InventHelp’s Invention Girl has recently learned about a new technology that enables business owners, parents and anyone else to monitor activity at their homes and offices via cell phones.

Inventors at mobiDEOS who developed a cell phone/PDA application for remotely viewing and controlling digital network-based surveillance cameras were honored as their MobileCamViewer was named as one of the best new products and inventions of 2009, according to the editors of Security Products. Indeed, the MobileCamViewer cell phone app was widely acclaimed by the media, including those reporting for Stores (”Apped to Change Behavior,” February 2010) to Dog Fancy (”Caught on Camera,” January 2010), not to mention AppCraver and BlackberryCentral.

Hailed as software programmed to work seamlessly with existing security cameras – precluding the expense of new equipment – the MobileCamViewer has been the focus of numerous positive, anecdotal experiences of business owners who have “phoned home” to discover that an employee failed to open the store on time or that there was a huge line of customers, for example. Seeing what the security cameras were transmitting via cell phone in real time enabled these retailers to take immediate action. Others felt that employees may be more honest and conscientious if they are aware of the potential for the owner or manager to tune into the store surveillance with MobileCamViewer.

Invention Girl will be on her best behavior at work from now on, just in case the bosses decide to use MobileCamViewer around InventHelp headquarters!

InventHelp’s Invention Girl finds it amusing that the audience favorite at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show, a hub of high-tech wizardry, turned out to be a “black box.” Well, it’s not a black box in terms of a complex invention whose inner workings are mysterious or unknown, but more of a black box in the physical sense.

The Boxee Box was crowned the Last Gadget Standing at CES in Las Vegas, which began Jan. 7 and wrapped up this past Sunday. The gadget is a cube-like device that shares web content with your television. Consumers can store and play favorite videos and more on their television and share it with their Facebook friends. Scheduled for sale this spring, the Boxee Box will retail for about $200.

The Last Gadget Standing is a “people’s choice” award that’s determined by audience applause. Other contenders in the 10 finalists, chosen by a panel of CES judges, included:

• Neato Vacuum Cleaner — InventHelp’s Invention Girl has been drooling over the Roomba ever since it hit the market, and the Neato could be even better. Anyone who grew up on The Jetsons not-so-secretly wishes that they had a robot maid! The Neato features a mapping system to ensure the cleaning ‘bot hits the whole room, and a square jaw for stubborn corners.
• Intel Reader — This nifty reader converts text to voice and reads it aloud. A second reader in the finalists, the Que proReader, delivers newspapers and magazines wirelessly.
• Nvidia Ultra Android Tablet — This isn’t your ordinarily tablet, but it’s just as small. The gizmo incorporates a gaming PC and a multimedia player into an easily portable, compact unit less than an inch thick.

Keep an eye out for these new inventions at your favorite electronics store soon!

Sure, Christmas Day is over, but judging from the plethora of holiday decorations and seasonal commercials still around, the holiday spirit is still strong!

InventHelp’s Invention Girl is sure you’ve noticed that the holidays seem to start earlier and end later every year. And that’s good news for procrastinators. Maybe you’ve been putting off buying a gift for that co-worker on vacation, or perhaps you blamed forgetting to send Aunt Edna a gift on the postman. Here are a few more gift ideas for you do-it-laters out there.

We at InventHelp think the best way to get over the end of the holiday season is to think about Spring! These outdoor inventions from our sister site, the InventHelp Store, were recently featured in the outdoor enthusiasts’ blog, HuntingLife.com.

The Air Chair is a comfortable camping chair that hangs from the rafters of your deck, porch and even your car! Easy to use and set up, the invention is a great choice for the person who enjoys relaxing in the outdoors.

Have an angler on your list? Lures are always a solid gift and the Moon Minnow Fishing Lure breaks the mold of an ordinary lure. The illuminating element allows fishing enthusiasts to catch the big ones day or night.

Know someone using a dull, old knife? The Master Sharpener is a lightweight, compact tool that helps to ensure that knifes stay sharp in the kitchen, the outdoors and everywhere else!

All of these inventions are available online at InventHelpStore.com. Hopefully these tips will help you finish up that last-minute holiday shopping. From all of us at InventHelp, enjoy the rest of the holiday season and Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays, fellow invention lovers! It’s time to drag ourselves out of our turkey-and-shopping induced comas and get in to the spirit of the season. Luckily, that generally involves more food and shopping!

Over the next month, InventHelp and Invention Girl will help narrow down your shopping lists by posting our picks for holiday gift-giving.

As airplanes become more crowded, overhead bin space is precious real estate. On a recent trip, InventHelp’s Invention Girl was so worried about fitting all of my travel-sized toiletries into my bag that I forgot one a very important item – my cell phone charger. Instead of rationing my calls to Invention Guy, I’m bringing the Fueltank™ Duo on my next trip.

The Fueltank can simultaneously charge two small electronic devices without the use of an outlet. This invention features device-specific adapters that work with thousands of mobile devices such as iPods, cell phones, navigation units, digital readers and portable gaming systems. Designed with a powerful, rechargeable lithium ion battery, the device weighs less than 8 ounces – making it perfect for the traveler on your list.

Check back soon for InventHelp’s next holiday invention tip!

On a recent flight, InventHelp’s Invention Girl was stuck in everyone’s least favorite spot – the dreaded middle seat. Not only is there nowhere to rest my arms, but I can’t get any work done on my laptop because I’m concerned that one of my seat buddies might be eavesdropping!

As those of you who have worked with us know, protecting the confidentiality of our client’s inventions is one of our top priorities at InventHelp. Unfortunately for me, when I’m in a position where someone could steal a peek at my computer, that means I’m reading Sky Mall or the in-flight magazine instead of working hard on my endeavors.

Picking up the magazine this time turned out to be a great idea! One of the ads was for an invention that could ease my privacy concerns. 3M’s laptop privacy screens feature patented microlouver technology that blocks outside views while allowing you to view your screen clearly straight-on. Would-be peekers will see only a dark, blank screen.

The screen also provides protection against scratches and abrasions as you tote the laptop on and off the plane, or around town. Available in a variety of sizes to accommodate different laptops, the device retails for about $35 (depending on size).

Hopefully on my next airplane adventure, I can spend more time on my InventHelp duties than ordering new gadgets from Sky Mall!

InventHelp’s Invention Girl likes to keep a pretty neat house, so there’s nothing I like more than inventions that make my spring cleaning easier!

Vacuuming is, of course, a regular part of my cleaning routine. One thing I’ve always hated about traditional vacuums is changing the vacuum bag. It seems like no matter how hard I try, I always wind up getting a big puff of dust in the face! Frustrated, I searched online for a vacuum that could eliminate my dust-bowl woes and found one to put to the test.

Hoover’s Platinum Lightweight Bagged Upright with Canister promises a self-sealing bag so dust, cat fur and other dirty tidbits stay in the bag and off my face. And guess what – it works! Plus, the bags are produced from HEPA media, which traps 99.97% of dirt, dust and pollens down to 0.3 microns.
This upright vacuum weighs only 12 pounds, so it’s easy to transport from room to room. Like all compact uprights, the vacuum sacrifices a little power for portability. But, for day-to-day cleaning, it’s got enough gusto to deal with the dirt.

The best part of the Hoover? A Ghostbusters-style portable canister with a crevice tool, dusting brush and hard floor attachment is included for hard-surface and above-floor cleaning needs.

Let’s see: no dirt in the face and I get to jam out to the Ghostbusters theme song while I remove cobwebs! InventHelp’s Invention Girl has to give this vacuum the thumbs-up. The upright retails for $399.99 at Hoover.com and at retailers like Target, Best Buy and JC Penney.

It’s like the holiday that comes once every two years – it’s Happy New Cell Phone Day!

InventHelp’s Invention Girl would like to buy a new cell phone every six months, but since I love my gadgets so much I tend to take good care of them. With today’s tight budgets, it’s hard to justify a new phone when I can wait it out and get a great discount when my contract is up.

Obvious contenders include the iPhone and BlackBerry Bold, and then there’s newcomer Palm Pre. How does the Palm Pre stack up against these Goliaths? Pretty well, according to reviews.

The interface and operating systems are meaty enough to earn respect, and make emailing and flipping through applications a breeze. The Pre’s screen is sharp and clear, and even the physical casing is attractive. Downsides include short battery life and a small, squat keypad that makes one-handed use difficult.

I know the iPhone has its diehard fans – it shook up the cell phone world a few years ago and earned legions of devoted followers. But, I don’t want to switch cell phone companies, and more importantly, I need a keypad. With actual keys.

And hey, they don’t call the BlackBerry the “CrackBerry” for nothing. These little gadgets are so addictive it’s hard to put them down! Still, is it just me or is the BlackBerry kind of boring? You can’t go to happy hour or ride the subway without seeing 100 other people with the same gadget.

InventHelp’s Invention Girl likes to take the road less traveled. That’s what makes the Palm Pre tempting – it’s an alternative to the Big Two. Until I can dig a little more, I’m holding on to Old Faithful for a few more days. In the meantime, I’m taking suggestions!

Ever since I bought my iPod a few years ago, it’s always by my side. From the journeys into the InventHelp office, to the walks in the park, to cross-country flights, Invention Girl and her beloved iPod were together in tune through life.

A few weeks ago, I noticed that the sound was cutting out on one side of my headphones. This happens to me often because, admittedly, I’m a headphone abuser. I coughed up the cash for a new set like I have so many times before, only this time, the problem persisted.

Oh, the anguish! Having to choose between listening to my tunes in one ear or not at all is a fate I wouldn’t wish on any music lover.

I made an appointment at the Genius Bar at my local Mac store to speak with a technician, who confirmed that my headphone jack was on the fritz. My options? I could get an expensive AM/FM converter that attaches to the bottom of the iPod and provides another jack or recycle the iPod for a discount toward a new one.

Unfortunately, Uncle Sam hit InventHelp’s Invention Girl pretty hard this tax season, so I shopped around for a more cost-efficient way to fix my iPod. Luckily, a combination of tool kit inventions and an online community of do-it-yourselfers provided me with a new option: replace the headphone jack myself.

I found a great deal for the replacement headphone jack on eBay, and two weeks and $6 later I had my tools and replacement part. Next, I looked up how-to videos on YouTube.com. With the help of the ever-handy Invention Guy, we opened up the iPod, removed the bad jack and replaced it with the new one. Sure, we had to pause the video about 50 times, but who’s counting?

If you’re having issues with your battery or hold button, there are videos and tool kits available to repair those, too. But, let it be known that Invention Girl and InventHelp don’t necessarily recommend slicing open your iPod. I took on this repair fully prepared to replace my iPod should I end up on the losing end of this technology battle.

With the help of some rogue do-it-yourselfers and a few tiny tools, my fixed iPod and I are now back to our morning commutes and blissful walks. InventHelp’s Invention Girl: 1 – iPod: 0!

InventHelp’s Invention Girl was thrilled to find out that two of her tech favorites are teaming up! Amazon’s Kindle Reader, which enables word nerds like me to read books, magazines and newspapers electronically, will now be offered as an app for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

In a bid to encourage consumers to embrace e-book technology (and entice those who are turned off by the Kindle’s $359 price tag), Amazon is offering the app for free. And don’t confuse “no cost” with “no features” – the app includes some of the Kindle’s signature elements. Users can adjust the size of the text, add notes, and bookmark places.

The app does not connect to Kindle’s store, however, so if you get the urge to download some Hemmingway on a whim, you’ll need to log in to your web browser. If you happen to own a Kindle already, the app will sync the two.

Ian Freed, Amazon’s vice president for the Kindle, told MSNBC that the company sees the software as a way to introduce non-Kindle owners to e-books while complimenting current Kindle owners’ exiting programs by enabling them to read their content directly from their Apple devices.

We at InventHelp sure do love to see great concepts work together in harmony!

Call the plasma TV yet another victim of the recession. Last week, electronics retailer Pioneer announced that it would cease production on its flashiest plasma model, the “Ultimate Black” Kuro, and phase out its critically acclaimed television division by March 2010.

Pioneer’s move looks like a final nail in the coffin for the struggling plasma TV industry. The popularity of plasma steadily declined in the last few years, mainly from competition from LCD TV and tightening family budgets. At the beginning of this year, LCDs were outselling plasmas by a ratio of 8-to-1 globally.

Plasma’s popularity peaked from 2004-2006 when they largely replaced big-screen, rear-projecting televisions. But even in good times, plasma didn’t necessarily excel. Competition from LCD models led many consumers to hold off on making a purchase, during which time LCD technology started to catch up with plasma. By 2008, LCD was cheaper, the screen quality comparable to plasma, and sizes and features formerly available only in plasma were now offered in LCD.

With Pioneer out of the (ahem!) picture, Panasonic, LG, and Samsung are the last plasma makers on the playing field. Panasonic in particular may benefit from Pioneer’s demise. They plan to offer plasma TVs as a premium, niche item for devoted customers. This also buys Panasonic time to get their LCD line up to speed when the imminent death of plasma hits once and for all.

Although it’s sad to see a technological superstar like Kuro fall by the wayside, tough times mean that the best-of-the-best isn’t always what’s best for consumers. And in case you were curious, InventHelp’s Invention Girl is LCD all the way!