You got to be kidding me! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Repel teenagers

The Mosquito is a teenager repellent. It works by giving out a high pitched, annoying noise, that is audible to teenagers but not to adults. This is because you lose certain ranges of hearing as you get older. The idea behind it was that if an area, such as a shopping mall, was having a problem with gangs of unruly youths gathering then fitting one of his devices would encourage them to move on.

He later utilised the same technology to launch mobile telephone ring tones which could be heard by teenagers but not their teachers or parents.

Answer: Anti flatulence underwear

Mr Weimer's wife suffered from Crohn's disease, which caused her to suffer severe flatulence. In an effort to solve the smell problem associated with this he started experimenting with various types of inbuilt filter. After some trial and error he came up with air tight pants with a built in charcoal filter, which solved the problem.

He built a thriving online business selling these to people ranging from those with a medical problem to those who wanted them as a joke present.

Answer: Testicular implants for animals

Gregg A. Miller ran an advertising agency, which gave him an interest in consumer products. He wanted to invent something completely new, and came up with 'Neuticles'. His research led him to believe that people were reluctant to neuter their pets because of their post operative appearance.

He came up with testicular implants so that the appearance of the animal was not changed. They can be implanted either at the time of the operation or at any time afterwards. They are available for virtually any animal that can or may be neutered.

Answer: PawSense

PawSense is a software programme that detects cat typing and blocks it. It also emits a noise that startles the cat and, hopefully, helps train it to stay off the keyboard. Whenever the computer is on it just runs in the background. Chris Niswander has also made copy protection systems for floppy disks and digital files.

Answer: Trevor Bayliss

When Trevor Bayliss first came up with the idea of a wind up radio it was rejected by everyone he approached. The turning point came in 1994 when his prototype was featured in the BBC Television Programme, "Tomorrow's World". He got funding and went into production.

The main idea of the radio is that it needs no battery or electricity to work, energy is stored in mainspring. This makes it ideal for use in remote areas or countries which do not have much of an electricity supply network. The idea has since spread to wind up torches, and even electric shoes which store energy as you walk.

The energy can then be used to power a mobile phone or radio receiver.

Answer: Pet rock

Gary Dahl had the bright idea of buying ordinary grey pebbles that were used in construction and selling them as pets. Some came with painted on faces, or stuck on eyes, some were completely plain. The craze swept the world and he sold over five million.

Many owners personalised their own rock. An instruction manual that came with your rock suggested you should name it, talk to it, even teach it to do simple tricks. It is estimated that Mr Dahl made something in the region of $56 million.

Answer: Magic 8 Ball

The concept of the Magic 8 Ball was started by Albert Carter's mother, who was a self proclaimed psychic. The first instrument was a tube filled with thick liquid and printed predictions. From there is turned into a crystal ball, which was when Abe Bookman became interested in it.

The two of them, with the help of a billiards company which took a promotional interest in it, then turned into the black and white ball still used today. The basic concept of a liquid filled tube and pre-printed predictions has not changed from the original idea; only the outside packaging is different.

Answer: It runs away and hides

If you don't get out of bed "Clocky" runs away and hides from you. You get one hit of the snooze button, but after that it jumps off the bedside table and finds a random place to hide. You then have to get out of bed to switch it off, and once you're up, well, no point in crawling back under the duvet again. It is clever enough to find a new spot to hide every day.

Answer: Flamethrower

Carjacking became something of a concern in South Africa, so Mr Fourie and Ms Wong invented the Blaster. If your car was attacked you stepped on a separate pedal which caused flames to erupt from from the outer sides of the front doors. In their words "it is unlikely to kill but would definitely blind". Amazingly, this device is legal in South Africa, where you are allowed to use deadly force to protect yourself in self defence if in fear for your own life.

The use or ownership of flamethrowers is also unrestricted in that country.

Answer: Cats and dogs

This is a side loading, automatic washing machine for cats and dogs. It offers shower massage, and says it washes and dries your pet in around half an hour. Its inventors also claim it is less stressful for the animal than hand washing. The shampoo used can be changed as appropriate, so a medicated product can be used if necessary, or just a normal soap shampoo. Like a normal washing machine a touch panel is used to set the correct programme for the size of animal and the type of wash required.