July 2008Part of a continuing series of inventor portraits.
Inventor: Julia Truchsess
Invention: Digital Picture Frame
Brand Name: Digi-Frame
After building a successful career inventing electronic toys including MicroJammers, Rhythm Rods, and Singing Bouncy Baby, Julia came up with the idea for digital picture frames in the late 90s. When the Digi-Frame debuted, larger companies were also launching similar products, but Digi-Frame was the “Rolls Royce of Frames” according to reviewers. The story of how Digi-Frame came to be, and why it’s no longer around, is a pretty interesting one, and Julia tells it in her own words after the photos. Here is Julia with one of Digi-Frame’s large models:
Julia in her home office with her husband:
And here’s Julia’s workspace, full of electronic stuff I don’t understand, and a display of dolls and toys featuring technology she invented:
What follows is Julia’s explanation of Digi-Frame’s history. The product no longer exists, but the original Digi-Frame website is preserved here. And now, Julia:
Continue reading Inventor Portrait: Julia Truchsess
“My daughter Alana was the inspiration for the Balloon-O-Band. She lost 3 character balloons ($8 each x 3 = $24) at one kids show. Then we went to an amusement park and she was taking the balloon on and off between rides and I had to keep untying the ribbon, and I noticed that this was happening to parents and children all around me all the time. I couldn’t take it anymore, so like with many of my inventions, I needed to find a solution to keep our kids happy and parents keep their sanity and investment!”