As a self-professed “knowledge junkie”, I have made it a habit to dig through the
TED Talks archives in search of a quick fix of wisdom for the past few years. For those of you who do not know, “TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design.” For the sake of doing my part to spread great ideas and inspire other designers, I have posted six TED videos of technologies that are simply amazing.
1. Eric Giler demos wireless electricity!
In this video, Giler unveils WiTricity (wireless electricity). This technology is cutting-edge and is sure to completely change how we use electronics in the near future. (10min 9sec)
2. Michael Pritchard’s Lifesaver Water-Purification Bottle
The Lifesaver Water-Purification Bottle design that has the potential to save millions of lives inexpensively. This video motivates me as a designer. (9min 32sec)
3. Pattie Maes demos the Sixth Sense
This wearable device may change the way we interact with our environment. Let your imagination go wild! (8min 42sec)
4. John La Grou Plugs Smart Power Outlets
This new technology tackles two big problems–house fires and energy conservation–with a few simple and inexpensive solutions. (4min 12sec)
5. David Merrill Demos Siftables
Siftables are tiny computer blocks that interact with each other to form interactive networks. There are hundreds of great applications for this product! This video is sure to be a jaw-dropper. (7min 9sec)
6. Zach Kaplan and Keith Schacht Demo Toys From The Future
The creators of Inventables.com demo some pretty incredible technologies that you may be able to incorporate into your next product concept. It is worth mentioning that this presentation is borderline annoying, however, I suggest you hang in there because a few of the technologies are sure to inspire. (15min 47sec)
