Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Malaysia On the Hunt for 700,000 Missing Condoms
I don´t even know what to say...jaja
Somewhere en route to Tokyo from Malaysia, 700,000 ultrathin condoms disappeared. The condom maker, Sagami Rubber Industries, says that the crate containing the shipment was virtually empty.
The case containing the prophylactics has been apparently emptied and replaced with locks. Goods being shipped from Malaysia apparently often go missing, and are often inside jobs. The shipment, valued at $1.5 million, is being investigated by the Malaysian police, who, assuredly, are taking the matter “very seriously.”
But with Valentine's Day right around the corner, they ought to really consider if they want their condoms back.
Source: Time Magazine
Glow-in-the-Dark Surgery in The Works
This gives the phrase "lit from within" a whole new meaning.
A new, fluorescent liquid is being developed by researchers at the University of California's San Diego School of Medicine that would, once injected, cause a patient's nerves to "glow", allowing surgeons to more easily avoid nicking them during surgery.
The substance "consists of a protein fragment containing amino acids," according to the Daily Mail, and has been effective in preliminary experiments on mice, rendering nerves about ten times more visible to the naked eye than normal, with no known side effects.
One of the researchers, Professor Roger Tsien, said that the new liquid would be much more effective in outlining the nerves to avoid during surgery.
"The analogy I use is that when construction workers are excavating, they need a map showing where the existing underground electrical cables are actually buried, not just old plans of questionable accuracy," he said. "Likewise when surgeons are taking out tumours, they need a live map showing where the nerves are actually located, not just a static diagram of where they usually lie in the average patient."
Surgeons usually avoid nerves while operating guided solely by their knowledge of the human body. However, this can lead to problems as nerve location can vary slightly from one person to the next. Another method used to avoid nerves is electromyographic monitoring which uses electrodes to find major nerves but the smaller ones still go undetected.
The fluorescent liquid hasn't been through human testing yet, but if it proves successful the method could prevent the majority of accidental nerve damage during surgery.
Source: Time Magazine
Volkswagen Commercial: The Force
I´m not sure if I want a VW or a Darth Vader costume...but I can´t stop laughing at this commercial! Good stuff for the superbowl.
Archaeologists Find Trove of Tombs on Google Earth
That looks like a lot of fun...
Source: Time Magazine
Link: Archaeologists Find Trove of Tombs on Google Earth
Forget your shovel — you can now find ancient artifacts from the comfort of your desk.
David Kennedy, an archaeologist from the University of Western Australia has found thousands of potential archaeological sites in Saudi Arabia, simply by using Google Earth. He used the software to find 1082 "pendants" — tear-shaped stone tombs.
"[Saudi Arabia is] not the easiest country to break into," Kennedy said. Aerial photos are scarce for archaeologists, and few people can fly over the country. That's why Google Earth was such an important resource for exploring the territory.
Kennedy's Google Earth search found an area that may be up to 9,000 years old and has evidence of human activity. This comes three years after other Australian researchers found hundreds of Afghan artifacts through the software. Looks like clicking is the new digging.
Source: Time Magazine
Link: Archaeologists Find Trove of Tombs on Google Earth
NASA Releases First-Ever Image From Far Side of Sun
Forget the dark side of the moon...
Source: Time Magazine
Link: NASA Releases First-Ever Image From Far Side of Sun
After a new NASA breakthrough, we can now see the far side of the sun.
Why should we care about imaging the whole sun? According to Michael D. Lemonick over at TIME.com, we don't like the sun when it's angry. The star occasionally erupts masses of charged subatomic particles, which seriously mess with NASA.
These eruptions, known as coronal mass ejections, aren't enough to hurt the planet physically [...] What they can do is fry the electronics of communications satellites, and even put astronauts in danger of a radiation overdose. These electronic storms are part of the broader phenomenon known as "space weather," and it's good to have as much warning as possible when the Sun is looking angry.
A new spacecraft has made it possible to determine when coronal mass ejections happen, no matter where they occur on the sun's surface. And aside from potentially protecting astronauts, they also produce great video. Check out NASA's clip below
Source: Time Magazine
Link: NASA Releases First-Ever Image From Far Side of Sun
The Best Zero Calorie Flavour Boosters
Good stuff to have in the kitchen!!!
Want to boost nutrition and up your culinary game at the same time? Fresh herbs are the perfect prescription. They're packed with nutrients that have been shown to boost brainpower, increase your inner organ functionality, and protect you against diseases like asthma and arthritis. The best part is that knowing how to wield them well guarantees a super flavor boost to any meal you make. Delicious!
Basil
The Benefit: Basil is rich in antioxidants that mop up cell-damaging free radicals inside the body. This can help prevent a host of unwanted conditions, such as osteoporosis, arthritis, and high cholesterol. Basil also contains oils that prevent bacteria growth and inflammation
The Blueprint: Make fresh pesto by blending 2 cups fresh basil leaves with 2 tablespoons pine nuts, ¼ cup Parmesan, and ¼ cup olive oil.
Peppermint
The Benefit: Thank the menthol in peppermint for the plant's ability to clear phlegm and mucus from the bronchial tract to facilitate easy breathing. And also for soothing indigestion, gas, menstrual cramps, and irritable bowel syndrome.
The Blueprint: Brighten up a batch of fruit salad with a squeeze of lime and handful of chopped mint leaves.
Sage
The Benefit: Like rosemary, sage is known to strengthen memory. The rosemerinic acid in these plants also works to preserve your body by protecting your cells from oxidative damage and alleviating the effects of asthma and arthritis.
The Blueprint: For a quick pasta sauce, melt a pat of butter in a pan until it bubbles and turns light brown, then add a handful of whole sage leaves. Toss with store-bought cheese or pumpkin ravioli.
Rosemary
The Benefit: Call it the smart spice. Many people swear by rosemary's ability to increase cognitive functioning, and researchers in California have identified carnosic acid as an active ingredient in rosemary that can offset cognitive degeneration, protect against Alzheimer's, and prevent stroke.
The Blueprint: Mix together minced rosemary, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Use as a marinade for chicken, steak, pork, and vegetables.
Thyme
The Benefit: This tiny herb is extremely rich in iron, which is crucial to your body's ability to transport oxygen. Just 2 teaspoons contain 20 percent of your daily intake. Plus, seasoning with thyme helps protect food from bacterial contamination.
The Blueprint: Thyme is the ultimate utility player, pairing great with roasted meat and vegetables, tomato sauce, and scrambled eggs.
Cilantro
The Benefit: In mice studies, coriander seeds, from the cilantro plant, encouraged the pancreas to produce more insulin-the hormone that helps shuttle glucose into the cells to be burned as energy. This prevents excess blood sugars from being stored as fat. Cilantro leaves have the same benefits.
The Blueprint: Chop up a few tomatoes, an onion, and a jalapeño and mix with a heap of cilantro for a versatile fresh salsa.
Tarragon
The Benefit: By increasing the secretion of bile and acids into the stomach, tarragon improves gastric efficiency and whets the appetite. Because of this, it's best used early in the meal as an appetizer.
The Blueprint: Grill up a mixture of vegetables-onions, peppers, squash, asparagus-and sprinkle them with fresh goat cheese, tarragon, lemon juice, and olive oil.
Oregano
The Benefit: A USDA study found that when adjusted for weight, it had four times the antioxidant activity of blueberries. That means big cancer-fighting potential for your next pizza or pasta sauce.
The Blueprint: Add equal parts fresh parsley and oregano to a blender and, with the motor running, slowly drizzle in olive or canola oil. Strain and use the infused oil to top grilled fish or chicken or as a dip for toasted bread.
Parsley
The Benefit: These dainty leaves are highly concentrated with luteolin, a powerful flavonoid with anti-inflammatory properties. Researchers at the University of Illinios found that luteolin decreased inflammation in the brain, which helps prevent decline in cognitive functions.
The Blueprint: Chop a bushel and mix it with bulgur wheat. Add olive oil, lemon juice, and mint and you have a tasty tabbouleh salad to pair with grilled fish or meat.
Want to boost nutrition and up your culinary game at the same time? Fresh herbs are the perfect prescription. They're packed with nutrients that have been shown to boost brainpower, increase your inner organ functionality, and protect you against diseases like asthma and arthritis. The best part is that knowing how to wield them well guarantees a super flavor boost to any meal you make. Delicious!
Basil
The Benefit: Basil is rich in antioxidants that mop up cell-damaging free radicals inside the body. This can help prevent a host of unwanted conditions, such as osteoporosis, arthritis, and high cholesterol. Basil also contains oils that prevent bacteria growth and inflammation
The Blueprint: Make fresh pesto by blending 2 cups fresh basil leaves with 2 tablespoons pine nuts, ¼ cup Parmesan, and ¼ cup olive oil.
Peppermint
The Benefit: Thank the menthol in peppermint for the plant's ability to clear phlegm and mucus from the bronchial tract to facilitate easy breathing. And also for soothing indigestion, gas, menstrual cramps, and irritable bowel syndrome.
The Blueprint: Brighten up a batch of fruit salad with a squeeze of lime and handful of chopped mint leaves.
Sage
The Benefit: Like rosemary, sage is known to strengthen memory. The rosemerinic acid in these plants also works to preserve your body by protecting your cells from oxidative damage and alleviating the effects of asthma and arthritis.
The Blueprint: For a quick pasta sauce, melt a pat of butter in a pan until it bubbles and turns light brown, then add a handful of whole sage leaves. Toss with store-bought cheese or pumpkin ravioli.
Rosemary
The Benefit: Call it the smart spice. Many people swear by rosemary's ability to increase cognitive functioning, and researchers in California have identified carnosic acid as an active ingredient in rosemary that can offset cognitive degeneration, protect against Alzheimer's, and prevent stroke.
The Blueprint: Mix together minced rosemary, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Use as a marinade for chicken, steak, pork, and vegetables.
Thyme
The Benefit: This tiny herb is extremely rich in iron, which is crucial to your body's ability to transport oxygen. Just 2 teaspoons contain 20 percent of your daily intake. Plus, seasoning with thyme helps protect food from bacterial contamination.
The Blueprint: Thyme is the ultimate utility player, pairing great with roasted meat and vegetables, tomato sauce, and scrambled eggs.
Cilantro
The Benefit: In mice studies, coriander seeds, from the cilantro plant, encouraged the pancreas to produce more insulin-the hormone that helps shuttle glucose into the cells to be burned as energy. This prevents excess blood sugars from being stored as fat. Cilantro leaves have the same benefits.
The Blueprint: Chop up a few tomatoes, an onion, and a jalapeño and mix with a heap of cilantro for a versatile fresh salsa.
Tarragon
The Benefit: By increasing the secretion of bile and acids into the stomach, tarragon improves gastric efficiency and whets the appetite. Because of this, it's best used early in the meal as an appetizer.
The Blueprint: Grill up a mixture of vegetables-onions, peppers, squash, asparagus-and sprinkle them with fresh goat cheese, tarragon, lemon juice, and olive oil.
Oregano
The Benefit: A USDA study found that when adjusted for weight, it had four times the antioxidant activity of blueberries. That means big cancer-fighting potential for your next pizza or pasta sauce.
The Blueprint: Add equal parts fresh parsley and oregano to a blender and, with the motor running, slowly drizzle in olive or canola oil. Strain and use the infused oil to top grilled fish or chicken or as a dip for toasted bread.
Parsley
The Benefit: These dainty leaves are highly concentrated with luteolin, a powerful flavonoid with anti-inflammatory properties. Researchers at the University of Illinios found that luteolin decreased inflammation in the brain, which helps prevent decline in cognitive functions.
The Blueprint: Chop a bushel and mix it with bulgur wheat. Add olive oil, lemon juice, and mint and you have a tasty tabbouleh salad to pair with grilled fish or meat.
Can Social Networking Keep Students In School?
Pretty good atricle by Larry Abramson from NPR.org via Change the Equation (Facebook Academic Project). Click on the bottom link to check out the video and the rest of the article.
Last fall, students were psyched to be starting school at Coppin State University in Baltimore.
But if history is any guide, 40 percent of them will disappear before next year — victims of this school's low retention rate.
This is the time of year when students are wondering whether they will get accepted to the college of their choice. But many colleges and universities are asking themselves another question: How can we hold onto students once they're enrolled?
But schools are now trying to keep students coming back with a new twist on a familiar tool — social networking.
A School-Based Facebook
Peer support means a ready network of friends. Only students can gain entry to these sites, and they're invited in the moment they are accepted to a school. The feel is supposed to be small and intimate, unlike schools' fan sites on Facebook, which are open to everyone and don't inspire much networking.
Merging Social And Academic Lives
School clubs can also use this technology to recruit and discuss campus issues. The sites are there for students, not for administrators.
Schools pay what they say is a nominal fee for Inigral to build the site. Colleges and universities hope they will get paid back through greater student engagement and higher retention rates. Ultimately, that saves schools money because they don't have to replace all of those dropouts.
Hard To Measure The Impact
It will be tough to show whether these efforts played any direct role in students' decision to stay or go — that's a subject for future research. And, of course, many students are out of reach for this and other approaches.
"That's something that they have to be proactive about," she says. "So, the Facebook app can be there. But unless you're being proactive and you want to go out and look for things like that — it's really on the student."
Source: NPR.org
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Video: Un Techo Para Mi Pais es...with English subtitles jaja
For all of you that have never heard of the "Un Techo para Mi Pais" ("A Roof for my Country") organization, here is a video with English subtitles so you can get to know us and the cause that we work for.
Y para todos los que si saben hablar español perfectamente bien, este mensaje es para llenarlos de alegria y voluntad para querer empezar o seguir trabajando para su país que lo llama y para su gente que lo necesita.
Y para todos los que si saben hablar español perfectamente bien, este mensaje es para llenarlos de alegria y voluntad para querer empezar o seguir trabajando para su país que lo llama y para su gente que lo necesita.
Hay construcciones del 24 al 27 de Febrero...quien se quiere apuntar? ;)
Vostok scientists frozen out of own experiment
Oh yeah, just for the record: Vostok is in Antartica. Happy reading!
Lake Vostok is, not to put too fine a point on it, big. The largest of more than a hundred sub-glacial lakes, it forms an area of 15,690 square kilometres (roughly the same as Lake Ontario) buried under 4,000 metres of pack-ice. Or at least it was, until scientists discovered it in 1973, and began drilling like white-coated woodpeckers. But now, with just 50 metres of ice left to penetrate, a race against time is a foot.
For while scientists are tantalizingly close to their goal of dipping a toe in the 15,000,000-year-old water, they have a deadline: February 6th. This is when the last plane takes off from Vostok station where they’re based: get a seat on that, or face a winter of minus 80º temperatures, with nothing to keep them entertained besides the middle two Harry Potter books and hooky R5 copy of Lord of the Rings.
The scientists have been close to their goal since 1996, but had to stop and solve the problem of mixing the new with the very old.
”We had to stop because of the concerns of possible contamination of the lake,” explained Alexey Ekaikin, a member of the current expedition.
They will now drill until a sensor detects free water, then pull out to regulate pressure so water from the lake will be sucked up and freeze, plugging the hole and avoiding contamination.
They have already discovered micro-organisms frozen in the ice. And while they didn’t say as much, they’re almost definitely expecting to find dinosaurs to be living on some kind of subterranean island. Hey – maybe even the big guy from Cloverfield.
Source: Project Magazine
8 Million-Dollar Businesses You've Never Heard Of
The lightcube thing and the playground are on the top of my list!
Rent-A-Green Box
Huntington Beach, Calif.
Entrepreneur: Spencer Brown
Product/Service: Environmentally friendly moving supplies, delivery and pickup
Start Date: 2005
Startup Costs: $7 million
Revenue: $2.6 million in 2009
Think about all the paper waste involved in moving, what with those dozens of boxes and reams of newsprint padding. That's why Brown invented Recopacks, sustainable containers dropped off a week before you move in and picked up a week after--all for less than the time and effort to buy boxes and tape on your own. A successful product designer, Brown put up all the startup capital. "I'm all in on this thing," he says. In January Brown plans to begin franchising the concept in 38 states.
Entrepreneur: Spencer Brown
Product/Service: Environmentally friendly moving supplies, delivery and pickup
Start Date: 2005
Startup Costs: $7 million
Revenue: $2.6 million in 2009
Think about all the paper waste involved in moving, what with those dozens of boxes and reams of newsprint padding. That's why Brown invented Recopacks, sustainable containers dropped off a week before you move in and picked up a week after--all for less than the time and effort to buy boxes and tape on your own. A successful product designer, Brown put up all the startup capital. "I'm all in on this thing," he says. In January Brown plans to begin franchising the concept in 38 states.
Stave Puzzles
Norwich, Vt.
Entrepreneur: Steve Richardson
Product/Service: Hand-made wooden jigsaw puzzles.
Start Date: 1974
Startup Costs: About $5,000
Revenue: $2.5 million in 2009
Ranging in price from $125 to $5,000, these puzzles are made of cherry wood, covered with a dry-mounted image drawn by one of 100 licensed artists, and individually hand-cut into as many as 2,500 pieces. Bill Gates has one, and Barbara Bush gave another as a gift to Queen Elizabeth. "We try to make them hard to put together," said 71-year-old Richardson, who calls himself the company's chief tormentor.
Stave PuzzlesNorwich, Vt.
Entrepreneur: Steve Richardson
Product/Service: Hand-made wooden jigsaw puzzles.
Start Date: 1974
Startup Costs: About $5,000
Revenue: $2.5 million in 2009
Ranging in price from $125 to $5,000, these puzzles are made of cherry wood, covered with a dry-mounted image drawn by one of 100 licensed artists, and individually hand-cut into as many as 2,500 pieces. Bill Gates has one, and Barbara Bush gave another as a gift to Queen Elizabeth. "We try to make them hard to put together," said 71-year-old Richardson, who calls himself the company's chief tormentor.
Entrepreneur: Steve Richardson
Product/Service: Hand-made wooden jigsaw puzzles.
Start Date: 1974
Startup Costs: About $5,000
Revenue: $2.5 million in 2009
Ranging in price from $125 to $5,000, these puzzles are made of cherry wood, covered with a dry-mounted image drawn by one of 100 licensed artists, and individually hand-cut into as many as 2,500 pieces. Bill Gates has one, and Barbara Bush gave another as a gift to Queen Elizabeth. "We try to make them hard to put together," said 71-year-old Richardson, who calls himself the company's chief tormentor.
Litecubes
San Diego
Entrepreneur: Carl VanderSchuit
Product/Service: Fake ice cubes that glow
Start Date: 2001
Startup Costs: About $100,000
Revenue: $1.3 million in 2009
Photographer VanderSchuit began toying with putting low-power LED lights in the acrylic ice cubes used in beverage ads. Not long after, battery-powered Litecubes became a corporate-party sensation. Now VanderSchuit is introducing a line of LED-lit glassware for the consumer market. Next up, he says: "light-up" straws and a lit-brim hat.
Entrepreneur: Carl VanderSchuit
Product/Service: Fake ice cubes that glow
Start Date: 2001
Startup Costs: About $100,000
Revenue: $1.3 million in 2009
Photographer VanderSchuit began toying with putting low-power LED lights in the acrylic ice cubes used in beverage ads. Not long after, battery-powered Litecubes became a corporate-party sensation. Now VanderSchuit is introducing a line of LED-lit glassware for the consumer market. Next up, he says: "light-up" straws and a lit-brim hat.
Sky Zone
Las Vegas
Entrepreneur: Rick Platt
Product/Service: Arenas covered with trampolines
Start Date: 2009
Startup Costs: About $2 million
Revenue: $3 million-plus in 2009
Cover five of the six sides of a gymnasium-size room with seamless trampolines and what do you get? People bouncing off the walls with excitement. Platt's three Sky Zones are hives of birthday parties, corporate events, three-dimensional dodgeball tournaments and rabid trampoliners willing to pay up to $12 an hour. He aims to begin franchising in 2011.
Entrepreneur: Rick Platt
Product/Service: Arenas covered with trampolines
Start Date: 2009
Startup Costs: About $2 million
Revenue: $3 million-plus in 2009
Cover five of the six sides of a gymnasium-size room with seamless trampolines and what do you get? People bouncing off the walls with excitement. Platt's three Sky Zones are hives of birthday parties, corporate events, three-dimensional dodgeball tournaments and rabid trampoliners willing to pay up to $12 an hour. He aims to begin franchising in 2011.
Geese Police
Howell, N.J.
Entrepreneur: Dave Marcks
Product/Service: Geese abatement using collies
Start Date: 1987
Startup Costs: About $3,000
Revenue: Estimated $2.5 million in 2010
Every Roadrunner has his Wile E. Coyote, and for golf-course superintendent Marcks, geese were the mortal enemy. Their incessant droppings vexed golfers and "fowled" water hazards, and he couldn't get rid of them. Then he discovered that border collies--an intelligent and persistent dog breed--are great at banishing the big birds for good. His elite force now includes 33 animals.
Entrepreneur: Dave Marcks
Product/Service: Geese abatement using collies
Start Date: 1987
Startup Costs: About $3,000
Revenue: Estimated $2.5 million in 2010
Every Roadrunner has his Wile E. Coyote, and for golf-course superintendent Marcks, geese were the mortal enemy. Their incessant droppings vexed golfers and "fowled" water hazards, and he couldn't get rid of them. Then he discovered that border collies--an intelligent and persistent dog breed--are great at banishing the big birds for good. His elite force now includes 33 animals.
BlackSocks
Zürich, Switzerland
Entrepreneur: Samuel Liechti
Product/Service: Sock subscriptions
Start Date: 1999
Startup Costs: $30,000
Revenue: $5 million in 2009
BlackSocks will ship you a batch of Italian-made, knee-high or calf-length cotton or cashmere/silk dress socks, automatically, several times a year, starting at $89 for nine pairs. Each new "sockscriber" receives a calculation of how much time he will save by not making sock purchases: about 12 hours every year, or three weeks in the lifetime of an average Swiss male, expected to reach age 82. Liechti brought his "sock-scription" service to the U.S. in 2005. Two years later BlackSocks began selling subscriptions for underwear. Liechti now boasts 60,000 active customers in 74 countries. BlackSocks opened a New York office last year.
Entrepreneur: Samuel Liechti
Product/Service: Sock subscriptions
Start Date: 1999
Startup Costs: $30,000
Revenue: $5 million in 2009
BlackSocks will ship you a batch of Italian-made, knee-high or calf-length cotton or cashmere/silk dress socks, automatically, several times a year, starting at $89 for nine pairs. Each new "sockscriber" receives a calculation of how much time he will save by not making sock purchases: about 12 hours every year, or three weeks in the lifetime of an average Swiss male, expected to reach age 82. Liechti brought his "sock-scription" service to the U.S. in 2005. Two years later BlackSocks began selling subscriptions for underwear. Liechti now boasts 60,000 active customers in 74 countries. BlackSocks opened a New York office last year.
DNA 11
Ottawa, Ontario
Entrepreneurs: Adrian Salamunovic and Nazim Ahmed
Product/Service: DNA artwork
Start Date: 2005
Start-up Costs: $2,000
Revenue: $1.4 million in 2009
Best friends Salamunovic and Ahmed blend science and medicine with modern art. With a simple cheek swab, they collect enough organic matter to create an image of human DNA using equipment similar to the machines Ahmed used to sell for a Canadian biotech firm. After selling a few prints to family and friends, the twosome was invited to showcase their work at an Absolut Vodka-sponsored party in Ottawa's SOHO neighborhood. An 8"x10" mini-DNA portrait goes for $200, while a 36"x54" wall canvas garners $1,300. The Museum of Modern Art features DNA 11 art in its museum stores in New York and Tokyo.
Entrepreneurs: Adrian Salamunovic and Nazim Ahmed
Product/Service: DNA artwork
Start Date: 2005
Start-up Costs: $2,000
Revenue: $1.4 million in 2009
Best friends Salamunovic and Ahmed blend science and medicine with modern art. With a simple cheek swab, they collect enough organic matter to create an image of human DNA using equipment similar to the machines Ahmed used to sell for a Canadian biotech firm. After selling a few prints to family and friends, the twosome was invited to showcase their work at an Absolut Vodka-sponsored party in Ottawa's SOHO neighborhood. An 8"x10" mini-DNA portrait goes for $200, while a 36"x54" wall canvas garners $1,300. The Museum of Modern Art features DNA 11 art in its museum stores in New York and Tokyo.
PetRelocation.com
Austin, Texas
Entrepreneur: Kevin O'Brien and Angie O'Brien
Product/Service: Pet travel
Start Date: 2004
Start-up Costs: $97,000
Revenue: Estimated $4 million in 2010
This husband-and-wife team sold a doggy day-care business to get into the pet-moving game. Initial investments included a new van, Google ads, a website and a $300 membership to IPATA, an international trade association of animal handlers. The couple claims it can move any live animal, anywhere around the world--say, a dog from Seattle to Shanghai, mole rats from South Africa to San Antonio and dart frogs from Switzerland to the U.S. It's a turn-key service, covering airline bookings, blood tests, vet check-ups, logistics, customs and quarantine.
Entrepreneur: Kevin O'Brien and Angie O'Brien
Product/Service: Pet travel
Start Date: 2004
Start-up Costs: $97,000
Revenue: Estimated $4 million in 2010
This husband-and-wife team sold a doggy day-care business to get into the pet-moving game. Initial investments included a new van, Google ads, a website and a $300 membership to IPATA, an international trade association of animal handlers. The couple claims it can move any live animal, anywhere around the world--say, a dog from Seattle to Shanghai, mole rats from South Africa to San Antonio and dart frogs from Switzerland to the U.S. It's a turn-key service, covering airline bookings, blood tests, vet check-ups, logistics, customs and quarantine.
Check out the full 20 through the link below ;)
Source: Forbes.com
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