Just in time for the summer bug season comes this news about a patch you may one day wear to shield your identity – from mosquitoes! The Kite Patch was developed by Olfactor Laboratories, and works like DEET — blocking mosquitoes’ carbon dioxide receptors. Researchers say the chemicals used are so safe they are considered “food grade flavors” by the Food and Drug Administration.
Mosquito defense may have a new secret weapon.It looks like a nicotine patch, but the little diamond-shaped Kite Patch is laced with a very special sauce that its developers claim can protect whomever wears it from mosquito bites for up to 48 hours.
For many, mosquitoes are merely annoying, but in many parts of the world they spread malaria, a deadly disease that is far more dangerous than many health authorities had previously guessed.
The average mosquito has long-range sensors that can sense the carbon dioxide humans emit through their breath from up to a half-mile away. The mosquito’s sensing organ, the maxillary palp, contains a neuron called the cpA neuron that pings the mosquito’s brain when it senses CO2.
The active ingredient and most effective commercially available mosquito repellent is DEET, which works by confusing these
Via Olfactor Laboratory
sensors. But some research suggests it can be toxic, especially to children. It is also a bit too expensive for everyday use, especially in the poorer countries stricken with mosquito-borne diseases. Oh yeah, and it melts plastic. Yikes.
Reality television has been around for awhile, but thanks to technology and a strategic partnership viewers will soon get to be a part of television history. The first interactive cartoon series is set to be launched in the U.S. in the next few months through production company RDF. RDF is the company behind shows like…
The International Vision Expo kicked off today in New York City, focusing on the most innovative eyewear technology of this year. I’m among the nearly 150 million adults who wear glasses, and 50 million Americans carry multiple pairs – perhaps for reading, working, driving, or just watching TV. But soon you’ll need just one pair.Today…
Reuters has released its Reuters Top 100 list of most innovative universities in the world. Based on academic papers and patent filings, and compiled by the Intellectual Property & Science business of Thomson Reuters, you may be pleasantly surprised by some on the list. Not surprisingly is the leader of the Top 100: Stanford University,…
Perkins contributed an excerpt titled, “Future of Innovation… Personal Passion and Strategic Collaboration” in The Future of Innovation, edited by Bettina von Stamm and Anna Trifilova. Read her contribution here.
Have you ever stopped to think your next breakthrough product may be right under your nose? Or that ‘local’ could go very global with the right development support and customer-needs tailoring? As a proud resident of Appleton, Wisconsin, I recently took a look at the surprisingly rich history of invention and innovation in my hometown…
Can Web surfing unite with channel surfing on televisions? Google thinks so, and it is partnering with Sony, Intel and Logitech to explore what it calls a “smart” TV. Imagine speaking into a remote and seeing your page or show pop up onto your screen! The vision is to turn televisions into computer monitors for…
