In For A Pound

This week we marvel at a meditation recording that proves how much better pretention sounds on vinyl than on CD, we find a food-truck cashing in on the global craze for Romanian vegan cuisine, and G shows us the perfect suit for the billionaire on a budget.

Innovation time machine leaves us wondering if the pretension of the renaissance really was the best solution to the plague, pestilence and having to listen to Gregorian chants.

In this episode Blake reveals why some central banks are considering a move to the sock standard, the bacteria that party on a bathroom door-handle scare Rupe into buying a 25-metre long condom, and we investigate an objet d’art so beautiful that even the most discerning cat will be delighted to take a dump in it.

In innovation time machine, G reveals the history of toothpaste - along with his unwillingness to pronounce the word “tooth” intelligibly.

This week, we discover a suit that lets you step from Shawshank escape to boardroom presentation without a change of clothes, we check out a beach sunshade that filters out all the distractions of a holiday so you can focus on social media updates, and we discover the shame of being caught using a laptop stand that’s visible to others.

In innovation time-machine Blake describes the rise of the sofa-bed – an invention that has funded the college educations of a generation of chiropractors’ children.

In this episode we slip into a Bluetooth headset that muffles every message you send except “I’m a douche”, and we discover a personal safety device that won’t summon help but may very well annoy your attacker into killing you faster. We also discover a device that can wipe a laptop nearly as fast as the cops can kick down a door and handcuff you.

Plus, Blake takes us on a joy-ride in the innovation time machine to discover what the Babylonian shipping industry and the Great Fire of London had in common.

This week, we discover that R2-D2’s stepbrother moonlights as a bidet, we learn that gluing a silly face to a Segway scooter does not A.I. make, and Dr. G sees something and says something as he gets followed through the airport by a suspicious suitcase.

And the Innovation Time Machine takes us back to one of Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous cocktail bashes, where a mechanical knight fights its way to the canapé table.

This week, we finally discover where to find a recording of a tree falling in a forest, Blake shares a tech replacement for brake lights, obscene gestures, and common sense, and we meet the next evolution in hi-fi: pumping that funky bass right into your skull bones.

And on Innovation Time Machine we learn how 14th century drunk-dialling your concubine can lead to the fall of an entire empire.

This week, we uncover a “medically known” method to freeze off your muffin top, Rupe shares a diet delivering all the nutrition of the food you love without the distracting enjoyment and taste, and Dr. G teaches us that “healthy dip” isn’t low-fat hummus, it’s a steel contraption that will get you arrested on a plane.

Plus, on Innovation Time Machine, hold on to your naughty bits, as we return to a time where the bruised nut-sacks of Boston bike messengers spawned the modern day jock-strap.

In this episode we weigh up the benefits of a cup-holder that’s convenient as you drive yourself to the local diabetes clinic, Dr G introduces us to a headrest air freshener that gives you that great new-neck smell, and we discover a device that guarantees to keep you awake at the wheel - even if you’re listening to Coldplay.

In Innovation time machine, we remember how citizen’s band radio brought the world a level of sparkling wit, high-brow banter and misogyny that have all but vanished from today’s world of motoring.

This week we find ourselves ignorant about the basics of electrophysics, we discover a kitchen knife that can hurt you two ways (three if you count that it can play the new Weezer album), and we feel the dangerous rush of kissing a French goat before eating carbs with strangers.

In Innovation Time Machine, we learn about the invention of fireworks by a Chinese chef, which raises some important questions about his health and hygiene ratings.

In this episode we discover the true horrors lurking inside pre-schoolers’ backpacks, Dr. G introduces us to the Frankenstein’s monster of the plush toy world, and a cuddly skeletal robot kitten gives us a glimpse into our future as litter-tray-emptying slaves to the machines.

Plus, Innovation Time Machine takes us on a ride to the ER aboard the baby walker – a device safe enough for our Lord and Saviour, but too dangerous for Canadians.