In this best of brainmail issue: TOP 25 INNOVATIONS THE COST OF ROBOTS PAPERLESS OFFICES BIRD BLOGS And much much more from the last 21 issues... ------------------------------------------------------------ ____ ____ ___ _____ ____ ______ ______ * / __ )/ __ \/ | / _/ | / / |/ / | / _/ / / __ / /_/ / /| | / // |/ / /|_/ / /| | / // / / /_/ / _, _/ ___ |_/ // /| / / / / ___ |_/ // /___ /_____/_/ |_/_/ |_/___/_/ |_/_/ /_/_/ |_/___/_____/ *Keeping brains healthy since 2004 ------------------------------------------------------------ Best of brainmail issue 22/23 - December 2006/January 2007 ------------------------------------------------------------ Brainmail is a free monthly newsletter about new ideas, innovations and trends. To subscribe or unsubscribe visit the website at http://brainmail.nowandnext.com Tell the world about brainmail - forward this to a friend. ------------------------------------------------------------ > Best ideas A US study says that just four ideas copied thousands of times account for 80% of all breakthrough new businesses created between 1965 and 1995. The four ideas are: power retailing, focus/simplify/standardize, value chain bypass and mega-branding. Ref: Strategy + Business (US) > Of me to you A company in Japan (Eiwa Industry Co) has launched a range of pendants in which the DNA of a loved one is kept. The cost of a pendant is Y50,000 which includes the cost of the DNA extraction. Ref: Nikkei Weekly (Japan) > Wi-fly A flock of pigeons have set up their own blog. The pigeons, in San Jose (California), are equipped with GPS and air pollution sensors that automatically report on air pollution levels by sending text massages to a blog. Ref: New Scientist (UK) > Paranoid parents Schoolchildren in Japan have the option of wearing school blazers embedded with GPS satellite tracking technology, so their paranoid parents can track them - or at least their blazers - from their laptops. Ref: New Scientist (UK) > Top 25 innovations According to Lemelson/MIT the top 25 technology innovations from the past 25 years are; Internet, Cell phone, Personal computers, Fibre optics, E-mail, GPS, Portable computers, Memory storage discs, Digital cameras, RFID, MEMS, DNA fingerprinting, Air bags, ATMs, Advanced batteries, Hybrid cars, OLEDs, Display panels, HDTV, Space shuttle, Nanotechnology, Flash memory, Voice mail, Modern hearing aids and Short range high frequency radio. Ref: CNN (US) > Older workers wanted BMW has established a factory in Leipzig (Germany) that is specifically designed to attract workers aged-45 plus. Ref: Economist (UK) > Smaller social circles Research by sociologists at the University of Arizona and Duke University North Carolina (US) has found that Americans have fewer friends. Back in 1985 the average American had three people to talk to about their problems. Now the figure is just two. Reasons include longer working hours, the Internet and mobile phones, all of which reduce face-to-face contact. Ref: Daily Telegraph (UK) > Private currencies The total value of unused frequent flyer miles in circulation worldwide is now more than the total amount of US dollars in circulation globally. The calculation is based on 14 trillion miles at 2 US cents each giving a total value of US $700 billion. Ref: The Economist (UK) > Somewhere else According to research conducted by ICM 52% of people in the UK would prefer to live somewhere else. Top dream destinations include Australia, Spain, USA, Canada and New Zealand. Ref: Daily Telegraph (UK) > Cost of robots If you index the costs of robots to humans with 1990 as the base (1990=100) the cost of robots has fallen from 100 to 18.5. The cost of humans on the other hand has increased from 100 to 151. Ref: Harvard Business Review (US) > New idea to beat crime Police in Stoke-On-Trent in the UK have started doing their office paperwork in fully marked police cars outside the homes of well-known criminals. Ref: Staffordshire Police (UK) > Word detective: Frisbeeterian People that believe that playing Frisbee is a religion and that when you die you don't really go to heaven or hell - you just land on a roof and stay there forever. Ref: Wordspy (US) > Bad predictions #1 - the paperless office In 2002 sales of office paper were 22% higher than in 1999. Ref: New Scientist (UK) > Clearly a good idea How do you really know if your toddler's shoes are the right size? One way is to buy shoes with transparent soles. Ref: Time (US) ------------------------------------------------------------ : STATSHOTS 17% of Sony PlayStation users in the USA are aged over 50. Ref: Observer (UK) More than 25% of children aged two and under have a television in their bedroom. Ref: New York Times (US) Parmesan cheese accounts for 10% of all retail thefts in Italy. Ref: Sunday Telegraph (UK) 50% of toys sold in the US have a computer chip inside. Ref: New Yorker (US) Box office receipts account for less than 25% of film revenues. Ref: Washington Post (US) The average American soldier now carries 22 batteries on his (or her) person. Ref: Newsweek (US) In the mid 1950s 9% of adults were single in the US. The figure is now 44% Ref: Innovation Watch (US) There has been a 60% growth in the use of the word private equity in the financial media over the past 24 months. Ref: The Economist (UK) 36% of US high-school students believe that the US government should approve news stories prior to publication or broadcast. Ref: Harpers (US) In Brazil there are more Avon ladies than members of the armed forces. Ref: 50 Facts that should change the world (Jessica Williams) The probability of a 25-year-old American getting divorced is 52% Ref: Atlantic Monthly (US) 45% of children aged 16 years and under in the UK spend just 2% of their time alone. Meanwhile, the amount of free time available to schoolchildren in the UK (the time remaining after sleeping, eating and schoolwork) has declined from 40% to 25%. Ref: Office for National Statistics (UK) In 1990 there were 50 regional trade agreements around the world. By 2005 this number had increased to 250. Ref: McKinsey Quarterly (US) 50% of all new pharmaceuticals products launched in the US are now created by companies less than ten years old Ref: The Economist (UK) In Australia 25% of women will never have children. Ref: The Australian (AUS) In 2003, 24 children were named Unique in America but only one was called Xerox. Ref: Sunday Times (UK) ------------------------------------------------------------ : QUOTE OF THE MONTH "I love Brainmail... it's kind of like USA Today for interesting things" Adam.slapjack.com/bog ------------------------------------------------------------ : NEXT ISSUE Brainmail will return to its monthly format in February 2007. ------------------------------------------------------------ : LOVE IT? THEN SHARE IT Do you know someone whose brain is not being fully exercised? Someone that is snacking on media that isn't terribly satisfying. Floss their brain and brighten up their day with a copy of brainmail in their inbox - forward this to a friend. ------------------------------------------------------------ : SUBSCRIBE TO BRAINMAIL Brainmail is a free monthly newsletter about new ideas, innovations and trends. To subscribe or unsubscribe visit the website at http://brainmail.nowandnext.com ------------------------------------------------------------