New Products

DENVER — A new mobile app-driven social network devoted to medical marijuana has attracted $150,000 in seed money from an investment group.

MassRoots announced Thursday that it had closed the seed investment from members of the ArcView Group. The social network, launched in July 2013, has more than 25,000 active users. MassRoots allows users to maintain their privacy and anonymity by not requiring their name, email or phone number to join.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — PureCircle, a producer and marketer of stevia, announced that the Food and Drug Administration has approved PureCircle's Rebaudioside M (Reb M) as a general purpose sweetener for foods and beverages in the United States. 

CINCINNATI — Leaving the iconic Times Square clean and sparkling is a huge job, but somebody's got to do it. A 25-person "Mr. Clean Team" worked tirelessly alongside the New York City Department of Sanitation and the Times Square Alliance on Jan. 1 to give the area a thorough scrub-down following the massive New Year's celebration and they had some help thanks to one of Procter & Gamble's newest products. 

DALLAS — Skimpy Mixers, a new drink mixer, will be available Dec. 26 to Jan. 2 at select Walmart locations across the nation as part of a limited-time only promotional launch. The mixers are made with real fruit juices and are low in sugar content and calories. The product will officially launch in February.

The company’s founders first came up with the idea while attending a friend’s Bachelorette pool party. They loved the drinks that were being served and were surprised that they couldn't taste the alcohol content. 

MONROVIA, Calif. — Regulators in Canada have given a maker of health kiosks the green light to start marketing its products there.

Stayhealthy said Health Canada's Medical Devices Bureau had granted it a license to sell its HealthCenter Kiosk, models 650 and 650-C. The kiosks measure blood pressure, heart rate, total body weight, body-mass index, total body composition and vision and can incorporate data on blood glucose.

MIDDLETON, Wis. — Rayovac will showcase a new line of portable mobile charging devices at the upcoming 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas from Jan. 7 to Jan. 10, 2014.  

In the late 1980s, “Star Trek: The Next Generation” introduced viewers to the replicator, which could make food, beverages and other items materialize out of thin air.

The idea of Captain Picard instantaneously getting his favorite brew by telling a machine “Tea, Earl Grey, hot” won’t happen any time soon. But with the advent of 3-D printing, it’s a lot closer to reality than one might think.

NEW YORK — ILEX Consumer Products Group last year launched amid the chaos of Black Friday its “Di-Gel Comfort Zone” — complementary, clean restrooms located in downtown Manhattan to help alleviate some of the discomfort associated with shopping the day after Thanksgiving. In the past year, the antacid, anti-gas combo has rocketed to the No. 5 spot of antacid liquid sales, generating $2.2 million on growth of 19,904.6%.