Portable Outdoor Workspace

In the early days of spring, when the weather first changes from cold to warm, from dreary to cheery, most people start wanting to spend more of their time outside. It doesn’t take long for people to start devising ways to do just that. I remember plenty of times in school when the weather would be absolutely beautiful and there was always someone who would ask the teacher “Can we have class outside today?” Of course the answer is almost invariably “no.” Apparently having class outdoors was not seen as conducive to learning.

The idea never really goes away. I remember times in my office when I would look out the window and wish I could be working outside. And now that I no longer have an office I have much more flexibility with how and where I work.

Wireless internet access and laptop computers have made workplace portability incredibly easy in recent years. People can take their computer to a café or bar to do work, write papers, or surf the net. Unfortunately, it is still difficult to accomplish much while working outside.

Between the glare of the sun and the possibility of wind, it can be very difficult to actually have a productive outdoor office experience. It can be very difficult to see a laptop screen in the sun. And if your work involves papers of any kind, one gust of wind can blow your plans for the day. A tent or umbrella may prevent the glare from the sun, but it also prevents the worker from getting any sun. A heavy objects laid on top of your papers may prevent wind from destroying or scattering your work, but who wants to carry around heavy objects?

To make working outdoors more enjoyable, someone should invent a portable office kit. I picture the kit looking similar to a briefcase that workers could easily carry around and look professional. The kit should have a place to store a laptop of course, but it should also have handy solutions to the wind and sun scenarios I presented above. (The sun problem is a particular nuisance and whatever handy solution someone comes up with for that could be a thing that should exist in its own right.) Those are the mandatory things that should be included in the kit, but I’m sure there are other handy items that could be included.

Do you know someone who would like this? Are there any other working outdoors issues I haven’t mentioned? What else would you include in this kit? Does something like this already exist that you know of?

Personalized Serial

What happens when you spend years invested in a TV serial and then over time it changes? This happens all the time with any show that has been on the air for a while. Actors may decide to leave the show; characters may be added. Over time, the show begins to look very different, often becoming a much less watchable version of itself.

Maybe you quit watching the show. Or maybe you keep watching for the few storylines or characters in which you are still interested. I’m sure there are plenty of times when people may start watching a new show and automatically have only one character or storyline that appeals to them.

Currently, the only thing that exists to deal with this is the fast-forward button on your DVR remote. Something that should exist is a system where viewers can further customize their TV watching experience. There should be some device or system that can digitally record only the scenes related to the storylines or characters we really care about. Such a device would allow viewers to cut down on how much time they spend watching TV while increasing the amount of time they actually enjoy watching TV. In addition, it might be able to somehow communicate with the networks or producers to let them know which storylines and characters appeal most to viewers.

Personalization is a huge trend right now online (seriously, google it). And it'sspilling over into many other realms. Why shouldn't TV be one of them? Surely advertisers could use this technology somehow too.

What shows would you like to personalize? Are there any shows that already get the fast-forward treatment from you? Is there any other thing that exists already that addresses this issue?



*Thanks Rachel Quinley for this inspiration*

An Airline With Something Extra

In the early days of air transportation, people use to get dressed up to fly. It was considered a luxurious experience and passengers dressed accordingly. Ever since that time, flying has become more accessible to more people. It is now an accepted and expected form of travel, just the natural way to get from one place to another. It’s cheap and easy (not as easy as it was before 9/11 of course, but probably cheaper).

As air travel became more commonplace, passengers gradually lost the sense that they needed to dress luxuriously. People no longer felt that flying was only for the sophisticated elite. Suddenly everyone, from business travelers to casual tourists, is flying when they need to get someplace…and they’re often bringing their kids with them.

The idea for this entry came from one of my friends who had recently been seated on a plane next to a coughing child. Children are often hard to deal with on an airplane; they cry and scream and cough and sneeze. It really is overwhelming and hard to accept. And even harder to sit next to for any serious amount of time. So my friend told me that something that should exist is an adults-only airline.

Pretty soon after hearing that idea, I also heard that there is some specific reason why such a thing does not exist. It might have been something to do with discrimination. Regardless, I don’t want to dwell too much on the idea of preventing anyone from flying. I believe air travel should be open to anyone. There should not be arbitrary limits to who may and may not take advantage of this privilege. However, the idea did get me to start thinking about something very closely related to this.

Because flying has become more and more accessible to greater numbers of people, airlines have been forced to compete for business. Of course competition is an idea as old as capitalism and it’s an important part of business. The drawback is that most travelers have become price-buyers, only really interested in finding the lowest fares for their air travel. Airlines combat this with incentive programs that reward regular passengers for their loyalty. These programs are nice but as an admitted price buyer, I know that those loyalty programs don’t really work on me. Rather than remaining loyal to one airline because of the program, I simply join many programs and make sure I appropriately apply for mileage credit from the airline that offered me the cheapest fare.

So the thing that really should exist here is a quality experience. There needs to be an airline that offers something better than a low fare. Many may try to advertise excellent service or more leg-room, but what they need to do is offer something truly unique, something that will be remembered as being a unique part of that airline. Sure, that could include certain flights on which children are forbidden. Maybe it could be a flight on which people must dress nicely instead of in comfortable, pajama-like clothing. Maybe there are themes that could be explored, or exciting giveaways that could take place mid-flight. Surely none of these ideas would resonate with every passenger, but if an airline could come up with just the perfect experience for their passengers, it would put them ahead of the competition. As long as the price is not much more expensive, I believe people would even be willing to pay slightly more for an airline that will provide them with an enjoyable experience.

To be quite honest, all it would take for me is free wine or beer. I remember only two specific airlines that offered complimentary wine or beer on the flight. They were both regional airlines, but if I ever fly to those regions again I will definitely try to use those airlines. Are you a price-buyer? What would get you to pay a little more for an airline? Have you had any airline experiences that would keep you coming back to that airline?


"There's nothing cheap about loyalty." - Up In the Air

Returning Soon...

Sorry it has been a while since I have posted any new things that should exist. I took a little bit a hiatus in February for the 2010 Winter Olympic games. Now that all the February excitement is subsiding I'm catching up in a lot of areas of my life. This blog is no exception, so I will be returning soon with some new ideas. I have even had some people submit to me their own ideas of things that should exist and they should be showing up soon.

Reading While Walking

Maybe I have reading on the brain recently. Or maybe we can just call this a follow up to my last post. Either way, I have something else that I think should exist when it comes to books.

Last spring I worked at a temporary job where I was given frequent short breaks. At that same time I was really engaged in reading a particular book. On my breaks, I would take my book outside and read while walking around the parking lot. This was an opportunity for me to take advantage of the nice weather and get a little bit of exercise, which kept me from falling asleep when I got back to work.

That never seemed difficult or out of the ordinary to me, but I did have several people tell me that they had trouble reading while walking. Since this never seemed to me like something that might be difficult, I don’t know if the problem is an inability to concentrate, a fear of running into things, or something else.

No matter what the difficulty is, I think there should be something that helps people to read while walking. While it may not be the most thorough or intense form of exercise, it is at least something, and for many it may be the only exercise they get. Many people (like me) need some sort of distraction in order to exercise without getting bored or frustrated. My most impatient moments are the ones when I’m looking at the timer on the treadmill. So why should anyone have to choose between exercise and reading?

I’m picturing some sort of device with mirrors similar to rear view or side view mirrors on a car. Maybe someone else has another idea for what this might look like. Maybe there would need to be some research done to determine exactly what makes it so difficult to read and walk at the same time.

Once someone comes up with a solution to this issue, I think it should be available in Sky Mall magazine. This definitely sounds like a Sky Mall product.

Does anyone know what makes walking and reading difficult? Is there already a product/device that addresses this?

Something Needs to Hold My Book Open

I love books. I like reading, but books themselves are really important to me.

Many people are switching away from the traditional book format in favor of electronic book formats like the Amazon Kindle or Apple’s soon-to-be-released (and curiously-named) iPad.

With all of the technophiles out there, it’s pretty easy to forget that there is still a significant portion of the population who resist technology. Technophobes are listed as one of the microtrends in Mark Penn’s 2007 book Microtrends, meaning they represent a significant group of people with unique needs that must be addressed.

I wanted to make the above point because my idea for today’s post deals with books as they are used in their traditional format. Because I want to be presenting ideas that can be considered relevant, I felt I needed to illustrate that. In addition, I reserve the right to make this point again in future posts.

While I don’t consider myself a technophobe, I do have a deep appreciation and respect for the written word in it’s printed (non-electronic) form. During the approximately six hours per week that I spend on a treadmill, I like to bring a book along to read. This helps me pass the time. I have gotten pretty good at reading while walking, but the only way I can do that is to hold the book in my hands. If I set the book on the little ledge thing that is attached on the front of the treadmill, the book closes.

Each make and model of treadmill seems to have a slightly different version of that ledge, but I have never seen one that will allow me to keep my book from closing on me. Also, there are other times when I need my book to be held open without using my hands. For example, when I’m lying by the pool and I want to expose a certain part of my arms to the sunlight, I cannot hold a book.

Someone needs to invent something that will hold books open when they are not being held. I have seen so many homemade versions of such a thing; the homemade versions involve anything from a complicated system of paper clips and rubber bands to simply a shoe laid on top of a the book. Though the idea is inspired by my workout needs, I really want to see something that is more useful that can be used in any situation. If someone could invent something simple to keep my book from closing on me when I want to read, that person could market it to anyone who prefers to read books in their traditional form, librophiles and technophobes alike.

Does anyone know of something that already does this? Am I the only person left who prefers traditional books?

Thick Ply TP

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. It’s just so obvious it someone should have come up with it years ago. Instead of multi-ply toilet paper, someone needs to create toilet paper that is just one ply, but thicker.

Thick ply toilet paper (TPTP) would improve the function of normal toilet paper. With multi-ply TP, the plies often fall apart, making usage difficult. In addition, one thicker ply would probably be more absorbent, and therefore available for a wider range of uses.

In addition, TPTP would do wonders for the environment. Environmentalists often recommend using only one ply toilet paper, but I think we all know why that really is not very practical. Using less toilet paper would help save trees, but normal one ply toilet paper just won’t work. So I’ve come up with the compromise plan, which it so use thick ply toilet paper. One. Thicker. Ply...Perfect.

When you only have one ply, wouldn’t you prefer for that ply to be as thick as it can be?

Now I’m not a paper expert, toilet or otherwise, but I just can’t think of a reason why no has thought of this yet. Someone who could develop this and market it to environmentalists and toilet paper users everywhere would be very successful.




Does this product exist? Can you think of a reason why it shouldn’t? Leave a comment.