Motor City Denim Co.

A Michigan company that makes covers and armor for factory robots + a Detroit native Project Runway guy who wants a business in his hometown = Motor City Denim Co. This is a story about ingenuity, turning automotive slump into fashion upswing, and wicked clever entrepreneuring. Cheers to npr for running with it. Read about Mark D'Andreta of TD Industrial Coverings, and Joe Faris, designer who loves high zoot fashion. You can own a tshirt March 1st at Motor City Denim Co. website. First jeans off the line are in showrooms in May, or you can preorder March 1. Back belt loop has Motor City Denim Co. on a seatbelt! Industrial chic! I'm in - I want a pair.

VocaBeans

VocaBeans is an iPhone, iPhone touch, iTunes-downloadable application designed to assist people with aphasia, autism, closed head injury, or any language-access related issue to find words. Using VocaBeans by subject, the application allows a person to navigate their personal communication day. The VocaBeans are sorted into categories. Clicking on the category reveals pictures of everyday items in that category. A picture of a couch will show the couch, and when clicked, an audio prompt will say "couch." The user can also upload personal pictures. "Aunt" can show a picture of your favorite and say "Aunt." A new collection of VocaBeans (a BeanPod) can be gathered into favorites. An example could be titled "Medical" and have icons for requests a person in the hospital or an assisted-living facility might need. Lights off. Lights on. Need massage. Need shot. Please go. Need water. Pain levels are also addressed by degree and sort. Stings, burns, deep pain, dizzy. Bob Gallagher, the Saline, Michigan CEO of VocaBeans developed this application because he identified a need for a low-cost language assistance application. The application is new, comprehensive and it is valuable and easy to use for language retrieval. There are Beans for most subject conversations anyone would confront from waking up in the morning through going to bed at night. The application download is free, along with a basic VocaBeans BeanPod, and other BeanPods are available for purchase.