(August 1, 2001) It's tough being in the idea business. Inventor Stephen Gass invented SawStop, a circular saw gizmo that measures electrical signals to detect if the operator has inadvertently touched the saw blade, halting the saw almost instantly. He made this to address the reported 63,000 emergency room visits each year that involve table saws. Trouble is, the industry doesn't see a market for Gass's saw, consumers don't want it ("my saw cuts just fine the way it is") and even the inventor admits he doesn't use existing safety features like a guard. SawStop appears destined for the history books as a failed product idea that solves a limited problem expensively when cheaper and more expansive solutions exist. So … given that the number of emergency room visits involving firearm accidents is vastly lower, could someone remind me why did we had that big debate over smartguns last year? Oh yeah, politics, not safety.