In a recent article published by BBC, it was announced that The Coca-Cola Company is one of the latest companies to trial paper bottles instead of plastic. The company they are working with, Paboco -short for Paper Bottle Company, is a Danish sustainable packaging company created in 2019 as a joint venture between BillerudKorsnäs, a paper packaging materials developer and Alpla, the bottle manufacturing specialist. It was then developed from the low environmental footprint start-up, EcoXpac. More…

The Annual Consumer Technology Association conference (CES) showcases innovation. Held online as a “virtual” event, we took a look at the creativity and innovation of the featured technology in this year’s showcase. The shared global needs of the COVID pandemic are leading to a spate of new ideas and patent activity!  More…

With the 2020 Presidential elections in the United States well underway, millions of Americans have already cast their votes up to three weeks before Election Day. This year has already seen records broken for the number of early voters by mail or in-person at the polls. It is impressive to see these record numbers despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic guidelines keeping people at a distance from each other. More…

A recent article by the Guardian talks about a newly engineered super-enzyme which can consume plastic six times faster than previously developed enzymes and at room temperature, enabling some types of plastic waste to be fully recycled. More…

A test flight was recently conducted in the UK’s Lake District as a collaboration between the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) and Gravity Industries, founded by inventor Richard Browning. Browning previously received media attention for his flight suit invention and was nicknamed “real-life Iron Man” (referring to the Marvel superhero). The flight suit is made up of multiple engines which allow the wearer to pilot their flight using their arms and body to steer while in the air. This test flight demonstrates how the cross-industry application of inventions can lead to disruptive innovation. More…

A recent feature by the USPTO called “Establishing the new fit” presents the inventors of the sports bra and their story, following their recent visit to the National Inventors Hall of Fame Museum in the US. Polly Smith, Hinda Schreiber (now Miller) and Eugenie (Lisa) Lindahl are the listed inventors on their US patent application for the first “Athletic brassiere” (Application number: US19780965381). More…

When Was The Radio Invented? – The History of The Radio | World Radio Day

The radio has been an important invention for so many people in the UK. During the lockdown caused by the pandemic, millions tuned into British radio stations for news updates and entertainment broadcasts. BBC Radio especially took special measures to provide a stimulating selection of broadcasts, trying to help vulnerable and isolated listeners to cope with loneliness. More…

Beer in the UK

As the weather has got warmer and restaurants, pubs and bars have reopened in the UK, more people are returning to popular pastimes in Britain. For some, this involves drinking local beer. The UK has a long history of producing beer, dating back to the Middle Ages when monks drank a gallon of ale per day made from just water, malt, and yeast. Imported hops were later introduced from Flanders, which provided ale with an antibacterial quality from the hops’ resins and oils. After a while, hopped ale began to be known as beer. More…

After clean water and sanitation, vaccines are the technology that has played the largest role in prolonging human lifespans. However, it is estimated that around 10% of the world’s population has Trypanophobia (the phobia of needles). This significantly affects the number of people who will choose to be vaccinated. Also, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that approximately 1.3 million deaths per year are caused by needlestick injury from re-used or unsanitary needles. More…

Dating apps Tinder and Bumble recently made headlines in multiple IP and business news outlets as the 2-year long patent dispute, initiated by Tinder, allegedly came to an end with a mutually pleasing resolution. The decision made between the two rival companies has not yet been disclosed (at the time of writing).
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