The Vacuum Man Takes On Wet Hands

James Dyson moves beyond cyclonic vacuums to bring the world a better hand dryer

BusinessWeek, July 2, 2007 — This test of James Dyson's latest invention is anything but scientific, but it's pretty convincing. You immerse your hands in water, shake them, and then dip them into the curvaceous opening at the top of a sleek, gray hand dryer mounted on the wall that looks like some sort of high-tech fingerprint reader. Infrared sensors trip the "on" switch, and intense jets of air squeegee the moisture off your hands as you slowly draw them out. Elapsed time: 12 seconds, less than half the time taken by conventional machines.

Are You Innovating Everywhere?

More Than Just Products Need Your Attention

CMO Strategy by AdAge, June 20, 2007 — More often than not, talk of innovation relates solely to products. In my experience, such a phenomenon misses some of the most important elements of this critical business quality. I've learned that the most effective strategies foster the discipline of innovation everywhere — including every component of a healthy brand: positioning, product, pricing, marketing mix, sales channel strategy, supply chain, finance and management processes.

Vacuum leader Dyson sets sights on hand dryer market

USA Today, June 17, 2007 — Dyson is about to enter rare air. Not satisfied with its wild success in turning the mundane vacuum cleaner into a high-tech, high-style, high-priced device, Dyson on Monday will announce plans to try to do the same in the USA with commercial hand dryers. Next month, the upstart British company whose vacuums costing up to $599 quickly became top-sellers in the USA, will roll out the $1,400 Dyson Airblade hand dryer.

Miller Gives Lime-and-Salt Beer a Shot at Boosting Sales†

Wall Street Journal, June 12, 2007 — Miller Brewing Co., known for its conventional slate of American beers, is hoping a brew with a Mexican twist can help pull it out of a sales slump.

A Smoothie You Can Chew On

To appeal to diners as well as drinkers, Jamba Juice is adding heft to its concoctions

BusinessWeek, June 11, 2007 — known for staples including Banana Berry and Strawberries Wild, Jamba is busy bulking up its menu as part of its bid to become the Starbucks (SBUX ) of the smoothie

How Innovation Can Be Too Much of a Good Thing†

Reducing the Number Can Speed Introduction of New Product Lines

Wall Street Journal, June 11, 2007 — Avery-Dennison Corp. loves to innovate. In recent years, the adhesive-label maker has expanded into areas such as stick-on automotive trim and heat-transfer inks to label clothing. But Avery executives grew vexed a few years ago at how long it took to turn ideas into products. Schedules were slipping. Customers were chafing.

Ideas made here

The designers at Nottingham-Spirk take their inventions from scratch pad to store shelves. You probably own a few.

FORTUNE, June 11, 2007 — Nottingham and his partner, John Spirk, run Nottingham-Spirk, the most successful industrial-design firm you've probably never heard of. What they're doing on their frequent Wal-Mart reconnaissance missions, Spirk says, is "looking for what's not there."

Rivals Answer the iPhone†

Other Makers' Feature-Rich Phones Could Benefit from Apple Device's Buzz

Wall Street Journal, June 7, 2007 — Apple Inc.'s iPhone may be the most anticipated device in the history of the wireless industry. But when it hits AT&T Inc. and Apple stores June 29, it will face plenty of competition.

The new Facebook is on a roll

The social network's new strategy has already led to surprising innovation - and another million or so users

FORTUNE, June 1, 2007 — It's been an eventful week since Facebook launched a new strategy to turn itself into a platform for applications created by outsiders. The social network has gained another million users and is now up to 25 million. And now that the company has created a new green field for developers, innovation is exploding.

Google takes big step to make Web work offline

Reuters, May 30, 2007 — Google Inc. said it was building Web software that runs online and off to let users work remotely on planes, trains, slow dial-up connections or even the most remote locations in the world