August 2007 Archives
Oh yeah... On Monday I received a letter from the USPTO, giving me a receipt of my provisional patent application on my invention. It's valid for a year, so within this timeframe (from August 24,2007 to August 24,2008), I have to a)file for the actual patent, b)establish manufacturers and distributors, and c)market the thing.
Also as of August 24th, I can now file for an international patent, which will be protected as of that date. It's all slowly coming together. What's my invention, you ask? Well, ask and you shall receive! The patent, in a nutshell, covers an 'attachable, adjustable pour spout', fixable to pots and pans and irregular containers, via magnetic force or suction. The spout allows liquid to flow from the larger pot or pan, into a small vessel, without spilling on to a table or surface (try pouring from a pot into any container, and see if you can avoid spilling anything on a table!). An example of prior art is here. As you can see, the spout is within the bowl already. My invention allows you to use any pot or bowl of any size, and do the same thing. In addition, it also allows the straining of materials from the liquid in the larger bowl. It's a strainable, open-topped, magnetic or suction funnel.
Like any invention, this one relies on the general public's acceptance. Would you use this item? How much would you pay for something like this? Feedback is most important, so please, give me your honest thoughts. I'm hoping to put up a .PDF of the PPA (provisional patent application) soon, so you can actually see the product for yourself.
Lisa forwarded an interesting article from The GristMill. Check it out here! It's actually a rehash of a Popular Science article about building your own wind and solar power.
So you want some do-it-yourself climate solutions. Popular Science is the place to go.The magazine details how, for $300, you can build a vertical wind turbine (pictured below) for your home in about three days. It will generate 50 kilowatt-hours per month, which might be about 10 percent of your electricity use, depending on the size of your house and how efficient you are. You can also download plans at windstuffnow.
Over the weekend I had a chance to jump into a helicopter with a coworker. She's learning to pilot the Robinson R44, a four seater. She originally learned on an R22. After around 140 hours, we went up into the air with her and her instructor. Check out the rest of the great pics on our Flickr page!
Many of you know that I'm interested in taking helicopter lessons, but at this point there are significant hurdles to jump. In time I hope to get a license, but the price is very steep. She had to take out a student loan to learn to fly, and it's usually only worth it if you plan on making a living flying. The best way to learn to fly is by going into the military, as they will be able to train you with their machines.
This blog has been in this form for quite some time now, and I have a feeling that I'll be upgrading it right after the movie I'm working on wraps up. SixApart has upgraded MovableType to version 4.0, and I'll be installing that shortly. In addition, I'm going to be revamping the site to make it a bit prettier and more userfriendly, with the help of Lisa's graphic arts skils! Email whitelisting and subscribing to actual comments will hopefully promote discussion among friends and family. Keep visiting! :)
Concerned about global warming? Might you be adopting lifestyle changes in and around your home to meaningfully reduce your carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions by replacing incandescent lamps, planting trees, reducing car usage, etc.? If so, do you realize that you are being taken for a ride?
well its Bounhengs 39th birthday (again) ..august 6th..right?? hehe
"Happy Birthday MOM"!
Well, well! Hello folks! I hope everything is going well in your corner of the world! Lisa and I are doing well, here in Santa Monica. Not much is going on, the weather is pretty nice, not extremely hot. I'm currently working on a film called The Dark is Rising. It's a PG film, based on a book, and it's something to pass the time before I jump onto the bigger shows of The Golden Compass, Mummy3 and SpeedRacer. It's possibly I might get a chance to work on The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons as well! It's going to be a full year, starting now!
I've been commuting to work on my motorcycle for the past month or so.. It's quite invigorating, and much more challenging. I've definitely got to keep my wits about me. I enjoy driving, so it's a extension of this. My motorcycle, for those that don't know, is a Suzuki GS500e, pictured in the below posting. It's a 1999 model. It weighs around 375 pounds, and has about 51 horsepower, giving it a 7.35lb/hp ratio. WIth me on it, that jumps to 10.88lbs/hp. Not too bad. My car is around 12lbs/hp. It's a great beginners bike, and since it's paid off, there are no worries about monthly payments and extras. I've got around 300 miles on it, and I'm still leery about taking corners to fast, but I have to remember that my confidence goes out significantly faster than the tires! During the last several weekends I've got out into the Santa Monica mountains and learned to handle the bike a bit better. Below are two of the rides I do.
Each ride is around 60 miles, and I get them done in about 2 hours or so. A pretty leisurely pace, which is great. A coworker has a new Harley, so we go out together and cruise the twisties. It's fun and challenging.
On the patent front, if you've been keeping up, I've finally submitted the provisional patent application (PPA) to the USPTO! Now all I have to do is wait, and see how soon I will get a patent pending stamp, and from there it's onto manufacturing and distribution! Those are going to be toughies, as I like to do everything myself. These last two steps are going to be involved and I will definitely need to approach investors and companies to see how we might be able to bring this to market.
Feel free to drop us a line! Lisa and I are both on Facebook now, and we'll continue uploading pictures to our Flickr, so check those pictures out too on the sidebar here!
