Weird Technology! The Baby Pod

Samsonite held a Baby Travel Design Competition had participants from 78 countries and crowned eight winners. One of the awkward entries came from a designer in Iran. This baby air seat and bassinette is quite out of the ordinary, especially due to the fact that it is designed to keep your child safe from chemical warfare.

This baby pod is bomb resistant. The use of liquid-filled padding around the head and a flexible interior will keep the baby intact during extreme force, such as a bomb or intense drop. This baby pod has functions such as an LED screen that monitors air quality inside the pod, an auto-rocking unit that soothes, and even an auto-diaper that can flush away waste via tubes. Where does this waste disappear to is the question? Eww.

This product does seem very useful in war zones. I would assume that most parents would attempt to flee war with their children before purchasing a baby pod. This contraption seems a bit out of the ordinary. I understand that it has an LED screen to monitor air quality, but I would not leave my child in a small, sealed compartment regardless of the technology. If marketing this product to war zones doesn't work, the baby pod could be marketed to accident prone parents, so that little Timmy won't lose brain cells from being dropped. LOL

1st Solar-Powered Touch-Screen Cell

The Samsung Blue Earth is the world's first solar-powered touch-screen cell phone. Since this cell phone is made from recycled, plastic water bottles, it is very environment-friendly. The solar panel can be found on the back of the phone, it absorbs the sun's energy and transports it into the battery. The lightweight package is also made from recycled paper and comes with a 5-star energy efficient charger. It also boasts an energy efficient bluetooth mode. This cell phone is a "tree-hugger's" dream come true!

Although this product looks quite cute, I find that it could be developed into an even more energy efficient phone. That being said, it is a great phone for the everyday consumer, especially with it's appealing functions, such as 'Eco Walk.' The 'Eco Walk’ function uses a built-in pedometer to show you by how much walking, instead of driving, reduces CO2 emissions. I found that function to be very interesting, somewhat neat to play with. I am sure that they could develop this function into a campaign that promotes health and energy efficiency. Samsung could run ads depicting how this cell phone not only is a friend to the environment, but is also a friend to everyone's health, by encouraging them to walk instead of drive to their destination. I can picture this promotional work right now... ;)

TWEETS GALORE! Going Gaga over Purdue's concert pick

For the first time ever, it seemed as if Purdue Tweets had surpassed Purdue bird chirps! Kindly detect my sarcasm ;) Most of the students I spoke to were twittering and changing their Facebook status to reflect the newest musical addition to Purdue's concert roster, Lady Gaga! Purdue University's Student Concert Committee was finally able to secure an immensely famous performer to grace the stage at Elliot Hall of Music. Lady Gaga will perform in West Lafayette on January 14, 2010. Tickets go on sale to students on Friday, November 13, 2009. True pop star fans will be seen camping outside Stewart Center, waiting for the box office to open. In fact, guidelines have been issued by Purdue to hopefully alleviate the crowds that are expected to make the Stewart Center a highly congested area this Friday.

In the past, Purdue University has been able to get only 'B' and 'C' list musicians. This not the case for our newest addition to the concert roster, Lady Gaga. The last time Purdue saw a musical act of this magnitude was in the 1990s, when Pearl Jam rocked out on campus. Since Pearl Jam was way before the invention of Twitter, sadly there are no Tweets to be found over that show. That being said, it's been long overdue that Purdue host a concert for such a globally known musician, such as Lady Gaga.

Students and citizens of the Lafayette area are going Gaga over Purdue's newest concert pick! Even if you don't like her music; Lady Gaga's performances always amaze and astound the audience; and almost always provide us with shock value. Often viewed as Madonna's prodigy, Lady Gaga will be sure to provide our campus with a very theatrical show. Watch out social media, increase your data file size, Lady Gaga will be seen everywhere in January, from Elliot Hall to www.twitter.com. ;)

HeartMusik, innovative product that promotes health

For the technology pitch, my group, Group 1 Team SUN, developed a fictional, yet innovative product that promotes a healthy lifestyle to very busy consumers.

I developed the brief below to introduce the judge panel on our: company background, product description and possible consumers to target. Please read below.

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POGO - HeartMusik

Company:

POGO is a company dedicated to creating innovative technologies that enhance and propel our experiences in the 21st century. POGO stands for Power-On-The-Go and is headquartered in West Lafayette, Indiana, a community known for encouraging advances in technology and science.

New Technology/ Product Description:

Our most innovative project is our device called "HeartMusik." HeartMusik, geared towards exercise novices and gurus, is a device that attaches to most mp3 players. This innovative mp3 player combines technological advances in medicine and music to produce an on-the-go rechargeable device, perfect for active lifestyles. HeartMusik is chargeable by an active pulse, thus creating an incentive for the exerciser to either run faster or work-out without music. HeartMusik even has a special 'intense workout mode' that only plays songs if the user's heart rate is above a certain rate according to their workout plan. This product makes a perfect gift for everyone on the spectrum: those struggling to get into shape, health aficionados, as well as commoners whom always forget to charge their gadgets.

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Overall, I enjoyed our technology pitch exercise. I found it very relevant to the two Entrepreneurship courses I have taken at Purdue. In those courses, we were taught how to be strategically effective while pitching to potential investors. In those ENTR courses, we participated in pitches similar to what we did in COM 435 today. I feel that my previous experience with business pitches was an added plus to today's experience. Since I am pursuing a certificate in Entrepenuershup & Innovation from Purdue, I greatly enjoyed participating in today's technology pitch; all the practice I can obtain will only benefit me in the future when I have to approach possible investors and clients.

Google's holiday "gift" to the masses

Google may appear to be offering a gift to the public, but to those interested in communications, can see through the "Santa Claus" facade. MTV U News reported that Google's holiday gift to all was free WiFi at 47 major airports. With some further research, I was able to find the catch! Google has established a partnership with Virgin America airlines. Wi-Fi is free on every Virgin America flight and all 47 participating airports (see link below). This is an obvious endorsement by Google to draw attention to Virgin America Airlines and to hopefully, persuade travelers to purchase Virgin America flights.

The newscaster on MTV U News expressed that "it is nice to get something free during the holiday season." Consumers are usually spending large sums of money during the holiday season. These consumers are most likely frustrated and watching their budget. Therefore, Google's timing to offer a free service is perfect; true marketability.

Click here to read more about "Free Wi-Fi for the Holidays"

Click here to read more about the reliability of WiFi and Hotspots.