Cnet News:  Tesla Motors hasn't escaped the execution's axe in the latest round of job cuts and venture capital pull-outs, but recently appointed CEO Elon Musk seems to be pleased with the way things are shaping up for the builder of the much anticipated Tesla Roadster. Martin LaMonica puts together some details of the company's fortunes for us. "Musk, who become wealthy after selling PayPal to eBay, said that he will personally ensure that all Roadsters on order will be delivered. So far, 60 customers have received them, out of more than 1,000 orders. To finance construction of its corporate headquarters and Model S manufacturing plant, Tesla intends to secure government-backed loans worth $200 million." With a reported 9 million dollars in cash, things would appear a bit slim financially for the company, which also just closed down some of its R & D operations and has had a significant number of executive officer changes in recent months. To date, the car has suffered from transmission troubles and production delays, but if the cars are actually delivered, it could bolster confidence in the market for electric sports cars. Tesla Motors seeks cash to keep moving forward for the rest of the story.

NewsGuide.us: OK. So maybe it seems a bit like an ad, but an article featuring a non-disposable, American-made product deserves a little press and since small businesses often need to find innovative ways to compete, why not do so with a premium, guaranteed winter car accessory? Enter the IceDozer! "Winter can be lovely, except when you find it all over your windshield. Sure, common sense tells you that you need complete visibility, but it's cold, the kids are complaining or you're running late for an important appointment. There's no end to excuses for wanting to avoid the loathsome task of scraping ice and snow from the windshield. That's why the IceDozer was invented. With its patented FlexiBlade™ (which automatically adjusts to the curvature of any windshield), ergonomic grip and triple attack surfaces, the scientifically designed IceDozer® makes quick work of windshield ice." The idea is to reduce the landfill waste that results from cheap, throwaway imported ice scrapers, cut down on the carbon footprint by not shipping materials back-and-forth across the oceans to an off-shore manufacturing location, and make cleaning off your icy, snow-covered windshield that much less heinous. Read Innovation Factory Bucks the Trend for more on this mean, clean de-icing machine.

People In Passing: Exciting news for those with an entrepreneurial spirit but more ideas than machinery who happen to live in Portland, Oregon! TechShop is coming to town: "TechShop’s goal is to remedy this situation for the 300 or so potential members that came to the opening event. TechShop plans to have milling machines, lathes, welders, a laser cutter, an electronics shop, blacksmithing tools, a finishing room, workstations, a 3D printer, and of course the coveted CNC router. Along with all of this equipment there will be a tool and materials shop, a small library and a communal kitchen." There is a membership cost associated with using the gadgets at the TechShop, but it will give small businesses and inventors access to high-tech tools and a community of like-minded folks to help them make their ideas become reality. For more on the TechShop, check out the post.

ClimateArk.org: Innovation can cause great things to happen, but who would have guessed that it might have enabled mankind to leave the cradle of civilization and populate the world? "Innovation--not climate change--may have triggered early humans' migration out of Africa, a new study suggests. For early Homo sapiens, periods of population movement coincided with social advances and tool-making innovation, the work found. By contrast, human movements didn't match as closely with changes in Africa's climate, such as rainfall variation or other weather issues, as previous research had suggested. The study authors caution, however, that their work doesn't suggest a specific cause-and-effect relationship." The information comes courtesy of the National Geographic organization and leads us to believe that it was doing old things in new ways which led to the mass migrations from the sunny savannas of the African continent to the colder and more demanding locations to the North. More on this unexpected application of innovation with monumental consequences in Innovation Linked to Human Migration Out of Africa.

PEHub.com: The current economic market might not seem to be the ideal time for someone to take on a multi-million dollar business idea, but that's not stopping one intrepid entrepreneur. Connie Loizos reports: "David Knight is either crazy like a fox, or just plain crazy. As the country moves inexorably toward the worst recession in roughly 20 years, Knight is gambling on a big idea, literally. Think 40-foot-wide, 22-foot-high HDTV screens — the largest LED screens ever produced — for which his company is paying $1.5 million a pop." Knight plans to tow the screens around with semi-tractors and set them up at large, outdoor events, which he will then use to display video of the action and advertising, which should boost his bottom line. Knight says, "It’s like Google contextual relevancy outdoors," and if his success is anything like that of the Mountain View, California search giant, Big Moving Pictures will be a huge hit with audiences and advertisers everywhere. More details on the out-sized innovation in A Big Idea Looks to Get Green-Lighted.