July 25, 2012

Weekly Round-Up


UFC star 'Hendo' is pitching Jam Gym

  1. Blossom Up. Pitch: "Grow a gorgeous garden with fresh, delicious produce." Comments: Looks like work and like something only hard-core gardening enthusiasts would buy. [ss]
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  3. BluCase. Pitch: "The most amazing Bluetooth headset protective carrying and storage case on earth." Comments: Technology products are tough in general. Technology products that are only for specific devices (e.g. Toku) are even tougher. [ss]
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  5. Doodle Dome. Pitch: "A place to draw with light, anytime day or night." Comments: Pop-up tents. Glow-in-the-dark markers. What's not to like? [ss]
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  7. Drill Buddy. Pitch: "A laser level, drill guide and dust catcher all in one." Comments: IdeaVillage's Laser Straight had a decent run back in 2005. Not sure if it's time for it come back, or if this item is right for the resurrection. [ss]
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  9. Handy Eyes. Pitch: "The ingenious eyeglass case that holds two pairs right in the same place." Comments: Good creative, but I think this is a solution in search of a problem. [ss]
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  11. Huggy Pets. Pitch: "Turn your favorite pillow into a new best friend." Comments: 75th to market with a me-too solution. [ss]
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  13. Jam Gym. Starring: UFC star Dan "Hendo" Henderson. Producer: Bluewater Media. Pitch: "Get ripped, lean and mean at home with max-intensity body weight resistance training." Comments: Hendo is about to fight for the title, so the timing here is perfect. This test is also noteworthy because it's another example of the MMA trend in short-form fitness. It's official: Every legend of MMA now has a DR fitness product. [ss]
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  15. Kleva Catch. Pitch: "The ultimate 'seat gap' trap." Comments: Low on the problem scale. [ss]
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  17. Kool Spoon. Pitch: "Keep your food warm and your mouth unscorched with the next generation of spoons." Comments: Another solution in search of a problem. [ss]
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  19. Little Blue Elephant. Pitch: "Turn any toilet into a self-cleaning toilet." Comments: As I have remarked before, this category is dominated by entrenched brands. The last failed attempt to overcome that challenge was just this past winter (see item #4). [ss]
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  21. MagnaColor. Pitch: "Color and create in real 3D." Comments: This seems pretty involved for your average kid, but the end result (a 3D creation) has good "wow" factor. [ss]
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  23. My Pur Mist. Pitch: "The first handheld steam inhaler providing superior comfort naturally and immediately." Comments: The ultimate price for this ($50) puts it outside of the impulse-purchase range, and the market seems fairly narrow. You have to be a hard-core, chronic sufferer to invest in something like this. Also, they should be careful with those claims. [ss]
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  25. Spec Secure. Pitch: "Keep your eyewear investment safe when it's not on your face." Comments: As seen on ABC's Shark Tank. I admire the guy's enthusiasm and wish him well, but two similar solutions (e.g. iSpex, Spec Tamer) failed. In DR, the third time is never the charm. [ss]
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  27. TheraHeel. Pitch: "Safely peels away rough, dry skin and calluses." Comments: Good category, but this kind of solution has been tried on DRTV before without success. [ss]