G-OIL is the first bio-based motor oil to pass all of the American Petroleum Institute (API) engine test criteria. Made from American-grown animal fats, the eco-friendly, biodegradable oil is comparable in price to synthetics without the harmful effects on the environment. In addition to reducing our dependence on foreign oil, the manufacturing process is more efficient. It takes only one barrel of animal fat to produce one barrel of G-OIL as opposed to the three barrels of crude that are required to produce one barrel of motor oil.

Over 585 million gallons of motor oil are sold in the U.S. each year. G-OIL is currently available in various weights for gasoline engines as well as 2-cycle, 4-cycle and bar-and-chain oil.

For more information: www.getg.com

Disposing of plastic bags is a serious problem being faced by countries around the world. Since they never decompose, some cities have even resorted to banning them from grocery stores and pharmacies in an effort to save local landfills. But now, a method has been developed that can convert the flimsy plastic sacks into recyclable batteries to power everything from cell phones to cars.It was discovered that when heated to a temperature of 700 degrees Celsius in the presence of a cobalt acetate catalyst, the plastic breaks down and the carbon in the plastic forms nanotubes on the cobalt particles. The nanotubes can then be used to produce lithium-ion batteries.

As an added bonus, the process costs less than traditional methods of producing nanotubes, and it works on other types of plastic, including water bottles and plastic cups. The same procedure can also be performed without the cobalt acetate to produce carbon spheres, which can be used in printer ink.

The developers have dubbed the process “upcycling” (as opposed to “recycling”) since the finished product has a higher value than the raw materials.

For more information: www.anl.gov

Next generation data storage technologies are currently in development that will exceed the capacity of today’s Blu-ray disks by twenty times. By optimizing the transmittance, absorption, and reflection of the recording medium, some manufacturers have succeeded in producing disks that are capable of writing up to 16 layers of data.In addition, the distance between the layers has been reduced from 25 microns (as in the dual-layer Blu-ray technology) to 7 microns. Of course, this means that the optical mechanism for focusing and aiming the laser must also be fine-tuned in order to read and write to multiple layers quickly and accurately.

The new disks will hold 500GB – enough to store up to 300 hours of digital television programming. A practical version is expected to be available within five years.

For more information: http://www.tdk.co.jp

If you look at the types of apps currently available in the app stores, you can see that most of the companies developing apps are focused more on the present than the future as they design their apps. The majority are creating simplistic and basic apps that don’t take into account a broader set of present and future needs and that certainly aren’t designed as enterprise level apps. In fact, if you look for business apps in iTunes, the largest app store, you’ll find numerous apps on such things as document scanning, creating to-do lists, and document sharing. Such apps are so common that some could argue they’re commodities. Standing out in the business world require you to be more than a commodity – you need to be a unique solutions provider. Tomorrow’s apps will do precisely that.

Realize that apps represent a major tectonic revolution in hardware and software. We went from servers, mainframes, and terminals to having our own desktops and PCs to having our own laptops.

By making Smart Phones a PC with user-selected apps, people can now have a powerful multimedia computer with them at all times. As result, people from all walks of life and every industry have the ability to do some amazing things they couldn’t do before. That’s a giant shift in thinking about phones and apps…and one your company needs to be a part of.

A new brain-machine interface has been developed that allows users to operate electronic devices (like a TV remote) using brain power alone. The system scans the brain with near-infrared radiation to measure tiny changes in blood flow that occur with mental activity. Optical fibers relay the signal to a remote control which can then be used to operate a television, air conditioner, or other electronic device.

The new system weighs just one kilogram (slightly over two pounds) compared with existing systems, which are the size of a refrigerator. As an aid for the physically disabled, it should be ready for commercial distribution in three to four years.

For more information: www.hitachi.com

A new spray-on coating is revolutionizing everything from medical implants to silk shirts, and could make cleaning products obsolete. It’s made from nearly pure silicon dioxide (SiO2) – the normal compound found in glass – that has been extracted from quartz sand. Depending on the application it is to be used for, the SiO2 is mixed with either ethanol or water. It can then be sprayed on virtually any surface to protect it from UV rays, water, dirt, heat, insects or bacteria.

Quantum forces hold the nano-scale glass particles to the surface, and the resulting coating is only 100 nanometers (15-30 molecules) thick. On this scale, the coating is also flexible and breathable so it can be used on fabrics and even plants with no adverse effects.

In the home, it can be sprayed on sinks, tiles and countertops to eliminate the need for scrubbing and strong cleaners. One application will last for up to a year.

For more information: www.nanopool.eu

While creating apps with a mass-market appeal is good (such as apps for organizing files or creating action lists), few companies are thinking about the evolution of apps and what the next generation of apps will be.So what exactly will tomorrow’s apps look like? The natural progression will be for apps to be enterprise level. In other words, there will need to be apps for purchasing, for logistics, for supply chain management, for lead generation, for patient care, etc. Tomorrow’s apps will be like having a virtual assistant by your side. These apps won’t just make you more productive with your work; they’ll actually do some of the work for you. For example, in the medical field, we’ll see apps for disease management, for patient records, and for remote diagnostics. The app will be more like an essential tool to perform a specific function rather than an ancillary item.

Aside from the app itself, the future of apps is also about where that app will be used. Currently, we think of apps as being only for Smart Phones. But part of the future is to have apps for the Smart Pads such as the new iPad.

Some Smart Phone apps are compatible with Smart Pads. But even those companies aren’t thinking big enough…both literally and figuratively. Since the Smart Pads have bigger screens and more processing power, why should they do the same thing as the phone app? Why not take advantage of that extra space and power and come up with a new class of apps that can do things the phone apps can’t? These are key questions companies must think about and address if they want to be serious players in the future app market.

But that’s just the beginning. The next evolution is apps for the Television. Today’s newer televisions are Internet enabled. (And, by the way, all our devices will be internet enabled one day.) That means the processor and the television browser are built into the TV set so you don’t have to plug a computer into your television; the TV is the computer.

This will make Internet Protocol Television, or IPTV really take off. It’s essentially TV over the internet versus on cable and satellite. In fact, many Millennials use IPTV to watch TV rather than cable or satellite. Knowing this, it’s only logical that we’ll also need television level apps. However, now you have even more visual real estate and broader bandwidth connection. Many new TVs are also 3D equipped, meaning that your apps could be 3D too. As you can see, in the app world, this is another game changer. Smart companies need to stay ahead of this evolution and create their apps accordingly.

Visionary Apps, LLC., creators of innovative smart phone, smart pad and smart TV tools that aim to improve people’s lives, recently announced the launch of their Complete Realty Suite. Released for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, the applications promise to revolutionize the way people conduct their home buying search, and the way real estate professionals connect with and assist potential homebuyers.Free to consumers, the suite includes three separate applications for download: Complete Foreclosures (with a built-in step-by-step Foreclosure Buying Guide), Complete Homes, and Complete Rentals. Compared to most web-based listings that offer only a few hundred thousand listings, these apps hold over 1.6 million listings per app in the United States. The apps sort by price, proximity, number of bathrooms, bedrooms, square footage and more. Each listing also features a picture or aerial view of the property and utilizes the GPS technology to instantly map the listing right from your device.

When users are ready to make a purchase, the software has the ability to connect them with a licensed real estate professional or foreclosure expert.

For more information: www.CompleteRealtySuite.com

No one can deny that the original telephone Alexander Graham Bell invented in 1876 has changed significantly. From a luxury item proudly displayed as the centerpiece of the home to something small, portable, and powerful that people keep within arm’s reach 24/7, the humble telephone has evolved into a mini personal computer capable of much more than traditional voice phone calls.Today, with the advent of various Smart Phones, such as the iPhone, Blackberry, and Droid, phones have gotten…well…smarter. People can now download apps (short for applications) directly to their phone to help them with a number of everyday tasks. Whether you want to check flight schedules, create a to-do list, convert currency, track your daily caloric intake, relax to soothing sounds, or do any number of business or personal things, chances are there’s an app for it.

As a result, businesses in every sector have been creating apps directly related to their core offerings. Some would even say that companies are “scrambling” to enter the apps market, believing that attracting additional customers and revenues is directly related to their app offerings.

Is creating apps a smart thing for businesses to do? Of course. Just as the phone has evolved, so has business. Having the ability to “touch” your customers when they’re not in your store or on your website is vital to stay competitive. However, as technology and Smart Phones continue to evolve (which we know without a doubt that they will), it only makes sense that the apps companies create would have to change too. And that’s exactly where many companies are missing the mark.

A coating made up of protein nanotubes could someday be used to make windows self-cleaning. The tiny structures are made up of peptides – simple molecules that are inexpensive and easy to produce. When placed in a vacuum under high temperatures, they self-assemble into “forests” of grass-like tubes that repel water and dust.As a coating for skyscraper windows, it would eliminate the need for cleaning, since rain would easily wash away any residual dirt without a trace. Solar panels would also benefit greatly from such a coating, as efficiency is reduced when they become dirty.

The “peptide forests” also have an unusually high energy density, which could be used to develop high-power rechargeable batteries for electric cars.

For information: www.tau.ac.il/index-eng.html

An innovative jet engine called Pure Power™ is due to appear in the Bombardier C-series jet starting in 2013. It features an advanced gear system that decouples the air fan and the compressor turbine, allowing them to turn at different speeds. The result is a smaller, lighter, more efficient engine that produces the same power, but uses 12 to 15 percent less fuel and produces 35 percent fewer carbon dioxide emissions.

In addition, the new design reduces noise by about 50 percent and is expected to require less maintenance. It will also be capable of operating on alternative fuels.

For information: www.pratt-whitney.com

A therapeutic system was recently FDA approved that could help the millions of Americans suffering from depression who are not helped by antidepressants. It uses a method called transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to stimulate the part of the brain that is thought to control mood.The non-invasive, non-systemic treatments are administered in a physician’s office. An electromagnetic headpiece, positioned just above the forehead, sends pulsed magnetic fields two to three centimeters into the prefrontal cortex of the brain. The pulses are similar in strength to those produced by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, and they act to stimulate the neurons to increase production of dopamine – a neurotransmitter that elevates mood.

The treatment protocol consists of daily sessions, about 40 minutes each, for four to six weeks. In clinical trials, symptoms were significantly reduced in about half of the subjects.

For information: www.neurostartms.com

Each year, an estimated two million hospital-acquired infections add billions of dollars to the cost of health care. Now, a new system that keeps track of who has (and has not) washed their hands could help stop the spread of many in-hospital infections.Called HyGreen, the device detects the presence of alcohol-based sanitizers on a clinician’s hands and sends a wireless signal to a badge worn on their pocket, indicating that their hands are clean. At the patient’s bedside, a monitor checks for the “all clean” signal and causes the badge to vibrate if it’s absent, reminding the wearer to wash up.

In a five-month field test, infection rates at one hospital dropped to zero.

For information: www.gohygreen.com

Most designs for interactive walls are power-hungry and expensive to produce. But a new type of electronic wallpaper offers an affordable (and attractive) way to activate and control a variety of electronic devices within a room.

The design begins with a thin layer of steel foil sandwiched between layers of paper. The paper is coated with acrylic paint that has been infused with particles of iron, making it magnetic. Designs are painted onto the surface using copper paint to form a conductive circuit. Inexpensive sensors, LEDs and even wireless components can then be added to perform a variety of functions – such as turning on a light or controlling the music system – simply by touching the wall.

For information: www.mit.edu

In my last blog I introduced you to the easy to use Complete Foreclosures app. A user simply clicks the “Nearby Foreclosures” link to see a map indicating nearby distressed homes. Click on a point of interest and the app shows the details of the listing, along with a photo of the property. The user can even click on a Smart Buying Guide, which explains how to buy the particular property, whether it’s an auction home, bank owned home, or short sale. There are even driving directions to the property. And if the user has particular parameters in mind, they can do a custom search based on square feet, number of bedrooms, etc.

Sounds great for the end user, but what about Visionary Apps? How are they making money with this great free service for people?

In addition to seeing the listing, the user can also be instantly connected to a real estate expert who understands foreclosures for more information and to help with the sale. Visionary Apps charges real estate agents a monthly fee to be listed as the expert in a particular zip code – with only one agent per zip code allowed. Once an agent secures a zip code, any home in that zip code has him or her listed as the foreclosure expert who can help. Most agents purchase multiple zip codes. When all the zip codes are sold, this one app can generate $1.1 million per month.

But it doesn’t stop there. Visionary Apps goes further by giving people the solution at the moment of need. In other words, the solution appears when the problem arises. For example, when you’re looking at a foreclosed home, you need an agent. The app gives you an agent. After that you’ll likely need a mortgage. Visionary Apps is selling zip codes to mortgage companies too. After that, you’ll need a moving company. They’re selling zip codes to moving companies…and to remodelers and to other services a person would need along the way. However, you won’t see any of these solutions in the app until you’re at that point of need. So for each service provider category, once all the zip codes are sold, that’s another $1.1 million per month per category.

Has Visionary Apps redefined real estate and apps at the same time? You bet.

Most companies create an app, put it out there, and then move on to creating another app. Visionary Apps is creating a brand. They’re not a business with an app; rather, the business is the app. This is a revolutionary way of looking at apps and the power of them.

So the point is that there are many ways to make money from apps, even if the app is free. The model Visionary Apps created is just one example. To create your own income-generating app, you simply have to find what’s right for your company. When you keep your focus on the future of where your industry, customers, and technology are going, the possibilities for game-changing apps…and your profits…are endless.

The quiet ride of an electric car was once considered a benefit. But now, there’s concern that “noiseless” vehicles could pose a risk to unsuspecting pedestrians. So developers have come up with a system known as Electronic Sound Synthesis (ESS) that processes data from the car’s electronic control unit (ECU) to generate a range of engine sounds depending on the speed and acceleration of the vehicle.

This is just the first in a line of active noise control technologies that are currently in development. An internal sound synthesis system is aimed at giving drivers the feel of a high-powered engine. And a noise cancellation system is set to enter production in 2010 that detects vibrations from the road and tires and sends an out-of-phase signal through the vehicle’s sound system to compensate for the noise.

For information: www.lotuscars.com

If you look at the many categories in the app stores, you’ll see that most of the companies developing apps have a narrow view of what apps can be used for. They’re currently creating simplistic and basic apps, such as foreign language translation, to do lists, airport gate information, currency conversion, etc. While these things are useful, their value is low and they’re easily duplicated and essentially commodities. Visionary Apps has seen the future, and it’s with enterprise level apps – apps that can help a profession or industry do more with less, work smarter, or get better.

The first three apps launched by Visionary Apps were real estate apps: Complete Foreclosures, Complete Homes, and Complete Rentals (www.completerealtysuite.com). The company is, in essence, leading a revolution in how people buy and sell real estate through apps on their smart phones.

To see the power of their apps, let’s look at one of their free apps: Complete Foreclosures.

Complete Foreclosures has over 1.6 million distressed properties in its database. And when a user opens the app, it is instantly updated with the newest information. Before this app, even real estate agents didn’t have access to all the foreclosed homes in the area, as MLS is limited in terms of foreclosure listings. Realize that there are many categories of foreclosed homes, and few of them make it into the MLS. Examples include bank owned homes, auction homes, and short sale homes, and the public has no way to access all these listings. Additionally, most people have no idea how to buy a distressed property.

Visionary Apps did some research and found that there are 120 million searches a month for foreclosed homes. Yet, there was no app for it. They also looked at the reality of the real estate market. In January 2010 over 315,000 homes went into foreclosure, which was up 10% from January 2009. So, on a national level, the problem is still growing.

The worst part about a foreclosed home, aside from the homeowner losing their home, is that when homes in an area begin going into foreclosure, the surrounding property values go down. That then forces more people into foreclosure, which makes property values go down even more. It creates a negative spiral. Visionary Apps decided that the only solution was to get those homes sold and flushed out of the system, so they created an app that helps people find distressed properties for sale and then shows them how to buy them.

For over one million people in the U.S. who are visually impaired, the Smart Cane will improve their ability to get around safely and independently. It uses an embedded ultrasonic sensor to detect obstacles, and then it sends a signal to a miniature navigation system that is worn over the shoulder to provide audible voice alerts. Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags located on flags sticking out of the ground also enable the device to provide navigational cues for the user. Eventually city sidewalks will have RFID tags embedded in them.

To assist hearing-impaired individuals, the system has also been fitted with a glove that uses vibrating sensors in different fingers to indicate an alert or provide direction.

For information: www.cmich.edu

No one can deny that apps for smart phones are revolutionizing the way people not only use their phones, but also how they function in daily life. From apps to help you relax to those that simplify to-do lists or teach you a new skill, there’s an abundance of apps in virtually every category imaginable. In the iTunes store alone there are over 125,000 apps, and over one and one-half billion downloads have taken place.

For the companies that create and market the apps, making money from them is obviously a goal. In the past, companies made money from apps by either charging for them, placing a pop up ad in the app, or by giving the app away with the hopes the user would buy some other related product or service. But that was yesterday, and the future is already starting to look very different. In fact, companies that still rely on those methods for income from their apps don’t realize the true income potential of apps or how they can transform the business landscape.

One company, Visionary Apps, has embraced the future of apps and how to make money from them. In fact, they were making money on their first release of apps before they were even available for download. Three weeks after the official launch, one of their apps was the 17th most downloaded app and was rated #6 in business apps. And even though all three of the company’s initial apps are free to the end user, each has the potential to earn millions of dollars each year. In essence, Visionary Apps has successfully redefined how companies can earn money from their apps.

Look at every product and service you have and ask, “Why is this item a commodity?” Then ask, “What can we do to make it different?” For example, look at the features and functions of your products, how things are housed, how convenient the product or service is, what the customer experience is like, how something is processed or made, etc.

With the bottled water example, could you change the bottle, filter the water more, or add flavors or vitamins to it? If you sell coffee, could you enhance the customer’s experience or change a familiar product into something unique? For example, Starbucks moved meeting for a cup of coffee from the local diner to a relaxing coffee shop. Then they took good old-fashioned coffee and transformed it into tasty coffee drinks that even non-coffee drinkers would love. Between flavoring hot coffee and blending iced coffee, they made drinking coffee an experience rather than a commodity you buy at the grocery store.

The key to really understanding and embracing this concept is to realize that every product and service can be de-commoditized. Yes, it takes some creativity, thinking, and trend watching. But the biggest thing it takes is for you to get rid of your assumption that something can’t be de-commoditized. Most of us have learned to live with commodity items. So maybe tissues are tissues, but chances are the ones you buy and pay more money for are softer, or they have aloe, or they have anti-virus ingredients, or they come in a designer box. The possibilities for changes exist for everything.

As you de-commoditize your items, remember that if you de-commoditize once and sit back, that de-commoditized item will soon become a commodity. So do continuous de-commoditization. Not only will you raise the bar based on trends, but you’ll also find yourself with good margins and a growing business.