10,000 Brilliant Ideas

I saw in some DVD special feature that with each new film, Pixar tries to push the capabilities of computer animation. Here's the next one to push. Film dubbing in other languages has very high quality in terms of voices and acting, but the problem of lip-match perpetuates. "What can ya do?" we all say to this problem. Well, with computer animation it wouldn't be so hard to design a program that modifies the mouth and face of the character a bit to match certain vowel and consonant sounds. And while you're at it, why not replace the face and skin color of the character in certain situations to better match the audience? Obviously this wouldn't work everywhere, but how cool would that be to live in Mozambique and a brand new, top-of-the-line hollywood movie comes out, in portuguese, with mouths matching, and using Mozy-like characters?! Okay maybe the face thing would only work for like one movie as part of the gimmick. But the mouth thing could totally work.

My kids when very little, loved Baby Einstein. If you missed the release in theaters and it isn't yet out on Blu-ray in your area, I'll describe it to you.  A camera is locked down (ie doesn't move) looking at infinity space (that white space where you can't tell where walls or floor are). And into this space come or are put, toys and sciencey gadgets that are colorful and repeat. Each thingy is displayed for like a minute at a time (although it seems like 10 minutes), while Mozart plays in the background. The kids love it. (And I'll admit that I have literally watched the whole show with them several times. It's mesmerizing.) Some parents, such as myself, are totally sold on the idea that injecting the high-culture art of Mozart in the kids brains must have some benefit. But perhaps there lurks in the back of some parent's minds, that watching toys is stupid. Or at least can't have the same long-term benefit as Mozart. What are we new-age paren...

"Where nerds rule!" A theme park based on Newtonian physics. Why hasn't this been done before?! Imagine a theme park with roller coasters like the mobius (the ride with one side). Bumper cars on a track with different surfaces with different frictional properties. Launch rocket where you can see the hydraulics at work. A giant rocking-boat-style ride run on a Foucault pendulum . Games where you try and shoot a target that is dropped when you pull the trigger. Or games where you get 5 minutes to answer some heinous physics question. Every ride has 1 or more learning spots where you can learn about what's making the thing fun. And of course you can break a few records with the largest air cannon, or the furthest speak to each other via concave disk thingy. You are greeted upon entering the park by an enormous and elaborate Rube Goldberg-inspired perpetual motion fountain . Really the possibilities are endless. Here's why it would work: You have two types of ...

Fireworks are one of those sketchy areas where the only reason they're still allowed to exist is purely tradition and anything that departs from the norm is tragically unsafe because the whole thing is unsafe, even though the new idea might make it less unsafe. If you follow me. That said, this is a brand of fireworks that has an in-fuse and an out-fuse (color coded). The out-fuse is exactly the right length for the time it takes the firework to go off. Thus, when one finishes, it lights the next one. In this way you can daisy-chain several fireworks together and have a full show that you only have to light once. Could this be safer? Well, fewer lightings mean fewer chances of getting hit or burned. A controlled method of lighting multiple fireworks means fewer cobbled-together attempts that so often result in bottle rockets pointing non-upwards. And if you made the spark on the fuse very obvious, then people are unlikely to walk-up mid-show to see if the next one needs lightin...

Mr Klein, here's an easy one for you. Make a credit-card sized bottle of cologne. Slip it in a leather pouch with a pocket for a couple credit cards and a money clip on the other side. Dudes headed out a clubbin' will have everything they need right there.

This café is wired. There are cameras and microphones everywhere. What goes on inside is constantly broadcast in real-time on the café's website. There is a bold disclaimer on the front door telling everyone who enters that their conversation and image will be viewable by anyone accessing the site. It is open from 6am to 2am the next morning to maximize global viewing time, without becoming too seedy. It is located in New York or LA or maybe both. Another option: At the same time, monitors in the cafe show analytics in real time of how many people are on the website and where they are located. Maybe it even shows how many people are watching each camera and listening to each microphone. Perhaps people on-line could post chats and be active participants as well. Would no one want to go to a café where their privacy is completely nil? Would no one want to sit at their computer and watch people living instead of doing it themselves? Or do people have an inner desire to be seen, especi...

How have I not written about this? Okay, it's a roller coaster where you ride on the "top" of the track and then with a half twist you ride on the "bottom" of the same track. The track has a tongue and groove mechanism to make it possible to ride hanging or on top.

The sled, sledge, sleigh or whatever you call it is due for a revamping. Introducing the Slayboard (misspelled for coolness sakes). It better resembles a knee board then a sled, but the idea is to cruise down ski and snowboard style runs on your knees - pro style. Noting the past trends of this kind of sport equipment (bikes, scooters, etc.), it seems clear the time has come for the sled to see the spotlight and become the new extreme sport.

TV is overloaded with commercials all fighting for our attention. We're focused on restructuring the format, and possibly starting an entirely new direction in the way we view TV. The short commercials will grab the attention of the average viewer by simply the shock of something new. Pro: this would make air time 10 times cheaper. Con: If it caught on, the idea would most likely contribute to an increase of ADHD for the general public.

At risk of overloading your mind with rich media, this radio show comes on when a popular, but bad TV show is also on. The radio personalities then heckle the show in real time as it airs.

This is a new sport. Actually it's just dividing the sport of volleyball into hard-core bump-set-spike volleyball and fun-loving, see-how-many-times-you-can-actually-hit-it-over-the-net Bally Ball. Basically the net's so high you can't spike it. We could brainstorm some additions like hoops to hit it through quidditch-style or a point value that increases with the number of volleys.

Just a slight, but important adjustment to an old idea. There's a tradition during Christmas, where people can come and sing Handel's Messiah with a famous and great Choir. Up until now, you just sit in the congregation and sing with people that sing as bad as you while the choir sings on stage. Well, with my idea, you actually sit with the choir, inbetween people on key which makes you on key as well. You get to feel like your with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the songs actually sound good.

This is a coupon website where you can get great deals at restaurants and entertainment venues for mid-week dates, since most places can't fill up on a Wednesday. Of course Mondate.com through Thursdate.com are possibilities.

This roller coaster is a huge Mobia strip where the train car cruises on both sides (or all 1 sides) of the track. In it's simplest (ish) form, the experience resembles a skate board half-pipe where the train car shoots off form the bottom, up around a 180 degree bend, spin upside down, up around the outside of a 180 degree bend, then cruises upside down under the loading bay, then up around the outside of the first bend, then spins right side up, goes up and over the 2nd bend inside, like the first bend and then back to the loading bay. The track consists of a regular track with C shaped rails around the sides. The wheels of the train go in the slot in between the track and the C (not around the track). The wheels are flat and concave (every other one), and are slightly offset so as to contact the appropriate surface (ie the rail or C). The supports fasten to the outside of the C. Depending on the danger factor, the seats either are stationary and just cruise upside down or have s...