belly

Mom crowdsources baby name for $5,000

Some decisions in life are very hard.

Which flavor of ice cream truly is your favorite? Should you eat goat's cheese rather than cow cheese because goats have beards? If you buy shoes with skulls on them, will someone think you're a necrophiliac?

And then there's naming your baby.

Some choose the easy way out. There are names handed down through their family, saving the need to buy baby-name books. Some try -- and even succeed -- to be creative, as was the case with my favorite Starbucks barista's mom who decided to name her little girl Kurshina.

Then there are those for whom it's all too much -- or something. They just wish someone else would take the decision and give them, say, $5,000.

That seems to be the case with 26-year-old Natasha Hill. She won a competition on the baby-naming site Belly Ballot for the privilege of having complete strangers choose her little one's name. (The little one is due in September.) … Read more

Andreessen Horowitz bets $10M on customer loyalty startup Belly

The rush to replace paper loyalty cards with app equivalents is on, and one of the hottest in the race -- Chicago-based Belly -- has just won a big nod of support.

Venture firm Andreessen Horowitz is investing $10 million in Belly, which the company will use to conquer new markets and keep up its pace of signing on more than 100 local merchants per week. Belly, which is currently available in six cities, today is launching in New York and Boston.

The $10 million investment, a series B round, comes with some star power. Andreessen Horowitz partner Jeff Jordan, … Read more

Jelly Belly phone cases: Scratch 'n' sniff your iPhone

I've often heard it said that smell is the most powerful of our five senses. I just never thought I would be inhaling the luscious fruity scent of my smartphone case.

You may soon catch people huffing their iPhones, BlackBerrys, and iPods, however, with the release of ESI's Jelly Belly line of cases. This is scratch 'n' sniff for the tech crowd.

The plastic cases come scented with one of five popular Jelly Belly flavors: Strawberry Cheesecake, Very Cherry, Blueberry, Licorice, and Berry Blue. What, no Root Beer? That's my favorite.… Read more

Solar panel powers clever dumpster's controls

You may have seen solar panels attached to parking meters or highway traffic signals. Now there dumpsters powered, at least a bit, by solar panels.

Waste Management last week said that it has developed a product called the SmartEnergy Compactor that uses a solar panel to operate the controls of a compacting dumpster.

The dumpster can also be remotely monitored to indicate how full it is, which can save fuel in unnecessary disposal truck runs.

The technology behind the electronic control system originated at Big Belly Solar, which makes public trash and recycling bins equipped with solar panels that power … Read more

Jelly Belly-wrapped Mitsubishi EV's sweeten Chicago candy expo

Electric vehicles are sweeter than ever now that four Mitsubishi i vehicles, wrapped in Jelly Belly graphics, have invaded the Sweets & Snacks Expo 2011 in Chicago.

The Mitsubishi i vehicles, along with a pair of Mitsubishi Outlander crossovers, were whipping around the Windy City on Monday and Tuesday showing off for attendees of the Sweets & Snacks Expo.

About 500 companies and more than 15,000 national and international confectionery and snack industry professionals attend the trade show each year.

The Mitsubishi i will be available for test drives at Mitsubishi dealers beginning in November. The EV has a … Read more

Radiation-shielding garb now includes Belly Band

A few months after launching its RadiaShield maternity clothing line online and in San Francisco, Belly Armor is expanding its line to include the Belly Band, to be worn over or under outfits during pregnancy.

The band, which comes in four colors and one size, is available through the company Web site for $59. The Singapore- and New York-based company describes the latest addition to its product line as follows:

Protect your baby from everyday radiation during your pregnancy, while complementing any outfit. A maternity essential, the flattering Belly Band feels like second skin. Go about your day freely and stylishly with the peace of mind of RadiaShield protection. Wear under or over clothes throughout your pregnancy, with larger side fully covering your belly.

According to the company, RadiaShield fabric is machine washable, soft to the touch, and lighter than the cotton found in most T-shirts. It utilizes an effect known as a Faraday cage, neutralizing incoming radiation in a way similar to a grounding wire neutralizing an electric current.… Read more

'Belly Armor' expands maternity apparel line to SF

Back in 2008, Ronald Herberman, director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, had an announcement to make:

[There is a] growing body of literature linking long-term cell phone use to possible adverse health effects, including cancer. We shouldn't wait for a definitive study to come out, but err on the side of being safe rather than sorry later.

Herberman joined a growing chorus of cancer and radiation experts who, without yet establishing a definitive causal relationship between cell phone use and cancer, warns that it's too soon to know for sure how safe cell phones are, especially … Read more

Waste Management juiced by solar trash cans

Who knew America's mayors were so interested in trash?

Garbage removal heavyweight Waste Management announced this week at the U.S. Conference of Mayors that it will distribute BigBelly Solar's solar-powered trash compactor in North America.

Waste Management expects to sell them to municipal governments and other organizations responsible for garbage at public places, such as sports venues. Fifteen of the BigBelly Solar units are installed at a retail center adjacent to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., home of the New England Patriots. Numerous cities and towns in the U.S. have also purchased them.

The BigBelly Solar … Read more

BigBelly Solar compactor now squeezes recycling

It was only a question of time. BigBelly Solar has expanded its product line with a solar-powered compactor for recyclables.

The Needham, Mass.-based company first started selling trash cans with a small 30-watt solar panel on the top that powers a compactor a couple of years ago.

Municipalities have been buying them to cut down on the number of trips that garbage handlers need to make. That cuts down on fuel costs (garbage trucks get about 2.5 mpg) and reduces street congestion and pollution.

There's also the "green PR" when people see the solar panel … Read more

BigBelly Solar trash compactor gets sleeker and smarter

The BigBelly solar-powered trash can has gotten a makeover.

The latest version of the BigBelly Solar garbage compactor will fit in better on city streets, all while flaunting its green credentials. Future versions will even have the ability to phone home.

The BigBelly uses a 30-watt solar panel on its top to charge a battery that powers a motor to crush garbage.

By compacting trash, city workers need to make fewer trips to empty bins, which reduces congestion and diesel exhaust, according to the company.

The company claims that compacting can eliminate four out of five trips. The savings from … Read more