InventorSpot

Growing up amid the radioactive ashes of war, children in 1940s Hiroshima had little to smile about... until the Kabaya "Hippo Car" cruised through their shattered neighborhoods. Sixty-plus years on, an updated custom sound truck still roams city streets, dispensing sweet caramels to a new generation.

The King Tut sleeping bag keeps young princes or princesses snug as a pharaoh's mummy during each night's journey from dusk to golden dawn.

Tangram puzzles are still made and still played all over the world. But designer Daniele Lago has put together some elegant geometric shapes that you can play with on your walls, making real characters out of the components, and some extra storage room for books, cd's, office files, and curios.

As we have learned in the, past human hair can be recycled and used to make many creative things such as art and even clothes, but did you know it could also be used to clean up oil spills? It's true.

The Tokidoki Turntable Watch recalls the good old days of vinyl records and record turntables... without all the scratching, warping and bulky cardboard sleeves.

After seemingly taking modern fashion as far as it can possibly go, many in Japan are looking back to traditional styles of clothing. Take these distinctive "tabi" socks, for example, updated with pleasing colors and attractive patterns.

New results from the Wisconsin Sleep Cohort have found that sleep apnea is associated with a high risk of death.

Ever wondered what happened to the sports that didn't make it into the Summer Olympics? The following are just some that tried their best, but ended up only being classified as a demonstration sport.

Hans van Bentem, using fine Bavarian crystal and cutting techniques learned from generations of crystal makers, creates grandiose chandeliers for private and corporate clients, but van Bentem's works don't have the look or feel of their wide-skirted predecessors. They just may plant some new images of "chandeliers" in your mind.

Marco Morosini is a successful Italian artist and designer who expresses what he perceives around him through lively graphics, a line of clothing and accessories, poignant photographs of the Bosnian War, and just about anything he puts his attention to. Giving his wink and a nod to the god-like way dogs are treated in modern society, Morosini has created six godly temples to honor dogs in his series Dog Is A God®.

Baseball in Japan has evolved quite a lot since Horace Wilson first introduced the sport in 1872, yet foreigners still find many aspects of Japanese baseball confusing – not least the the odd names of the teams. Let's run down the dozen Nippon Professional Baseball league teams (without actually running them down) and clear up any misconceptions.

Part Two of Baseball in Japan Can Throw You a Curve looks at the six teams in NPB's Pacific League. The Pacific League corresponds to MLB's American League as a Designated Hitter is used – in the Central League, pitchers must hit. Leading off the sextet are the amusingly named Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, league champions in 2007.

An innovative new ad campaign for Cox & Kings Travel focuses on the company's longevity in the hopes of building trust in its services.

Naturally, NASA named the new-found galaxy after us, calling it the Baby Boom Galaxy. And, of course all the babies are stars! (We were always over-achievers!)

Water polo may seem like a boring water sport, but it's actually an interesting Olympic event any sports fan can dive into.

Despite being overshadowed by its popular variation, Beach Volleyball, the indoor sport has always attracted thousands of fans and created careers for students across the world.

When it comes to chasing evil spirits away from your home, there's nothing like a gargoyle. People think of gargoyles and dragons going with Medieval or Gothic design, but a gargoyle doesn't need to match anything else in your home, not in color or design. A gargoyle just has a place, in its own right, because it has a job to do; it's your security system.

Before the BBQs are lit or the bonfires set ablaze during this Fourth of July weekend, it might be nice to brush up on some American history. What better way to do that than to go back in time?

With summer gearing up, billions of people around the world are undoubtedly turning to a frosty, refreshing mug of beer. Not only is beer popular today, but it also has historical significance. Since its invention in ancient times, beer has been a favourite drink around the world.

If you remember your art history, Peter Paul Rubens was the 17th century Dutch artist best known for his paintings of cherubic children and voluptuously chubby young women. The Madam Rubens created by Frank Willems, a modern Dutch designer, is definitely voluptuous. She's in the form of a chair created from layers of recycled mattresses.