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December 2, 2008 8:24:20 AM CST

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5 Stories

Pentagon Inventing Group Hits 50, Looks to Next Strides

Freewheeling DARPA helped create the Internet

Washington Post Washington Post Apr 8, 08 7:15 PM CDT
(Newser) - A small Defense Department agency credited with inventing the Internet and rockets that sent men to the moon is turning 50, the Washington Post reports, and is fine-tuning its next innovations. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's work spans biology, satellites and aircraft; it has no permanent labs and its staff has been called “100 geniuses connected by a travel agent.” More »

More about:  Defense Department • moon • DARPA • inventions • Sputnik • rockets

Germaphobes Get a Handle
on Bathrooms

Inventors help the wary leave the loo without touching doorknobs

Wall Street Journal Wall Street Journal Feb 15, 08 2:40 PM CST
(Newser) - For germaphobes, few sights elicit as much terror as doorknob in a public bathroom. Sure, you washed your hands, “but then someone else didn’t wash their hands and you have to touch the same door handle,” explains the inventor of the SanitGrip, an L-shaped, elbow-operated handle that helps just-cleaned hands stay that way. And he's not the only one grabbing the hygienic opportunity, the Wall Street Journal notes. More »

More about:  bacteria • toilet • bathroom • restrooms • inventions • bathroom hygiene

How 'Bout
Them Rotten Apples?

Before era of iPod
and iPhone, company had some stinkers

Wired Wired Jan 24, 08 8:59 PM CST
(Newser) - Apple has been around for almost a quarter of a century, but not all of its products were as ingenious as the iPod. Wired highlights the company's biggest flops. The MessagePad (AKA The Newton): Fashioned to revolutionize personal computing, this PDA was too far ahead of its time for consumers. Apple Pippin: Apple's only foray into the world of video game systems got buried by Nintendo, Sega, and Sony. More »

More about:  list • Apple • Macintosh • consumer goods • inventions • product design

Time Names iPhone Year's Best Invention

Design, system, revolutionary service deal shoot gadget to top

Time Time Nov 2, 07 10:00 AM CDT
(Newser) - Time magazine is naming the iPhone its invention of the year. Why? It demonstrates that good design is as important as good technology. Its touchscreen creates a whole new kind of user interface. Other companies will seek the freedoms that AT&T granted Apple in designing the iPhone, which will result in better phones all around. More »

More about:  Apple • iPhone • technology • Steve Jobs • gadget • inventions

Dads Move in
on Baby Market

As fathers get more hands-on, baby gear is getting less female

New York Times New York Times Aug 16, 07 8:26 PM CDT
(Newser) - As fathers continue to take a more active role in raising their children, the market for baby gear has become less mom-centric, the New York Times reports. And it's not all fishing vests with hidden diaper changing pads. Recent dad-born inventions include computerized baby timers and a nipple adapter that fits on water bottles. More »

More about:  children • marketing • parents • father • gender roles • raising children • baby bottle • inventions

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