InventHelp’s Gadget Girl is more into watching television for the commercials than the actual shows. What’s drama and suspense compared with new gizmos and inventions? If you can relate, then InventHelp has an exciting opportunity for you.

At the InventHelp-INPEX New Product Showcase at the Electronic Retailing Association’s (ERA) D2C Convention in Las Vegas, inventors will get the chance to pitch their products directly to industry marketers. Held at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, September 13 – 15, 2009, the ERA is billed as the only trade show dedicated to direct response retail sales and product development on TV, radio and online.

INPEX, America’s largest invention trade show, has partnered with the ERA to bring you this special new product showcase. We’ve got some enthusiastic inventors in tow already, but we could use your help!

Exhibitors at this show should bring prototypes and personality during their two-minute product pitches to representatives from companies like Guthy-Renker, Thane Direct and QVC. The best of the best have a chance to be featured in the ERA’s Pitchmen Competition to determine 2009’s “Most Pitchable Product.”

If the world of direct response marketing all sounds a little foreign to you, brush up on your knowledge base during a free DRTV 101 class on Sunday, September 13th from 9am – 10am.

For additional details about exhibiting your invention at the InventHelp-INPEX New Product Showcase at the ERA Show, please call 1-888-54-INPEX [46739] or complete our short ERA D2C Information Request Form. I’ll see you at the show!

Hair restoration has come a long way since those “Hair Club for Men” commercials dominated the airwaves years ago. Feared and dreaded “hair plugs” have been replaced by high-tech, precise hair-replacement inventions that allow individuals to have hair transplanted just about anywhere!

Thanks to these new technology inventions, unusual hair transplants are sprouting up all over the country and all over the body. While the scalp is still by far the most popular hair-transplant area on the body, eyebrows are making strides as well. The face (beards and mustaches), chest and other more, ahem, delicate areas can also receive transplants.

InventHelp’s Gadget Girl has heard horror stories about eyebrow loss due to overzealous plucking and permanent makeup procedures. In one case, a woman had eyebrows permanently tattooed on her face, only to have them fade to an awful “salmon orange” color over time. She had the eyebrow tattoo removed with a laser and discovered that the laser destroyed her hair follicles. After doing some research, she decided to have hair transplanted from her scalp to her eyebrows.

There are two types of procedures that are most common. “Strip harvesting” involves taking out a strip of scalp skin, usually from the back of the head, and then microscopically separating that strip into hundreds (or thousands) of follicular units. “Follicular unit extraction” (FUE) is a newer process in which the clusters are harvested individually.

Doctors note that both procedures, like any surgery, should be carefully considered because there are health risks involved. If you’re considering the procedure, InventHelp’s Gadget Girl recommends doing your homework and finding a reputable, experienced doctor. Prices for the process can range into the thousands of dollars.

As for the woman with the eyebrow transplant, she told MSNBC that she has to constantly trim her eyebrows and that they’re a bit coarser than normal. Still, she’s happy with the results. “You would never think to look at me that my eyebrows came from the back of my head,” she said.

These days, it’s easier to find a WiFi hotspot than a pay phone! That’s great for those of us that love technology and gadgets, but it makes life tricky for the “unplugged population.”

InventHelp’s Gadget Girl knows plenty of grandmas and grandpas who love to email and Facebook with the best of ‘em, but there are still many elderly folks who are not wired in. Aside from bills and solicitations in the mailbox, our Golden Generation may be feeling left out of modern communications. People just don’t write letters much anymore! Rather than leave older individuals facing an empty mailbox, you could use one invention to keep everyone connected.

Sunnygram is a service that sends Grandpa a letter once a week, delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Family members and friends simply email the company correspondence and photos, and Sunnygram prints it out, formats it like a newsletter and pops it in the mail.

Sunnygram includes a self-addressed stamped envelope that Pap can use to handwrite a reply; these replies are scanned by Sunnygram and emailed to the right people. Or, users can call a toll-free number and leave a reply message, and Sunnygram will transcribe it and send it along. The service costs $9.95 a month.

Communication is one of the best gifts you can give an elderly friend or family member. And even though we at InventHelp love technology, we understand that not everyone is a fan.

Inventions that help to keep loved ones connected are always welcome!

As many of you reading this have probably heard, the direct response television industry lost a true pioneer last weekend, with the untimely and sudden death of TV Pitchman Billy Mays. Billy, well known for his thumbs-up pitches and larger-than-life personality, was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, just minutes away from our InventHelp and INPEX headquarters, here in Pittsburgh.

Over the years, Billy had been seen hawking everything from Orange Glo to Oxiclean, and most recently was featured alongside Anthony Sullivan in the Discovery Channel reality show, Pitchmen. Like many consumers, I was also a big fan of Billy Mays and had the opportunity to meet him at the Inventors Corner back in March at the Home & Housewares Show. It was a true pleasure to meet the man who made selling products on television look like a fine art and whose zest for life was infectious.

On behalf of the entire InventHelp and INPEX staff, our condolences go out to the Mays family. He will be greatly missed.

We at InventHelp remember Billy Mays as a passionate pitchman with a booming personality and voice to match. Always donning his trademark blue shirt as the face of products like OxiClean and Orange Glo, Billy’s “everyman” appeal drove consumers to buy millions of the products he pitched.

Sadly, Billy passed away this Sunday at his Tampa home. Autopsy reports showed that Billy suffered from heart disease. His sudden and untimely death at only age 50 shocked those of us who were lucky enough to meet Billy and experience his larger-than-life personality.

Born just minutes from InventHelp’s headquarters, Billy Mays grew up in McKees Rocks, Pa. He developed his unique pitching style on the boardwalk in Atlantic City before moving on to home show circuits, where crowds were drawn to Billy’s infectious spirit and genial manner. In the mid-1990s, Billy met Orange Glo International founder Max Appel at a home show in Pittsburgh and soon found himself hawking the environmentally friendly line on the Home Shopping Network.

InventHelp’s Gadget Girl recalls seeing Billy Mays pitch OxiClean and I instantly liked his jovial style and “thumbs-up” exuberance. Recently, I religiously watched his Discovery Channel show Pitchmen on Wednesday nights. Billy’s natural charisma was on full display in the show, and it was clear that he genuinely wanted to make people’s dreams come true. “I enjoy what I do,” he told The Associated Press in a 2002 interview. “I think it shows.”

InventHelp and Gadget Girl extend our deepest sympathies to the Mays family and Billy’s friends and colleagues. With Billy’s tragic passing, the invention community lost a great advocate and his one-of-a-kind style will be missed by all.

Breaking up may be hard to do, but it doesn’t have to be hard on your pocketbook! InventHelp’s Gadget Girl has discovered a new website that can help newly single, entrepreneurial gals to shed their ex-boyfriend baggage and make a few bucks on the side.

Sure, trinkets and mementos from love lost can be hard to let go. InventHelp’s Gadget Girl won’t go into gory details, but let’s just say I’ve had a few teary sessions with a pint of ice cream while listening to the local light FM radio station! But after a while, rings, bracelets, watches and other fine jewelry from the ex can lose sentimental value and instead bring on painful memories. So, why not trade them in for a big, fat check?

OutOfYourLife.com will send lovelorn ladies an official “Break-Up Box” (the interior is lined with the words “You’re Better Off”), which can then be filled with gifts from He Who Shall Not Be Named and sent off in a pre-paid envelope. Outofyourlife.com will send a check for the value of the goods, which can be used to buy brand new jewelry (or more ice cream).

Blog readers: Do you think this website invention devalues a relationship or exploits a guy? Certainly these are questions to be considered. The way InventHelp’s Gadget Girl sees it, break-ups are highly personal and complex, and there’s more than one way to deal with the pain. The more inventions to help folks deal with it, the better!

InventHelp’s Gadget 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 Gadget 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 Gadget 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 Gadget 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!

Hey Ladies!

Do you think your invention will have all of America wondering, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Would you like the chance to have your new product seen nationwide?

If so, Milojo Productions (the production company owned by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos) wants to meet you. They have contacted InventHelp to let us know they are now casting women with inventions and great personalities from across America for a new series on TLC to help women inventors and potentially take one inventor’s product to the Home Shopping Network.

If you have an invention or new product and a working prototype, TLC and Kelly Ripa may be able to help you manufacture, market and sell it on the Home Shopping Network.

A few requirements you should keep in mind:

• Invention or product may not be edible or make any guarantees of satisfaction (such as “guaranteed weight loss” or “best ever”)
• You must be a woman over the age of 18
• All applicants are subject to background check and standard television release forms

If you’ve got ambition, an idea and a working prototype, apply now at www.milojo.com/casting.

Casting calls are scheduled for New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas.

Good Luck!

My friendly InventHelp coworkers will be the first to tell you that I’m a little crazy about my teeth. Brushing and flossing come as naturally to me as breathing and blinking. But even for a seasoned dental-health advocate like InventHelp’s Gadget Girl, a visit to the dentist can be a little scary – especially when the feared and dreaded drill is involved.

I know plenty of adults who are terrified of the dentist’s drill. I can’t imagine what their parents went through during those childhood checkups! Today, both parents and kids could have an easy (and dare I say fun) time at the dentist’s office or hospital thanks to an invention called PediSedate.

PediSedate is a medical device consisting of a colorful, toy-like headset that connects to a game component such as the Nintendo Game Boy system or a portable CD player. While the child is entertained, the invention monitors the child’s respiratory function and distributes nitrous oxide, a common anesthetic. The child can drift off to sleep while enjoying a fun activity, reducing stress for the child, parent and the doctor.

Geoffrey Hart, M.D., the company’s founder, recognized the need to reduce the anxiety and fear in children undergoing medical treatment. Dr. Hart invented the PediSedate because he believed by making the hospital or dental treatment “fun,” appointments could go quicker and more smoothly.

To ensure patient safety, the PediSedate’s headset features a pulse-oximeter that monitors oxygenation, as well as a capnometer to monitor second-to-second respiratory rate. The anesthesia is delivered via a patented delivery/scavenging mask situated in the headset’s snorkel.

And let’s not forget that the device can hook up to a Nintendo Game Boy. Kids these days get all the breaks, right?

Even with medical inventions like the PediSedate, there’s no substitute for brushing and flossing after every meal. There – that should make my dentist proud!