Game Changers: How Innovation Changed The Way We Play Golf

The eyes of golf lovers worldwide are currently on the Augusta National Golf Club as Augusta, GA, hosts the 2014 Masters Golf Tournament. This ancient game, first thought to have been played by the Scots in the Fourteenth Century, is today much different than it was even a hundred years ago. Even novice golfers are playing better than ever before—the average handicap of golfers has decreased consistently over the past 15 years. What can account for this? Golf innovations have made playing easier, and recent equipment innovations have taken playing to a whole new level. Let’s look at the history of the basic rules and equipment used at the Masters Tournament today.

Innovation Defined

by Bill McHenry, President and CEO of Widgeteer, Inc.

in.no.va.tion (ine’vaSHen) noun: the action or process of innovating.

Synonyms: change, alteration, revolution, upheaval, transformation, metamorphosis, breakthrough. 

Everything that exists came from an idea. A seed that blossomed. A vision in the mind brought to life by will and determination in the heart to make that dream come true. From the simplest Widget to the Taj Mahal, it takes INNOVATION to create it…to see ways of improving upon that which already exists.

Innovation seems to be the buzz word of our generation…and there’s a good reason why. Read the definition. If we are not changing, altering, revolutionizing, up heaving, transforming, creating metamorphoses, and making breakthroughs, then we are stagnant and growth becomes stifled. We need to be innovating in order to be evolving.

10 Quotes from Shark Tank’s Sharks Every Entrepreneur Should Know

by Mary Faller

The hit reality television show “Shark Tank”, which premiered in 2009, has been bringing entertainment to America by showcasing entrepreneurs hoping for the chance to bring their dreams to fruition. These hopefuls present their “big ideas” to the sharks – successful business people that took their own dreams and turned them into highly rewarding empires. Entrepreneurs present their ideas to these sharks in the hopes that one will invest in their idea or product, thus making their dreams a reality. 

Innovation and the Winter Olympic Games

by Mary Faller

The Olympic Winter Games will take place from February 7 through February 23, 2014, in Sochi, Russia. The Olympic Games have been around since the late 1800s in Athens, Greece. Each year the summer and winter Olympics showcase the talents of thousands of athletes from all over the world. It is a joining of cultures and athletic competition that never fails to excite viewers from all walks of life. The Olympics have come a long way since their introduction centuries ago. So how has innovation changed the way athletes perform and viewers watch the sports within these exciting games?

The Best and The Worst: Super Bowl 2014 Product Commercials

by Mary Faller

The Super Bowl is one of the most watched broadcasts in television and one of the main reasons, aside from the big game, is for the commercials. Businesses spend about $4 million on a 30-second spot. If they succeed in their marketing strategy, that particular commercial could be the buzz of the Internet and indeed the world. If they do not, their brand name could suffer negative buzz. We are always on the lookout for the best in innovative product marketing and advertising, so we made a list of what we thought were the best and worst of Super Bowl XLVIII.

First, let’s take a look at the best commercials:

1. Budweiser “Puppy Love” Budweiser has been a major contributor to the commercials of past Super Bowls and with each passing year, the commercials evolve and improve. This commercial was memorable because it struck a heart chord with the adorable puppy that didn’t want to leave his best friend (the Clydesdale horse). The Clydesdale horses are a signature icon and this commercial brought heart to the major company.

Must See Tradeshows for New Product Innovation in 2014

by Mary Faller

The 2014 tradeshow schedule has been released for the world of innovative invention ideas, business owners, investors, and inventors. Specialized tradeshows for sporting goods, construction equipment, automotive, hospitality, pets, and many more categories will be held all over the United States this year. These tradeshows allow inventors and businesspeople alike to collaborate at one location, drawing attention to innovative ideas as well as exposure to potential partnerships. 

CES 2014: An Overview of Innovative New Products Introduced at This Year's International Tradeshow

by Mary Faller

           

Consumer Electronics Association's annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES), took place January 7-10 in Las Vegas, NV with over 3,200 exhibitors that introduced about 20,000 innovative technological breakthroughs. According to an article in the Business Wire, Karen Chupka, Senior VP of CES said, “Technology of the future was widespread at the 2014 CES where executives from every major industry came to see, touch, interact and do business at the world’s intersection for innovation. Amazing new products emerged in the areas of wireless, apps, automotive, digital health and fitness, 3D printing, startup tech and so much more. It was an incredible event that brought the global tech community together and successfully celebrated and showcased the amazing innovation that is a hallmark of our industry.” This year’s tradeshow offered a buffet of delectable technological innovations that are sure to spark interest in a wide variety of consumers.

Wearable Tech

Some of the most innovative technological advances introduced at CES were wearable technologies. Intel showcased their new Intel Edison technology through a device that helps monitor the health of an infant. The "smart onesie" works to transmit the baby’s breathing and other vital information to a connected coffee cup. The coffee cup then reflects the child’s condition on a small digital display. Intel Edison is a newly announced computing system inside a Scan Disc (SD) card that also has Wi-Fi connectivity.