This makes scents: imagine being able to smell everything from fresh flowers to steaming baked bread right from your computer.As soon as the holiday shopping season begins, so does the ritual of buying gifts for loved ones loved ones npl → seres mpl queridos loved ones npl → proches mpl et amis chers loved ones love npl . Popular items such as scented candles and perfume will certainly be added to many online shopping lists. Wouldn't it be great if buyers could sample these gifts by smelling the fragrances right from their desktops? That scenario is not as far-fetched as you might imagine, thanks to the Scent Dome, an invention by Ellwood G. Ivey Jr. The Scent Dome is a machine that reproduces smells using a cylinder that houses fragrance oils Fragrance oil(s), also known as aroma oils, aromatic oils, and flavor oils, are blended synthetic aroma compounds or natural essential oils that are diluted with a carrier like propylene glycol, vegetable oil, or mineral oil. in several cartridges. Diffusers vaporize va·por·ize v. To convert or be converted into a vapor. Vaporize To dissolve solid material or convert it into smoke or gas. the requested scent from the fragrance oils. The process creates any aroma you can imagine a new brand of perfume, steaming baked bread, or freshly brewed coffee. Ivey launched his flagship product A primary product of a company, which is typically why the company was founded and/or what made it well known. For example, MS-DOS, Windows and the Microsoft Office suite have been flagship products of Microsoft. CorelDRAW is a flagship product of Corel Corporation. , the Scent Dome, in April 2006 after five years of development at his Savannah Savannah, city, United States Savannah, city (1990 pop. 137,560), seat of Chatham co., SE Ga., a port of entry on the Savannah River near its mouth; inc. 1789. , Georgia-based technology company, TriSenx (www.trisenx.com; 888-834-7369). The invention promises to fill an interesting void. Ivey says practical applications are being created for multiple uses. For example, you can use the Scent Dome to have an aromatherapy aromatherapy Therapy using essential oils and water-based colloids extracted from plant materials to promote physical, emotional, and spiritual health and balance. Single or combined extracts may be diffused into inhaled air, used in massage oil, or added to bathwater. session or enhance a sales or marketing presentation. "Sensory technology will be somewhat ubiquitous in the next three years because the whole world is wired," says Ivey, a 45-year-old Georgia native. "I was in the creative mindset mind·set or mind-set n. 1. A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations. 2. An inclination or a habit. when I came up with the idea for scent technology. We're rounding out the digital world." The Scent Dome, which plugs into a USB USB in full Universal Serial Bus Type of serial bus that allows peripheral devices (disks, modems, printers, digitizers, data gloves, etc.) to be easily connected to a computer. or serial port, sells for $369 and comes with a free cartridge that contains 20 base scents from the company's library of 2,000 scents. Do you have an invention that you want to bring to the consumer market? Inventors Raquel P. Lett-Anderson and Antonio Anderson, authors of Take It to the Market! The Invention Process Made Easy (www.takeittothemarket.com), offer this six-step guide to move you toward completing the invention process: * Develop your idea into a product, First, turn this innovative idea into a prototype. Once an idea is conceived, it is important that all the features and benefits are documented in a journal. * Define a target market. A target market is a segmented group that will purchase a new product designed to satisfy a need and/or fulfill a desire. Your target market can be constructed through a marketing research firm, focus groups, surveys, or trade shows. * Sell your product. Visit a number of stores in order to determine the price points and category in which your product will be sold. Next, get a copy of state guidelines. Finally, examine the department categories and pitch your product to the owner by describing the benefits. * Begin the patent process. A patent gives an inventor the exclusive right to make, use, or sell his invention (for a limited number of years). Contact a patent attorney to help you conduct a patent search and file an application. For more information, visit the U.S. Patent 8, Trademark Office at www.uspto.gov. * Get funding, Funding can be acquired from a bank loan, business line of credit, venture capital, angel investors An individual who invests his or her own money in a private company, which is typically a startup. An angel investor is not an employee or member of a bank, venture capital firm or other financial institution that normally makes such investments. , and/or family and friends. This is a long process that requires knowledge and perseverance. * Choose a manufacturer and a distributor. Know the industry standards for manufacturing and distributing the product that you have developed. Access an assortment of current manufacturers and distributors from online databases such as www.thomasnet.com.--Anthony Calypso Calypso, in Greek mythology Calypso (kəlĭp`sō), nymph, daughter of Atlas, in Homer's Odyssey. She lived on the island of Ogygia and there entertained Odysseus for seven years. |
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