’s cleaning job.

7) Hurricane Spin Scrubber ($99.99)

Scrubbing out the bathroom can be one of the more labor-intensive spring cleaning chores. This chore is made a lot easier with a tool like the Hurricane Spin Scrubber, which uses a brush rotating at 300 RPM to remove stains easily and quickly. It’s also rechargeable and cordless, so it can be used anywhere from indoor to outdoor surfaces that need a good scrubbing.

8) Landroid Robotic Mower ($999)

Now that the snow is melting and the sun is shining bright again, there’s some outdoor cleaning and upkeep that needs to be done. One part of that being mowing your fresh patch of grass. Also similar to the Roomba in design, this programmable mower will mow your lawn all on its own. Not only can you customize its daily cutting schedule, but the device also has sensors which can detect if there’s rain so that it can retreat back to base. It’s even equipped with a very quiet motor so you have to option to program it to mow during the night, leaving your lawn open for play during the day.

9) iRobot Looj ($299.99)

The least favorite outdoor chore for many is cleaning out the gutters. This remote control device uses a four-stage cleaning process to remove gutter debris, making gutter cleaning a much safer and easier task. Looj can clean up to a 30 ft section of gutter in around 5 minutes, whereas doing that manually would take five times as long (on average). It’s also waterproof, which not only helps with we debris in gutters, but makes it easy to hose down when the job is done.          

10) CleanWave Sanitizing Wand ($69.95)

A more high-tech version of sanitizing spray, the CleanWave Sanitizing Wand uses UV technology to kill viruses, odor-causing bacteria, molds and other allergens. It uses similar tech to the PhoneSoap, but it’s portable so you can use it on germy surfaces all throughout the house. This is a nice alternative to chemicals and having your house overrun with the smell of cleaning fluid.  

Honorable Mention: To get your closet reorganized this season, it can be helpful to use purse racks, clothes racks, and hanger pockets. These products from Jokari are perfect for keeping your closet more organized and spacious for this spring season.

We’re very lucky to live in an age where some of the most daunting spring-cleaning tasks can be passed off to robots. Perhaps one day we’ll live in a world where the machines will even be able to organize our closets for us, too. Until then, these new innovations in cleaning tech are sure to allow your home to blossom.

The post 10 Inventions That Make Spring Cleaning a Whole Lot Easier appeared first on Davison.

A patent for this, a patent for that… and that is how the man with the most patents wound up with over 3,300 patents credited to his name.

On June 26, 1928, at the age of five, Dr. NakaMats made his first invention, when he created “automatic gravity adjustment equipment,” to which he believes can be credited to the way that airplanes fly today. Again, at the age of 14, after observing his mother having difficulty in the kitchen, he invented a pump that would help refill a soy sauce bottle, a device that is now used to pump kerosene.

Since then, he has created an invention empire of his own. From outrageous to useful and everywhere in between, Dr. NakaMats has patented and invented thousands of new gadgets.

Although he is known as the man with the most patents, there is one patent and invention that stands out among the other thousands. While listening to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 at the University of Tokyo, he invented the floppy disk for IBM, “I became father of the apparatus in 1950,” he said.

In 1952, he received a Japanese patent for this invention; in 1979, Dr. NakaMats struck a deal, which included a licensing agreement, with IBM.

With over 3,300 patents, Dr. NakaMats has three times as many patents as Thomas Edison, who is credited with 1,093 patents. Dr. NakaMats is very direct when he says, “The big difference between Edison and me is that he died when he was 84, while I am now just in the middle of my life.”

In addition to patents and inventions, Dr. NakaMats is heavily involved in nutritional research. He believes that moderate exercise, and the right food and drinks can lead to longevity. Because of his research, he is vehement when he says that he will live until 2072.

Dr. NakaMats believes that by the age of 144, he will have patented 6,000 inventions. Only time will tell if this prediction of his longevity will prove to be true.

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-06/video-dr-nakamats-worlds-most-prolific-inventor

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/Dr-Nakamats-the-Man-With-3300-Patents-to-His-Name-179976641.html

http://moderntokyotimes.com/2012/02/03/dr-nakamatsu-fun-science-personality-or-serious-inventor-2/

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1708535/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl

Multimedia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFxNGvTP99E

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/multimedia/photos/?c=y&articleID=179976641

The post The Man with the Most Patents: Dr. NakaMats appeared first on Davison.

Although we used to enjoy our TV a la carte, these new inventions are paving the way to condense our wanted technology into the palms of our hands.

That is why each of these companies is capitalizing on this need and has created their own type of wireless device.

Let’s take a look at Apple TV, the Roku 3 and Chromecast and see what each of these devices offer to the consumer.

Apple TV– easily connects to an HDTV via the HDMI port which automatically detects your wireless connection. Apple TV also can stream content from other Apple inventions. In addition, Apple TV features AirPlay which allows the user to stream music, videos and photos directly from an iOS device. Built into the device is AirPlay Mirroring that is incorporated into the Mountain Lion operating system that makes it possible for the user to stream anything on their computer’s screen wirelessly to their TV.

Roku 3– this small-media player allows the user to stream their internet content straight to their larger device by way of a built-in Wi-Fi connection that doesn’t require the use of a power cord. This gadget works independently and does not need a tablet or computer in order for it to work. In addition, the Roku 3 comes with a remote that controls the online video and music apps, which Roku dubs as their “channels”. The remote for the Roku 3 has a special feature that allows the user to plug their headphones into a headphone jack which mutes the main external audio and transfers the sounds directly to the headphones.

Chromecast– Google now has an invention that might rival Apple TV; this small dongle device connects directly to the HDMI port on an HDTV and allows users to stream TV shows, movies and anything that comes from the Chrome browser, right to their TV. Unlike Apple TV, Chromecast streams its media from the cloud rather than a mobile device itself. Google noted that streaming from the cloud had less of an impact on battery life and allowed for higher-quality streaming.  Google touts that the Chromecast has the capability to stream across multiple operating systems (Android or Apples iOS).

All three of these inventions and their inventors continue to invent solutions that allow us to cut the cord between different technologies. In this instance, Apple, Roku and Google have all created a device that allows the consumer to wirelessly stream their internet content straight to their television.

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cloud-computing/google-cloud3.htm

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dongle

http://www.wired.com/reviews/2013/04/roku-3/

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/apple-tv1.htm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/25/chromecast-roku-apple-tv_n_3654453.html

http://www.forbes.com/sites/sethporges/2013/03/25/the-roku-3-set-top-box-a-nearly-perfect-product/

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33199_7-57320715-221/apple-tv-vs-roku-which-streaming-box-should-you-buy/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23437476

Pictures:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57565436-37/tim-cook-dances-around-the-apple-tv-question-again/

http://www.roku.com/roku-products

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/google-chromecast-lets-stream-video-tv-phone-tablet/story?id=19762854

The post Cutting the Cord with Smarter TV’s appeared first on Davison.

Furthermore, the dawn of wearable gadgets is beginning to make a name for itself in the world of technology. Inventions like the FitBit and the Nike FuelBand, EMBRACE+ and smartwatches are just a few of the new technologies that are slowly, but surely, making an impact.

FitBit– This wearable physical activity device helps the consumer become more active, eat a well-rounded diet and get adequate amounts of sleep. The sleek, compact design of the gadget allows the consumer to discretely pin the device into their pocket or other article of clothing.  Throughout the course of the day, the FitBit logs data, ranging from the number of steps you take to the amount of calories that you burned.

Nike FuelBand– In addition, Nike has a device that tracks physical activity, known as the Nike FuelBand. Nike’s goal with this product is to provide a sense of accomplishment for people doing everyday activities to reach their daily Nike Fuel Points. The FuelBand detects the user’s movement by way of the triaxial accelerometer, which is also found in iPhones.  This technology can sense the movement of the FuelBand and the tilt to which it is held.

EMBRACE+ – This technology is perfect for the consumers who generally keep their smart phones in their purses or pockets. The EMBRACE+ is a wearable technology that alerts the user when they receive a social media notification, important text or incoming call. The technology uses specific colors to indicate what type of notification was sent to their smartphone and helps the user determine if they want to reach for their smartphone or not.  The wristband also includes a security feature that notifies its user when they are too far from their smartphone, which could be very helpful when a smartphone gets stolen or left behind in a public place.

Smartwatches– This wearable device is more than just a timepiece. In fact, the smartwatch can be seen as a wearable computer or a second screen to the alerts on your smartphone via Bluetooth technology. Kickstarter companies, such as Pebble, have developed their own version of the smartwatch.  The Pebble Smartwatch enables the user to receive notifications, including email, SMS and social media alerts, in addition to calendar reminders. For those who like to screen their calls, this smartwatch allows the user to accept or reject incoming calls. Much like the e-paper display, the Pebble watch uses a 114 x 168 black and white screen that displays nearly 20,000 pixels.  This design allows the display to be easily viewed both indoors and outdoors. The Pebble watch isn’t the only device in the wearable watch market.

Technology giant, Apple, is currently working on their own version. As of July 2013, a team of 100 designers and engineers from Apple have been working on the iWatch and it is said that their corporation has filed 79 patents related to smartwatch technology. In addition, Apple recently received a patent for bezel technology that could add touch controls to a bezel on the screen of a small device. The new bezel could be hidden or revealed as needed by the user.

The market for wearable technology continues to expand and only time will tell what new technology will be coming down the pipeline.

Copyright Davison 2013

Resources:

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/other-gadgets/fitbit.htm

http://mashable.com/2013/01/31/nike-fuelband/

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/embrace-the-wristband-that-glows-when-you-get-texts-notifications/

http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobile-technology/what-look-in-smart-watch-222729

http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/25/pebble-smartwatch-review/

http://www.trustedreviews.com/pebble_Peripheral_review

http://www.coolage.in/2013/07/29/the-emerging-world-of-smartwatches/

http://techcrunch.com/2013/07/02/new-apple-patent-could-finally-take-gadgets-like-an-iwatch-beyond-the-bezel/

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bezel

Images:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2411271,00.asp

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/embrace-the-wristband-that-glows-when-you-get-texts-notifications/

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/04/pebble-smart-watch-wrist-companion-for-iphone-hits-kickstarter-jackpot/

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1665872/with-fuelband-nike-aims-to-crush-jawbone-up-and-overhaul-nike

The post Wearable Technology appeared first on Davison.