Microsoft recently arranged a design contest for building the next generation PC. See these links:

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/06/01/ms_design/index_01.htm
http://www.startsomethingpc.com/

This is a great example of Open Innovation, wherein a company leverages external knowledge of partners, suppliers, customers, universities and any other community (designers, in this case) for carrying our part of the innovation process.