Vending machine for shoes?

I shared this link with a few people in class yesterday, but I thought the rest of the class (especially the women) would find this to be very innovative. Will the company make billions of dollars? Probably not. They do, however, get an A+ for creativity.

Article from NyDailyNews.com:
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/fashion/2009/08/25/2009-08-25_rollasoles__flat_shoes_sold_in_vending_machines__offer_relief_to_stilettoclad_cl.html

Company website:
http://www.rollasole.com/

The demise of DVDs and Blu-ray is near

Here is an interesting progression of articles following Blockbuster's purchase and use of online movie delivery direct to our TVs. DVDs and Blu-ray movies will soon be obsolete. Blockbuster might also be positioning itself to gain some ground as it has trailed rival Netflix almost since Netflix' inception.

Article 1: Blockbuster purchases Movielink. Notice Blockbuster's use of strategic allies much like how JVC used them to beat out Sony with the VHS format.
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2007/08/although-its-no/#previouspost

Article 2: Blockbuster introduces a beta version on Movielink.
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2008/07/blockbuster/#previouspost

Article 3: Blockbusters puts Movielink to use with it's set-top box. Compares product to Netflix box.
http://arstechnica.com/old/content/2008/11/blockbuster-releases-set-top-box-with-a-la-carte-rentals.ars

Here is the link to Blockbuster's download site:
http://www.blockbuster.com/download/rentDownload

Olympic Innovation

This afternoon's discussion on running shoe technology caught my attention, so I went hunting on the internet to find new technologies in shoe design. I am an Olympic games fanatic, and I am always curious to see new athletic equipment/apparel created specifically for Olympic athletes and then watch those technologies trickle down into the market for the public.

Remember the record-breaking Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson and his patent golden Nike spikes (see picture on the left)? Well, his famous "lighter than a feather" shoes would now be considered heavy and cumbersome. Below is a link to an article I read on fastcompany.com about high-tech gear developed for the 2008 Olympic Games. The article talks about Nike's new shoe technology, called Flywire, and how it came to fruition from concept to research to testing and finally, to use in the Games. It was developed in Nike's "Innovation Kitchen" on their campus in Oregon and the technology was inspired by suspension bridge design - a great example of cross-industry innovation. Read at least through the section where the author describes the "kitchen" where Nike's product innovation occurs. It echoes what we've discussed in class about companies staying innovative. The rest of the article is very interesting ("track runners never turn right so shoes are designed asymmetrically...like a Nascar stock car") and touches on how other companies like Adidas and Speedo have contributed to the advancement of sports technology.

Here is the link to the article. Enjoy.

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/127/innovation-of-olympic-proportions.html?page=0%2C0

Also, here is a short video about Flywire technology. It has several interviews with Nike's design team. Really cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14r7fvm1P5M&feature=related

Dinner at elBulli

This is about my trip to El Bulli last year... Ha! Just kidding! I just thought this was cool/helpful for some context about El Bulli and I wanted to share it with you all. Some of you may have seen this already- its a comic book style version of this one guy's trip that I found via the magic of Google. You can see some of the food they serve and the restaurant and grounds, etc.

Enjoy!