S07.E01: Guest Shark Ashton Kutcher, The Beebo, ACTON, McClary Bros., SignalVault

[yeswedo]

Guest shark Ashton Kutcher shows interest in a device to make baby's feeding time easier; two men skate into the Tank with some high-tech wearable transportation; a culinary student wants to bring drinking vinegars into the 21st century; and a computer crimes expert protects consumers from crowd-hack-attacks on credit cards. Also: an update on two of Barbara Corcoran's Season 6 deals: Pipcorn, the organic mini-popcorn snack, and Scratch & Grain, a healthier way to bake homemade cookies from scratch.

[Primetimer]

Dude, where's my Bar(bara)? Replaced this week by guest Shark Ashton Kutcher -- who, unlike many of his motion pictures, is surprisingly not terrible. If only the same could be said for the products on offer.

Read the story

[mjc570]

Yeah, Ashton wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought he would be.  Of course, that awful GoPRo guy has really set the bar pretty high (or should it be low?) for self-promoting a-holes.  I have to admit that I really liked the security cards, which were inexpensive, and already bought a few for Christmas gifts. 

[Eolivet]

The security card thing reminded me of that great line from the West Wing about flag burning: Is there an epidemic of card-scanning I'm not aware of? Seems to me if a hacker is going to get your credit card, it's going to be because it's sitting on a server of a major retailer along with a million other credit cards. Are there really hackers lurking in the shadows around every corner with their handheld scanners, waiting to steal your data? To me, it sounds like something that is very scary, but also extremely unlikely. I could certainly be wrong, however.

 

And if someone had told me two weeks -- or even 10 minutes before the show started tonight that Ashton Kutcher would be a revelation -- competent, likable and good chemistry with the other sharks -- I'd have given them the patented Mark Cuban eyeroll. But wow, was I proved wrong. He seemed reasoned, knowledgeable and held his own with the other sharks. I think this was the most I've ever liked him. To me, Guest Shark was the role he was born to play.

[Madding crowd]

I just read an article about the likely hood of information being stolen from a scanner and it was very small. As you said Eolivet, most scanners want info from lots of cards and the easiest way is to attach the scanner to a retail. I also read that you can only use a credit card once after scanning because the signal changes with each transaction. And QVC already sells RFID wallets and bags. On the plus size, this is wallet sized which would be easier for me to use and the price seems cheap enough.

 

Ashton Kutcher was Ok I guess, but it will probably take awhile before he feels like one of the "Sharks".

I couldn't stand the guy with the jet powered skates or whatever he called them. It seems another idea that won't go anywhere. I could see getting them as a novelty item, but with a price tag of $500.00 and having to charge them up to run, I can't imagine many people buying them. 

[LittleIggy]

What's wrong with, like, actually skating on your own locomotion? I'm sure a good pair of online skates is cheaper than those things and you burn calories too.

[starri]

I was expecting Ashton to be a complete tool, and then he wasn't.  He really got into Kevin's face for being such a dick to the cocktail woman, and that was really refreshing.

 

I know Mark and Robert said that it seemed like the skate guy was actually there to deal, but I didn't get that impression personally.  If he'd been serious, he would have given Kevin's pretty fair offer a much more serious counter.  And his attitude toward what's ultimately an expensive toy is exactly the same as the Segway inventor--somehow believes that a silly product is going to change the way transportation works.  I agree with Mark though, on a college campus those things would be awesome.

 

The hipster cocktails...look, she seemed like a nice, intelligent woman, but the moment anyone starts talking about the "craft cocktail market," I do a Mark Cuban eye roll.  There was an article recently about how hipsters have decamped from Brooklyn to Detroit because of all the cheap property, so I doubt this is the last Motor City entrepreneur we'll see.  And I'm never going to shade someone who's committed to creating jobs in America, but the whole "White Savior of Detroit" attitude did earn some side-eye.

 

Beebo.  The rare baby product that actually seems to fill a need.  I'm on board with that.

 

I think the security guy's product is just unnecessary, because I know a lot of people, and I don't know of anyone who's had credit card information stolen in such a manner, but no one ever went broke by scaring the American people.  And I have to commend the guy for negotiating such a good deal.

[Kromm]

Good on Ashton to reminding us that as much as he's got that usual showbiz need for attention, that he won't willingly put his kid on camera (I suppose the kid being there means Mila probably was too...)

[Wings]

I like Ashton, never seen him in a movie that I can recall but he is witty and personable in interviews.  I loved him putting Kevin in his place and Mark got a kick out of that, too. 

 

I will buy that vinegar mix.  What a terrific idea!  I am from Detroit so I am all for saving it!  

 

Lori was correct, the skate guys were not looking for a deal; they wanted exposure.   I thought it was an overly priced lame idea.  Skates or one of those nifty light weight scooters is a much better idea and not cumbersome to carry into your destination.  

[Racj82]

What's wrong with, like, actually skating on your own locomotion? I'm sure a good pair of online skates is cheaper than those things and you burn calories too.

Segueways and the hoverboard are the examples of why you do things like this. This guy is just trying to do something like that with Rollerblades. Riding a bike is perfectly fine. In this day and age, people are looking for other alternatives.

[basiltherat]

I remember years ago that there were sneakers with retractable "roller" skates in them which seemed like the thing for a college campus, where supposedly poor students roam.  This guy had a free infomercial courtesy of us.

[leighdear]

I agree that skates guy was there for exposure.  I appreciate when the sharks call people on it.  

 

Beebo guy has a good product.  Just think of all the young parents that can keep posting and texting while providing their precious bundle with sustenance!  Having both hands free takes the potential for multitasking to new levels!

 

I don't see the cocktail vinegars as a significant trend.  The act of people taking a shot of unfiltered apple cider vinegar every day for health benefits has come & gone many times, but I just don't see it as a new and hipster drink that people are going to try more than a few times.  

 

I've always liked Ashton.  For his movies, I've only ever liked him in "Jobs", but he's been very involved in businesses and has a very good track record.  He & Mark Cuban seem to get along really well.  I'd like to see him back there again. 

Edited September 26, 2015 by leighdear

[Kiss my mutt]

I am pretty psyched this show is back. My whole family loves it. I can see how the beebo could be useful. I didn't bottle feed but I can see how this would help with being able to multi-task as long as you're not ignoring your baby and taking the time to connect. The packaging wasn't very appealing but I think Lori and Ashton will make a good team.

I liked what Ashton said about the skates. They just didn't grab him and make him want to try them. I thought the guy was there for exposure too. It looked like he was going to cry at the end. Wasn't sure what that was about. I don't see people spending $400-600 for these and it looks like there is a learning curve. Maybe it would work for deliveries or couriers.

I thought the vinegar drinks looked pretty bad to begin with but the more I thought about it I can see a specialized market for it. The packaging looks like a throwback to the era of medicinal tonics and speakeasys which have been popping up for awhile now. Throw in health benefits and you could have a segmented winner here. I'd try it.

The security thing went about how I expected with Robert and Lori. I'd have to know more about the risk for me in order to buy one. I'm more concerned with online fraud and theft.

I thought Ashton's maiden appearance of the show was great. He didn't come off too strong or like a know it all but was able to keep up with the other sharks and seemed compassionate. It looked like he was having second thoughts after he turned down vinegar lady. Anyone that can take on Mr. wonderful gets props from me.

Didn't hear much from Cuban this time. Looking forward to Barbara confronting all the tears next week.

[questionfear]

Ashton's appearance confirmed what I have thought for a while-he's actually an intelligent, well spoken guy, even if he has awful taste in movies to act in. <br /><br />Though naming his daughter a male-oriented name was weird. (And not just because it overlaps with my son's name).

[KaveDweller]

Did the vinegar lady say why she named an alcohol related product after her young children? That made no sense to me.

 

I think Lori had a good point about seeing if she could claim vinegar + alcohol could limit other negative side effects of drinking.  But I'm not surprised that lady didn't get a deal. No one seemed to even like the product.

[Shibori]

Never underestimate the spending power of hipsters for pointless trends. Have you seen what they're paying for "bone broth" (aka stock) lately? I actually thought the vinegar drinks had the most potential of the bunch, even if I personally think it's stupid. But I guess you can't tell Kevin that the "hipsters paying ridiculous prices for anything free-range old time-y artisanal steampunk fermented paleo buzzword crap" is a viable market without pissing off your core constituency.

[starri]

I'd honestly be curious to try the drinks, because I live in Brooklyn and am probably in the early stages of being infected with Hipsteritis.  But the "health benefits" of vinegar are a bunch of hoo-ha.

[zxy556575]

I mean ... aren't most credit card companies changing to EMV chip cards now? They can't be read by scanners and can't be swiped. Inventor guy was nice but don't blast the name of your competitor on TV. I know I looked it up and compared those prices to his.

 

For the motorized skates, I wonder if anyone asked about legality since some municipalities ban skateboarding, skates, or even Segways on the sidewalks. Poor Robert, so cheerfully game to try anything and being told by the dude that he's just too old. Young people hop right on and go!

Edited September 26, 2015 by lordonia

[Latverian Diplomat]

The security card thing reminded me of that great line from the West Wing about flag burning: Is there an epidemic of card-scanning I'm not aware of? Seems to me if a hacker is going to get your credit card, it's going to be because it's sitting on a server of a major retailer along with a million other credit cards. Are there really hackers lurking in the shadows around every corner with their handheld scanners, waiting to steal your data? To me, it sounds like something that is very scary, but also extremely unlikely. I could certainly be wrong, however.

 

This is why this is a better idea for a QVC product, than something than needs to be connected to an enterprise security firm, IMHO. You're marketing "peace of mind" (fear) at a price point in the range of low information buyers.

 

Did the vinegar lady say why she named an alcohol related product after her young children? That made no sense to me.

 

I think Lori had a good point about seeing if she could claim vinegar + alcohol could limit other negative side effects of drinking.  But I'm not surprised that lady didn't get a deal. No one seemed to even like the product.

Parents name stuff after their kids, but it's not like she put their pictures on the bottle. "McClary Brothers" is actually a clever way of naming it after them without bringing children into it at all. Who knows it's two preschoolers (or whatever)?

 

They all liked the cocktails. Drinking it straight out of the bottle was just dumb, like eating cinnamon. It's an ingredient, not a beverage. To me it was a mistake to get into the supposed health benefits (which are probably crap anyway) but she was kind of dragged there by the sharks.

 

Never underestimate the spending power of hipsters for pointless trends. Have you seen what they're paying for "bone broth" (aka stock) lately? I actually thought the vinegar drinks had the most potential of the bunch, even if I personally think it's stupid. But I guess you can't tell Kevin that the "hipsters paying ridiculous prices for anything free-range old time-y artisanal steampunk fermented paleo buzzword crap" is a viable market without pissing off your core constituency.

Well, I don't think craft cocktails are a fad. Like microbrews, they are part of Americans figuring out just how much knowledge (and fun) was lost to prohibition, which gave us a few generations of people who think Miller High Life and Fuzzy Navels are what alcoholic beverages should be. It's something that's been slowly building for several years, AFAIK. Specific cocktails go in and out of fashion (everything was martinis a while back, IIRC) but the overall trend is solid, I think.

 

That said, it's a small market, and it's probably really bartenders and caterers who will be her best customers. I think if she wants to expand she'll probably need a buyout from someone who already sells other mixers in that market and is looking to add to their offerings.

[barbedwire]

I liked Ashton but did anyone else notice his sourpuss face after making the deal with Lori for BeeBo?  Seems like he maybe might have regretted it and felt put on the spot.

 

Yeah, skate guy was there for the free publicity.  Just say how little you make them for!  Everyone does it is part of being on Shark Tank.

[charlieboo]

Beebo guy has a good product.  Just think of all the young parents that can keep posting and texting while providing their precious bundle with sustenance!  Having both hands free takes the potential for multitasking to new levels!

 

That's exactly what I thought! In fact, I actually laughed when the guy mentioned that parents could use their free hand to read to the baby. You know 95% of them will be texting and ignoring the kid.

 

If you look at those skates on Amazon and read some of the comments, there seems to be a very steep learning curve and lots of accidents and injuries. I'm surprised none of the sharks brought up the liability issue.

[Amarsir]

Ashton had a good first appearance. Personality, restraint, good analysis, willingness to invest, and and a different point of view from the others. I always miss Daymond or Barbara (as I would the others if they were gone), but he's a good fit.

 

Hoverboards are getting big (especially in SoCal, I'm told). I understand wanting to evolve to skates. But $500 and the charge lasts an hour under full use? Not ready yet.  He did convince me he really wanted a deal.

 

Hands-free bottles I've seen before (On Dragon's Den Canada, no less). The Beebo is more flexible (and less obviously a boob substitute) but I don't know if it's going to take the world by storm.

 

SignalVault got a good deal. I agree with you guys that it's more of a scare thing than an ongoing threat. But it's cheap and has a good name, and he has both a marketing and a tech partner now.

[zxy556575]

This is a serious question because we probably did lots of appalling things in the 50s-60s, but when I was a teen sitter and the baby was old enough to hold its head up, we just propped it on the couch with some cushions and supported the bottle with a towel so it was at a good angle for suckage. Totally hands free!

 

In any event, it seemed like a product with a short life span since babies can generally hold their own damned bottles by 6-10 months.

[ae2]

Not great pitches this episode, but the two deals Lori landed are perfect for her.

 

The security card is the perfect QVC product. Incredibly low cost to manufacture, low purchase price (ideal for buy in the next hour, get 2 more free), and impinges on a common consumer's fear of having their credit card stolen. She's right that she'll make $1mm in a month. When it runs its course she'll dump it and move on. Easy money for her.

 

Mark was absolutely right that the beebo solves a problem people don't realize they have, but when they're buying formula and bottles and the beebo is right there (with better packaging), they will suddenly need to have it. Once they're in retail I think they'll sell like hotcakes. (Do hotcakes really sell that much?) Again, Lori is the perfect match for getting in stores.

[saber5055]

I remember years ago that there were sneakers with retractable "roller" skates in them which seemed like the thing for a college campus, where supposedly poor students roam.

 

 

My local farm store has a sign on its entrance door, "No retractable roller shoes allowed in store!"

 

I just saw a commercial for CardLock, a credit-card safe keeper. Commercials for it have been running here for AGES. I was wondering how it affected the Shark Tank guy since CardLock is now selling on teevee for FOUR for $10, free shipping. Beats the Shark Tank price of, what, $14.95 each? (ACK! The CardLock commercial is on AGAIN!)

[bilgistic]

I'm not a parent (thank god), but I thought the Beebo was gross. You can't take the time and energy to hold the bottle to feed your infant? You don't deserve a child.

There was an article about shrubs (vinegar-mixed drinks) in last month's Martha Stewart Living, so I'd say they're hardly hip. It's not like MSL has its finger on some underground pulse.

Edited September 27, 2015 by bilgistic

[Samsnee]

So how exactly do you know if that security card is working? Like I could sell you elephant spray that keeps away elephants. How do you know it's working? Well you don't see any elephants do you?

[Mountainair]

I'm not a parent (thank god), but I thought the Beebo was gross. You can't take the time and energy to hold the bottle to feed your infant? You don't deserve a child.

There was an article about shrubs (vinegar-mixed drinks) in last month's Martha Stewart Living, so I'd say they're hardly hip. It's not like MSL has its finger on some underground pulse.

Well that's not really fair. I'm expecting my third child and plan on nursing so the Beebo is not exactly a product for me however I bottle fed my older two and there were plenty of times I would have to stop feeding baby #2 (and he ate like food was never coming back. A bottle an hour some days) to help my oldest child do something simple such as propping a book in his lap. A product like Beebo would have allowed me to give attention to both children equally.

Just because a baby can hold a bottle at 6 months doesn't mean they should either. They still need to be held, looked at and engaged with during feedings and I don't think the Beebo replaces that. I think it makes it easier for when you have multiple children that need your attention.

[marny]

The vinegar mixer company just wasn't really a big enough product to need an investor.  Mixology and old timey cocktails are really popular right now in all major cities (and probably minor ones too), but it's really more of a product that will be purchased by bars/restaurants and a few hipsters trying to out-hipster their friends.  It's not a hundred million dollar industry, but probably a few million dollar industry.  It'll be successful as a family business, but taking on an investor will just mean having to share profits without the benefit of becoming a household name.  Just not worth it for either party.

 

The fraud card thing was an awesome play on the paranoia of people.  He'll make a lot of money capitalizing on fear, despite the product being pretty worthless.  QVC is the perfect target audience.

[ClareWalks]

Those Rocket Skates looked like they would be extremely physically demanding to operate. The core strength required to actually stay upright on those makes them prohibitive as a widespread phenomenon.

[starri]

Also, don't NFC readers require pretty minimal distance--if not actual physical contact--in order to work?  Whenever I use Apple Pay, I always have to touch my phone to the credit card machine.

[needschocolate]

So, drinking vinegar is good for your health.  And my 82 year old father says that the reason his arthritis doesn't bother him is because he takes fish oil supplements every day.  Apparently, the health benefit to eating a salad isn't in the vegetables, but in the dressing.  

 

I have only seen the first half of the episode, but I am looking forward to Ashton telling Kevin off.  Why doesn't Kevin ever take the night off - all the other sharks skip episodes episodes sometimes.  If Kevin is such a great businessman, shouldn't he be too busy to do the show occasionally (obviously, he is my least favorite shark).  

 

Roller shoe guy didn't seem like much of a businessman.  I wouldn't trust his numbers. I think he didn't say how much it costs to manufacture because he didn't know the answer. 

 

I can see how the Beebo could be useful, especially if you have twins or you also have a toddler and need a free hand sometimes.  They do make pillows that one can use to support he baby so that the parent uses one hand to hold the bottle and the other hand is then free, but you can't walk around that way, so the Beebo would work better.  But, as others have pointed out, the Beebo will primarily be used so that parents can still text.  If it really catches on, there will someday be public service announcements encouraging parents "Don't text and feed"

 

In any event, it seemed like a product with a short life span since babies can generally hold their own damned bottles by 6-10 months.

 

Most infant products - swings, bouncers, walkers, fancy pillows, etc - have a short life span.  And most parents want all this stuff because they feel that if they don't have everything the baby industry offers they are somehow not good parents and/or because they just want a a few moments to themselves.  I don't think that many parents will be in the baby store and say "Wow, it is worth $30 to me to be able to text when I feed the baby" but I can see it being a baby shower gift.  

Edited September 27, 2015 by needschocolate

[starri]

So, drinking vinegar is good for your health.  And my 82 year old father says that the reason his arthritis doesn't bother him is because he takes fish oil supplements every day.  Apparently, the health benefit to eating a salad isn't in the vegetables, but in the dressing.  

There's actual science behind fish oil, though.  I don't know of a single reputable study that's said the same about vinegar.  And Lori probably heard about it on Dr. Oz, because that's where she seems to get the majority of her medical knowledge.

[bilgistic]

I can see how the Beebo could be useful, especially if you have twins or you also have a toddler and need a free hand sometimes. They do make pillows that one can use to support he baby so that the parent uses one hand to hold the bottle and the other hand is then free, but you can't walk around that way, so the Beebo would work better. But, as others have pointed out, the Beebo will primarily be used so that parents can still text. If it really catches on, there will someday be public service announcements encouraging parents "Don't text and feed"

This is exactly how I see it. Entitled parents will use it to not be inconvenienced by taking care of their children. I personally know a woman with a young son who said to me that she got him a Nook so that she "wouldn't have to read to him". This is the majority of who will use the Beebo, sadly. I'm sure there are great parents that need helpful products when raising their children, but those people seem to be few and far between anymore. It might be where I live.

[KaveDweller]

So how exactly do you know if that security card is working? Like I could sell you elephant spray that keeps away elephants. How do you know it's working? Well you don't see any elephants do you?

 

That's what I think is so brilliant about the product.  Lori is right about putting it on QVC. People will get worried about it happening and buy one, then put it in their wallets and never think about it again.  So no returns to worry about.

Edited September 27, 2015 by KaveDweller

[RemoteControlFreak]

A dismal set of products to kick off the season.

 

Beebo ...  Great.  Now we can raise a generation of kids who won't be able to eat unless they're being read to at the same time?  For god's sake, stop whatever you're doing and pay attention to your baby while you're feeding him/her.  

 

Acton ... Agree with Kutcher on this. I love skates, bikes, skateboards, etc. but this didn't scream "I want it!"  The biggest problem for me is the need to strap them on and off each time you want to use them or walk up and down stairs or inside.  I'd rather use a skateboard or bike that you can just hop on and go.  And I don't agree that the reason Robert had trouble with them is because he's "old."  We've seen him try plenty of sports devices on Shark Tank without trouble. 

 

McClary  ...  I like vinegar-based cocktails.  I'd buy this if it tastes good. They've got to be fresh and taste good and I'd  also like to see the sugar level in the products reduced.  

 

Signal Vault ... Why not just get an RIFD-sheilding wallet or one of the existing cards?  What's new with this?  I guess it would be good for QVC.  They can scare all the late-night impulse buyers into thinking their bank accounts will be drained without it.

Edited September 27, 2015 by RemoteControlFreak

[zxy556575]

The best thing about Signal Vault is that even if your card number is stolen, there's no proof it was scanned instead of being bought off the Internet as one of a lot of thousands.

 

My sister had unauthorized charges on her card just yesterday and I was going to get her a Vault as a joke, but it turns out she already uses a shielded wallet and her husband uses the sleeve type protectors over his cards. I'm out of the scanner-banner superhero loop, I guess!

 

I liked Ashton's comment that his baby wasn't a TV baby, thank you very much. I guess I haven't seen many of his movies and didn't watch his TV shows, but I've always had a favorable impression of him as a person from talk show appearances or news panels. He comes off as an intelligent and articulate adult. It seems like he and Demi gave their marriage a genuine shot and I don't remember any personal scandals or bad behavior from him. I also agree with his politics, so there's that.

Edited September 27, 2015 by lordonia

[roseha]

Does anyone know how long Shark Tank stays on demand usually?  I have Time Warner and didn't realize this week was the premiere.  Thanks

Edited September 28, 2015 by roseha

[EtheltoTillie]

I thought it was interesting that Kevin kept getting outbid on the deals he wanted. He seemed to be floundering while Ashton skewered him and the others teamed up to make better bids. He looked like a deer in the headlights at some points. Most telling was it seemed that the entrepreneurs wanted to team up with other sharks. It seems like no one is coming on the show specifically to team up with Mr. Wonderful.

[theatremouse]

What's wrong with, like, actually skating on your own locomotion? I'm sure a good pair of online skates is cheaper than those things and you burn calories too.

I think they're going for "these go faster than you could under your own power". It's a weird fine line I think the company is sort of...pretending to walk rather than actually walking: they say they're going to revolutionize transportation. So if they really mean it that it's a transportation device (or will be) and not just an expensive toy, then how fast it can go needs to be faster than a human-powered device would, or else, yeah, why wouldn't you just bike or walk. It also needs way better range or else it's useless. Plus if you skate to a location, you need to take your skates off to go inside usually. So they have a tiny edge over rollerblades in that you would be wearing shoes already once you unbuckled, but both have the problem that then you need to lug your skates around when you get where you're going. So if you're going to work or something, yeah maybe it'd work because you can store them somewhere, but if you're running to the store or some errand, now you have to lug 'em around. So they keep repeating the transportation angle but they also don't seem to really mean it.

[needschocolate]

The best thing about Signal Vault is that even if your card number is stolen, there's no proof it was scanned instead of being bought off the Internet as one of a lot of thousands.

 

When he was asked how big the industry is and answered with the dollar amount of credit card fraud, I thought, "but you don't know how much of that is from scanning.  

 

Also, when he first came out, he said that the red line was the area that a scanner could steal info in, but when he scanned Mark's wallet, he had to put the wallet right next to the scanner.  If he really wanted to impress them with how much of a threat this s, he should have scanned it from farther away, except that I don't think he really could do that (maybe if the card was out int he open and not in a wallet).   

 

Lastly - Lori offers $200k for 20%, Robert offers the same.  The guy asks if they would join together and they ask for a counter offer for two sharks.  He counters with $250k for 18%.  Obvioulsy, too low and Lori tells him so.  Then he offers $200k for 25%.  HE sure upped his offer very quickly.  I wonder if I missed something (or something was cut out) that would explain why he though he was going to lose the offers unless he jumped so high.  

[bilgistic]

From my limited understanding, aren't there credit card number generators that are able to ascertain numbers that can then be used for purchases? I was led to believe that's what happened when purchases were made with my card number about 15 years ago. Stereo equipment was ordered over the phone in a state across the country from mine. The fraud alert pinged in credit card HQ and I wasn't liable for the charges.

[Amarsir]

From my limited understanding, aren't there credit card number generators that are able to ascertain numbers that can then be used for purchases? 

The number in your credit card has a pattern, with the identifiers for the type and bank taking up more than a few digits. (For example, all Mastercards start with 51-55.)  Of the remaining, they have to work in certain mathematical combinations so changing one digit on a valid number should yield an invalid one.  From those rules, one could reverse engineer all potential cards.

 

However, the list is huge and even with an existing credit card number it can't process without additional information.  (I believe that's either the CVV plus expiration plus address, or hidden codes on the digital strip. I might be slightly off on these specifics though.)  

 

So it's unlikely that someone could generate a card completely randomly.  However, if someone had partial information on you they might be able to reconstruct enough with enough guesses.  (Moreso years ago when some cards had fewer digits than they do now.)

Edited September 29, 2015 by Amarsir

[Jersey Guy 87]

The number in your credit card has a pattern, with the identifiers for the type and bank taking up more than a few digits. (For example, all Mastercards start with 51-55.)  Of the remaining, they have to work in certain mathematical combinations so changing one digit on a valid number should yield an invalid one.  From those rules, one could reverse engineer all potential cards.

 

However, the list is huge and even with an existing credit card number it can't process without additional information.  (I believe that's either the CVV plus expiration plus address, or hidden codes on the digital strip. I might be slightly off on these specifics though.)  

 

So it's unlikely that someone could generate a card completely randomly.  However, if someone had partial information on you they might be able to reconstruct enough with enough guesses.  (Moreso years ago when some cards had fewer digits than they do now.)

 

I don't think the number of digits in the card account number have changed (the digits you see on the front of the card) but the number of "additional digits" has changed - specifically the CVV number on the back of the card.  Asking for additional information (such as the CVV and billing zip code) at the time of transaction can help the merchant get a lower transaction fee from the vendor but it's usually not strictly required.  Vendors such as Amazon are willing to pay a slightly higher rate by not asking for the CVV from their customers, they do ask you to verify your password before submitting an order.

There are a lot of ways your credit card account information can be stolen from you.  A scanner that needs pretty close proximity is probably not your biggest threat.  The Signal Vault seems to be playing on fear more than anything else.

[ClareWalks]

I can only imagine that a lot of investors have lost respect for Kevin after seeing his horrifyingly bad performance on Celebrity Jeopardy. I know I have. Plus Kevin is a total dick, so I was glad Ashton called him out on that, even if Kevin's dickishness is a big part of the show. The fact that Kevin is actually not terribly bright makes his criticism of some of the ideas seem less valid.

[wrlord]

Kutcher sounded like an infant, with his "that's not ok!"

I thought this was a show for adults.

[roseha]

I just watched this.  That Acton guy seemed like such an annoying hipster, especially, as said, when he implied Robert was too old for his product.  And then he didn't seem to remember or know his own financials.

 

Ashton Kutcher bored me.  He wasn't horrible but I would much rather have seen Barbara or Daymond.  Why don't they give Lori a week (or month) off instead?

 

I may be in a minority, but I do think Kevin's putting on something of an act.  Barbara has said he's a sweetheart in real life.

Edited October 3, 2015 by roseha

[roctavia]

As a parent currently in the bottle stage... I think the beebo is kind of stupid... definitely a baby product that isn't anywhere on the list of something everyone could use/need. But I do see where it would be a gift or a OMG we need everything! type of purchase. Personally, I think Lori wanted in on the deal with AK just so she could have an excuse to hang out with Ashton Kutcher.

 

I thought he was fine as a guest shark, I actually like that he was telling Kevin to stuff it when he was being such a jerk.

 

The drinking vinegar things didn't interest me much, but I'm not a big drinker anyway. The whole "drinking vinegar every day is so good for you" thing has no science to back it up, so hearing them repeat it over and over was annoying.

 

The rocket skate guys totally seemed like they were there for the publicity... they didn't need a deal. It's a product that fills a need that doesn't exist, not to mention how expensive they were. Lame product IMO.

 

The card shield guy had a good presentation/personality... but like others have said, I don't think his product is all that necessary... but a good way to cash in on people's paranoia.

[Janet Snakehole]

Kutcher sounded like an infant, with his "that's not ok!"

I thought this was a show for adults.

Disagree. He sounded like an adult shutting down a rude teenage bully. It was refreshing to hear someone cut off Kevin's long ass belittling diatribes.

[bilgistic]

I agree. I use the same tactic with my boss.