Introducing Transcend, Recon Instruments' collaboration with Colorado’s Zeal Optics. Transcend is the world's first GPS-enabled goggles with a head-mounted display system.

Minimum interaction is required during use, sleek graphics and smart optics are completely unobtrusive for front and peripheral vision making it the ultimate solution for use in fast-paced environments.

Transcend provides real-time feedback including speed, latitude/longitude, altitude, vertical distance travelled, total distance travelled, chrono/stopwatch mode, a run-counter, temperature and time. It is also the only pair of goggles in the world that boasts GPS capabilities, USB charging and data transfer, and free post-processing software all with a user-friendly, addictive interface.

Just like the dashboard of a sports car or the instruments of a fighter jet, Transcend's display provides performance-enhancing data, but only when you choose to view it. Safe, smart, fun...all wrapped up in the hottest goggle frame of 2010/11.

http://www.reconinstruments.com/

The GoldCorp Challenge (march 2000)

The story of a daring CEO who was seing its mining company underperforming and going down.

http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/feb2007/id20070201_774736.htm

Goldcorp is Toronto based mining firm with a 50 year-old mine in Red Lake Ontario. In 1999 CEO Rob McEwen instructed his geologists to release all geological records to the public.
The “Goldcorp Challenge” offered $575k to anyone who could find the gold and drew 1,200 people from 50 countries.
Results:
- 110 sites identified 50% new, 80% produced gold.
- 8 million ounces found.
- Company value up from $100 million to $9 billion.

The Spray that works in any way !

One of the golden rules to come up with breakthrough innovations is to be a response to a dissatisfaction.

What about the dissatisfaction of the spray you can only use in the vertical position, of the dissatisfaction of striving to use the end of it ?!

This is a little dissatisfaction to which Michael Pritchard has an answer. It's the AnywaySpray which can be used...in any way of course.

Hot does it work ? It's thanks to a tube, which has millions of holes, and where the laws of physics work in the pump’s favour. As long as any part of the tube is in contact with the liquid, and whichever way the container is inverted, a constant spray will be maintained until the very last drop.

Here is a video of Michael presenting its Spray

Open Innovation

Open Innovation is a neologism created in 2003, which aimed at defining a new trend in innovation: it no longer has to come 100% from within, and the combination of inside and outside knowledge and resources is often beneficial.
Co-catalyst is one of the more & more numerous "Innovation brokers": as e-bay connects buyers to sellers, the innovation brokers connect a company with a need for a new technology - or at least with one identified problem, to a company working on the solution. Innovation brokers go further than e-bay: they offer consulting, licensing and monitoring services to their clients.

An interesting article was published in February 2010 on Co-catalyst blog, concerning Open Innovation anhow to make the most of it - or how not to make mistakes!

For many years innovative organisations have been trying to resolve the conundrum of how to get to bigger impact innovation more quickly and with less investment. In answer to this, the practice of Open Innovation is increasingly being adopted as the normal mode of operation for leading innovative companies. Open Innovation, applied correctly, offers the opportunity to access leading capabilities from around the world, exploiting complementary technologies and partnerships to short-cut the need for expensive internal activity and to realise innovation strategies faster. Some companies have adapted to this new way of working quickly and relatively painlessly but many organisations have had teething problems, to say the least. We have identified 10 common mistakes which can stop organisations from benefiting from the Open Innovation way of working.
1. Engaging externally without a clear innovation strategy
2. Poor definition of the requirement or need
3. Failing to get sufficient internal business or brand team engagement
4. Not having a clear, aligned internal view about how to handle IP
5. Ruling out radical or unexpected options too quickly
6. Lack of variety in Open Innovation approach
7. Not understanding the attitude as well as capabilities of potential partners
8. Not respecting the needs of potential partners
9. Looking at potential partners in isolation
10. Last but not least…failure to build trust

Go check full post on the website: http://www.cocatalyst.com/blog/index.php/2009/02/27/10-common-open-innovation-mistakes/