Top 5 Internet Millionaire Kids

#1 – Catherine and David Cook

Age at startup: 15 & 17
Company: My Year Book
Net Worth: $10 million

Bio: Catherine Cook, 15, and her brother David, 17, were looking through their high school year book when they came up with the idea to create a free interactive version online.
Catherine persuaded their older brother, Geoff, who was a budding internet entrepreneur at the time, to invest $250,000 in their idea. The site was launched in April 2005 and 950,000 members joined in the first year.
Fast forward 5 years, and the site has a net worth of around $10 million.


#2 – Ashley Qualls
Age at startup: 14
Company: Whatever Life
Net Worth: $4 million

Bio: In 2004, when Ashley was just 14 years old, borrowed $8 from her mom and started a website called whateverlife.com which provided Myspace layouts and HTML tutorials for people in her age demographic.


(Youtube Link) Ashley dropped out of high school and in less than two years the site was raking in $70,000 a month purely from advertising revenue. As a result of it’s success, offers started flooding in for the Myspace-help website. Qualls was flattered by an offer of $1.5 million plus a car of her choice, but she turned the offer down. In total, she has earned over $1 million from the site.

#3 – Juliette Brindak
Age at startup: 10
Company: Miss O and Friends
Net Worth: $15 million

Bio: Juliette Brindak came up with the idea for Miss O and Friends when she was just 10 years old. She later put put her idea online.
Miss O is a website by girls, for girls to build self-esteem, positivity and good sense of self. It’s visited by millions of girls each month in the age range 8-12, which Juliette like to call ‘tweens’.
When Juliette was 16 she released her first book in the summer of 2006 which sold over 120,000 copies. Now, her business at 20 years old is worth $15 million.
 
#4 – Paul Bourque
Age at startup: 18
Company: Affiliate Marketer
Net Worth: $300,000/month
Bio: Paul Bourque was 18 when he started browsing ways to make money on the internet. He stumbled across affiliate marketing, and after profiting in the first month he couldn’t turn away.
His first month’s revenue was around $600, and in less than a year Paul’s earning over $300,000 a month from AzoogleAds.
He currently works full time as an affiliate marketer, but also runs an affiliate marketing blog where he shares tips and tricks.
#5 – Ben Kaufman
Age at startup: 18
Company: Mophie, Kluster and Quirky
Net Worth: $5-10 million/year

Bio: Ben Kaufman founded Mophie, an iPod accessories website, when he was 18 years old. The site sells iPod batteries, cases, cables and more.
He later went on to launch Kluster, ‘a collaborative decision making platform’. At 22, his latest venture is a website called ‘Quirky‘. The site enables anyone with a good idea to get it manufactured – if successful they will earn a royalty percentage.

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Laptop Abuse: Crazy Alternative Uses for Your Computer

Shutdown Day is a concept started in 2007 by a group of friends in Montreal who noticed they were spending far too much time on their computers. They pledged to shut down their computers for a whole 24 hours and spend that time reconnecting with family and friends, getting out and doing physical activities, and just enjoying the computer-free day. Their concept grew quickly, and by Shutdown Day 2009 the project was getting international attention from the press.

To get people behind the idea of going without their beloved computers for a whole day, the crazy geniuses behind the idea made a hilarious video showing some of the alternative uses for your unused laptop. (Copycats beware, though – don’t count on your laptop actually turning back on the next day if you engage in any of these shenanigans.)

Now there are even  more ways to abuse your poor laptop on its one day off per year – or anytime you feel like getting some revenge. The crew at Uncovering.org bring  you an entire photo series detailing just what you can do with that expensive piece of technology while you’re not using it to compute. Why not turn it into a handy stool to make your wait for the train more comfortable? Or use the sheer size and weight of it to crack nuts or wail on a ping-pong opponent? If you’re more domestically inclined, try using its unique design proportions to sweep a load of garbage off of the floor!

But if you’re willing to cheat just a tiny bit on the “shutdown” part, you could always turn your laptop on, let it get to that temperature that lets you know your corduroy-encased thighs will soon burst into flames, and then fry an egg on top. You’ll even save water by eliminating the need to do dishes when you’re done.

Eyes Straight Ahead: The Rear-Projection Urinal Screen

If you ever visit the Horse Bazaar Pub in Melbourne, Australia, the first thing you’ll probably notice is the art. Their website calls it an “immersive projection environment,” which involves a 20-meter digital canvas showing a continuous display of art. That’s pretty impressive for a pub, but their innovative ideas don’t stop there. The pub also features what might be the world’s first rear projection urinal: a screen you can pee on.

Ostensibly, the rear projection urinal is meant for continuing the pub’s art display. But think of all of the awesome things you could do with a piece of equipment like this: pee on the opposing team during an important game, show the weatherman what you think of his forecast, or even create a whole art piece especially for this display space. But whatever you do, remember: eyes straight ahead, and don’t get too close to the guy next to you.

Giant iPod? No, It’s A Touch-Sensitive Turntable Laptop

Digital music mixing has all but overtaken the older, analog method. Awesome hardware and software have made it easier than ever for just about anyone to mix like a pro. This turntable PC laptop concept from Fujitsu would make it even easier, with its crazy external controls that make it look like a big old iPod. The laptop’s controls are illuminated to make it easier to see what you’re doing even when you’re spinning in the dark corner of a nightclub.

The lid comes open to reveal a keyboard and a 20-inch screen. The notebook features 5.1 surround sound and the ability to play and mix your favorite MP3s with ease. Fujitsu came out with the concept way back in 2006 and at that time expected it to be available within two years, but as of now there’s no news on when it will be put into production.

In-Car Portable Computer: Steering Wheel Laptop Idea

In-car computers are nothing new, but a fully-functional laptop is not something you’d expect (or even want) to see the driver using in the car next to you. But designer Anna Lopez has come up with an interesting new portable computer that’s actually designed to be used in the car. Cario, the slimline, borderless concept computer is light, portable and made to fit just right in the car’s interior. The laptop’s system connects to the car’s system, providing a streamlined way to control your driving experience.

As dangerous as an in-car laptop may sound, the Cario’s purpose isn’t to cause accidents or distract drivers. In fact, it’s meant to make your commute a bit easier. The computer hooks up to your car’s system, letting you control the interior environment and settings. But you can’t use all of the laptop’s functions while the car is moving; it works only as a heads-up display projection unless you’re stationary. When the car stops, the computer hooks over the car’s steering wheel to provide a convenient workspace. Sounds great for those long ferry rides or for when you’re stuck in the car waiting for your companion to grab some coffee.

Extra Extra! Electronic Paper Heralds New Newspaper Era

Taking the newspaper along with you used to be considered a pretty convenient way to keep up with current events when you’re on the go. But with smartphones, laptops and a whole world of portable devices to put the news at your fingertips no matter where you are, newspapers seem fiddly and overly complicated. Various companies have been developing e-paper technology for years now, but LG actually unveiled theirs in January of 2010. The flexible 19-inch display is mounted on a flexible foil substrate rather than glass, so it’s just as portable as tablet computers but bendy enough to be rolled up.

Could this mean the death of the newspaper? On the contrary, this seems like a great way for newspapers to keep up with the digital age; they could charge for subscriptions just as they do with the hard-copy newspaper, but distributing in a digital format would save countless amounts of money for them. It would also cut down on paper consumption, wastewater and carbon emissions.

But will people ever really be comfortable carrying around a newspaper substitute? It worked in Minority Report. In fact, if the e-paper newspapers of the future featured dynamic headlines that updated via wi-fi with every passing minute, the troubled newspaper industry may just be able to work their way back into the daily lives of millions of people.

All The News Fit to Write: Liberia’s Analog Blackboard Blog

Imagine not being able to check your favorite blogs or even read the news every day. Whether because you can’t afford the newspaper or because the local government doesn’t allow access to the news, it would put you in the dark permanently. It’s a fact of life for countless people in the world. In Monrovia, Liberia, Alfred Sirleaf is striving to bring information to the people. Every morning since 2000, he has headed to his public bulletin board and painstakingly writes out the day’s news on the blackboard for all to see at no charge.

Sirleaf’s project is, in all likelihood, the world’s only analog blog. His news, called “Daily Talk,” brings readers out in droves: an estimated 10,000 people read his “blog” every day. People line up in cars and on foot in the busy neighborhood to read the headlines Sirleaf has posted for them. His grateful neighbors often can’t afford the cost of a newspaper, much less a home computer – many of them don’t even have reliable electricity. And Sirleaf’s big personality seems to add to the readers’ enthusiasm. In the above video, he explains the day’s news to the crowd – many of whom cannot read – in a tone reminiscent of an energetic preacher. Despite being arrested and harassed in the past, Sirleaf continues to bring a world of news to a group who would otherwise be left in the dark.

Blind Ant-bition: Amazing Morphing Computer for the Blind

To date, the best computing solution for visually impaired people has been programs that read out the words on the screen to the user. But the Siafu, a concept from industrial designer Jonathan Lucas, is an entirely new concept that would let visually impaired users feel everything on their screen. Through the magic of a material called Magneclay, the computer’s display can turn into a braille display or even a morphing relief of pictures.

Magneclay is an oil-based material with a loose molecular structure which, when acted upon by an electrical charge, can change its shape and hold the new shape indefinitely as long as the electrical charge is applied. The Siafu is named after a blind African ant, an allusion to the PC’s target audience. It is an incredibly versatile machine, having several modes to accommodate just about whatever a user needs. It can be used as a nine-key braille keyboard with a braille readout, or it can be used like a book, displaying words in braille.

The Siafu can also render images on web pages in three dimensions, letting users feel what’s on their screen. Image conversion technology, along with the amazing properties of Magneclay, makes it possible for the images to be realistically translated into a tactile experience.

Of course, if the user prefers, the Siafu can still synthesize words on the screen and read them aloud. And if the user would prefer not to type, they have the option of simply speaking into the computer’s microphone, where voice recognition software translates their spoken words into typed words. The Siafu is one of the most cutting-edge designs ever to give visually impaired people a simpler, more well-rounded computing experience. And because Magneclay is so versatile and infinitely reusable, there are virtually no limits to what it can do.

Deafinitely Stylish: Generation X Solution for Concertitis

It’s not often that fashion and healthcare cross paths. In fact, items like hearing aids are usually bulky and unattractive, but necessary. The Deafinite Style hearing aid concept from Designaffairs Studio of Germany brings a definite sense of fashion to the world of hearing aids. It requires the wearer to have gauged earlobe piercings, and it’s worn like a regular piece of jewelry.

The hearing aid uses the brand new TriMic system for delivering true sound and allowing the user to position the microphones in just the right position. For users with moderate hearing loss, the above model would work just fine. But for users with more severe hearing loss, the Plug model – with additional bits in the center – would provide more help.

Obviously a hearing aid that requires stretched earlobes would appeal to a relatively small niche market, but the design, incorporating attractiveness into an item that’s normally utilitarian and bulky, should provide inspiration for future designers.