The invention is now celebrating its 50 year anniversary and many have used it yet not even known the name of the humble hook and loop thingy that makes the distinct rip sound without actually ripping, VELCRO. As it turns out, the product was initially patented by a Swiss engineer, George de Menstral in 1941 while on a hunting trip in Switzerland. He was intrigued at how cocklebur seeds clung to his socks and dog by the way and wondered what significance a product that could mimic the said seed and the wonders it would do for daily life, he let it off as another idea into the magic bag of tricks. After a decade, he came about the idea again and became serious about the incident and started work on a man-made equivalent to the errant seed that stuck to almost anything.
Under the microscope, the cocklebur seeds had many tiny hooks that clung or hooked onto the woolen pants that he was wearing that one day he was hunting in the Swiss mountains. Wool as we all know is made from fibers out of the coats of sheep and they had a natural loop that allowed the bush’s seeds to hook onto. He first tried to make the device out of cotton which failed, settling on nylon as a better solution to the problem. The nylon was spun and then cut to form the hooks that were needed to closing to the loops which was made of fibers loosely wound onto a mesh packing. The invention failed to catch on for a while for fashion designers saw it as ugly and very unappealing for their clothing lines. The only people who loved the stuff were those guys in space who hated the hassle of having to do zippers in space as they put on and off their space suits.
Little did people know that the stuff is to become mainstay of sneakers and much other stuff we take for granted today. Nearly all models of shoes have a piece of Velcro on them and modern life would be impossible without it. It has you sealing up the duffel bag you carry your stuff in, it holds your tents and other stuff together, car seats are held up by them and of course the sneakers which have benefited the shoelace challenged folks of this earth for so long. Out with the lace and in with the rip, the ripping Velcro that is. Many fail to see that Velcro is a brand name and refer to all those fasteners on the market as such. Little do they know that the brand has existed for quite some time and that may be the reason why infomercials refer to them as simply fasteners or hook and loop fasteners.
For Baby Geeks: Crayola MP3 Player
I think that I have found the perfect gift for my nephew’s 4th birthday: the Crayola MP3 player. I am serious – there is such a thing and I am even more serious in that I want to give this thing to our baby. If you think I am going nuts, think again.
Studies have shown time and again that music is an inherent part of stimulating and nurturing the creativity of children. Think about it, the greatest minds of our time had some proclivity towards music. They even say that mathematical geniuses are almost always musical geniuses as well.
So anyway, what’s this new mp3 player for kids all about? Crayola has decided to join the tech fray by creating the Crayola MP3 Player, a gadget that is part of a larger line of tech products for kids. The mp3 player is designed for kids 4 years old and above – perfect for the nephew! – and has some touches of the original iPod concept. It is colorful – as one can only expect from a Crayola product – and is designed for easy grip for the kids. It has a small electronic display and a lozenge shaped button in front (like the click wheel but not really). More than playing 2G worth of mp3s, this baby can also function as a voice recorder and speaker, making for more interaction for the kids. It runs on one AAA battery – not included in the package, mind you. It does come with earbuds and some colorful letter stickers so that the owner can proudly put his or her name on the gadget.
For $49.99, I think that this is really the perfect gift for geeky babies, don’t you agree?
Why are New Camera Owners Trigger Happy?
Owning a new digital camera with the high pixels and features that are out in the market today will definitely entice the unknowing person on what pictures to shoot on. Such has been evident since they are initially trying out the actual resolution of the pictures taken, how different they are and why people are continuously raving about them today.
Photography has rampantly grown and a lot of people have invested largely in making photography as a hobby and a lot has to do with the advanced features that imagery offers.
The beauty of objects are indeed enticed all the more and with the modifications through the use of such photo imaging software like Adobe Photoshop and Ulead Visual Studios, a lot of people have become adept with making unique creations with raw images taken from their very own digital cameras.
Chances are, once these people become less satisfied, going for the more expensive camera lines such as Canon and Nikon is not far behind. Aspiring photographers will simply build on their interest and aim for perfection in digital imaging at its fines resolution possible.