Even before Benjamin Franklin tied a key to his kite, being an inventor has been a hard gig to crack.

Now, everyone can participate in an invention revolution thanks to Adelaide boy turned New Yorker, Chad Hetherington and his 'Quirky' company.

Chad is Vice President of Business Development for a two year old startup called Quirky. Quirky.com is a social product development company based in NYC that makes invention accessible.

The Sundance Channel in the USA has just announced a six episode series about Quirky that will premiere on August 30th in the states.

The show will follow 12 people as Quirky takes their inventions from idea to reality.

The inventors range from everything from a mother of two with her clever all-in one pasta strainer, to a copywriter and father in Kansas City who added a 'twist' to the ordinary can opener with 'Can Do'.

Check out Chad in a sneak preview of the show below. 

Chad founded a production company in 2004 when he was just 23 and moved to the USA in 2007 before working for Quirky.

"People from all over the world submit their product idea to our website. We get anywhere from 400-800 idea submissions every single week," says Chad.

The ideas range from simply genius to totally bizarre, yet each shares the same goal: to create innovative solutions to everyday problems.

Every Friday, Quirky selects two brand new product ideas and begins a rapid design phase using the help of over 80,000 people worldwide.

The online community helps Quirky to determine everything about the product from features and benefits to colours and names, to help make it the best possible product on the market. 

If the product sells well in pre-sale on the site, it moves to manufacturing where it's sold to mass retailers in the US including Bed Bath & Beyond, OfficeMax, HSN, Frys Electronics, Barnes & Noble and 18 countries worldwide. 

"The kicker is that we not only pay a royalty back to the inventor, but also to the thousands of “influences” who contributed to the design of the product," says Chad. 

"Some people have made some real money including the inventor of Pivot Power who is set to make six figures this year!"

Check out the Quirky website and maybe even submit an invention of your own! http://www.quirky.com/

For more information on the show go to the Sundance Channel website. http://www.sundancechannel.com/quirky/

Ever wanted to borrow a book from a library only to find it was on loan before you even got there?

Not anymore! The LibAnywhere iPhone App means you can browse the entire Adelaide City Council’s library catalogue from anywhere and at any time.

The free App allows members to conveniently search for a title, place a book on hold, renew loans and check account details.

Acting Lord Mayor David Plumridge says the new technology helps save time and provides greater flexibility for members.

“By being able to access the catalogue remotely, you can search for titles in your own time regardless of where you are,” he says.

“You can even reserve a book and check when it is ready for collection, making the process of loaning a book even easier.”

The App is compatible with iPhone, iPad and iTouch and can be downloaded from the iTunes App Store. For members without an iPhone, LibAnywhere can be accessed on your mobile phone web browser via www.libanywhere.com/la/176

Later this year, in response to new trends in libraries and to meet the changing needs of members, the library will also introduce an e-book collection.

This will mean that members can download latest releases and bestseller books directly from the online catalogue and read them on their own phone or e-reader.

“There is so much more to libraries these days than just print books,” David says.

“Council is continually looking at ways we can provide more services to our members and these latest technologies will just make the library experience even better.”

For further information contact 8203 7990 or visit any of the four Council libraries:

• North Terrace Library
Ground Floor, State Library Building, North Terrace, Adelaide

• Tynte Street Library
176 Tynte Street, North Adelaide

• Grote Street Library
18 Grote Street, Adelaide

• Hutt Street Library
235 Hutt Street, Adelaide

To view the library website visit http://www.adelaidecitycouncil.com/libraries

On Friday April 15, Adelaide’s six Community Radio stations ‐ Radio Adelaide, Fresh 92.7, 5, EBI, RPH Adelaide, Three D and Life FM – will jointly launch six new Digital Radio services.

These stations will provide Adelaide with more choice and new ways to listen to the city’s most diverse and accessible media.

Adelaide has a rich history of community broadcasting and this is a huge moment in the development of community radio in Adelaide.

To commemorate this historic occasion, the six Adelaide Community stations will make their digital radio network debut when all six stations simultaneously broadcast live on Friday April 15th.

Adelaide’s Lord Mayor, Hon Stephen Yarwood and Deputy Premier, Hon John Rau will officially oversee proceedings.

The event will take place from 7am till 8am broadcasting live from the Adelaide Central Markets, chosen to represent the diversity of community radio services, bringing everyone together for this momentous occasion.

Adelaide stations are offering a range of exciting digital radio services including; ethnic and multicultural programs broadcast in over 45 languages, world music, magazine style readings, information, news, current affairs, engaging ideas, unique programming, and new local and international music for both connoisseurs and explorers.

Community Broadcasting Association of Australia General Manager, Kath Letch, welcomed the move to digital.

“The CBAA is delighted to see community digital radio launched in Adelaide for metropolitan services. It’s a critical step in maintaining the role of community media on free‐to‐air broadcast platforms, and community broadcasters will make a strong addition to the diversity and local content of digital radio services available to the Adelaide community.”

Local and independent community broadcasting has helped shape the media landscape in Australia, distinguishing itself from other media by providing local community participation in media production and management.

For many communities it is the only media producing local content in their area.

With the new digital broadcast launch imminent, community broadcasting is taking every opportunity to expand into the new free to air digital platform, reaching a wider audience in the process.

Adrian Basso, President of the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia emphasized the importance of this occasion.

“Every week, millions of Australians tune into community radio to enjoy information and entertainment that speaks directly to their heart and their community.”

For those who are out of the loop with regard to the digital revolution ‐ Australia is one of the first countries to implement the new DAB+ format (Digital Audio Broadcasting using enhanced audio coding), which can offer text and pictures, as well as audio.

The launch of Community Radio Stations to the Digital platform will allow access to the wide variety of local content, news, information, music and much more, all in cleaner, clearer digital service.

Unlike digital television, the introduction of digital radio does not mean there will be a switch‐off date for analog radio services, instead it has been introduced as a complimentary service rather than replacement technology, but you do need a new radio to receive it.

With sales of digital radios in Australia doubling since the initial launch in March 2010, with the inclusion of community broadcasters into the mix, this figure can be expected to rise even more rapidly.

Flinders University research projects into sleep apnea, superbug drug resistance and colorectal cancer are among 10 projects to receive $8.44 million in National Health and Medical Research Council funding announced today.

The largest grant – $2.99 million – was awarded to Professor Doug McEvoy from Flinders Clinical Effectiveness in the School of Medicine and his team of collaborators from the George Institute at the University of Sydney and international researchers, for a five-year trial to determine whether obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may be a cause of premature cardiovascular disease.

“OSA affects 7 per cent of the population and is increasing with the global epidemic of obesity,” Professor McEvoy said.

“Our trial will compare the rate of cardiovascular events, such as stroke and heart attack, in OSA patients who are treated, with those not treated with a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure device,” he said.

“The results may lead to a new medical approach to the prevention of cardiovascular disease.”

Among the other projects awarded funding are:

• A study to determine the association between the obstructive lung disease bronchiectasis and infection with Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus type 1 in the Indigenous people of Central Australia, led by Dr Lloyd Einsiedel, Research Fellow in the NT Rural Clinical School in Alice Springs.
• The development of an improved bowel cancer screening test without the need to collect a stool sample, based on the discovery of a molecule in the blood of patients with bowel cancer by Professor Graeme Young, Head of the Flinders Centre for Cancer Prevention and Control and his team.
• Investigations into proteins that confer resistance to the superbug, Golden Staph, with the aim of designing more effective antibacterial treatments, led by Associate Professor Melissa Brown from the School of Biological Sciences.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor David Day congratulated the recipients of the NHMRC.

“I’m delighted to see this increase in the amount of NHMRC funding awarded to important health research projects at Flinders,” Professor Day said.

“I’d particularly like to extend my congratulations to Professor Doug McEvoy and his team on winning this very substantial grant, the largest of the grants to Flinders.”

- Credit to http://blogs.flinders.edu.au/flinders-news/2010/11/12/flinders-wins-844-million-in-nhmrc-funding/

Australia’s crop and food industries will benefit from a new $31 million biotechnology Centre of Excellence to be headquartered at the University of Adelaide’s Waite Campus.

The University has been awarded $19.25 million in federal funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC), with an additional $12 million of support from partner institutions.

The University’s new ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Wall Biology will build an international team of researchers with strong industry links.

Their research will significantly enhance biotechnologies that underpin Australian crop industries valued at more than $8 billion per annum, associated food industries valued at $40 billion per annum, and emerging industries related to renewable transport fuels and biomaterials.

The Centre of Excellence will be led by the University of Adelaide and involves collaboration with the universities of Melbourne and Queensland, and with major research institutions and industry partners in Australia, Scotland, Sweden, Germany and the United States.

The Director of the new Centre of Excellence is Professor Geoff Fincher, who has many years of experience in agricultural and biotechnology research.

“Plant cell walls contain components that are of major interest for renewable energy production, for the food industry, and for the pulp and paper industries,” Professor Fincher said.

“Once the plant has died, most of what is left is material from the cell walls. So there are opportunities to utilise this material in new ways and to add further value to Australia’s crop industries.

“The central role of plant cell walls as renewable sources of transport fuels, as new food products, and as a source of raw materials for industrial processes is a huge driver for international research.

“When one considers that about 180 billion tonnes of the cell wall component, cellulose, is renewed on earth every year, it is not surprising that this part of the plant is attracting attention for renewable fuel production. Because humans cannot digest cellulose, the production of cellulosic residues for biofuels does not compete for human food production.”

The University of Adelaide is also a key partner in the new ARC Centre of Excellence for Particle Physics at the Tera-Scale and the ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions.

Story by David Ellis, with thanks to the ‘Adelaidean‘.

Adelaide technology solution provider NetStart has released MenuPad (http://www.menupad.com.au), an interactive food ordering system for the Apple iPad. MenuPad was launched at Rydges North Sydney last week, allowing diners to interact with menus to place orders direct to the kitchen.

NetStart Managing Director Jock Gordon said that as well as displaying a visual menu, MenuPad provides automatic suggestions for matching wines and food pairings, and allows diners to personalise meals at the touch of a button. This includes the ability to specify your steak treatment, “which is sure to reduce the incidence of meals being sent back to the kitchen”, Gordon said.

The Area General Manager of Rydges Hotels & Resorts, Craig Simpson, said: “MenuPad adds a new dimension to the dining experience…. It is extremely exciting to see it all come to life.”

MenuPad allows the restaurant to remove or add an item at the click of a button, eliminating ‘menu letdown’ when a dish is no longer available.

NetStart has developed MenuPad solutions for cafés, takeaway shops and restaurants, right through to international hotel chains and franchises, and is already in talks to integrate with leading point-of-sale systems.

For more information on the solution, visit http://www.menupad.com.au/

A lot of blog and column inches have been dedicated to the iPad, but in pure self indulgent blogger style I’m having my 2 cents ($629RRP).

After some initial doubts I’ve been really looking forward to the the release of the iPad. It’s not exciting from a purely technical standpoint as tablet devices have been around for some time and it’s specs are modest. What Apple have done is package it well and make this a really elegant and desirable device. I can see iPad esque devices permeating our lives over the next couple of years with one sitting on most coffee tables or kitchen benches around the home. I’m sure my incredibly un-techno savvy dad would enjoy reading the English newspaper on one, and mum could cart her internet sourced recipes into the kitchen with new found ease.

What the iPad does is break down barriers. No longer is it one person using a device, we can now have equal control and share the experience. This is a massive game changer in the way we interact with online and digital information.

Given my enthusiasm I braved the early morning cold and prepared to battle the hoards for a chance to be one of the first in Adelaide to have an iPad…

6:30AM – Bleary eyed and surprising first to arrive at next byte in Rundle Mall, I was hoping for some die hard Mac fanboys who had been camping all night to validate my enthusiasm, but alas I am left feeling like a bit of an over eager loser!

7:30am – After a lonely cold hour of waiting I’m joined by a friendly crowd of 10 other keen iPad hopefuls. I’m sizing them up, just in case frenzy ensues!

I reckon I can take the kid, but the mum’s enthusiasm scares me…

7:55am – Next Byte employees inform us that they have no stock.. next stop JB Hifi

8:15am – Myer employees come past telling us that they have lots of iPads and are open for business.

8:25am – Got one in my hot little hand…

First impressions of the device are exactly as I expected and there are plenty of online reviews to give you more info. Suffice to say it’s very cool and we already have some great uses for it here at the LightBulb Digital offices!

South Australia is joining the ranks of progressive European countries like France, Switzerland and The Netherlands, with the launch of enviro-friendly, superfast, electric bicycles.

Getté Bikes is the new generation of electric bike, used as a mode of transport for French police, and by everyday people throughout Europe, the United States, and now, South Australia.

“Electric bikes are the perfect way to get from A to B. They’re designed with the average commuter in mind. You can peddle them just like an ordinary bike, but also use the electric assistance for that extra push to travel further faster, without arriving at your destination exhausted,” Managing Director of Getté Bikes, Gavin Carey, says.

“It’s a sweet, smooth quiet ride that is non-polluting and respects the environment. Plus, it means no more pain at the fuel pump, no registration, insurance, parking fees, or public transport fares. And they look great too,” he says.

The launch comes after the federal and state governments recognised at the end of 2009 the growing trend towards cycling and announced a joint investment of $5.7 million for upgrading specialised bicycle infrastructure throughout South Australia.

We live in an era where things are becoming increasingly transient and impermanent. No longer is a sofa a long term purchase, with the trusty Klippan from Ikea coming in at circa $300 why can’t you change your seating with your mood? In a recent online video blog, Adelaide research agency Square Holes called this phenomenon “serendipity”, and while I love the word I’m going to use the term “pop-up” to simplify what I’m on about!

With the Adelaide Fringe in full swing we can see examples of pop-up art appearing all over the city.

Format Festival is a great example, moving into Peel Street and revamping an unused space for a short term series of exhibitions and events and even VB are getting in on the act with their Popup Pub but I’m not sure if I’ll be scrapping my local for that!

Format's Pop Up Mural - these guys work fast

A lot of people may bemoan this decreased value in permanence, but I think it’s an amazing and very powerful idea which really taps into how we are living our lives. Take away food, throw away furniture so why not throw away venues! With popup venues come popup marketing campaigns and one of the best ways to do this quickly and cheaply is online. We can already see people using Facebook like the organisers of a popup festival just off Grenfell street in Adelaide.

As the concept evolves it will bring with it new thinking and processes to support popup websites to give event and festival organisers more freedom and potential to promote. As with a traditional business a social networking space can only take you so far in building an image and concept for your product, so the next logical progression is to create attractive and inexpensive “throw away” websites to fit the bill.

What are your favourite pop up venues, art installations or websites? Let us know and feel free to contact LightBulb Digital to plan your next popup online project!