You don’t want a live pet animal that requires feeding, grooming, playing, and taking out for a dump? Bothered by your dog’s non-stop barking all night long? Trying to get your cat off from scratching your furniture but failed miserably? You might as well own a Pet Rock! If you grew up … Read more
The Slinky is not just a popular toy – it has become a phenomenon. But like many inventions, it was born out of an accident. It was in 1943, during the height of World War II. The U.S. Navy needed ships as the Battle of Atlantic was raging in oceans around Europe. … Read more
Doggles – glasses or goggles for dogs – sound completely unreal and even silly. But it’s real and actually quite innovative. In fact, these doggles turned out to be a successful business idea. The inventor, Roni Di Lullo, made a million-dollar business around it. It began with a walk in the park… … Read more
Big Mouth Billy Bass is one of those silly ideas that no one expected to become a huge success, but it did. The animatronic singing and flopping latex fish became a hot item during the early 2000s. The plaque-mounted singing fish even became part of the décor of elegant, refined homes owned … Read more
If you grew up in the ’80s, you probably had Wacky WallWalkwers. These sticky and creepy crawling gummy toys were some of the hottest toys during that decade. The Walky WallWalker is a simple idea – an eight-legged, octopus-shaped rubber contraption that sticks to the wall after you throw it. Yet 80’s … Read more
The idea behind the Snuggie is simple – a body-length blanket with sleeves that resembles a bathrobe, only meant to be worn backwards (e.g., with the opening in the back). While the Snuggie was meant to be a gag gift, buyers were attracted to the idea of a sleeved blanket that would … Read more
The yellow “smiley face” may be the most ubiquitous icon. It’s the most used emoji for our online chats and offline messages. You can also find it in many things – T-shirts, throw pillows, mugs, stickers, car tags, pins, coasters, plastic bowls, and other practical and novelty items. How did the “yellow … Read more
The early days of the iPhone and the App Store were also the glory days of novelty apps. It meant that we wouldn’t just be able to make calls or send text messages to someone wherever we went. We would also be able to play games with them – and also play … Read more
In starting a business, being unique is overrated. Some have made millions or billions of dollars through adopting an idea that’s not even theirs. Backed with lawyers and big funding, big businesses were able to take advantage of ordinary people who made profitable ideas. 1. Laser A graduate student from the Columbia … Read more
Celebrities are well-known faces, but they might not be known for all their accomplishments. A famous musician, author, or actor might also have some other talent inside them, but even their fans might not be aware of these. There have actually been several celebrities who’ve invented certain gadgets or items. Some of … Read more