Well it’s been a nice run There have been some ups and some downs but in the end we made it through. To be honest, I’m pretty happy it’s over just because I completely ran out of ideas a couple of weeks ago and my inventions have only gotten worse with time. So I want to say that I saved the best for last….but I can’t. I’m literally out of ideas. My brain is fried. Give me a couple of minutes.

Alright got it. My feet hurt. Penn state has a huuuuuuge campus so walking has become a religion for most of the students who opt out of the not so reliable loops and links. Not to mention walking to frats in high heels? That’s a one-way street to blisters and lots of uncomfortableness. So, what’s the remedy? Well everyone knows how good massages feel! But I have class and work and homework and procrastination to do, I don’t have time to get foot massages all the time! Well, that problem is gone thanks to Shoessages! This new and ingenious invention is a constant massage on your feet! Our slogan you ask? They’re toetally comfortable! Never again do walks have to be uncomfortable and painful. Now you can be in your own personal spa whenever you walk around!

Basically how I imagine it is like one of those chairs at a nail salon but on your feet. There will either be a little remote or maybe even a bracelet where you will be able to set the pace and intensity. Not only that, but the shoes will be super stylish of course. Not going to lie, but making these shoes would be an amazing feet. (#foothumor)

Nobody likes to get hurt. After our booboos and owchies all we want is to put on a bandaid and hope that it heals soon, right? Of course! Well wouldn’t it be nice to know when we’re all healed up? That is why the newest invention I have is going to change the nation and healing process forever. It’s a bandaid, but not any type of average bandaid. This bandaid has color changing abilities. So you just would put it on, and it would be maybe a red color. Using some complicated science that I don’t understand, the bandaid would then be able to sense as your body is healing itself. As your wounds get better, the bandaid would then turn colors to become a nice blue. When you see that color, you know that youre ready to take it off and let your skin breathe again!

But wait! Oh no! Is that an infection? Well you don’t have to worry about if you have one of those anymore, because these bandaids will be able to tell you! If they turn green you know that well….you’re in trouble. You should probably go to the doctor. So yeah that’s bad news but at least you still have your cool color changing bandaids!

Now what’s the name of this amazing invention you ask? Well it’s not the best but coloraid! But check out the slogan: Don’t have a blandaid bandaid- try coloraid! Now I’m no marketing specialist but I’m pretty sure that alone will make it sell thousands or millions. So I’m not encouraging you to get hurt, but if you do, try a coloraid! (if they existed)

Nothing compares to the smell of freshly baked cookies. That’s not an opinion, it’s a fact. I mean how many times have you walked into your house and been bombarded by the delicious aroma of some baked dessert by mom or dad? (Remember it’s the 21^st century, dads cook too!) Well coming from a family that LOVES food, I can tell you my nostrils have been quite spoiled over the years. So that really got me thinking, that’s not fair. Why I am the special one who gets these joys? I bet that a lot of my friends have never had that benefit. So that’s where my idea comes in. Sending smells.

I imagine it as a snapchat sort of thing, but for smells. Snapsmell perhaps? Smellagram? Now don’t ask me how this would be done, because I obviously have no idea. I mean I’m no scientist. But if you think about, what’s a phone? It’s a device you use to send sounds. So it only makes sense that there should be a device to send smells. Think of how easy it would become to buy the perfect perfume or flowers for that special someone. Or are you trying to get even with someone? Send them a skunk or garbage smells.

Clearly a lot of good (or bad) could come from my invention, but it would overall benefit society as a whole. As we bring the sense of smell between people together, we would be bringing unity all across the nation. Right?

Another aspect to this invention I would want to add is being able to save smells. For me, smells remind me of experiences more than anything else. For example, I went to Hawaii and went to a luau. I distinctly remember the strange smells of flowers mixed with a pig on the spit. Now, when I smell anything that smells somewhat similar (which I very rare) I am automatically brought back to that memory. I would love to be able to bottle up that scent and then smell it whenever I am nostalgic for Hawaii.

Basically, my thought is that photos don’t always cut it. Sometimes you need to use your other senses in order to really grasp a certain memory.

So its common knowledge that chameleons are really cool. In fact, one might go as far as to say they’re awesome. I mean, these reptiles can change colors! That basically almost makes them superior to humans. Anyway, my newest invention has to do with these crazy reptilian studs. But before I can tell you what the invention is, I first have to explain how a chameleon changes colors.

The science behind their color-changing abilities is pretty amazing to be honest. Firstly, the outermost layer of their skin is transparent. Then, beneath this, there are several more layers of skin that contain specialized cells that are called chromatophores. At each level, these chromatophores are filled with sacs of different kinds of pigment. The deeped layers have brown melanin, then blue pigment, then yellow, and then red. These pigments are usually locked inside tiny sacs within the cells, but when a chameleon changes its body temperature or mood, its nervous systems makes certain chromatophores expand or contract to change the color of the cell. This is how the chameleon is then able to produce vibrant colors and patterns.

Now that’s pretty amazing. But how amazing would it be if we had the same ability? My idea is to inject these chromatophores into human skin, in order to have color changing tattoos. This would be a complete breakthrough in body art. Imagine having a tattoo that turned red when you are angry or blue when you are cold. Really, the possibilities are endless.

Now clearly, I am no scientist. I have no idea how this would be done. I’m sure it’s more complicated than simply saying “take the cells of a chameleon and inject them in a human.” In fact, what I am saying may sound completely ludicrous to a biologist. However, I think that the idea is still strong. I have always been a huge fan of body art despite not having any tattoos of my own, but I think that color changing tattoos would add a whole new creative and personalized flair. I know I’ve always been a fan of things that changed color in the sun, (i.e. shirts, hair clips, nail polish) so that is where the inspiration comes from.

Yet again, my mind has been basically blank in terms of names. Chameleoos? Sounds too childish. Color changing tattoos? Boring. So again, the name is still in the works. However, with the sudden fad of flash tattoos, I think that color changing tattoos would easily catch on. So if any scientist or chameleon expert happens to be reading this, please contact me. Thanks!

I still cringe whenever I remember those hot summer days when I wore bright green sunglasses with huge square frames and bright pink sides.  I was so young, naive, and fashionably ignorant.  Looking back, that was not the style that I should have gone for.  I have somewhat of an angular face, so those square frames did nothing to soften the sharpness or balance the angels.  Instead, it just made me look like a pointy-headed freak to be honest.  Now, I know that I needed rounder frames with a smaller rim, in order to counteract my “strong” features.  Well  knowing this now does not fix the past unfortunately.  What would have helped me and had me avoid the embarrassment I now feel for my younger self, is my new app idea called Which Sunglasses Should I Buy?

Yeah, I know, the name is about equivalent to the Flavored Ice from the last post.  Well I’m still working on it, but if you have any suggestions please help a girl out.

Anywho, this app combines photo technology and the latest fashion trends to help YOU find your soulmate pair of sunglasses.  How it works, is you would take a picture of your face.  The app would then analyze the picture and would be able to tell you what face shape you have.  You would then input your hair and skin color and then VOILA!  You now have a personally picked pair of sunglasses that won’t leave you kicking yourself in the future.  If this app conglomerated with some actual stores, then I would even make it so that there is an option to buy it right through the app.  Stores would all want to be a part of it so they could get some advertising, and then my app would claim maybe .5% of the profits, or something like that.

Another feature I would have on it, is the ability to try on the glasses.  So once the app shows you a pair of glasses that would look good on you, you would then be able to put the glasses on the picture of your face that you took before.  If you don’t like how they look on you, try on another pair!  The options would be limitless.

So before you go and get the first pair that you see, use my app first and find out what would be the best personal pick for you.

Alright, let me tell you about a common but horrible experience that happens to me on occasion. So I don’t drink soda that much anymore since I’m trying to be healthy, so when I do I try to really enjoy it and make the most out of it. So I’ll be in a restaurant just sipping on my delicious coke, enjoying myself, before my food arrives. But I don’t want to drink it all before I get to my main course! So I lay off on drinking and wait until my food gets there. When my food arrives I usually get overexcited because, well, I’m obsessed with food. So after that first delectable bite, all I need is a swig of delightful coke to wash it all down. I take my glass, bring it to my mouth, and that’s when the tragedy begins…

Watered down coke….is that not the worst thing ever?!

I have soda so infrequently and now the entire coke drinking experience has been completely ruined by melted ice. Not only that, but how am I supposed to enjoy the rest of my meal after my whole drink experience has been ruined?! I may sound like I’m exaggerating, but this is probably one of the worst things to happen ever.

After having this happen to me many a time, I realized the time is now to end this melted ice tyranny. And that is where my newest invention comes in. So far I don’t have a creative name in place for it, so here’s its placeholder until I think of one: flavored ice. (Maybe Crazy Cubes? Cooling Flavor Blasters? I don’t know, it’s still in the workshop)

Think about it, a world where you don’t have to choose between watered down or lukewarm drinks. With flavored ice, when it melts you’ll be left with an explosion of flavor. For example, next time I drink soda I’ll put in some cherry ice cubes. Then, when they melt, it’ll be like I traded my coke for an even better cherry coke!

I know, it seems like a simple idea. Still, it solves a major inconvenience that everybody has unfortunately gone through, so I’m proud of it. It could come in all different flavors and would be sold in bags just like how ice is normally sold. Not only would it add a burst of flavor, but it would also fulfill its original job of keeping my drink at an optimal temperature. Amazing, I know.

So next time you drink your cold but watered down drink, just think of all the possibilities of flavored ice.

Continuing on the nature related apps path, I have come up with another app idea that could be life-changing for anyone with an iPhone. Let’s pretend you are the hiker from last week. You’re in your sleeping bag ready to finally slumber after a strenuous day of walking, climbing, and foraging for food (which is made easier using the app Can I Touch It?). You’re drifting away into dreamland until all of a sudden- ARW-WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

What was that?! A fox? A wolf? A dinosaur??? Unfortunately, there is no way to know. So you’re only options are to stay in your tent and possibly get eaten while you sleep or try to go outside and fight the beast.   Both of those choices seem quite unappealing.

Luckily, my invention can eliminate (somewhat) this entire dilemma! It is called Shazanimals and it is very similar to the now popular app Shazam. When a song plays that you like but do not know the name of, you put on Shazam. It then is able to find the name of the song just by listening to it. Shazanimals would do the same exact thing, except that it would tell you the name of the animal from the noise that it makes!

So now, when you’re in your tent and you hear that terrifying noise, just put on Shazanimals! If it tells you it’s a harmless owl, you can go to bed peacefully and without fear. If it tells you it’s a rabid hungry wolf, well, at least now you know that you’re in horrible danger.

Again, this idea is not perfect. Like the app from last week, the main problem would be that one does not usually have internet access when hiking. However, I would combat this by having a database in each state of the most common maybe 500 animal noises. This way the internet would not even be needed.

I am an avid user of Shazam and I know that a lot of other people are as well. Therefore, I think Shazanimals could really blow up with avid hikers and people who occasionally get lost in forests. It could even be an expansion pack to the original Shazam. Either way, you have to agree that the name is fantastic.

Alright, how many times has this happened to you? You’re in the woods for a life-changing hiking experience. You’re dirty, sweaty, tired, but happy being one with nature. What you aren’t happy about though, is your stomach which is grumbling so loudly it’s scaring all the animals. You’re starved. Now, you’re an experienced hiker, so you know a lot about what plants are edible and which ones will wind you up in the hospital. You’re ecstatic to see a leaf that you clearly remember is extremely delicious….or was it poisonous? With your hungriness so intense that it’s making you faint, it’s hard to remember if that plant is edible or not. What do you do?

Well, fear no more! This situation never has to happen to you if this new app I thought of became a reality. It’s called “Can I Touch It?” and it’s every hiker’s dream come true. How it works is you take a picture of the questionable specimen and using photo recognition technology it will tell you if it’s poisonous, edible, or neither. Just think of how useful something like that could be, especially to the less experienced hiker!

Of course with every amazing idea, comes a couple of faults. The main reason that Can I Touch It? isn’t already installed on millions of iPhones around the world, is because I have come to realize that hikers generally don’t bring phones with them when they are hiking. Or maybe they do? I’m not really sure, I’m not much of a hiking connoisseur myself. Not to mention, there’s probably not going to be any service where people are hiking so that can also cause some complications…

Either way, it’s an amazing app with a catchy name so it’s doubtful that it could fail. There would be other uses for it too. For example, I have a very wooded backyard with a lot of trees. When I was younger I loved climbing them and would do so constantly. But one day I guess I climbed on a tree that had poison ivy on it, and I can adamantly say that the rash that I endured for about a week was one of the most miserable experiences-ever. Well tree climbers, fear no more, just snap a picture of that tree beforehand and you’ll be smooth sailing.

Clearly, this is an app that could make hiking, tree-climbing, and other plant-oriented activities much safer and risk-free. Sure there are some faults, but what app is perfect? (Besides flappy bird, obviously)