Got an idea you’ve dreamed up that you think would be awesome and would make you a billionaire, if only you could figure out how to make it work? Or maybe you have some crazy idea that would simply make the world a cooler place. Take it to Halfbakery.com. 

Halfbakery.com is a communal database of original, interesting, and sometimes outrageous inventions. This website is a place that you can submit your idea (as long as you’re not too serious about making it yourself and patenting it) and receive all kinds of feedback about whether or not it’s a good idea, things you could do to make it a more realistic possibility, or if some similar gadget already exists. There are several guidelines on the site that let you know what makes a good idea to post, and what stuff isn’t really needed. 

You can spend hours, even days sorting through all the crazy ideas on Halfbakery! (Its very distracting – trust me, I know). So we’ve decided to hunt down the best ideas on there and pump out a list for your enjoyment every month. 

So without further ado, here are our picks for August, which include the description and our comments (in green): 

RFID Golf Balls

This is simply a set of golf balls with an RFID chip that identifies one’s balls as belonging to them. The required RFID reader is attached to a golf club length stick that can be placed in a golfing bag, and can be swept over long grass to aid in the search of a lost ball.

We liked this one because it goes along with our blacklight golf ball finder idea! What’s next – GPS for golf balls?

Scooter Stick

This is a long handle, either light metal or plastic, with a wheel on the end and a space, near the wheel, for a foot to be inserted.

The handle is held in one hand and the foot on the same side is inserted. This allows a user to run and roll at the same time.

Holding the handle keeps the device stabilized and it can be adjusted during movement to maintain balance. This is smaller than a scooter and and easier to use than a skateboard. Perhaps the handle can be telescoping to enhance compactness.

So thats it, a long handle with a foot hold and a wheel.

This one just seemed fun, and like it’d be fairly simple to make. I’d use it. 

Color Shifting Sticky Notes

“way back when I was employed I used those little sticky notes

I’d have liked it if they shifted color gradually so I could tell when “must do” was getting old on a green yellow to white path

going from blue to white color seems possible with a microencapsulated version of “sunprints” chemicals; I think there are various color shift reactions that could be gradualized like this

if photosensitized like “sunprints”: as peroxide will develop these the microencapsulated free radicals could gradually change the microencapsulated potassium ferrocyanide sunprint chemical (nonpoisonous) to white

another version would be microencapsulated free radicals or perhaps pH adjustor plus slightly hygroscopic material plus any edible chemical like litmus that changes color with pH change that eventually bleaches to white

downside: ncr like paper is nasty n minimally recyclable

upside: management can walk near a workers desk to see at least vaguely how work is coming along

novel: “color changing sticky note” as well as “color changing “post it” note” have zero items at yahoo”

I use sticky notes a lot, and it does get hard to keep track of them. So not only would this just be plain cool, it’d make it easier to declutter your desk and get rid of out-of-date stickies!

Water Cooler Pet

“some idiot in our office (ahem) managed to force the new bottle of water onto the cooler without taking the plastic seal off, resulting in the sleeve being pushed up into the bottle.

Now, whenever we dispence water, it is drawn by the currents and bubbles, and resembles a carrier bag being blown in the wind.

Although I’m finding it irritating, I’m also mesmerised by its movement. Why not replace it with one of those little brightly coloured plastic fishes, to amuse the office and improve feng shui?

Bottles could contain different colour fishes, sometimes multiple fishes, and sometimes no fish at all, thus adding to the excitement of new water arriving.”

Another fun one, and something pretty easy to do (probably). Who wouldn’t want fun little fishies (or other sea creatures?!) floating around in their water cooler?

Hullaballoon

A personal airship both lofted and propelled, at a leisurely pace, by a series of balloons tethered to a conveyor belt which moves along the vertically-oriented perimeter of the longitudinal axis of the craft. Each balloon inflates as it moves from the underside of the ship, up around the prow, reaching peak inflation above the center of the ship. The balloons then deflate as they move around and down the backside.

This idea is at the top of Halfbakery’s “Best” section. It’s completely silly, and nowhere close to being feasible, but it seems to capture what halfbakery  is all about – imaginative, half-thought out hair-brained ideas!