Free To Explore

So Professor Worthington has now set us free to choose a topic of our choosing. There are definitely pros and cons to this. I liked being a given a topic to write about, because I didn't have to take time to decide on a topic of innovation. However, now that I have to find a topic to write about I am realizing how many great innovative products there are. Innovation is every where you look. Then again, innovation has a very imprecise definition. According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, innovation is "a new method, idea, product, etc."  On my quest for a topic, I couldn't narrow it down to just one thing. Therefore, I am going to write briefly about several innovations that I came across while web-surfing.

In a matter of minutes after searching for "innovative products" thousands of websites came up. Of course I only selected a few of links displayed on the first page. Here is a couple that came up:

2012 Good Housekeeping VIP (Very Innovative Products) Awards
My favorite of the ten products listed was the Nest Learning Thermostat. Basically this is a thermostat that programs itself by tracking your use of electricity and adjusts the heat and AC accordingly. You can modify temps and timing with your smartphone, tablet, or Web browser. It even retrieves weather reports via Wi-Fi for the most efficiency. At only $250 think about the savings in energy and the convenience. (You won't have to get up in the middle of the night to turn up the thermostat.)

10 Innovative Products Working without Electricity
While not all of these products seemed all that useful, there were some really cool ones! I particularly found the PocketShower intriguing. With this product you can take a shower in the middle of nowhere. This product can be filled with up to ten liters of water for a seven minute shower, and then the PocketShower can be folded up in a package smaller than your fist.

As if these two sites hadn't provided me with enough ideas, I continued to venture on in the search for more innovative products. The next topic that came to my mind was innovations in food products and anything related to food because I absolutely love cooking. (If I had a bit more talent, perhaps I would be a culinary chef.) Here's two that came up regarding food:

New Food Products 2013: Top 10 Most Innovative Products For 2013 Named By Grocery Innovations Canada
Because I haven't actually tried any of these products I don't really understand the innovation of the products listed. I did find it interesting that they included Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix. I have had cakes made from cake mixes in the past; this one must be extra special as it is on this list. I think this is a good excuse to bake a cake and eat it too. After all, the products on this list were evaluated based on three criteria: most unique, most buzzworthy and best consumer response. There most be something innovative about this cake mix, just like there is something innovative about Buitoni Pizza.

The 8 Biggest Kitchen Innovations of the Last Decade
I'm a sucker for anything related to the kitchen. These kitchen innovations are truly awesome. I think I want them all. How could you not like the idea of fresh local produce and meat be delivered to your doorstep within 24 hours of ordering online? Although, FreshDirect is only for those who live in New York City. Technology is constantly being integrated in our daily lives. Epicurious is a free app for the iPhone that could help you on your next grocery trip. You can easily browse over 25,000 recipes, save ones you like, and compile a shopping trip of all the ingredients you need.

So that was my adventure on the internet tonight. The internet in itself is an innovation (I'll save that one for another day). It is great having so much information at my fingertips in a matter of seconds. Tonight I read about almost forty innovative products thanks to the information available. I just couldn't choose one to write about, so I chose to share a few with you. Take a few moments to think about all the products you use in your daily life. Think about why they are innovative and what thought had to go in creating them. Innovation is all around us.