Television

Many of the Final 12 Contestants on the American Inventor have graciously agreed to gather together here at AmericanInventorSpot.com for a unique live blog event on Sunday, May 21 at 9Pm EST (after the Grand Finale Show on Thursday). We are hoping to get all 12 Finalists if its possible.

It should be a fun and fascinating opportunity to talk to your favorite inventors. Please come join us as we dish about the show with the Final 12.

If you have questions you would like us to ask, please share them in the comments here. read more »

COUTDOWN TO THE FINALE - THURSDAY, MAY 11 (8:00-9:00 p.m., ET)

In this recap episode of the last four shows, relive the journey that the 12 semifinalists took when they used the $50,000 they were given to finalize their inventions. The final four inventors will be highlighted and shown moving on to the final round, one step closer to winning one million dollars and to becoming the next great "American Inventor." read more »

My choice for the final four is The Anecia Survival Capsule. It’s the invention of Janusz Liberkowski

This invention is a true “new to the world” concept. As such it has generated a lot of technical debate and discussion. I do not presume to know all of the answers. However the following are my personal perceptions and opinions. They are not the opinions of Janusz, Freemantle, the producers, ABC or anyone else.

1. How does the Anecia Survivor Capsule work?

When a car crashes there are two collisions. The first is when the car hits the other car or obstacle. The second is when the baby hits the seat belt or when the baby’s head get’s shaken and snapped in the direction of the impact, at the same speed that the car was going before the crash. read more »

Tomorrow night Doug will be back - to answer questions, give you insight, and tell it like it is....LIVE! read more »

Doug Hall will be back LIVE at AmericanInventorspot.com to tell it like it is - this Sunday night, May 7th - for his second appearance.

If you missed it the first time, this is your chance to ask Doug whatever you want. He said this weeks Episode is going to leave fans VERY passionate and wanting to talk/vent. read more »

EPISODE 109 – DOUG HALL DECIDES WHO MOVES ON. There’s only one spot left in the Final 4.

Joseph and Jennifer Safuto – Inventor of the Flushpure toilet seat. Every time you flush the toilet microparticles of bacteria fly all over the place.

Despite their last round of horrible presentation they moved on to this round. read more »

Tonight, Peter Jones judges a former teacher, a coach and a therapist. They each have 4 weeks to prove they should move on.

All three of tonight’s inventors have one thing in common – they’ve put off they’re lives to make other lives better.

Jodi Plistka invented The Headliner because she lost all her hair 20 years ago to Alopecia.

20 years ago Ed Hall had dreams of NBA stardom. He eventually became a teacher. Inventor of WordAce – an electronic educational game designed to make learning fun. read more »

If you've seen episode 106 or 107, then you know the drill by now. One of the four judges on American Inventor mentors three of the semi-finalists. read more »

So the advertisers at Mediaweek seems to be pondering whether there will be a second season on American Inventor. Doug Hall, in his recent blogging here, said he was "caustiously optimistic". A recent article for Mediaweek seems to mimic that tone. read more »

Since I wrote my last article "Are the American Inventor Final 12 Products Already on the Market?" (posted April 19, 2006), we have received more e-mails and comments informing us about other products in the Final 12 that already exist that were not previously discussed. So I decided to write a follow up on the following three products:

1. Sheryl McDonald – Un-Brella (InBrella);

2. Francisco Patino - Double Traction Bike (D-Tract 2x2); and

3. Janusz Lieberkowski - Spherical Safety Seat.

None of these three products had a patent.

read more »

Wade Sun is the inventor of the Disc Eraser™. He has written an article for AmericanInventorSpot.com readers as a guest blogger to share the lessons he learned as he went through the process of developing his invention.

Over the past week, we published the first three parts of his four part series on his 13 Rules of Invention Success. Here is Part 4 of his 4 part series:

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FYI – MR. ANNOUNCER GUY STATES…THEY WENT TO 7 CITIES, saw 10,127 INVENTIONS, of which 223 were for toilet products.

Tonight it’s MARY LOU QUINLAN who decides who moves to the FINAL 4.

Here’s how the show sets up the inventors – total reality show BS” “A prison guard, an unemployed mother, and a teenage immigrant all compete for 50 thousand dollars.

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We're back for another round of Best of Auditions - for those of us that just can not get enought. It's started. Please feel free to join in with any comments you have at anytime. read more »

Ok - I know I sound a little indecisive but I've got some facts and they just don't add up. I originally came to the conclusion that Safuto can not win the American Inventor title but Thinkoutsidethecircle thinks my original draft was a little too decisive. So let me tell you the facts and my conclusion. Let me know if you agree or not.

FACT 1: The INPEX Press Release

I just got this Press Release off of The Invention/New Product Exposition (INPEX) website.

California "American Inventor" Million Dollar Contender to Exhibit the "Pureflush" Toilet Seat at America's Largest Invention Show. read more »

Well, I guess more litigation related to the American Inventor show was inevitable. Thanks to reader who made us aware of this (we have not yet verified its accuracy or veracity):
TEQUESTA, FL, April 26, 2006 – A formal complaint has been issued to ABC television network stating the judges of the show “The American Inventor” have wrongfully selected one of the participants for the final 12, allowing the contestant to misrepresent himself as the originator of a concept called the Tonerbelt that has already been developed and has been on store shelves since 1995, including Target and QVC, under the name of Powerbelt®. read more »

Episode 7 has a format similar to last week's episode (episode 6). Mary Lou is this week's judge and there are three new inventors from the top 12.

This is ABC's Press Release:
MARY LOU QUINLAN GUIDES THREE INVENTORS TO USE THEIR $50,000 TOWARDS FINALIZING THEIR PRODUCT, ON ABC'S "AMERICAN INVENTOR"

"Episode 107" - This week on "American Inventor" we will focus on three semi-finalists to see how they use the $50,000 they've been given to finalize their invention. Mary Lou Boo HooQuinlan, one of our expert judges, will mentor
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QUESTION: What's to keep others from stealing the inventions we see on the show? Or more precisely, how much exactly must a similar idea differ for a mega-company to get their own patent on it?
DOUG: Sadly, many of the inventors don’t have an invention that is protectable. Hopefully those that do have filed a utility patent.

QUESTION: Why doesn't the show screen inventors before they come before the judges so they don't waste your time with products that already exist?

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Come ask Doug Hall. He'll be here on Sunday night at 9:30pm EST. For details, check out Thinkoutsidethecircle's blog at Doug Hall Live

read more »

THE FULL RECAP.

ONLY 12 REMAIN - tonight

ED EVANTELISTA IS THE MAIN JUDGE. He decides the fate of…

MARK Martinez - Sackmaster 2000 (now the Sacmaster)
SHERYL McDonald - The Un-brella (now the In-brella)
ERIC Thompson - Receiver's Training Pole (now the Catch)

read more »