In This Issue

• Got Cotton?
• Gas up-in orbit
• Credit for cola machines
• Mightier meters
• Napkin detects biohazards
• Tutor in a box
• Front-line fish
• World of Innovation

"I can't imagine a person becoming a success who doesn't give this game of life everything he's got."
- Walter Cronkite

"If you worried about falling off the bike, you'd never get on."
- Lance Armstrong

"It's through curiosity and looking at opportunities in new ways that we've always mapped our path at Dell. There's always an opportunity to make a difference."
- Michael Dell

"Our society will not be great until every young mind is set free to scan the farthest reaches of thought and imagination."
- Lyndon Baines Johnson

"When you set goals, something inside of you starts saying, 'Let's go, let's go,' and ceilings start to move up."
- Zig Ziglar

"The formula for success is simple: practice and concentration then more practice and more concentration."
- Babe Didrikson Zaharias

"Don't limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, remember, you can achieve."
- Mary Kay Ash

A Message from
Comptroller Susan Combs

True innovation is about more than simply creating something new and different. It's about re-imagining the world with a goal of improving people's lives. Even more, it's a spark that ignites the creative vision of others to fuel the success of the future. I am pleased to offer this roundup of exciting innovations happening around us today with a special focus on Texas innovators. Everywhere you see this mark [], you'll know it's Texas ingenuity at work. We know there's plenty to brag about in Texas, so we invite you to let us know about the amazing innovations you see. E-mail us at txinnov@cpa.state.tx.us.

HEALTH CARE/MEDICAL SCIENCE

Bone-saving shave

A Texas hospital is among the first in the nation to offer a unique hip surgery that provides an alternative to total hip replacement. Orthopedic surgeon Randall Schultz performed the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing (BHR) surgery at Seton Medical Center Austin in November 2006.

The hip resurfacing technique conserves bone by shaving and capping a few centimeters of bone within the joint. This is important for younger patients, who could face a lifetime of revision surgeries without this innovation, according to Schultz.

"I see hip resurfacing as the ideal solution for many of my young, active patients who suffer from hip pain," said Schultz. "As my patients are getting younger and younger and are staying physically active much later in life, I've needed an alternative to total hip replacement that accommodates their age and lifestyle.":

The Birmingham Hip implant is ideal for patients under age 60 who live active lifestyles. Patients benefit from returning to physical activity after the surgery since the implant is more stable and potentially lasts longer than traditional total hip replacements. The hip resurfacing surgery also helps prevent future hip dislocations and other complications.

For more information, contact Randall Schultz, (512) 459-3228, or Seton Medical Center Austin, (512) 324-2663

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TRANSPORTATION

Pedal power

Electric vehicles that cost a penny or two a mile to power may sound like a distant dream, but according to Ian Clifford, CEO of ZENN Motor Co., the technology could be available as early as 2007. ZENN has purchased an exclusive worldwide license for a new energy storage unit being developed by a Texas company, EEStor, to use in mid-sized, five-passenger and smaller vehicles.

For more information, visit www.zenncars.com

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COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY/ELECTRONICS

Disappearing act

New York-based Void Communications LLC introduced VaporStream, a product that could bring a new level of security and privacy to electronic messaging. Instant messages sent through VaporStream disappear once read, leaving no record on any computer or network. They cannot be printed, cut and pasted, saved or forwarded.

For more information, contact Void Communications, (800) 975-3138 emaher@motioncomputing.com

 Denotes a Texas Innovator