Attention American Inventor TV show fans!

Here's some exclusive news about Season Two from AmericanInventorSpot.com:

Auditions:

I think all of us have been waiting patiently to find out when auditions for Season Two of American Inventor would begin. In the past couple of months, we've heard lots of rumors about when the auditions would start. ABC has not officially announced a start date. However, we have finally been able to confirm from multiple sources that the current plans of the producers of American Inventor are to start auditions for Season Two in February, 2007.

And... read more »

Star on StakeIf you love decorating for the holidays, but would like to decorate a little more green this year, solar decorations are an option. Eco-friendly wreathes, icicles, stars, snowmen, santas, globes and even string lights are all available and ready to light up your home and garden. You won't have to mess with wires and in the long run, you will save money on your electric bill.

Take a look below at the list of solar powered decorations available.

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Sometimes inventors are so excited when another person or a company is interested in their invention that they jump at the first opportunity that is offered to them. This can lead to later regrets, and I write from experience.

Who has your best interests at heart? Who wants your product to sell millions? Who knows your product best? If the answer is you, then you need to plan your best path to success with your invention. read more »

In the theme of poop that I somehow seem to have locked myself into, here's my pick for wacky product of the week: Barbie Doll and Tanner Scooper Dog Set.

Merchant for this product says "Finally, Barbie has a dog that eats and makes a mess! Tanner the dog is soft and fuzzy and her mouth, ears, head and tail really move! You can open Tanner dog's mouth and "feed" her dog biscuits. Comes with a dog bone and chew toys that Tanner can hold in her mouth, too. When Tanner has to go to the bathroom, Barbie doll cleans up with her special magnetic scooper and trash can. Posable Barbie doll included." (Doll here )

Well folks, what so you think of my find? Will you buy it for your favorite little girl? Can you think of a fun comment to title this? read more »

If you've seen the digital renderings of The Metropol Parasol by J Mayer H then you know his talents as an architect and designer are far from limited. Mayer H. is up there with the other big dogs of architecture and his most recent project, The Curiosity Center at Danfoss Universe, is no less indicative of his ability. read more »

Yesterday, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.) scientists announced their creation of antimicrobial paint that kills the influenza virus and other harmful microbes like E. coli. Worldwide, influenza affects three to five million people and kills nearly a half a million annually, including 36,000 Americans. The groundbreaking paint’s compound mixture is thorny, stabbing holes in the membranes of the viruses and killing them. So, who’s funding the research? How will it be used? How effective is it? read more »

Microsoft is sponsoring Idea Wins: the ultimate challenge to promote their new small business software, Microsoft Office Accounting Express 2007. They are searching for the best small business idea. All you need to do is submit a Contest Submission Form. Your submission will be judged based on the following criteria: Originality, Marketing Approach, Financial and Logistical Feasibility and Public Interest. Contest ends January 31, 2007. read more »

If life could only be like this box of chocolates... I guess I wouldn't have to work anymore.

For this holiday season, Simon Jewelers is offering Le Chocolat. Le Chocolat features a selection of Lake Forest Confections gourmet chocolates, selected by the confectioners master candy maker, as well as an arrangement of magnificent jewelry from Simon's personal jewelry and gemstone vault. The price tag is $1,500,000. read more »

How do you get a garden from a soap box (yes, I am talking about the box your soap comes in)?

By soaking one of Pangea Organics' (an organic skincare line) biodegradable and plantable soap boxes in water for about a minute. Then plant the box in the dirt about 1 inch deep. The box will begin to decompose and within a few days you will see it grow into a flowering Amaranth. read more »

Video Game RealismIn today’s world, almost every video game that is released has some form of violence. This isn’t just happening now, though; it’s been a trend for a very long time. Ever since Mario, which had the player killing enemies by jumping on them, video games have become more and more violent. As video game consoles became more and more powerful, games also became increasingly violent due to realism (see above). The list of violent video games goes on and on, but this is my list of the best and most violent video games around today. read more »

Back in September, I wrote an article called "Coolest Combo: Phone and Video Baby Monitor - HotSpotMama Find". I really loved this product when I found. I still love it - so much that I decided to repeat myself.

Holidays are coming up fast. This has got to be one of the best presents for new parents. I was walking through two of large baby stores today and came to a realization, this is still a brilliant product There is nothing else out there that's similar. Here's my article from September:

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Looking for a great video baby monitor?

When I had my first baby (who is now 5 years old), we bought a video baby monitor. We thought it was the coolest thing that we could watch our child while he was sleeping without him seeing us. The problem was that it was too big and a bit too bright. The screen had to be about four inches wide. So when we went to bed and left the monitor on (yes, like a typical first time mom), it pretty much lit up our entire room. Also, it was a huge eyesore on my dresser. Luckily, you can avoid all that now. read more »

Everyone knows Santa drives a sleigh. And, while I’m sure it’s a very nice sleigh, if he and the missus are on holiday in Monaco, Miami, or Melbourne they’re going to need something a little more practical. A little elf told me Santa’s got his eye on the Los Angeles Auto Show’s Design Challenge for a lean, green, urban machine. Santa’s naturally concerned about the environment (global warming’s not so good for the poles), and the sleigh’s speed and agility have raised the bar for how he expects an automobile to perform. Nine innovative auto company's design teams won’t disappoint the big guy. From companies known for their environmental edginess to the makers of gas-guzzling monstrosities, L.A. will provide the backdrop for them to unveil their greenest conceptions on November 30. For a sneak preview, read on. (Gloria Campos wrote about two of the nine in her article, “Lean, Green, Driving Machines”. To read that article, click here .)
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They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. As it turns out, it’s also in their DNA.

Thanks to some truly innovative thinking, now your DNA (or that of a loved one if you can get it) can be turned into beautiful works of art. The company that can help you with this nifty little trick is DNA11. read more »

While those of us stateside were filling our bellies with turkey and stuffing, our counterparts across the ocean were picking the winner of The Big Idea, the UK's answer to American Inventor. Who took home the grand prize of 100,000 GBP and international (or at least European) fame and fortune? The answer is as long as you can pull your arm... read more »

What lies do you tell yourself? Are they helpful or hurtful? As an inventor, your lies they may be lethal.

Our Guest Bloggers, Tatsuya Nakagawa and Peter P. Roosen, are the co-founders of Atomica Creative . Atomica Creative is a strategic product marketing company that has been involved in many successful product launches in North America and Asia in several industries. Roosen and Nakagawa have recently released a book titled "Overcoming Inventoritis - Lessons from Thomas Edison, the world's greatest product marketer". They have some valuable advice that they wanted to share with readers of AmericanInventorSpot.com.

Here's their article: read more »

Ever wish your car would just park itself?

Our Guest Blogger, Nate Eller, lives in metro Detroit, Michigan. He is a college student currently working on his degree in mechanical engineering. He works as an engineer in new product development for a large Tier 1 automotive supplier. Cars, motorcycles, boats, and any other powered vehicles are a strong passion of his and he wanted to share what new in the world of motors with the readers of AmericanInventorSpot.com.

Here's his article: read more »

Poop SoapYou wanted poop so I give you poop.

Actually, it's poop soap. Who said poop is something you should avoid touching. This poop makes you cleaner and makes you smell nice too.

Merchant for this products says "This is high quality, coffee-scented soap that (really) appears to be a big pile of little-dog-doo!!" (NopeItsSoap via Gizmodo)

So folks, any thoughts on this fine prpduct. What do you think would be some good uses for it?

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Wade Sun, inventor of the Disc Eraser™, a top 30 finalist on the American Inventor TV show and a relatively new father (congratulations Wade), has written an article for us sharing the wealth of knowledge he's accumulated while bringing his product to market.

Here's part 3 of a 3 part series on Bringing Your Product to Market - Selling on the Internet.

Part 3: Selling on the Internet

Setting up a product website is vital in this day and age, but you will have to put in the time, set up links and advertisements to drive traffic to your site, which can quickly add up in cost. read more »

Guess what? Its the day after Thanksgiving which means the Christmas Season has started for a lot of us.

Japanese jeweler Ginza Tanaka (maker of the gold foot massager - see Have Money to Burn? Pay $130,000 for a Foot Massager) has created a couple of products to get into the Christmas spirit. Its most recent item is a 100% gold Christmas tree. The gold Christmas tree is 1.5 meters tall, made from 21 kg of gold and costs a mere $850,000. read more »

Wade Sun, inventor of the Disc Eraser™, a top 30 finalist on the American Inventor TV show and a relatively new father (congradulations Wade), has written an article for us sharing the wealth of knowledge he's accumulated while bringing his product to market.

Here's part 2 of a 3 part series on Bringing Your Product to Market - Selling on the Internet.

Part 2: Marketing and Sales

Unlike inventing, marketing is not an exact science. If you have followed my previous inventor’s article, the “13 Rules of Invention Success ”, you will greatly increase your chances in developing a great product. Using my product as a first-hand example, I have shared how to go from an idea, patenting, prototyping, and manufacturing in those articles. But exactly HOW do you sell a great product? read more »