Patrick Phillips

1 week ago | slashgear.com | Patrick Phillips

The Swiss Army Knife has long been regarded as one of the gold standards for the modern-day multi-tool. A case could even be made that the pocket-sized devices essentially served as the template for them, with Victorinox founder Karl Elsener patenting his "Original Swiss Officer's and Sports Knife" way back in 1897.

1 week ago | slashgear.com | Patrick Phillips

There has been no particular shortage of entrepreneurs pitching what they believe to be a game-changing app on "Shark Tank" during its primetime run. While success stories like Season 8's app CoinOUT have sometimes resulted, such investments have proven as iffy as any for the series' billionaire panelists over the years. Even still, the Sharks continue to take risks in the app arena, particularly when they see one that is as cleverly designed as it is timely and noble in purpose.

1 week ago | slashgear.com | Patrick Phillips

There is often a fine line between bringing enough energy to a "Shark Tank" pitch to get the panel of would-be investors excited about your product and bludgeoning them over the head with so much that none of them even care about what that product is. While the longtime stars of the series have seen their fair share of energetic but offbeat presentations over the years, Ken and Allyson Davidov may have set a new standard for "over-the-top" during their Season 12 pitch for LIFTiD.

1 week ago | slashgear.com | Patrick Phillips

At this point in its existence, it's far more likely that you know of Harbor Freight than not. The popular retail chain has, after all, been providing consumers all over the country with tough, reasonably priced gear fit for use at home or the work site for several decades now. The company is continuing to build out its lineup of offerings, as well, and you may not realize it, but it now counts many of the notable manufacturers found in store as in-house brands.

1 week ago | slashgear.com | Patrick Phillips

It can be hard to close an investment deal with even one of the billionaire panelists on ABC's hit reality series "Shark Tank,". It's even rarer that a deal goes through with backing from all five. Such rarities have occurred over the years, with Season 5's Breathometer becoming the first to accomplish that feat.