Way earlier this summer I was on the phone with Jeffrey Brodie. He’s the deputy director of the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. He was talking about an upcoming exhibit saluting skateboarding and legend Tony Hawk. I grew up in Southern California skateboarding the 70s. The sport [...]
Archive for August, 2011
Dude! Smithsonian Honors Skateboards
Wednesday, August 31st, 201130,000,000 Eggies Produced!
Tuesday, August 30th, 2011We have some exciting news to share! Drumroll pleeeaasse…The 30,000,000th Eggie — you know, one of those little egg-shaped containers, perhaps you’ve heard of them! 
— has officially rolled off the assembly line!
That’s a whole lotta Eggies! These kitchen gadgets have come a long way since their humble beginnings as the quickly drawn sketch Betsy Kaufman submitted to one of our ASOTV searches — could your idea be next? Our As Seen On TV: Take 3 search will close next Tuesday, September 6 at 11:59 pm PST. Don’t miss out on your chance; the next big ASOTV success could be YOURS!
Meet the EN Team: Jeff Browning
Monday, August 29th, 2011So how exactly do we a
t Edison Nation turn your ideas into the best possible product, for the best possible price? That’s where our team member, Jeff Browning, comes in!
If Edison Nation were to have office superlatives, Jeff would likely take home the “Most Congenial” award. Jeff arrives at our EN headquarters in the early morning hours to make house calls to source product samples, oversee manufacturing and to find the best methods of production for our products. When he’s not going back and forth with manufacturers, you can expect to find Jeff making the essential first pot of coffee, lending a hand with the office dishwasher, or delighting fellow coworkers with stories from his native Midwestern roots.
Read on in this month’s “Meet the EN team” post to learn more about Jeff!
Q1. What is your position within Edison Nation and what does it entail?
A. Director of Product Sourcing and Purchasing. I review selected products and develop the costing to determine how to improve the design and costs to make the best possible product at the best price.
Q2. What are you likely doing on a Saturday morning?
A. Up early, have a little Java and breakfast, then work on cars or work on the yard. And in cooler weather, go hunting!
Q3. What are the 3 things on your bucket list?
A. Go on a photo safari to Africa, drive a car on Bonneville Salt Flats at 200+ mph, and take a cruise to Norway with my wife.
Q4. If your life had a soundtrack, what’s at least one song that would be on it?
A. “Takin’ Care of Business” by Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
Q5. What is one of your favorite quotes?
A. ”Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure… than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Wanna see more of Jeff’s work in action? Check out this behind-the-scenes footage of the development of Eggies!
Score One for Patent Holders?
Monday, August 29th, 2011
A Look at Inequitable Conduct By B. Collins The days of shaking down patent holders for failing to cross some Ts or dot a few lower-case Js in patent applications may be over. And maybe, just maybe, it will be cheaper and faster to file for and obtain a patent – that is, if a split [...]
Dat Nguyen Joins Edison Nation, Appears with Michael Diep on Vietface TV
Friday, August 26th, 2011Just weeks after the official launch of the new Edison Nation Vietnam, a Vietnamese-centered version of EdisonNation.com, we’re excited to announce that former Dallas Cowboys linebacker, Dat Nguyen, has joined the Edison Nation Vietnam team!
Nguyen, who is best known as the NFL’s first Vietnamese-American player, also recently appeared with Emery Cat creator and Edison Nation Vietnam Partner, Michael Diep, in an interview on Vietface TV, the largest and most popular network in the Vietnamese community.
Check out the interview below (note: this footage is in the Vietnamese language).
More Inventions from Inventors
Thursday, August 25th, 2011
Every month, Inventors Digest features new inventions from independent inventors in our Radar section. To have your new invention in the magazine, email info@inventorsdigest.com. Put “Radar” in the subject line. Don’t Fall It may have a clumsy acronym, but the RIPPS helps the elderly from falling. RIPPS or Repeated Incremental Predictable Perturbations in Standing, increases [...]
IRWIN Tools LPS Q-and-A
Thursday, August 25th, 2011
We recently asked for your questions regarding our IRWIN Tools Live Product Search, and now we have the answers for you straight from the IRWIN team! It is our hope that with these answers in tow, you’re able to move more smoothly through your submission-creating process! Also, don’t forget, all submissions for this search are due no later than Monday, September 19 at 11:59 p.m. EST. Happy Inventing!
Q. Are IRWIN Tools products sold in the “large box” home improvement stores?
A. Yes.
Q. What is the IRWIN user demographic?
A. Primarily male trades workers, ages 24-54.
Q. Is it assumed home users are mostly measuring less than 30 ft. (or perhaps even less than 10 ft.)?
A. Yes, it should be assumed that home users are measuring less than 30 ft. for about 99% of projects. Within that, measurements would be less than 10 ft. for about 60% of projects.
Q. Would it be possible to get a ranking of desired improvements? (i.e., which problems are most important to solve: snapback, bowing over long distances, one-person operation, etc.?)
A. The #1 desired improvement is “standout and tape roll” (tape rolling over when extended, making it impossible to measure). Other issues are hook breakage, speed of retraction, and spring failure. We are looking for any features that add value to the experience of using a tape measure, especially for one-person operation.
Q. Are you only looking for actual tape measures or are you also interested in other products that improve upon the function of the tape measure? Will preference be given to one or the other?
A. We are primarily looking for features to improve tape measures, but all ideas will be considered.
Q. Do you have a “graveyard” of failed measuring concepts like NASCAR’s Grill Graveyard? If so, will you share the most common themes surrounding measuring concepts that have failed?
A. Unfortunately, we do not.
Q. Are you open to electronic or hybrid-electronic devices for this search?
A. Yes.
Q. Are there manufacturing competencies IRWIN Tools has in the US that we (inventors) might try to capitalize on for this search?
A. We have core competencies in many manufacturing techniques globally, however, none that would need to be specifically designed into this product line.
Q. Is there a minimum length you will consider for a tape measuring product? Is there an optimal length (even if other lengths are considered)?
A. The most common length is 25 ft.
Guest Post: My Visit to Edison Nation Headquarters
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011By Patricia Herzog-Mesrobian
From the moment I entered the converted Grist Mill built in 1906, whose character and charm still echoed throughout, I knew this day would be like no other. It had been my long awaited dream to make it here, one way or another, just to meet all the amazing people at Edison Nation and to see the infamous Everyday Edisons Production Studio.
It all started out with a gigantic warm welcome from Rich Holmes and the team. As I posed for an exciting photo in front of the prestigious “Wall of Patents,” I couldn’t help but think about all those inventors, their dreams now a reality. It confirmed for me once again why I have chosen to hang my dreams on the EN Star.
It became quickly apparent, as Rich led me on a wonderful and informative tour, that he was truly passionate about his role at EN as a Legal Counsel and Inventor Advocate. I was quite an enthusiastic visitor, to say the least, and as he welcomed each and every question he was thoughtful and extremely knowledgeable. It is obvious he is relentless in helping to protect our patents. Little do we realize what is involved on a daily basis to keep our products safe and on the market.
At the end of my terrific and fun filled visit I hated to leave, but I left feeling inspired, motivated, thankful, and confident in the Edison Nation organization. They are truly the best in what they do!
New Inventions from Inventors
Monday, August 22nd, 2011
Every month, Inventors Digest features new inventions from independent inventors in our Under the Radar section. To have your new invention in the magazine, email info@inventorsdigest.com. Put “Radar” in the subject line. Strap-n-Go Inventor Randy LeClaire’s Strap-n-Go ladder handle took Best Overall Product by the United Inventors Association at this year’s National Hardware Show. The [...]