AMIE CHEN

For gamers, digital artists, and coders alike, there is nothing more satisfying than a well-designed UI (user interface). Amie Chen has had much success with her UIs over the years, helping multiple startups and larger companies appeal to their clientele with an easy-to-understand interface. Among her programs are Pretzel, which shows keyboard shortcuts depending on which app is the current focus. She’s also the mind behind Stitches, an HTML template generator with CSS functions. In an interview with Maker Mag, she told them “making products is a byproduct of getting to a good solution, and getting closer to a good solution is what gets me out of bed every day.”

ARIELE ALASKO

On the opposite end of the spectrum of “digital to traditional” lies Ariele Alasko, a woodworker from Brooklyn. What began as a hobby quickly spiraled into a full-time job, with Alasko dedicating her time to crafting both functional and decorative pieces. One of her specialties? Brushes shaped like a “U” with bristles on both sides. But she’s also made cutlery, tables, mobiles, and wall hangings. Her Instagram is updated regularly with pictures of her woodwork as well, some of it for sale. (Occasionally, the updates are of her dog, Mazie.)

MENGLY HERNANDEZ

Most people find repetition to be… well, repetitive. But Mengly Hernandez relishes in it. According to her website, it’s “a meditation through which she explores and mends traumatic memories.” Beyond personal healing, it results in beautiful patterns and designs full of color. Her craft manifests in art installations and sculptures using a mix of fibers and textiles. She’s even dabbled in performance art. While none of her work is for sale, don’t think she’s just letting it sit in a gallery: much of it adorns her home or her body (or that of her children).

SARA VIEIRA

Hailing from Portugal, Sara Vieira is well-known for her unique, front-end apps and advocacy for mental health. In 2018, she released the popular app “Is There Uber In,” which informs travelers whether there’s a ridesharing service available in a certain location. As for mental health, her presentation “Your Brain Does Not Have a Fix Flag” uses pop culture references and easy-to-understand language to tackle a very serious issue. Her retelling of her own struggles with panic disorder and depression are blunt, but the writing and multitude of GIFs make it enjoyable.

JESS EDDY

Continuing our international tour is Jess Eddy, based out of Sydney, Australia. She’s worked on several projects over the years. Among these are “UI Goodies” and “Get a Room.” The former is a catalog of resources for designers and developers build a user interface. The latter allows users to easily book a conference room. In 2018, she told Maker Mag “to me, indie making is about empowerment. It’s not about waiting for someone else to bring a solution or asking for permission. It’s observing your environment and looking for areas to improve upon or innovate it.”

LAUREN HOM

Here’s a fun motto for you: “work hard, snack often.” These are the words that Lauren Hom has dedicated her life to. You’ve probably seen her lettering before- some of her past clients include Starbucks, YouTube, and TIME Magazine. The McCafé products at McDonald’s? That’s her! And true to her motto, her Instagram frequently features her delectable looking “Hom Noms.” Also worth checking out is her “Flour Crowns” series, where she dons delightful headwear… made of bread. Who says female makers can’t be stylish?

LISA HOLBROOK LEWIS

Lisa Holbrook Lewis is a female maker from Oregon who specializes in handmade goods. Her main passion are stump prints. Using stumps or logs found during hikes, she dips them in ink and stamps them to paper. The result is a one-of-a-kind piece of art. But that’s not all she can do with wood. She’s also crafted stools, candle holders, end tables, and planters from scavenged wood. While her Instagram hasn’t been updated for a while, her website “Light & Ink” still has plenty of prints available for sale.

LIMOR FRIED

Known as “Lady Ada,” Limor Fried is more than just an icon among makers. She’s empowering other makers to bring their creations to life. (Much like Inventionland!) Her company, Adafruit, was founded in 2005 and quickly became a staple for the NYC maker scene. In 2016, she was named a White House Champion of Change. Two years later, Forbes Magazine deemed her one of America’s Top 50 Women in Tech. She’s still proud of her honor with Wired Magazine, however, being the first female engineer to grace the cover.

The post 8 Female Makers You Should Know appeared first on Inventionland.

It makes sense…because of the nature of gunpowder and other ingredients, fireworks can’t be mass-produced by means of automation, as even the tiniest spark from any machine could cause a catastrophic explosion. Before you watch your favorite fireworks display, take a look at how these fascinating little rockets are made:

First, The Main Fuse…

The basic construction of a firework is an exterior shell with several separate compartments. The burning fuse explodes one compartment at a time, creating those staggered bursts you see in the sky. For safety, the naturally colorless glue used throughout production is tinted blue while liquid but dries clear. The first compartment of the firework is the lift charge, a gunpowder bag with a long, fast-action fuse placed at the base of the shell that launches the firework about 1000 feet into the air. While the first compartment dries, the second compartment is built, where a powdered explosive is spooned into the center and then capped. A brown cardboard shock absorber is added to shield this section from the first compartment explosion, followed by a corrugated cardboard disc and a plastic spacer.

These barriers allow approximately one and a half seconds for the fuse to burn through these two components, creating a slight delay between the explosion of the first and the second compartments. Gluing the second compartment together is tricky: if it’s too tight it’ll stifle the explosion, but it also has to be tight enough to withstand the delay.

Next, Stars and Comets…

A sleeve is glued onto a case, then filled with hundreds of stars. Stars are carefully formulated and measured explosives that give the firework its beautiful flashes of color (fitting name, right?). Coloring agents range from magnesium for white, to copper salts for blue, to charcoal for orange. These are very delicate and must be handled carefully, or they could detonate.  Comets (which leave the long trail of sparks) are then added to give another dimension of decoration to the firework.

Finally, the two compartments are assembled and the remaining space is filled with the same combination of ingredients. Once the shell is full, the cover is glued into place. The tighter the seal on the compartments, the more the internal pressure will build…which makes for a more spectacular explosion.

Ready to Launch

The lift charge, which was created first and dried while the other compartments were being built, is now ready to be placed at the base of the shell.  At this point, the fireworks are wrapped in craft paper and a label using international color codes identifies the size and type of shell to the pyrotechnic engineer who will set up the display.

Finally, Thank Your Local Fireworks Pyrotechnician

We know what you’re thinking… “That’s fascinating, but how do all those explosives dazzle the audience?” The actual choreography of the display is thanks to a fireworks pyrotechnician, but the basic delivery is the same: When the computer system sends the electrical pulse that lights the main fuse, it starts a chain reaction. The secondary fuse running down the outside of the shell will ignite the lift charge, sending the firework almost 1,000 feet into the sky. Meanwhile, the time-delayed fuse inside the shell burns a few seconds slower, allowing the firework to reach altitude before detonating the gunpowder, comets, and stars for a bright, sparkling, almost magical display that, upon viewing, can’t help but leave the audience feeling a little more patriotic.

The post Invention Spotlight: Fireworks appeared first on Inventionland.

History

The earliest known kit car was designed in 1896. Thomas Hyler-White developed a vehicle that could be assembled at home and published the blueprints in The English Mechanic magazine. Sixteen years later, the “Lad’s Car” could be bought either preassembled or in kit form in the United States. While this means the concept was around since the dawn of the automobile, it wasn’t until the 1950s that it began gaining popularity.

As a refresher, the 1950s was an era of wealth and relaxation for much of the world. Coming off the heels of World War II, Americans had excess money and free time. This same period saw advancements in technology and plastics, particularly the introduction of fiberglass. These factors combined made kit cars an appealing hobby to consumers- a symbol of wealth while also being something to do on the weekends. (It’s worth noting that in the UK, partially-assembled cars were sometimes labeled as kit cars to avoid purchase tax.)

Kit Cars Today

In the modern day, most kit cars are recreations of classic cars. Replicas of the AC Cobra and Lotus 7 are among the more popular models, but any classic automobile can feasibly be rebuilt using a kit. Unlike the originals, however, the copies are made of fiberglass instead of sheet metal. While not exact, it’s still enough that most enthusiasts are willing to put the time into building them. And the build time can range anywhere from a 100 to 1,500 hours, with some modern kits taking upwards of 5,000 hours because of complexity.

The most surprising thing about kit cars is that they’re street legal. Few would think that something built by one person would pass the required safety tests to be used as a traditional vehicle. There are also safety concerns, mainly due to lack of quality control. How do they know the car was assembled with the same care and precision as those from a factory? While a valid worry, most countries where kit cars are popular have laws in place to maintain order. For example, the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) allows each state in the US to set up their own ways to register these automobiles for inspection and license plates.

For those interested in building kit cars, be prepared to shell out both time and money. Prices can be in the tens of thousands for the kits alone. Other resources, like tools and materials, add to the rising cost. This is on top of the dedication of time and energy discussed previously. However, there are plenty of dedicated retailers both online and brick-and-mortar stores, which makes tracking down the perfect kit easier. And it’s comforting to know your efforts won’t waste away in a garage when you’re done, provided you apply for registration.

Building kit cars isn’t a hobby for everybody. The average person with moderate free time would probably be better off just working with a scale model car. But those willing to push themselves to build a full-size, working vehicle should be commended. It takes a lot of skill to create something as complex as an automobile, even with a guide.

Just remember to buckle your seatbelt.

The post The Kit Car: DIY Vehicles appeared first on Inventionland.

HEIMLICH MANEUVER

When Henry Judah Heimlich came up with his life-saving procedure in the 1970s, he was at a loss as to what to call it. Eventually, he went with the most obvious solution: naming it after the creator, aka himself. No matter the name, though, the technique is something we should all know how to do and countless lives have been saved because of it.

MASON JAR

John Landis Mason patented this wide-mouthed jar in 1858 after working as a tinsmith. They were unique for their hermetic seal, created by the separate band and lid used in the screw thread design. This allowed the jars to be reused, saving the user money. They were quickly dubbed Mason jars, although many other companies would copy the design over the years. Even today, Mason jars are still popular for canning and other projects.

SAXOPHONE

Adolphe Sax created quite a few horn instruments during his life, but his most famous is the one that bears his name. His dream was to create an instrument with the workings of a woodwind- hence the reed- but with that iconic horn sound. The saxophone changed the face of music forever, even though it took a while to gain popularity. It remained a novelty instrument until the rise of jazz in the 1920s when musicians found it matched the sound of the new genre.

SALISBURY STEAK

This staple of school cafeterias was the creation of James Salisbury, a 19^th-century doctor. Unlike most modern physicians, Salisbury believed that starches and vegetables were the bane of a healthy body. While his views on lean meat were later vindicated, most people agree fruits and veggies are key to a healthy diet. Nevertheless, this mixture of ground meats and gravy has found its way to the hearts (and stomachs) of millions.

GRAHAM CRACKERS

On the opposite end of the diet spectrum was Sylvester Graham and his crackers. Fruits, vegetables, and whole grains were the order of the day- without any meats or spices. He developed the graham cracker to help combat the blandness of this diet, or perhaps to enforce it. Graham also believed eating plainly would promote a morally pure lifestyle. Of course, most now associate the cracker with summer cookouts and beach bonfires thanks to that classic dessert- s’mores. Adding in the other indulgences the Graham cracker appears in, it’s safe to assume Graham’s goal has long been forgotten.

JACUZZI

The Jacuzzi is notable for not being named after one person, but a septet. Immigrants from Italy, the Jacuzzi brothers developed a hydrotherapy pump to use in the bath. Not only did it soothe the arthritis of a relative but caught on among the general public. The whirlpool bath as we know it came from a third-generation Jacuzzi in 1968.

SILHOUETTE

This is one instance where having your name immortalized is not a good thing. Etienne de Silhouette was a strict French finance minister. He made drastic cuts to the upper class during the Seven Years’ War. His name was used to describe anything cheaply made and soon became synonymous with the simple portraits.

BOWLER HAT

We have William Bowler to thank for this classic felt hat, which he designed in 1850. However, we should also give credit to the Earl of Leicester’s younger brother, Edward Coke, for commissioning him in the first place. According to legend, Coke asked Bowler to craft a hat that would protect him from low-hanging branches during horseback riding. So much for wearing a helmet.

BRAILLE

Louis Braille is responsible for the eponymous written language, now most famously used for blind people. However, he originally devised the language after studying up on cryptography- namely, the code of pressed dots Captain Charles Barbier had created to help his men communicate in the dark.

FERRIS WHEEL

Names play a huge role in the history and legacy of the famous ride. George W. G. Ferris (of Pittsburgh!) intended for it to be the spotlight of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, measuring in at 264 feet. Ferris wanted it to rival the creation of Gustave Eiffel for the World’s Exhibition in 1889, the Eiffel Tower. It fell a little short, as the Tower reaches 1,063 feet at its tip. But while the Eiffel Tower would remain a landmark of France, the Ferris Wheel has been duplicated worldwide as a popular amusement park attraction. (It later went on to be the name of Matthew Broderick’s character in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.)

The post Inventions Named After People appeared first on Inventionland.

Inventionland (IL): What inspired you to get into woodworking?

Jonathan Moran (JM): My father. He was a woodworker and had a business. From a young age, I helped him rebuild furniture. That’s when my interest started.

IL: How do you study woodworking? IE, were you privately trained or self-taught, etc.

JM: I’m completely self-taught: trial and error.

IL: What are some of the challenges you commonly face as a woodworker?

JM: Probably the biggest challenge- and it’s why I love woodworking- is when customers want something custom and I need to think of a way to meet their needs and requirements. I like being challenged and I’ve always been the type to get bored easily. Woodworking is a profession that constantly lets me think outside of the box, create something functional but aesthetically pleasing. Especially if they’re paying me lots of money (laughs).

IL: Why do you think there’s such a large revival for crafts like wood and metalworking?

JM: I think it’s because people (especially the younger generation) are starting to appreciate unique pieces that only custom work can provide. They’re also looking for things they can make themselves, which is leading to the revival of crafts like woodworking and pottery. It’s particularly big in Pittsburgh.

IL: What is the most ambitious project you’ve worked on?

JM: Probably our retail store, where we had to outfit the entire store with work I’ve made. I make a lot of custom pieces but making a large number of similar projects for our retail store was probably the most ambitious undertaking.

IL: Any advice for amateur woodworkers reading this?

JM: I would say “Do not give up or do not get angry when you make a mistake.” Mistakes are learning lessons and you’ll learn not to make them again. Over my 30-40 year career, I’ve made more mistakes than I can count. Try to be creative, but don’t give up. Things will usually work out.

IL: You tend to work with reclaimed wood. Does this pose any unique challenges? (Note: reclaimed wood refers to wood previously used in another project as a form of recycling.)

JM: I like reclaimed wood because of the age of it. There’s a history to it, coming from old buildings and barns and the like. The challenge is they’re never dimensionally the same, so getting it to fit together can be difficult. Even acquiring it can be difficult, since you need to find it or get it in some other fashion.

Retrieving usually involves ripping down some sort of old structure, such as a barn or old house or building. Then the cleaning and de-nailing is also lots more work. Most of the wood I use is over 100 years old. It’s challenging, but that’s the appeal.

IL: Just for fun- what kind of wood, besides reclaimed, is your favorite to work with?

JM: Walnut! It’s a very easy wood to work with and has a beautiful grain.

The maker movement shows no signs of slowing down, and neither does Moran. With a pile of reclaimed wood and a bit of time and patience, he’s able to create a masterpiece of a centerpiece table. With the same materials, practice, and patience, you could, too.

Johnathan Moran Woodworks can be found on Facebook, Instagram, or their website at https://www.jthn-moran.com. Their retail store is located on 19th Street in Pittsburgh, PA.

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Electronic Instruments

The building of instruments has been around for a while. We’ve all grown up building makeshift drum sets out of pots and spoons, or a guitar from a tissue box and a paper towel roll. There are also artists like Reed Ghazala, who is known as “the father of circuit bending,” which he accidentally discovered in the 1960s. He used the technique to build instruments for groups like The Rolling Stones, Simon and Garfunkel, Blur, and the Blue Man Group.

Then there’s Bart Hopkins. In 1985, Hopkins published a magazine called Experimental Musical Instruments. Hopkins himself was an instrument builder, both traditional and custom. Seventy issues were published until 1999 when the name instead went to a book series on the same topic. Hopkins himself also produced a few tie-in CDs.

One of Hopkins’ many collaborators is Yuri Landman, a Dutch inventor of electric string instruments. His creations include the Moodswinger, the Springtime, and the Home Swinger–all custom variants on traditional guitars. The Home Swinger proved to be his greatest success, and he began offering workshops teaching guests how to build their own version. This eventually spun off into courses for all types of instruments, from kalimbas to triochords. The Moodswinger and Home Swinger were also inducted into the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, Arizona.

The DIY Instrument Movement

This gave rise to the DIY instrument movement, a subset of the maker movement. Many organizations have sprung up catering to this audience, like STEIM and Death by Audio. Landman frequently partners with these groups. Maker Faires often feature homemade instruments, ranging from laser-cut ukuleles to kits to build-your-own Theremin at home. Indeed, sets to build instruments at home are becoming increasingly popular, both among kids and adults. These kits predominately feature electronic instruments like synths, but acoustic versions exist as well.

There is a great deal of overlap between electronic musicians, the EDM scene, and the maker movement. What better embodies the idea of DIY than creating entire songs from scratch using nothing but a computer? After all, one of the main goals for the maker movement is to make various crafts and art forms more accessible and to encourage the advancement of technology. Programs and devices like Garage Band and Launchpads are a natural fit for those ideals. Even the Nintendo Labo system could be seen as an example, as pianos and guitars can be built from cardboard and then played through the Nintendo Switch console.

It’s important to remember that, despite the level of creativity on display, musicians in the maker movement aren’t necessarily creating new instruments. Rather, they’re adapting existing tools to fit their needs. That’s the core of inventing: finding a need and fulfilling it. The guitar may have already existed, but George Beauchamp cranked it to eleven with his creation of the electric guitar. The results give way to unique sounds that would’ve been impossible without a spark of creativity.

I mean, let’s be honest…Would the guitar solo in “Stairway to Heaven” be as memorable on an acoustic?

The post Making Beautiful Music…Maker-Style appeared first on Inventionland.

Built-in Apps and the App Store

In 1997, the Nokia 6110 included a built-in version of the basic arcade game “Snake,” which many consider the first mobile app. The first iPod would also come with built-in games: Solitaire and Brick.

Back in 1983, however, a young Steve Jobs first envisioned the App Store…or at least a very basic version of it. Jobs imagined a place where software could be bought over phone lines. Shortly after Apple’s introduction of the iPod, the iTunes store launched, acting as a precursor to the Apple App Store. The iPhone was released in June 2007 to critical and commercial success. Native apps were developed, and just over a year later…the App Store was launched.

The original App Store launched with 500 apps, meaning there is no “true” first app. Nevertheless, as new varieties of smartphones were unveiled, different app clients were introduced. Google Play, the Amazon App Store, and Blackberry’s App World also give more people the ability to enjoy various apps on their phones. It’s also worth mentioning that each store had both paid and free apps from the beginning, meaning premium and “freemium” content was always a factor.

Angry Birds

Also noteworthy? Angry Birds. The first installment in the wildly popular franchise was released in December 2009 and quickly became a runaway hit. By 2015, over three billion downloads were amassed between all entries in the series, making it the most successful freemium software of all time. Countless spinoffs and merchandise were created. Movies, theme parks, and soft drinks were everywhere; and while not as popular as they were at their peak, these birds still dominate the market today.  They even made it to NASA:

App was voted “Word of the Year” for 2010, on the eve of some of the biggest changes in the app market. Apple revealed almost 300,000 jobs were added to the US economy since the iPhone’s debut, calling it “the app revolution.” Facebook acquired Instagram for $1 billion in April 2012, an unprecedented move in the world of technology. Flappy Bird was introduced and quickly pulled from the market, but not before becoming an enduring meme.

2014 showed a shift in app usage, from fun games and social media to entire lifestyles. Snapchat reported 700 million photos were shared each day. Smartphones continue to sell, and apps alongside them. Not that you need a phone to use apps anymore, thanks to smartwatches, smart appliances, and smart clothes (well, maybe not the latter…yet). Apps have become so integral to everyday life that there are few who don’t use them on a regular basis. On a personal level, apps allow for families and friends to connect even when miles apart. They also keep you in touch with professional colleagues and informed of what developments are happening, even when you’re not on the clock.

Apps aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. They’ve become so ubiquitous it’s difficult to imagine what the world would be like without them. In 2009, Apple ran a commercial saying “There’s an app for that.” A self-fulfilling prophecy or a prediction of what was to come? You decide.

The post The History of Mobile Apps appeared first on Inventionland.

MICROWAVE OVEN

One day in 1945, an employee of the Raytheon Corporation named Percy Spencer was experimenting with a magnetron vacuum tube. When he noticed the candy bar in his pocket starting to melt, he tested some popcorn with the device. When it began to pop, he knew he found something huge. Raytheon began selling the Radarange in 1947, and it flopped commercially. A cheaper, smaller version came out in 1967 to much better reception and now over 95% of homes in the United States have a microwave.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

While you should always wash your hands before eating, there are cases where a bathroom break would change the course of history. For example, if chemist Constantin Fahlberg had washed his hands before dinner in 1879, he would’ve cleaned all the coal tar off his skin. Then he would’ve never tasted how sweet his food was due to the saccharin from the tar. (This is the exception, though- please practice good health and grooming habits.)

POTATO CHIPS

George Crum was the Gordon Ramsay of his day, easily angered but resourceful. When a customer complained that their French fries were too thick and soggy, Crum angrily sliced potatoes as thin as he could, fried them, and served with salt. The customer loved them. That day in 1853, the world’s favorite snack food, the potato chip, was born…entirely out of rage and spite.

IMPLANTABLE PACEMAKER

The idea of a pacemaker wasn’t new before 1956, but few could think of a practical way to insert one into the human body. Wilson Greatbatch, an assistant professor of electrical engineering at the University of Buffalo, wasn’t looking to create an artificial heartbeat. He just needed a resistor to build a heart rhythm recorder. The resistor was the wrong size, and when installed, made the circuit produce intermittent electrical pulses. It reminded him of a heartbeat and he began experimenting further and eventually the implantable pacemaker evolved.

POPSICLES

Eleven-year-old Frank Epperson wanted to try some soda pop, the latest beverage craze, in 1905. Instead of spending his money, though, he’d experiment and make his own at home. He mixed powder and water and nearly hit the jackpot- until he left the concoction on the porch overnight. The mixture froze overnight, stirring stick stuck inside… the perfect handle for the new frozen confection he just created.

RADIOACTIVITY

Chalk this one up to both Mother Nature and Henri Becquerel. The chemist was trying to make fluorescent materials produce X-rays through sunlight in 1896. Unfortunately, it was a week of clouds and overcast, forcing him to leave the supplies in his drawer. When the sun finally came out, he opened the drawer to find the uranium rock he was using imprinted in a nearby photographic plate- all without any exposure to light.

SLINKY

Navy engineer Richard James wanted to use springs to keep sensitive instruments steady during World War II. When he dropped one of the springs, it righted itself and landed upright…much to James’ amusement. It caught on among other members of the Navy and children alike, thus creating what might be the simplest toy in existence.

STAINLESS STEEL

Metallurgist Harry Bearly was hired by a 20^th-century arms manufacturer to create a gun barrel that was rust-resistant. He did so but conducted a few experiments on his own on the side. When the metal held up against corrosives like lemon juice, he saw the potential for food-grade silverware, and the elimination of nightly washing, polishing and putting away of the silverware was currently used. Stainless steel appliances, however, were still a bit beyond his imagination.

The post The Best Accidental Inventions appeared first on Inventionland.

As the name implies, urban agriculture is the practice of growing and selling food in and around urban areas. An offset of the maker movement, it involves everything from beekeeping to agroforestry. The focus is on food, but anything that promotes green living and a better environment can fall under the “urban agriculture” blanket.

You’ve probably seen or at least heard of a few examples of urban agriculture. Maybe a local park has a community vegetable garden, or an apartment complex has small plots on the roof. Keeping planters on a balcony or windowsill also qualifies as urban agriculture, particularly if they’re growing herbs or vegetables. They don’t even have to be outside- hydroponics can be grown in a limited space, indoors or out, and still count provided it’s in an urban environment.

While many consider urban agriculture to be a modern fad, it’s well-rooted in history. In ancient Persia, semi-desert towns would use aqueducts to route water down from the mountains to support food growth. They even recycled by using waste as fertilizer. Machu Picchu also reused much of its water during the growing process, and vegetable beds were designed to absorb sunlight. The most famous example of historical urban agriculture might be allotment gardens, which popped up throughout Europe during times of famine, particularly the two World Wars.

The motivations behind urban agriculture vary as much as the methods it can manifest as. Some are motivated by a lack of food security. Growing your own food might be risky and difficult at first, but ultimately costs less than going to the store, which is a boon for lower-income families. On the other hand, they could be a result of a sustainable living program, a community project, or even just a few foodies wanting to try something new. Either way, the result is the same- fresh food for those who may not have it otherwise.

While urban agriculture has many benefits and is steadily growing in popularity worldwide, there are a fair number of trade-offs. Space is (naturally) limited in cities, making any real estate a premium. Using untreated wastewater to nurture the plants, as some do, could lead to the spread of waterborne illnesses. The larger the human population, the more insects there are, which are frequent enemies of plants. There are also municipal policies to deal with, like urban tree canopy initiatives. The shade caused by the tree cover prevents the gardens from getting the sunlight it needs to grow.

Still, as more cities and independent populations embrace urban agriculture, quality of life will improve for many. Not just those involved and enjoying the resulting produce- anybody in range will enjoy boons like decreased noise pollution, reduction of ozone, and even soil decontamination. Those directly contributing and feasting on the fruits of their labor may also be getting more nutrients and higher-quality versions of their retail counterparts. It’s good for the economy and for building a sense of community.

If the idea of joining an urban agriculture team or project overwhelms you, don’t worry. You can start small and work on your own or jump right into the deep end. Much like the maker movement, newcomers are welcomed with open arms. It’s all about making your life- and others- better.

The post Urban Agriculture: The Farm of the Future? appeared first on Inventionland.

Since the 1800s, the telephone has gone through hundreds of changes. Some are minute, others are complete upheavals. No matter what form the phone takes, however, it still completely revolutionized how society communicates and interacts with each other and continues to impact culture to this day.

Due to the vast history of the phone, only a few major highlights will be covered here. For starters, the first phone with the ability to dial a number was invented in 1905. Almon B. Strowger is credited with creating the first rotary phone, eliminating the need for switchboards and operators. Despite this, they didn’t catch on until the 1920s. The Frankfurt “Bauhaus” is considered the first mainstream rotary phone.

Jumping a few decades ahead, advancements like touchtone dialing and cordless phones are growing more commonplace in the 1970s. Around that time, AT&T began experimenting with a telephone that could transmit images during a call. It was deemed too bulky and expensive but laid the groundwork for what would eventually become video calls and text messages.

The 80s were a major turning point in the evolution of phones. Caller ID was being implemented. VoIP services were going into testing. And biggest of all, the first mobile phones were in development. Well, “mobile” in the sense that they could be brought with people and had a larger range than traditional cordless phones. They were still bulky and clunky, a far cry from the sleek models that rule today’s markets. The release of the Motorola MicroTac9800X in 1989 was the first modern cell phone, with its slim case and flip design.

Cell phones would grow to be more mainstream and accessible throughout the nineties but wouldn’t reach the popularity they enjoy today until the new millennium. Still, the first smartphone was being developed, long before the term even existed. The IBM Simon was a revolutionary device that combined a telephone with PDA elements, making it a precursor to devices like the Blackberry and iPhone.

In the past two decades, the advancements made to phones have been massive and rapid. It’s amazing to think that when the iPhone was first introduced in 2007, it was unprecedented. Now, even phones with full keyboards are considered dated. Skype was integrated into both smartphones and computers, giving people even more communication options. New operating systems were being developed, each more sophisticated than the last. Built-in phone cameras also improved, capable of capturing pristine pictures and later video. It wasn’t long before books, movies, and even games could be enjoyed from a phone, making them all-in-one entertainment devices. Assistants like Siri and Cortana gave phones more accessibility and, to some at least, a personality.

The future of the telephone is bright. Almost every person on the planet owns at least one, even if they aren’t strictly of the latest model. Resources will continue to be poured into developing new software and hardware and improving existing technology. The telephone has come a remarkably long way since that fateful day in 1876, much farther and faster than Graham Bell could’ve anticipated. We may take them for granted now, but the technology behind smartphones is staggering. And it all began with a few simple words: “Mr. Watson, come here. I want to see you.”

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