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LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman: Data Wrangler of The Modern Age

Reid Hoffman, angel investor, co-founder of LinkedIn and Fast Company Most Creative Person, took the stage at SXSW interactive as part of the distinguished speaker series, and immediately brought the ballroom back to the future. ...READ»

Re-Booting Valentine’s Day for Good

Three social entrepreneurs decide to make the world a more generous place in real time. Will you help?READ»

INVENTORS   |  Comment

An "Innovation Gap"? Chasing the Spirit of Edison

Young people in America are increasingly qualified to follow in the great inventors footsteps--yet fewer think they'll do so. A survey probes why.READ»

The Facebook Drama "The Social Network" Won't Show You

The Social Network is not the feel-good movie of the year--certainly not for Mark Zuckerberg, or for the dozens of exceptionally talented men and women who created Facebook. They were, and are, brilliant, hardworking and imaginative people who managed to survive the uniquely fraught early moments of an online start-up. It was a swirl alright, but not the way the film would have you think.READ»

ART   |  Comment

Rocket Science, Brain Surgery, and...Creativity?

"You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to do that!" the common phrase goes. "C'mon man, this isn't brain surgery after all."I started wondering why these two disciplines--rocket science and brain surgery--are so highly regarded. ...READ»

EDUCATION   |  Comment

How to network with the best: As told to an enterprising high school student

Networking is a critical skill in any field, especially in entrepreneurship and innovation. What follows is an email exchange between a high school student and myself that I thought others might enjoy. READ»

Facebook Co-Founder Chris Hughes Is Back in the Startup Business With Jumo.com

Chris Hughes, the Facebook co-founder, and the engine behind the MyBarackObama community organization site, is back in the start-up business.READ»

Facebook Chris Hughes Jumo.com

Chris Hughes, the Facebook co-founder, and the engine behind the MyBarackObama community organization site, is back in the start-up business.READ»

Dotz Successfully Launches New Brand of Cord Management Products

 Dotz™ successfully launches new brand of cord management products.After working in both the corporate and consultant settings, successfully designing and launching client’s products, designer Micah Maraia felt the time ...READ»

ARIZ   |  Comment

On "A Problem-Solver's Guide"

"A Problem-Solver's Guide to Copycatting" is an article by Dan Heath and Chip Heath for Fast Company. The article looks at how P&G explored biomimicry with the aid of the San Diego Zoo for innovation inspiration.  They state, ...READ»

30 Dumb Inventions

Life's title, 30 Dumb Inventions, almost says it all.A curved machine gun?Babies in cages hanging outside of windows?Illuminated tires?A good reminder - not all innovation is good! READ»

DESIGN   |  Comment

DIY Breakfast Machine Whips Up Eggs, OJ, and More

Public design laboratory Platform 21 unveiled something awfully tasty in Amsterdam this week, a Rube-Goldberg device that harnesses simple mechanics to make (drumroll, please...) breakfast! Japanese artist Masa Kimura teamed up ...READ»

Fast History: Thomas Edison Ignites the Movie Business, 1897

Though most famous for his Promethean invention of the light bulb, Thomas Edison patented the Kinetoscope 112 years ago today, igniting the medium that became the motion picture industry. While the Kinetoscope allowed only a single ...READ»

International Development Design Summit

Most global-poverty workshops share a tedious format -- lots of yakking, little action. But at this monthlong MIT-organized event, delegates won't just lament third-world woe; they'll create real devices to improve life for the ...READ»

BUSINESS   |  Comment

Intel's Long-Term Plan: Spend Money to Make Money

When it comes to economic crisis, grizzled veterans like Intel have stared into the abyss before and lived to tell the tale. We look at how several giants are approaching today's meltdown with distinctive strategies for not only surviving but also thriving.READ»

EDUCATION   |  Comment

Prepare students for what they want to do: examples of best-in-class courses that inspire invention and innovation

Gone are the days when undergraduate students learned theory without the opportunity to practice and apply the lessons learned.  Today, more and more students are attracted to, and inspired by, solving real world problems and ...READ»

EDUCATION   |  Comment

TechShop: a place to learn, network and invent

Last month I visited TechShop in Portland, OR. For those not familiar with TechShop, imagine a machine shop with a start-up incubator culture operating under a fitness club membership structure. If you’re a recently laid-off ...READ»

Memes From My Father—Silly Internet Fun with Barack Obama's Life Story

If you thought a pot-smoking Olympic athlete was bad, wait until you hear a trash-talking President. Call it Memes from My Father–the latest Internet sensation involves silly fun with Barack Obama’s life story.READ»

Shark Fin Infuser, Possibly The Most Evil Tea-Maker Ever

Sharky is a floating tea-infuser that looks like a shark fin marauding through the dangerous waters of your tea mug that simultaneously releases streamers of steeped tea that look suspiciously like the detritus after a nasty shark ...READ»