I won’t pretend to be familiar with the European Inventor Award myself, but according to the European Patent Office, “it pays tribute to the men and women whose quest for new ideas drives technological progress and economic growth, shapes society and improves our daily lives.”
Fifteen inventors are in the running for the award this year, and interestingly enough, one of the non-European inventors in the running is the U.S.-based team of Joseph M. Jacobson (pictured above) and Barrett Comiskey. Never heard of them? Me neither. But apparently they were the actual inventors of E Ink technology. E Ink displays, of course, have for many years now been the industry standard for dedicated e-reading devices, including the Kindle and the Nook.
If you’d like to learn more about the technical details behind the invention of electronic ink, click on over to this page, where you can also vote for Jacobson and Comiskey—or any of the other inventors up for the award—to win the first-ever “Popular Prize,” a category that’s being voted on entirely by the public, of course. Even better: Anyone casting their vote in the Popular Prize category will also have a chance to win one of three tablets—an Apple iPad, a Microsoft Surface (keyboard not included) or a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1.
And what if you don’t happen to be a fan of E Ink technology? Not to worry; there are a number of other interesting inventors up the Popular Prize award, including Switzerland’s Martin Schadt, the inventor of LCD technology (he’s up for a Lifetime Achievement award), and the five geniuses credited for coming up with the technology behind the beloved USB (Universal Serial Bus) stick.
Honestly though, I already know who I’m voting for: My two main men from Austria, Claus Hämmerle and Klaus Brüstle, the inventors of Blumotion. Never heard of it? It’s a “damper system that facilitates the smooth closing of furniture doors, drawers and wall cabinets.” Hell yeah! Blumotion, son!
