AbsolutelyNew Blog

Bowling and its ball re-invented

Tired of gutter balls? Want to bowl that perfect 300 every time? Well, we’ve found an invention for you: the RC-900 remote control bowling ball, from 900 Global.

For a mere $1,500 (yes, we’re doing our best to keep our tongues in cheek), you can now buy a 14-pound bowling ball that can be precisely guided down the lane via a battery-powered remote. The remote is small enough that you can manipulate your ball on the down-low… or go to the other extreme and activate flashing lights to flaunt what you’re doing.

The ball comes with a smart charger to power up an internal, rechargeable NiMH (nickel metal hybrid) battery. You’ll need to supply your own bowling shirt & shoes.

For video, click here.

And before you write this off as an invention that should never have seen the light of day, keep in mind that 900 Global is a significant player in bowling products… so the buzz around its new RC-900 will likely bring more attention and sales to the rest of its product line. And in business, that’s sorta like bowling 300.

Notes from the PGA Expo

Last week our licensing pro Evelyn Salguero strolled down Las Vegas’ famous Strip from the MAGIC fashion tradeshow (click here for the recap) to the PGA Fall Expo. This latter tradeshow isn’t nearly as big as the PGA’s main annual tradeshow each January in Orlando… but it still brings in golfing crowds for two primary reasons:

1. It often gives a sneak preview of the inventive products to come in January.

2. This is often the last opportunity for inventors and exhibitors to lock in retailers’ late holiday orders.

This year’s PGA Fall Expo also focused on using new selling approaches and new products to get through difficult times.

So with all this in mind, Evelyn hit the Show... and more than a few golf balls... in search of cool, new products and trends. Here’s what she observed:

• The Expo was packed with exhibitors promoting a range of products and services. Areas with the most innovation: golf clubs, golf-related games and training software.

• Ingenious products garnered the most attention among PGA members. Top attention-getters: the PivotPro training aid, which straps onto the foot to help train muscles for balanced swinging without bad swaying, and the Cross Sight stance assistant, which supports proper alignment and accuracy—this one was voted best new product at the Expo. And cashing in on the cute factor was Daphne’s Headcovers, the maker of hand puppet-like head covers that could turn any 6-year-old on to golf (Evelyn was downright giddy about the Pink Poodle cover).

• We think it’s a bit of an oxymoron to speak of golf fashion—sorry Tiger!—but “fashion” was front & center at the Expo. One example: famous designer Nicole Miller loaned her name to a line of fashion forward golf apparel and accessories for women.

Were you at the Expo too? If so, what caught your fancy?

The latest not so inventive invention we like

This is the Arkeg. It’s the Grand Poobah of arcade machines, combining 69 pre-loaded games (yes, including your old faves Asteroid, Centipede and Street Fighter) with a kegerator draft system and refrigerated space for 5-gallon kegs.

If you look at the accompanying picture, you’ll see the tap on the left side of the machine.

More: You can load it with additional games, and even plug in additional controllers when more than two people want to play simultaneously (on the off chance that this invention attracts a crowd).

Not the most inventive product we’ve seen lately, but we’re liking this $3,999 gem nonetheless. We’re also thinking that more than a few people out there will spring for it… and derive a whole lot of value from showing it off.

This gets to the point that you don’t need to revolutionize the world with your invention. Sometimes a simple new twist or combination is all you need. What’s more, bragging rights are big—you can make some serious coin if you’re able to establish your invention as a status symbol item.

Notes from The Toy Show

Happy birthday Barbie! That’s right – the plastic princess was born 50 years ago next week, and has been reinvented countless times since then to appeal to one generation after another (not unlike another 50-year old material girl: the singer Madonna). We tip our hat to the Mattel classic and hope that all good inventions live so long.

And while we’re discussing toys, we recently attended the American International Toy Fair – the largest toy show in the western hemisphere. Talk about a great show! And so many cool new products too. Here are a few highlights for you, courtesy of our Product Licensing Manager, Evelyn Salguero:

• Fun games at great prices were the theme this year. Many companies, recognizing the economic woes faced by shoppers, are keen to introduce products that will retail under $20. So if you’ve got an inventive toy that delivers cheap thrills, now’s the time to do something with it.
• The toy industry is increasingly looking to “tiered pricing” models. This means that companies want to leverage a core brand and/or product that’s doing well for them (ie: Lego – Star Wars) and then add different products (sometimes called brand extensions or line extensions) that cover a range of prices, say from $5 to $55. The lesson: give buyers more options than ever!
• With families spending more time at home, games, activities and crafts were all big. Related, the industry is clearly taking note of DVD games, which are often a more affordable option than most video game systems and attract a hip age group.
• Evelyn’s favorite new item: the “soooooooo soft and adorable” Pillow Pets™ – inventive stuffed animals that smush flat to be comfortable pillows. Evelyn’s likely going to buy herself the giraffe… and the bumble bee… and the panda. And her least favorite new item at The Show: Bernie Madoff action figures, for folks who just can’t get enough of the man allegedly behind Wall Street’s largest ponzi scheme. (Tasteless as it may be, we're really hoping this was just a ploy to generate buzz for the maker's other action figures).

Were you at Toy Show too? If so, what else did you see?