The article „The Travel Inventions we Really Need“ describes inventions frequent travelers came up with to make our lives easier. The famous Jetpacks are not always part of it.

Electronic consumer goods like laptops, iPads and Kindles give us the opportunity to travel lighter and can be even seen as prerequisites to keep us from hanging around airports and being super bored.

But what about a navigation system that reassures you that you are going the right way? Or a plastic bag that does not make any noise to avoid waking up the entire dorm in the hostel?

Innovations in the travel industry have come a long way, but there is still room for more. If we look back ten years, traveling by car, train or plane seemed less comfortable, required greater preparation and was less flexible. Today we book flights on our smart phones, check in online and get to the airport 30 minutes prior to take off. We don’t have to pack way in advance to make sure we have everything. Everything and anything can be bought, ordered or picked up along the way.

Have you ever wondered why you still need to take off your belt and shoes every time you go through security at the airport? We are in the 21st century and one would think that by now, a machine had been invented that knows the difference between a harmless belt and dangerous goods.

Time Magazine recently published a list of the 50 worst inventions that were ever patented.

Amongst them are dangerous ideas that killed their inventors like Reichelts parachute jacket.

Franz Reichelt, an Austrian-born, French tailor was thrilled about the idea of a jacket, that opens into a parachute. It could be worn in emergency, for example when evacuating airplanes and allow the passengers to survive a fall from a great height. He had tested it by throwing puppets with parachutes out the window of his 5 story building. But in order to prove it, he decided to jump off the Eifel tower with the parachute jacket allowing him to slowly float to the ground. Unfortunately the invention failed and Reichelt died on February 4th, 1912.

Another dangerous invention listed by Time Magazine is the tanning bed. Although it is not secret that the overuse of a tanning bed can cause major skin damage, however it is said, that 90% of skin cancer incidents are the direct result of UV radiation. Tanning beds were first brought to America in 1979 by inventor Friedrich Wolff, who patented his particular blend of phosphor for fluorescent lamps in order to create UV which is similar to the sun. The result is a cosmetic tan.

Despite all the dangerous aspects, there is also a positive side to this invention. It is used for medical treatment of certain illnesses. But most importantly sun light affects the Vitamin D synthesis in our bodies which has a wide range of positive health effects like inhibiting the growth of cancer.

To learn more about the 48 remaining worst inventions please also see: Time Specials: The 50 worst inventions

Got Invention Radio is a radio show, that offers a program dedicated to all inventors and entrepreneurs. In their weekly show experts, successful inventors and business mentors share their experience and resources to help with ideas and inventions.

Tune in on Thursdays at 8pm E.T./5pm P.T. on www.gotinvention.com to follow the show hosted by Brian Fried. Listeners can also email or call in and ask questions during the show.

The radio host Brian Fried is an inventor himself and founder of the company Think Up Design. He holds 4 patented inventions and 3 additional inventions that are patent pending. After many years of lecturing in libraries, for inventor groups and several schools, he started a live weekly radio show called Got Invention Radio and has recently partnered up with Inventors Digest.

In the last show on September 29, 2011 he welcomed United States Patent & Trademark Office Commissioner Bob Stoll to talk the latest new in the United States Patent laws. They discussed how the new law, which was signed by President Barack Obama on September 16, will give more certainty for patent applicants and owners and also provide the USPTO with the needed resources to work more efficient when issuing patents.

In his next show on December 1, 2011 Brian will introduce Survey Monkey, a system to prepare a survey and get the public’s opinion about your invention.