Browse Tag: inventions

6 Inventions to Recover from Daylight Saving Time (National Napping Day)

Are you dreading this upcoming daylight saving time? Even if you plan ahead and to go to bed early, you may still feel ridiculously tired the next day. Time and time again, studies show this practice to be dumb and consistently dangerous to people’s health in a variety of ways. This national event is so notoriously terrible, it sparked a second national event, National Napping Day. In 1999 William Anthony, a Ph.D professor from Boston University, created National Napping Day to aid in the loss of sleep on a national scale. Currently, the states of Arizona and Hawaii have succeeded in fighting against this standard, as well as several countries such as China and Japan. Conversely, Florida is fighting to permanently keep daylight saving time, the Senate voting 33-2 in rally of the idea.

We can’t do anything now, but we can help with the drag of it all. We’re pretty passionate about inventions here, and even more passionate about sleeping. Here 6 inventions to help you through the drag of daylight saving time  enjoy National Nap Day to its fullest potential.

1) The Barisieur

Waking up today is going to be a bit harder than normal, so why not wake up like a king or queen? We’re suggesting the best case scenario, waking up to the sweet smell of coffee…..literally. The Barisieur is an alarm clock and coffee brewer. Imagine the soft sounds of bubbling water greeting you in the morning, your stirring intensified by that perfect coffee smell permeating your bedroom. Not only is this the dream we’ve all been waiting for, but it’s design is quite possibly more sleek and sophisticated than the actual idea of waking up to the smell of coffee. MMmmmmmm.

2) Bath Buzz Caffeinated Soap

Now that you’re awake, it’s time get ready for your day. How can you fit in another caffeine boost to your morning routine? The shower of course, where Bath Buzz offers a solution in their caffeinated soap. There’s a whopping 2400mg of caffeine infused in their peppermint scented soap. That equals up to at least 24 cups of coffee! In addition to the energizing benefits of caffeine, you may be surprised to know caffeine is really good for your skin. Caffeine is a prominent ingredient in countless anti-aging skin care products and helps to improve blood circulation. This unassuming bar of soap is guaranteed to help jump start your day.

3) Shelterin Inflatable Car Air Mattress 

You’ve made it past the first half of your work day and it’s lunch time, you’re doing good! Many studies show that short 10-20 minute naps are super effective when dealing with afternoon-slump fatigue. You heard science, now’s your chance to find a cozy spot! I suggest using the Shelterin Inflatable back seat car mattress to aid in your nap-quest. Don’t worry about finding an air-pump, this air mattress comes with a car electric air pump. It shouldn’t take more than a minute to inflate this mattress that’s compatible with 95% of car models. After all, it may be easier to fit in a quick nap from the back of your car if your work doesn’t like your sleeping at your desk (I can’t imagine why).  

4) Ostrich Pillow

Maybe you can’t get to your car, or you’re lucky enough to have If you have a super cool work space. If that’s your case, then I highly suggest using the Ostrich Pillow. Don’t let its looks deceive you, this pillow can conquer any surface for the perfect power nap. If you frequent planes, it’s the perfect travel accessory that you didn’t even know you needed. There’s also an opening in the front for nose and mouth breathing, which is really relevant for those of us that value sleep without that “hot air” feeling.

5) Portable Coffee Cup Holder

Congrats, you’ve made it halfway through the day! You’re doing great. It’s time to stack up on another cup of coffee. After that power nap, it’s going to take everything you have left to motor through the rest of your day. You can’t risk keeping your eye off the ball for even a second. And by ball, I really mean that precious, precious cup of joe. That’s where the Office Table Desk Clip comes in handy. Now you really can keep your eye on the prize. Besides, you can’t risk spilling your drink all over your papers, computer, or keyboard! As an added bonus, this nifty tool double to hold your phone, cosmetics, or even a flower pot.

6) Coffee Joulies

Alright you’ve made it to the final stretch and your work day is almost over! I don’t know about you, but I’m always burning my tongue on a fresh cup of joe. Coffee Joulies conquers against this classic tongue battle by using advanced phase change material technology to store and release energy. To translate this to English, the beans absorbs and conserves the heat from the initial pour, making sure the cup doesn’t exceed burning temperatures. As your cup cools down, the stainless steel stones will then release the previously stored heat to maintain the “perfect” temperature for your coffee. Food Network can be quoted saying “The beans really work” and that’s honestly more than enough for me.

Pat yourself on the back!

Congratulations! Looks like you’ve made it through your work day. Now that you’ve enjoyed National Napping Day to its fullest potential, it’s time to stop and think about everything we’ve learned today, and no I don’t mean confirming daylight saving time is absolutely dreadful. I mean, look at all these helpful products that may have helped you through your day! It’s never too late to start looking at good inventions and assessing their usability. What may come off as a laughable product may really come in handy on days when you need them most, like National Napping Day. If you’re feeling inspired and wanting to create your own invention, feel free to contact us at 888-373-3876. If this article inspired you to take the next step in your own inventing journey, make sure to comment and let us know. As a reward, I might even get an official nap time at my desk (OH BOY)!

Krissy Pizzo is the social media expert and writer for Source Direct, an Invention Company based in Palm Harbor, Fl. If you have any additional invention tips or comments, feel free to email her at kpizzo@thesourcedirect.net. If you absolutely dread using email, you can comment below! 

Success Stories: The Weave Scratcher

STOP THE PAT! From hairpiece to sew-ins, The Weave Scratcher offers a simple solution to the most common predicament: itching. Source Direct helped create this product in 2011 and we are excited to announce it is taking off. ESSENCE magazine featured The Weave Scratcher as their top tool for “soothing an itchy sew-in weave”. We have been picked as “Amazon’s Choice” for weave scratching products online. Sometimes a good product requires time, attention, and patience while carefully building a following.

The Weave Scratcher was created to help ease discomfort without disrupting your style. To better understand The Weave Scratcher, it helps to understand why people experience itching in the first place.  

During the braiding and weaving process the hair is pulled very tightly. When hair is pulled too tightly, the scalp becomes irritated and can develop an inflammation of the hair follicles. This inflammation reaction can account for that furious itching sensation. Even when done properly,  an excess or lack of moisture to the scalp can turn quickly turn the scale. Seborrheic Dermatitis, commonly known as dandruff, is the other common perpetrator for this problem. An overgrowth of yeast on the scalp triggers an inflammation of the roots. This causes an array effects including a buildup of dry layers, flaking, and itching.

Anything from getting the hair wet to sweating without carefully drying the scalp can cause these itching sensations, and what a list! There’s too much to worry about with maintaining and caring for weave, so Source Direct spent a lot of time developing the right tool to properly assist.

Its firm but flexible design is meant to fit in between any hair weft or braided base with ease. The soothing bobby pin ends massage your head comfortably and carefully. It’s light and compact size allows clients to use the Weave Scratcher when at home or out and about. This tool can fit perfectly in your wallet, purse, clutch, or pocket. Our design is embodied to best suit the needs of our clients and their scalp. This handy tool is perfect for anyone who wears wigs, braids, or extensions.

We look forward to announcing the exciting collaborations we are currently working on, as well as more news to come. For anyone interested in joining the Source Direct Inventors Club, call 888-373-3876. 

Krissy Pizzo is the social media expert and writer for Source Direct, an Invention Company based in Palm Harbor, Fl. If you have any additional invention tips or comments, feel free to email her at kpizzo@thesourcedirect.net. If you absolutely dread using email, you can comment below! 

Can’t get your cell phone charged? Two high school juniors have a solution!

636495595865485919-Sydney-and-Leena-2.jpgWho hasn’t, at some point, searched high and low for their cell-phone charger? When the power bar on the screen creeps toward zero percent, a sense of panic can set in if a power source to recharge is not readily available.
 
Two high school juniors are working on an invention to solve that problem and forever banish that feeling of dread. Plus, it’s a device that could be in great demand in developing countries that lack the infrastructure for charging cell phones.
 
Sydney Conn and Leena Vyas have a simple solution: Use the wind to help charge cell phones.
 
Best friends since the second grade, the teens won $5,000 in the Innovation Connector’s Big Idea Pitch for their Breeze Charger. The competition took place a few weeks ago in Muncie.
 
Conn is a junior at Winchester Community High School and Vyas is schooled at Tippecanoe High School in Tipp City, Ohio, near Dayton. They met in second grade at the Montessori school in Greenville, Ohio, and quickly became friends.
In its basic guise, the entrepreneurs have developed a way to harness the power of the wind to turn a propeller that turns a generator, creating electricity to charge a cell phone or rechargeable battery.
 
Vyas got the idea while on a family trip to India. She noticed many people didn’t have a proper home, but almost everyone had a cell phone. It was a big problem, she said, to find somewhere to recharge the phone. “So the idea came to use the wind created by a moving vehicle to charge the devices,” she said.
 
That can be a car or a rickshaw, either pulled or powered by pedals or a small engine. The two said their invention could be used in developing nations where there is no reliable supply of electricity.
 
Vyas worked on her idea in the seventh grade as a science fair project. Vyas asked Conn to join her in their freshman year, 2015, when they presented their invention at a conference in New York City.
The prototype used a large propeller and a stick from one of those flags people attach to their car windows to show support for their favorite team.Sydney Conn holds two models of a "Breeze Charger," a device to harness the wind to charge cell phones. Conn and her friend, Leena Vyas, were Big Idea Pitch winners for their breeze chargers invention.
 
The second model was much smaller, but too expensive to produce because of the plastic casing. It also didn’t work well in low wind conditions.
 
“So we realized we needed a fan that spun easier,” Vyas said. “And we wanted to be able to use it on bikes so it could be used in Third World countries, even if you didn’t have a car.”
 
Ever resourceful, the pair solved the expense problem by using part of a plastic water bottle, an item that is plentiful in developing countries, they said.
 
 
Models three and four ditched the propeller, after consulting with engineers, in favor of a “muffin fan” that spins much more easily. Think of the fan in the back of an older desktop computer for a visual.
 
The larger fan spins better, Vyas said, “because it had more surface area for the wind to hit.”
 
Conn said a switch was added so the user could recharge a battery for use later or a cell phone.
 
It only takes one minute to charge the battery at 30 mph, and six full charges can juice up an iPhone 7. Flip phones, Conn noted, take less power than iPhones.
 
Conn said her aunt heard about the Innovation Connector’s Big Idea Pitch on the radio and encouraged the girls to enter.
 
In preparation, Conn attended workshops there and the girls worked on a presentation. On the first night of competition, they went up against 40 other entrants, each doing a three-minute presentation or pitch. They advanced into the top five.
 
The top five (actually six were chosen) moved on to the Excellence in Innovation Awards Banquet where they presented their ideas to about 350 community movers and shakers and a panel of judges. Conn and Vyas were the youngest presenters.
 
“They had a special ‘it’ factor,” said Ted Baker, executive director of the Innovation Connector. “The cool thing is, they won with a great presentation and a well-thought-out product that has meaning to it.”

Shown are some prototype models of "Breeze Chargers" developed by Leena Vyas and Sydney Conn. At left is the original model. At right are the latest versions. The devices use the wind to charge cell phones or batteries.

Did the girls think they would win?
“No!” they both said at once.
 
“We were super nervous. We practiced our pitch probably 50 times before we went,” Conn said.

 

“I would have been a lot more nervous if I was up there by myself,” Vyas added. “Having Sydney there made it a lot better.”
Besides the $5,000 prize, which the pair will split and use for college, they also get to use the Innovation Connector’s marketing, consultation and legal services to further develop the Breeze Charger.
Both girls are thinking about careers, and it’s a good bet theirs will include science.
 
Conn is seeking a career in the medical field, possibly becoming an anesthesiologist.
 
Vyas wants to be an engineer.
 
Their college choices have not been made, but they speak highly of a recent visit to Earlham College, where they met the head of the entrepreneur center.
 
As for the Breeze Charger, the plan is to further develop the design and get it patented.
 
Vyas said they want to make 10 working breeze chargers and give them to people to test out. “Then, once we finalize our design, we hope to send them overseas so people can use them for the main purpose we created them for.”
 
“Our main goal is to help people rather than for us to earn money,” Conn said. “We want to help people in other countries that don’t have the same opportunities that we have in the United States.”
Via http://www.thestarpress.com/story/news/local/2017/12/25/cant-get-your-cell-phone-charged-two-high-school-juniors-have-solution/964395001/

Source Direct and the United Inventors Association (UIA) – a great pair!

The world can be a scary place for inventors – scams around every corner, shady business deals, and a lack of knowledge on different steps of the inventing process. Due to the rising need of educational resources for inventors, different organizations were formed to help the everyday inventor. The UIA is definitely one of them.

From the UIA Website: 

The UIA is a Federally Registered Non-Profit Educational Foundation. Our commitment is to provide educational resources to the inventing community, while encouraging honest and ethical business practices within the industry service providers. If you are not a member of the UIA we invite you to join the thousands of other inventors who are. It’s Quick, It’s Simple…and It’s Free. 

Source Direct has been working with the UIA for years, and subsequently, helping many inventors who need it! Networking with reputable organizations is one way to make your dreams a reality, especially if you are an inventor. If you are interested in joining the UIA, click this link! Membership is free!

Do you have an idea for a product? Call us today – 888-373-3876, extension 212!

We offer free consultations! Don’t delay – call today!

 

 

 

Avoiding Suspicious Activity – Inventors, Be CAUTIOUS!

“There is no greater fraud than a promise not kept.” – Gaelic Proverb

Fraud is everywhere. Lies, deciet, scams – it’s all around us. Sometimes we may see an opportunity that is too good to be true, and more than likely, it typically is. Take a look at this infographic (courtesy of http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/internet-scam-hotspots-infographic/).

scams

Understand, though, that there are ways to make sure you aren’t being scammed. One of the main reason why scam artists get away with their tactics is because consumers don’t do enough research. Before you say yes to anything, no matter how big or small, know the benefits (or even the consequences). Property can be stolen right from under your nose if you aren’t careful.

That’s where inventing scams come in. Our founder of Source Direct, Ed Mauro, was a new inventor back in the late 80’s and witnessed every scam and setback you can think of. “Come to us and we’ll manufacture your product and have it on every shelf, in every store, in the entire USA!”, before they’ve seen the invention or concept! Some invention support/promotion organizations alike to us (Source Direct) may turn down ideas – not every single invention will be a winner in the eyes of the organization. Ask for a complimentary consultation with Source Direct to see if your product may be a fit!

Over 25 years has passed since his first invention, and now Ed has brought his expertise to all Source Direct clients to make sure that the development of their product is seamless and non-stressful.

A few red flags of shady Invention Production Companies could be:

  • Saying YES to your product idea before seeing a prototype.
  • Asking for a large sum of money up front without a promise of services.
  • Promising that the item will immediately become a success – it’s all based on the market, economic climate, supply/demand, and product quality and usefulness.
  • Not having any past successes.
  • Lacking a website or a phone number associated with the company.

What should you ask the Invention Production Company for?

  1. Client Testimonials/References (for applicable clients – some may have confidentiality agreements).
  2. Website/Phone Number/Email
  3. Signed contract or proposal, clearly stating the project outline and expectations.
  4. Mailing Address – to an actual location (a red flag could be a P.O. box).
  5. Marketing samples from previous inventions.

Here are a few scam prevention articles that have been published for the benefit of aspiring inventors:

  1. http://inventors.about.com/cs/avoidingscams/ht/Invention_Scams.htm
  2. http://www.ipwatchdog.com/inventing/avoiding-invention-scams/ 
  3. http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0184-invention-promotion-firms

The faulty and shady techniques of inventor support organizations inspired Ed to create Source Direct, a resource for inventors who are looking for support from concept to completion. Source Direct is a member of the UIA (United Inventors Association of America) and the Inventorz Network. Past successes, products, and our mission can be seen on TheSourceDirect.net.

Do you have an idea for a product? Call us today – 888-373-3876, extension 212!

We offer free consultations! Our experts would be happy to hear from you, and find out more about your product. Ask for Nathan!

A Q&A With Ed Mauro, Our Founder

We have recently joined the Inventorz Network, and our founder, Ed, was asked a few questions about Source Direct. Here’s a full transcript of the interview!

How long have you been part of the inventor world?

In 1987, I invented my first product, and it has been a whirlwind ever since. My goal was to create a product that solved a common problem in the golf world, and it has absolutely done that (and more!). With the invention of the Club Clean, we saw a market for more golf-cart centric products, so we ran with it! Club Clean is still selling strong after 25 years!

What Products have you invented and what was your success story.

After I invented the Club Clean, I came up with other products to go along with it, such as the Spike Swipe, Buggie Bags, Grip Coach, Gorilla Mats, and The Executive (motorized version of the Club Clean). Our loyal followers and customers loved these new additions, so I built my business around them! Club Clean now sells these items to brick/mortar and online retail stores all over the world. Our full line of Club Clean items can be seen on ClubClean.net.

Are you still inventing on your own? And is this how you keep things fresh? 

Inventors are always inventing! It’s a passion of mine – I’ve made it my life’s work! Currently, I have two major products in the works, that I have been developing over the past couple of years. These products will be to market next year, actually! With the development of our company, Source Direct, I have switched gears a bit to spend time and focus on helping other inventors get through the “concept to completion” of their product.

What is the infrastructure and process look like that makes your company unique?

Just like our products, we are very unique! Sometimes our clients laugh when we tell them this, but we can take their idea from a napkin all the way to warehousing and distribution. Inventors can come to us with an idea, no matter how small, and our team can help them develop from there. We offer constructive criticism from every angle: concepts/development/design/marketing/etc. Our truthful and professional approach to all products is one of the majorways that we stand out from our competition.

 Tell us a few of your successful inventor stories.

First and foremost, our methods proved to be effective with the creation of the Club Clean product back in 1987! We were able to build a very successful business then, and we are still doing the same thing to this day for inventors who entrust us with the task of developing and marketing their product. Over the years since the inception of Source Direct, we have seen 18 different products to a successful completion. Some notable products include Nancy Jane’s Stacking Planters, The Cord Warden, SOS Keyless Steel Doors, EZ Cure “No Think” Wedges, Aqua Vault, Soap Away, Beach Magnet, Time to Brush, and The Simple Organizer. A more detailed list of our items can be seen here:http://www.thesourcedirect.net/products.php