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Virtual Mirror: Try On Glasses on Your Computer

Posted: 10 May 2011 01:38 PM PDT

Japanese eyeglass company Zoff has launched a new service on their website allowing users to try on glasses using a augmented reality virtual mirror . Using any computer with a web browser and webcam, users align their heads with an area marked in the screen and the glasses appear like magic on the face on the screen. No matter how you twist and turn the glasses remain on the user’s face.

Here’s a subtitled video demo of the technology:

Today in Entrepreneurial History: May 10

Posted: 10 May 2011 01:23 PM PDT

Today in 1893, the tomato legally became a vegetable in the United States.

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in Nix v. Hedden that a tomato is a vegetable, not a fruit, under the Tariff Act of 1883.

Some background after the jump.

The Tariff Act of 1883 required a tax to be paid on imported vegetables, but not fruit. The case was filed as an action by John Nix, John W. Nix, George W. Nix, and Frank W. Nix against Edward L. Hedden, Collector of the Port of New York, to recover back duties paid under protest. Botanically, a tomato is a fruit because it is a seed-bearing structure growing from the flowering part of a plant.

At the trial the plaintiffs’ counsel, after reading in evidence definitions of the words ‘fruit’ and ‘vegetables’ from Webster’s Dictionary, Worcester’s Dictionary, and the Imperial Dictionary, called two witnesses, who had been for 30 years in the business of selling fruit and vegetables, and asked them, after hearing these definitions, to say whether these words had “any special meaning in trade or commerce, different from those read.”

During testimony, one witness testified that in regard to the dictionary definition:

“[the dictionary] does not classify all things there, but they are correct as far as they go. It does not take all kinds of fruit or vegetables; it takes a portion of them. I think the words ‘fruit’ and ‘vegetable’ have the same meaning in trade today that they had on March 1, 1883. I understand that the term ‘fruit’ is applied in trade only to such plants or parts of plants as contain the seeds. There are more vegetables than those in the enumeration given in Webster’s Dictionary under the term ‘vegetable,’ as ‘cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, potatoes, peas, beans, and the like,’ probably covered by the words ‘and the like.’”

Another witness testified that “I don’t think the term ‘fruit’ or the term ‘vegetables’ had, in March 1883, and prior thereto, any special meaning in trade and commerce in this country different from that which I have read here from the dictionaries.”[2]

Both the plaintiffs’ counsel and the defendant’s counsel made use of the dictionaries. The plaintiffs’ counsel read in evidence from the same dictionaries the definitions of the word tomato, while the defendant’s counsel then read in evidence from Webster’s Dictionary the definitions of the words pea, egg plant, cucumber, squash, and pepper. Countering this, the plaintiff then read in evidence from Webster’s and Worcester’s dictionaries the definitions of potato, turnip, parsnip, cauliflower, cabbage, carrot and bean.

The court unanimously decided in favor of the defense and found that the tomato was classified as a vegetable, based on the ways in which it is used, and the popular perception to this end. Justice Horace Gray, writing the opinion for the Court, stated that:

“The passages cited from the dictionaries define the word ‘fruit’ as the seed of plants, or that part of plants which contains the seed, and especially the juicy, pulpy products of certain plants, covering and containing the seed. These definitions have no tendency to show that tomatoes are ‘fruit,’ as distinguished from ‘vegetables,’ in common speech, or within the meaning of the tariff act.”

Think that defining tomatoes as vegetables by law is crazy? The European Union redefined carrots as fruits in 1999.

Video: How Not to Move Furniture

Posted: 10 May 2011 11:56 AM PDT

Of course it’s a fake, but it’s funny.

Tanning In Your Pool

Posted: 10 May 2011 11:00 AM PDT

Cheri Garcia started with an idea. How do you enjoy a beautiful day floating in the pool while getting the best tan possible? So, she created an inflatable device, called Luminous Envy, which enhances the tanning experience.

According to NBC DFW, she is getting ready to team up with a hotel chain to get her product noticed.

Clear on the top, and silver on the bottom, it’s meant to enhance a person's tan as they float.

“The reflective material built on the sides in the wings and underneath you, reflect the sunrays they redirect the sunrays so you get a more quick and even tan,” said creator Cheri Garcia.

Garcia got the idea while tanning in her aunt’s backyard. Useable on land or water, Garcia said the float cuts down tan time by about a third.

“On a weekly basis I have girls come over and I take their before and after pictures, mainly for marketing purposes, " Garcia said.

Photo by Luminous Envy

Reaching An Alternative Market Through Natural, Organic, And Eco Sales

Posted: 10 May 2011 10:20 AM PDT

The trend toward and eco-friendly lifestyle is always growing. People are beginning to care a little more about what is in their food, the ingredients in their moisturizer, and just how earth-friendly the products they buy really are. Individual sellers are popping up everywhere to help fill those needs, and Ecobold is giving them a place to sell those products.

Ecobold is a lot like a store. Although they do not sell any products of their own making, they help connect a variety of eco, natural, and organic sellers with people who are looking for those types of products. They also cut out the costs of a physical store by selling solely online. Anyone can surf in and find the products they need, and they help introduce customers to new products by featuring a daily discount.

Steffany Boldrini, the ‘green’ mind behind Ecobold, recently answered a few questions about her business and how sellers can list their own products.

Tell us a little about Ecobold.

Ecobold is a Silicon Valley-based online marketplace that makes it as easy as possible to buy and sell organic, natural and non-toxic products. To lower the barrier of finding such products, Ecobold hand selects items that keep you, your family, and the earth healthy, and features one recommended product per day with an informative video review and a steep 24-hour discount. In addition, Ecobold makes it easier to sell such products by offering merchants the best terms of any similar marketplace.

What inspired it?

I moved from Brazil 10 yrs ago where I was raised on a small ranch. From the beginning my mom made sure that the family ate healthy meals and cared for the environment. Even as a young child recycling was just a normal way of life for us. We recycled paper by throwing it on areas where the rain had caused erosion, and we had hike days to pick up remains of trash that ended up in what we called our "little forest". I’ve been passionate about educating consumers about the several chemicals that are in our products that can not only harm our health but our environment as well.

Tell us a little about some of the products you have featured to date.

One of the best sellers are the wool dryer balls which are 100% natural dryer balls that will not only save energy by drying clothes around 25% faster, but also won’t release any harmful ingredients, and will save consumers dozens of dollars from buying drying sheets that end up in landfills. Ours is about 2 years old and has been abused by several loads of laundry and still looks new! Another favorite are the organic health bars which only have organic ingredients, the bars are 55-74% raw, and they actually taste good.

How does someone go about selling their eco-friendly products on your website?

Very simple, sign up here and click “Add Product” we’ll make sure they meet our standards and you’ll see it live in a few hrs.

Approximately how long do the items stay listed?

The product/video of the day stays on the front page for 24 hrs along with its 24 hr steep sale price, but it remains available for sale on the site for as long as the seller wishes.

Do you have any plans to create and list some of your own eco-solutions?

No, we don’t want to compete with our sellers, we want them to be the stars and grow their business!

Do you have any goals that you’d like to accomplish over the next year or so?

Many! One of them is to bring awareness to 1% of the population towards the many nasty chemicals/ingredients that are inside their homes and give them affordable alternatives. I like to think of us as the bridge for the middle class to safe products, if that makes any sense.

What are some lessons your business has taught you?

That it’s hard to find great team members, that most of success is trying hard (very hard) and not giving up, and that you will have several ups and downs in your journey to “overnight success”.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

I’m very blessed to have the opportunity to be doing this right here and right now.

Do you have any advice that you’d like to give fellow eco-entrepreneurs that are just getting started?

Find a niche and do market research before starting anything, find out if people will want or use what you’re thinking of offering. Just a simple survey of 50 people can save you a couple of years and your savings account, and don’t worry, nobody will steal your idea ;)

Mompreneur Dabbling In A Little Of Everything

Posted: 10 May 2011 10:00 AM PDT

Jan Tiffany is the mom of two boys and the owner of three businesses.

With the help of her husband, Tiffany has successfully managed to grow three businesses while raising a family. According to The Charlotte Observer, her businesses started like many others: through a need.

Q. How did Jumpin Jacks begin?

We started Jumpin Jacks after the boys had their second- and third-year-old birthday parties. Their birthdays are 366 days apart and they have always shared a big backyard summer party. We called around for a moonbounce and found the local companies either 1. Do not return phone calls or 2. Have a disparity in prices, availability etc. The moonbounce that we ended up with was dirty and had duct tape on it.

Chuck and I both had decent full time jobs, but with both boys in day care (which was more than our house payment) we still needed additional income. After the less-than-favorable experience renting the moonbounce, Chuck decided we could probably offer a better service. He started the company from the ground up — name, logo, website, etc.

We bought one moonbounce. That was 2003. Now with four vehicles, three trailers and more than $75,000 in rental equipment, we are almost into our ninth year in business. Even through a struggling economy, the business has increased in revenue 20 percent year after year.

Q. Any advice you wish you’d had before you beginning your ventures?

Establish written policies, keep electronic files and backups! We created everything as we went along and should have been better organized (electronically).

Screenshot from Jumpin’ Jacks