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Archive through April 21, 2006

The TVClubHouse: Other Reality Shows ARCHIVES: Archives for 2006 - 1: American Inventor: Archive through April 21, 2006 users admin

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Karuuna
Board Administrator

08-31-2000

Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 4:08 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karuuna a private message Print Post    
Jimmer, there is a design flaw with the stall doors, I think. The locks still work, but as soon as the doors get a little bit out of line, you can't line up the bolt and its receptacle any more. That seems to be the majority of the problems I see. Sometimes you can get the lock to catch if you can yank up on the door at the same time you try to close the lock. But sometimes the door has sagged so much, it's no longer possible. I'm no construction expert, but you rarely see the problem with locks on better constructed stalls. That may be more than anyone really wanted to know!

Yellek
Member

08-22-2001

Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 4:26 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Yellek a private message Print Post    
Oh and I forgot to mention, those of us who are short can't reach to hold the door shut without fear of missing the target! Maybe that invention where you relieve yourself in a suit-bag isn't such a bad idea afterall. (Just kidding!)

Kookliebird
Member

08-04-2005

Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 7:08 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kookliebird a private message Print Post    
I don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet, but on the child safety seat, wouldn't an accident cause the seat to 'shake' the infant. It just seems that a company could be liable for potential baby shaken syndrome if the accident was really bad.

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 7:55 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
At the risk of getting graphic, my understanding is that part of what causes trauma in an accident is the brain shifting within the skull. I think the theory is that this is worse if the baby is thrown against a regular car seat as the force has less time to dissipate whereas the rotation of the new design allows some of this energy to be dissipated.

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 8:15 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
I finally got around to watching the show. As I mention, I like the concept of finding and funding inventors whose products have potential.

I don't like the show's approach of putting so much emphasis on sad stories and the personalities of the inventors themselves. The sad story and the inventor's personality is given far more time than the invention itself. What brought this home to me was when they were discussing which inventions would be put through to the final round. Rather than sitting at a table looking at pictures of the inventions, they were looking at pictures of the contestants.

While I understand that the contestant's ability and desire will be key to making the invention a success, you have to start with a decent invention in the first place. There are very few inventions put through where I can see them benefiting and improving their invention with the $50k. It will be interesting to see what develops.

Does anyone have a guess about which invention the scientist insisted on being put through, by saying that he would stake his reputation on it being a success?

Brenda1966
Member

07-03-2002

Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 10:12 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Brenda1966 a private message Print Post    
LOL Karuuna, you posted exactly what I was going to say. At work we have a stall that will lock, but if someone slams open the door to the stall next door, the stall wall moves just enough to unlock the locked door. It's very annoying. But I can't say I would carry any more junk in my purse. This sounds like one of those neat but impracticle gadgets.

While I haven't seen the toilet lid thing, I did see a Mythbusters show where they placed toothbrushes all around a bathroom and left them there and then later tested them. If I remember right, they busted the myth that germs are flying out of the toilet bowl and contaminating your toothbrush.

Glenrie
Member

03-24-2006

Saturday, April 15, 2006 - 11:59 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Glenrie a private message Print Post    
For absolutely no reason, I'm guessing that umbrella thing.

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Sunday, April 16, 2006 - 6:44 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
Now that I think about it, the umbrella has some potential. I wonder if it will also help with the problem of umbrellas blowing inside out?

Considering the thousands that applied, does anyone else think that most of these things are pretty lame inventions? I can't believe that they couldn't come up with some better stuff. I'm more than a little disappointed.

Fruitbat
Member

08-07-2000

Tuesday, April 18, 2006 - 4:32 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Fruitbat a private message Print Post    
Jimmer, I remember Doug jumping to praise an invention that the others were not enthusiastic about. Process of elimination leeds me to the Toilet seat. Somehow I think I remember him jumping to sing it's praises.

Prrocess of elimination should help and it is more about what the others did not think was a great idea:

Robert Amore- no, we saw him be leery of this and say it needed more tension
Tonerbelt

Sharon Clemens
Restroom Door Clip- no, the woman judge had to talk them all into this one

Darla Davenport-Powell
Here Comes Niya- no, just another doll for him

Ed Hall
Word Ace-no, the others pushed that through. Doug said educational games did not sell well

Janusz Liberkowski
Spherical Safety Seat- no, everyone seemed to think that was a great idea

Mark Martinez
Sackmaster 2000- no, the inventor had to push this and they reluctantly agreed to let him through

Sheryl McDonald
The Un-brella- maybe, but she did not even have a prototype with her

Francisco Patino
Double Traction Bike-no, way to narrow focus. How many would actually want to ride with a small person on the handle bars.

Jodi Pliszka
The Headliner-no, that was a hard sell for him, he claimed too narrow a focus.

Joseph and Jennifer Safuto
Flushpure-a contender

Erik Thompson
Receiver's Training Pole-perhaps

Jerry Wesley
EZ-X Portable Gym-maybe but I dont think he was that impressed

Naja
Member

06-28-2003

Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 6:39 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Naja a private message Print Post    
My insides sunk just now when they didn't make the auto closing mechanism for umbrella lady. I think I felt like she did. I felt terrible for her. :-(

Glenrie
Member

03-24-2006

Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 6:42 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Glenrie a private message Print Post    
Naja is the 1st hour a repeat and the second hour a new one?

Naja
Member

06-28-2003

Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 6:45 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Naja a private message Print Post    
I don't know for sure. I watched survivor while the first hour was on.

Karuuna
Board Administrator

08-31-2000

Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 7:21 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karuuna a private message Print Post    
The first hour is a re-crap, second hour is new.

Hukdonreality
Member

09-29-2003

Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 7:33 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hukdonreality a private message Print Post    
I think they chose the wrong invention tonight. How much of a market will that football trainer have compared to the other two things?

It did seem to me that the man with the shovel blew it by not spending the money and making the suggested improvements. I understand his belief in his product, but he wrote his own ticket home.

Of the three inventions, I thought the umbrella had the greatest potential for success, and the woman put her heart and the money into it to improve it as much as possible for this round.

I don't know why I am compelled to watch this crappy show...

Naja
Member

06-28-2003

Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 7:34 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Naja a private message Print Post    
Never in a million years would I have thought shovel master wouldn't make it to next round after that test he did! It was clearly better. I mean actual fire firefighters filled less bags with real shovels than just a regular family with shovel master. I don't just mean a few bags, that was a lot! That one shocked me.

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 8:08 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Whoami a private message Print Post    
The shovel was a good idea. But the guy is convinced its a "finished product." He's not willing to further his invention along, so he doesn't need to go further in the competition, or to be doled out any more money to not develop his product any further.

His refusal to tweak the product, and spend less than the amount given him on packaging (for his shovel and to "package" himself via wardrobe) would inspire me not to be handing out any more money to him to "develop" the product.

He's gotten what he wants. Exposure. He can start selling his "finished product" now on the open market. He's got his packaging and a little free advertising to boot.

Naja
Member

06-28-2003

Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 8:17 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Naja a private message Print Post    
Whoami, you gotta admit that test with the fire fighters was impressive, huh?

Whoami
Member

08-03-2001

Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 8:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Whoami a private message Print Post    
Yes it was. That's why I think he doesn't need to go further in the competition. He has no need of more money to develop the product. He just needs to get it out on the open market. This show doesn't need to spend its remaining rounds (and its prize money) having him tell them he's not going to change the product.

Naja
Member

06-28-2003

Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 8:27 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Naja a private message Print Post    
Yeah, that was turning me off when he refused to make it more compact. But I guess after 20 years of working on a product, I would get ticked like he did with some newbie telling I me I have to change it.

Fruitbat
Member

08-07-2000

Friday, April 21, 2006 - 5:48 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Fruitbat a private message Print Post    
Seems they have already chosen the final 4 and arranged the format to fit their decision. Had the Sack Master been against the Niya doll and the Unbrella he probably would have won.

Why not see all of them before making a decision? Fix this glaring flaw and eliminate the sob story aspect and this show could be good.

I bet the sand shovel guy will get some backing to have it produced. Solar cooler also. The wife of the cooler man posts on another board and says they have gotten inquiries from as far away as China.

Karuuna
Board Administrator

08-31-2000

Friday, April 21, 2006 - 7:53 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karuuna a private message Print Post    
Yeah, I think the sand bag filler will be a go. The publicity from the show will take him where he needs to go, he doesn't need a million dollars. Someone will offer him a deal.

Overall, I didn't find the quality of these inventions all that impressive. I worked for a new product development marketing company for 8 years and we saw many new products that were truly innovative with much higher market potential than anything on this show.

Fruitbat
Member

08-07-2000

Friday, April 21, 2006 - 10:28 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Fruitbat a private message Print Post    
www.gobagger.com

The sand bag shovel already exists. It looks as though it could use some help to be more efficient though.

Hukdonreality
Member

09-29-2003

Friday, April 21, 2006 - 10:33 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hukdonreality a private message Print Post    
Wow, Fruit, good investigative stuff! I saw at the bottom of the page that this item was copyrighted in 1999 (or at least the website was). Looks like this "inventor" took too long or maybe he saw this and figured he could improve it or something.

Karuuna
Board Administrator

08-31-2000

Friday, April 21, 2006 - 10:59 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Karuuna a private message Print Post    
Wow! So this product (by someone else) IS already available. If this other guy gets his to market, the company with the better marketing strategy will win.

Hukdonreality
Member

09-29-2003

Friday, April 21, 2006 - 11:03 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hukdonreality a private message Print Post    
If this TV inventor doesn't already have a patent, he'll never get one. His is way too similar to the one Fruit found. I think he just kissed all his money and time, good-bye.