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LOCAL INVENTION TO DEBUT AT TED2007 CONFERENCE

TED's "icons, geniuses, and mavericks" will sport iBEAM^® watches from Carmel, CA

CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, Calif. – March 2, 2007 – Chris McKay, an inventor from Carmel, California, has designed a special watch for Monterey's yearly gathering of thinkers and tinkers. The limited edition iBEAM^® "Symbols" watch will be distributed in gift bags to speakers at the TED2007 conference, occurring March 7-10 at the Monterey Conference Center.

The custom-made “Symbols” watch playfully uses mathematical and scientific equations and formulas in place of numbers. The watch also comes with the hallmark features of the iBEAM Optical Timepiece—a patented pop-up magnifying lens and built-in LED flashlight.

The TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference is a world-famous gathering of more than 1000 thought-leaders, movers, and shakers who come together for four days in Monterey to share visionary ideas. This year’s event is titled “Icons, Geniuses, Mavericks,” and will feature 50 remarkable people speaking about their passions.

Though the iBEAM may not be the most hi-tech toy in the speakers' gift bags, it is ideally suited to the inventive spirit of the TED conference, and serves a practical purpose as well. The lens and light combination allow the iBEAM to double as a reading aid. “One hundred percent of all people over 40 years of age suffer, or will suffer, from the effects of presbyopia, the increased inability to read small print and the need for better lighting,” says McKay. “And the TED group in particular—who frequently use computers, BlackBerry’s, and iPODs—may face occurrences of presbyopia in their 30s.”

McKay, a baby boomer himself, invented the first iBEAM several years ago. His complete line of analog watches range in price from $79 to over $350 retail. A new digital model, the “Survival Watch,” comes with all the bells and whistles of a regular digital watch plus the unique iBEAM patented features of the magnifying lens and light.

For more information on the uses of iBEAM watches, and to view a video of how the watch works, visit www.ibeamtime.com. To keep up with the activities at TED2007, visit www.ted.com.

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