Automatic Doors for the Home, Cute Tiger Cubs, and Living in Minnesota

"Three great inventions we really need…"
Robert Basler, Oddly Enough, Reuters Blog (February 8, 2011)

"Blog Guy, apart from writing textbooks and making airplanes, what do you do with your time?

"I dabble at inventing. Someday one of my ideas will catch on, and that will be my ticket out of this dump.

"Is there anything you can share with us?

"Well, I do have three patents pending. You know the automatic doors they have at stores?

"Of course. They open when you approach, but those have been around forever.

"Yes, but not the smaller home version. Why should you have to turn a doorknob when you can have all the convenience of a supermarket at your own front door?..."


(from Reuters/Sukree Sukplang, via Oddly Enough, used w/o permission)

That photo - purportedly - shows a test of a gadget that decides which side you sleep on. For the busy sleeper.

This Oddly Enough post is about as serious and fraught with portent as any other - which is either not at all; or more than might be supposed.

Like the automatic door openers for residences.

That's silly, right? Who would possibly want something like that? Next thing you know, Mr. Basler will claim that folks would want garage doors that go up or down at the touch of a button.

Wait a minute - garage door openers are about as common as garage doors in many parts of America.

The Lemming remembers when that wasn't so. Living in central Minnesota, the Lemming also understands why a foolish luxury like motorized garage doors - didn't turn out to be so foolish, after all.

Mr. Basler might have a patentable - and profitable - product there. If someone else isn't already marketing something like it.