New Ideas

GOODS & SERVICES

Jet Craft. At Chicago's National Boat Show, Kermath Mfg. Co. showed off a new engine to propel small pleasure craft (16 tp 21 ft.) by a high-pressure jet of water instead or a propeller. Kermath's 60-h.p. Hydrojet shoots out the water from a nozzle beneath the stern, steers the boat by changing the direction of the jet. Chief advantage: the jet boat has no propeller to break in shallow water. Price $990 f.o.b. Detroit.

Faster Adder. National Cash Register Co. brought out a new adding machine with a "Live Keyboard" that cuts down hand motions 35%. With all the keys electrified, the machine eliminates the add bar by automatically listing each figure, can add a ten-digit number in a single operation (compared to two to eleven operations on standard machines). Price depending on the size of the keyboard: $290 to $385.

Dashboard Shaver. North American Phillips Co. put on the market an electric shaver (the Norelco Sportsman) that operates on three flashlight batteries, can also be plugged into an automobile cigarette lighter socket. Price: $29.95

Automatic Gardener. Texas Lawn Sprinkler Co. is selling an electric control that automatically turns on an underground sprinkler system and waters a lawn when it needs it. Two electrodes keep track of the moisture in the air and soil can be set to turn on the sprinkler system if the moisture falls below a certain point. Price of the sprinkler system varies according to the size of the lawn, e.g., about $2,000 for a 100-by-200-ft. lawn. Price of the control: $500.

Forger Foiler. To foil rubber-check passers, Food Fair's 24 supermarkets in Philadelphia installed DiGiTab, a fingerprinting device. If the cashier is suspicious of a check, he asks the customer To leave a fingerprint which is then attached to the check. DiGiTab's machine takes the print in a few seconds with a colorless, odorless, stainless ink. Where installed DiGiTab has frightened forgers away. In the past five months, Milwaukee's Krambo Stores cashed 108,000 good checks totaling more than $5,000,000. It did get stuck for $250 worth, all cashed by the same forger, but DiGiTab helped nab him. Rental fee: $100 a year

Fresh from the Can. Denver's Winger Dairy Products Processing Co. put on the market canned milk which tastes much like fresh milk and has the same food value. It is homogenized, pasteurized, sealed in cans and sterilized, has kept as long as 18 months at room temperature without spoiling or losing its taste. Price about 23-c- a quart.

Soluble Plant Food. In time for spring gardening Du Pont will market a plant food which can be sprayed on to plant leaves or lawns without danger of burning them The solution is absorbed through the foliage, and eliminates the need of drenching the soil to feed to the roots. A 1 1/2-lb. can costs $1.75.

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