SensoryMetrics

Interesting new products are often created by combining existing technology in a way that provides unique value. The oft-cited example is mixing peanut butter and chocolate – giving you Reeses. In my world, I combined the softkey interface of a bank machine with a telephone to create the Vista 350.

There are times when the combination technique produces little value. For example, talking elevators are annoying. The George Foreman gas BBQ with built in iPod dock is useless.

In the bar world, folks in Belgium are all abuzz over the new combo drink, Dirty Hoe. It features half a pint of Hoegaarden (the world’s wretchedest beer) and a half of Guinness (the world’s un-wretchedest beer.)

What a waste of a perfectly innocent stout!