In times where the US are trying to spread their home-made type of democracy all over the world, it's time to think about new forms of government. I'll call my invention "Automatocracy" - the idea is that elections should be abolished, instead the results should be created by a random generator. The most important achievement of democracy (as opposed to monarchy or dictatorship) is the regular rotation of government. Automatocracy would definitely have this advantage - plus a couple of...

There are some electronic devices which I operate entirely with my feet. My PC for example stands on the ground, and I simply don't want to bend down every morning to turn it on. The same is true for the volume control of the subwoofer standing behind it. Electronics companies obviously believe that people only touch their delicate products with their fingers. Well guys, that's just not true! So how about equipping certain devices (PC, stereo, etc.) with a pedal or at least some sort...

I think it would be cool if you could connect your current TV program to a Playstation or X-Box console. For example, it should be possible to scan people or things from the TV and integrate them into the gameplay. Wouldn't it be fun to transfer the showmaster of this incredibly stupid talkshow into "Tekken" and give him a good beating? Or make an open channel adventure game where you have to master the various levels with gadgets you pick up directly from your local TV footage! The...

There are compartments for smokers and non-smokers, there are even women's compartments. Now, why aren't there any compartments for kids? A lot of people (like myself) enjoy a peaceful train ride. They can do some work, read a book, or simply take a nap. However, all of this is suddenly over if a small child enters the place. I've experienced unbelievable scenes in the last years, including hours of hysterical screaming and provocative stomping around. One time I've even had a used...

With today's technology (speed radar, GPS, computer recognition) getting only a couple split times for a race against the clock (swimming, skiing, car racing) should be a thing of the past! It should be no problem to calculate the current split time at any given moment and display it continuously on the screen. This would definitely add excitement to many races!

I can remember that someone invented a video recorder years ago that was supposed to omit the commercial breaks when recording a movie. I guess the system wasn't fail-safe, so it never made it to my home. Anyway, it should be much easier to cut off all the talking from a radio station. I've given up listening to our local radio stations a long time ago because of all the commercials and brainless blabla, but if all the talking could be replaced by silence (or maybe by music from...

Some supermarkets have it: Folks who only buy three items or less can line up at an express counter so they can get out quickly and don't have to wait behind someone who is doing the monthly shopping for his family of six people. The same principle should be used on the phone when you call the computer helpline or your social security company and they ask you to "please hold the line" for half an hour or more. I would like to see an option for "express calls": you would get to talk to...

Time is money, but for different individuals it has a different value. Bill Gates for example (or a busy manager) will lose hundreds of dollars in the doctor's waiting room or while he is standing in a long queue at the supermarket, while a student's time is much cheaper. My idea is that you should be able to buy / sell your waiting time. If you're in a hurry and don't want to lose valuable time, you should be able to buy time in situations that would otherwise be time-consuming....

It's the disgusting side of summer: You get into a tram on a hot day, and the air is filled with the smell of old sweat. Wisely, the constructors of trams have mounted the bars to hold on to well above your head (I think it's like that in every country) to ensure that there will always be a fresh supply of stale smells. This way, everybody can point their spelly armpits directly at your face (and nose). I propose that there should be a mandatory deo spray in every car. This way,...

When I write my email, I'm sometimes REALLY absent-minded. One of the worst mistakes I sometimes make is sending mails to the wrong people. This problem could be solved by an intelligent email client that does some basic checking and then outputs an appropriate error message (e.g. "Are you sure you want to be so rude to your GRANDMOTHER?" - "Do you really want to send this business letter to yourself?" etc. etc.) With 20-30% of the internet population ignoring unpleasant emails, I...