Cool Prosthetics!

Why does it take a friend with a handicap to let me realise there's some serious cool developments in Prosthetics ?? Check these Fab examples of super high tech developments! And let's get these cool carts in the healtcare package!
I want a set of new eyes, nanonic inserts, memory extensions and tele- and data-vising ability!
And while where at, it gimme my facial passport too!

Ideabroker needs your help!

Ideabroker needs bloggers to help write or scout good articles on cool, innovative new business idea's! Can you write? Do you have your own view on: concepting, innovation, start-ups or new business? Humour? Then you're very welcome to blog your view here!
Send me an email jankarel@ideabroker.nl Subject: New ideabroker blogger.

Ideabroker is going global: Wanna host or run Ideabroker in your neck of the woods?
Let us know: info@ideabroker.nl Subject: Wanna run my own ideabroker.

Do you have lots of smart students with brilliant ideas,that need some help for the next step?
Let us know: school@ideabroker.nl Subject: Have students, need help.

Do you have a business and want to host a cool ideabroker session? (always good fun!)
Let us know: info@ideabroker.nl Subject: Have room, wanna host.

Do you do the same as we elswhere, almost the same or do you see a match for partnering?
Let us know: partner@ideabroker.nl Subject: Have site/org, wanna partner.

Do you want to invest in cool new ideas or companies? Want to coach young entrepreneurs?

We can't nor want to do it all by ourselves, so you're cordially invited to join our network!

Europe's Entrepreneurial Climate

Check BusinessWeek's excellent article on Europe's hot growth companies!
Some excerpts:
"Think Europe is inhospitable to small businesses? Think again. Thousands of entrepreneurs behind small, fast-growing companies are showing that good ideas, energy, and luck can overcome typically European burdens on entrepreneurship such as high taxation and heavy regulation" and " For the first time European governments -- from pro-business Netherlands (yeah right..!!) and Ireland to even the more state-heavy economies of France and Germany -- are starting to think seriously about how to unshackle the potential of these kinds of growth companies.

For example, Germany's Saarland, a region dotted with abandoned coal mines and foundries, is encouraging local university scientists to commercialize their discoveries by providing cheap office space, access to lab equipment, and crash courses in business fundamentals.
France has dramatically cut down the time and red tape it takes to start a business, and is giving tax breaks to jeunes entrepreneurs indépendents. It's the same story in Britain, where corporate taxes for small business where cut to 19% from 23%.

Even with all the changes, Europe has much catching up to do. For one, entrepreneurship is not a cultural norm: There are only half the number of companies in Europe as in the U.S. relative to the population, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, a research consortium. "Young people in Europe don't get encouragement from family and friends if they want to become entrepreneurs," says Paul Reynolds, an economist at Florida State University "And even if a family wants to help, they don't know anyone who has been an entrepreneur. There just aren't many examples."

So to help entrepreneurship along : Come on Mum and Dad , don't buy everything for the little rascals, but have'm sell lemonade, trade cartoonmagazine’s, anything to encourage them to make their own money!
And all you high and mighty governmental officials, cut the bullshit reports for a change, get away from behind those desks and start earning your money by helping your local entrepreneurs: ( swap places for a day with them for starters!! ), really stimulate innovation, and DO something!

NOW is the time!

Update: I just recieved this idea from idea-a-day.com: Introduce a 'Success Class' to high schools. The class would teach kids how to start a business and run one effectively, pointing out where regular school subjects such as math, languages and science can help. The class might also identify what each kid is truly good at and devise coursework to encourage these skills....These orgs are doing it already! Great!

Virtual Innovation fair

A virtual innovation fair is in the making! After your online social and business networks, your own virtual island or shop in 2ndlife, virtual office and avatars in msn, yahoo and sofort, you can now also sell or strot y'r innovative stuff virtually! All done in a-retro-stylie, you just hire a stand (only 15o euro) and wait until the fair starts! Would be cool to have your avatars walking around for you (i hate Fairs!!) checking a productdemo, get the usual info and goodies for you and hey bring some buttons home for me too! We'll be virtually present with Ideabroker, Fon and some other cool stuff too. See ya at the fair!

Fon Secures €18 Million from Skype, Sequoia & Google

FON today announced that it has secured €18 million funding from Index Ventures, Google, Sequoia Capital and Skype. The company also announced that Danny Rimer (Index Ventures), Mike Volpi (Cisco) Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis (Skype) joined the board.

Founded just three months ago by serial entrepreneur Martin Varsavsky, FON’s objective is to build a global WiFi network bottom up, with one million hot spots by 2010. To do this, FON users, or "foneros," are able to connect to the Internet via Fon WiFi hotspots provided by other foneros. For foneros, the development of the FON global network means they will be able to connect to the Internet safely and securely all around the globe. For service and application providers such as Skype and Google, the FON network makes their services more available. For ISPs, FON provides a way to expand their reach globally.

With a simple download-and-install approach, similar to Skype’s, FON is a secure “by-the-people, for-the-people” network. FON has registered 3,000 members since it went live with a beta of its service in November, 2005. The company plans to use its funding to grow the network of foneros and support the growth of WiFi worldwide, particularly in countries where broadband is currently unaffordable to most people.

FON will drive its revenue from a multi-tiered subscription model. Members sign up in one of three foneros categories: Linus, Bill or Alien.
Linuses share their home WiFi hotspot with the FON network and can use any FON hotspot for free.
Bill's share their WiFi hotspots with Alien members for a fee. Bills cannot roam the FON network for free.
Aliens pay to use the FON network on an as-needed basis. Fifty-percent of revenue generated from Aliens will be shared with Bills. Alien memberships are currently available on a free-trial basis.

“Aliens are at the heart of our business model,” said Varsavsky. “As we continue to grow, we will attract consumers for all three foneros categories and achieve our goal of creating a global WiFi nation. This is a great opportunity for ISP’s, bloggers, developers, early adopters, consumer electronics manufacturers and the ‘average Joe or Jane’ with a WiFi connection to make money by letting other foneros connect to the Net safely and simply.”

ISPs are already signing up to partner with FON. “As a leading ISP in Sweden, Glocalnet is happy to partner with FON .

Power Foneros
FON has attracted the likes of some of the technology communities’ leading advocates. The well regarded blogger/former newspaper columnist Dan Gillmor and telecom expert David Isenberg have already signed on to serve on the company’s board of advisors, as has Esther Dyson, the well-known blogger Joi Ito and many others. For a complete list check this