Thomasville Woman Pitches Smartphone-Connected Hair Straightener

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Jill Holloway, a Thomasville resident, recently covered a K-12 InVenture Prize competition and was inspired to come up with her own invention idea - a hair straightener that can be remotely turned off from a smartphone app. Holloway recounts her own experiences of repeatedly calling home to check if she left her straightener on, a concern that has spanned two generations in her family. She believes a straightener with a connected app could provide peace of mind and prevent potential house fires.

Why it matters

Holloway's pitch highlights a common household worry that many people, especially women, face regarding leaving appliances like hair straighteners unattended. An app-enabled solution could help address this concern and provide a practical way to ensure safety, especially for busy individuals who may be distracted or forgetful.

The details

Holloway describes how she recently left her hair straightener on all day, only realizing it when she noticed a burning smell the next morning. This incident made her empathize with her mother's longstanding habit of repeatedly calling home to check if the straightener was turned off. Holloway believes a straightener that can connect to a smartphone app, allowing users to remotely turn it off, could be a valuable solution to this problem.

• Holloway's mother has been calling to check the straightener for the past two decades.
• Holloway recently left her straightener on all day, from around 5 p.m. to 11 a.m. the next morning.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Holloway hopes that future InVenture Prize contestants, particularly those in 12th grade, will consider developing a smartphone-connected hair straightener to address this common household concern.