Jump to content

User:Saltandpepperson/sandbox

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Randice-Lisa "Randi" Altschul
Born1960
Occupationinventor
Known forinvention of first disposable cell phone

Randice-Lisa "Randi" Altschul (1960-) is a notable toy inventor based in Cliffside Park, New Jersey. She is also cited as the inventor of the first disposable cellphone. She began inventing in 1985 and by age 26 became a millionaire. Her licenses of games and toys are upwards of 200. [1]

Early Career/Toy Inventor

[edit]

Altschul's career began with various toys and games. Her first invention was the 'Miami Vice Game' which followed the TV series of the same name. Other notable toys and games inclue Barbie's 30th Birthday Game, a wearable stuffed toy that allowed a child to make the toy give hugs, a breakfast cereal in the shape of monsters which turned to mush in milk, and various other board games based on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Simpsons. Much of Altschul's profits from these inventions were invested into the super thin-technology (STTTM) needed for the disposable cell phone she planned to create. Altschul formed Diceland Technologies to help facilitate these technologies. [1]

First Disposable Cell Phone

[edit]

In November of 1999 Altschul teamed up with Lee Volte, the former Senior Vice President of Research and Development at Tyco. They were issued a number of patents for the phone and circuitry for the world's first disposable cell phone. The device was trademarked as the Phone-Card-Phone®. [2] The device was less than half a centimeter thick, around the size of a credit card, and made from recycled paper products. It was designed for sixty minutes of calling time and included a magnetic strip that would double as a credit card. The retail price of the invention averaged twenty dollars. A two or three dollar rebate was included for those who returned the phone instead of disposing of it. Frost & Sullivan, in 2002, named the Phone-Card-Phone® the Product of the Year. [3] [4]

Altshcul and her company, Diceland Technologies, targeted their marketing of the Phone-Card-Phone® at mothers and their children who needed to keep in touch while apart, elderly people who weren't interested in advanced technology or long-term cellular phone contracts, or tourists who might need a phone for a short time while travelling abroad.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Bellis, Mary. "Disposable Cell Phone - Phone-Card-Phone". Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  2. ^ "Diceland Technologies".
  3. ^ "Phone-Card-Phone". MIT. 2004. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  4. ^ "Randi Altschul". 2006. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
[edit]


Dr. Giuliana Tesoro
Born1921
Venice, Italy
Died2002
Dobbs Ferry, NY
Occupation(s)organic chemist, polymer chemist, inventor, and professor
Known forinvention of fire-retardant fabrics

Dr. Giuliana Tesoro (Cavaglieri) (1921-2002) was born in Venice, Italy in 1921. She moved to the U.S. during the Nazi era. She was a prolific organic chemist with more than 125 U.S. patents. She made a number of contributions to the fiber and textile industry. Perhaps one of her most well-known inventions is the flame-retardant fiber. She passed away on September 29th, 2002 in Dobbs Ferry, NY at the age of 81. [1] [2]

Education/Professional Experience

[edit]

At the age of 21[3], Tesoro received a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Yale University in 1943. Following this she worked summers for Calico Chemical Company before accepting a position as research chemist at Onyx Oil and Chemical Company in 1944. Here she was promoted to head of the organic synthesis department in 1946, assistant director of research in 1955, and associate director in 1957. She was then appointed assistant director of organic research for J.P. Stevens & Company. Late she moved to the Textile Research Institute for two years. In 1969, she accepted a position as senior chemist at Burlington Industries and was appointed director of chemical research in 1971. She was appointed research professor at Polytechnic Institute of New York University in Brooklyn, NY in 1982 and retired from there in 1996. [4] [1]

Contributions to Chemistry and Textiles

[edit]

Dr. Tesoro made a number of advances in textile processing and organic compounds that improved textile performance for everyday consumers as well as efficiency for manufacturing systems. She developed flame-resistant fibers, designed ways to prevent static accumulation in synthetic fibers, and created improved permanent press properties for textiles. [1]

List of Committees and Awards

[edit]

Dr. Tesoro was a member of several committees of National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council concerning toxic materials and fire safety. Other committees she was a part of include: the Fiber Society, founder/president in 1974, the American Chemical Society, the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists, the American Institute of Chemists, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. [4] In 1963, Dr. Tesoro was awarded the Olney Medal of the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists. She was the recipient of the Society of Women Engineers’ Achievement Award in 1978. [3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Giuliana Tesoro". Inventor of the Week Archive. MIT. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  2. ^ "Paid Notice: Deaths TESORO, GIULIANA". New York Times. New York Times. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Women's History Month - Giuliana Tesoro". Smithtown Matters. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
  4. ^ a b Wayne, Tiffany K. (2011). American Women of Science Since 1900. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 912-913. ISBN 978-1-59884-158-9.
[edit]