Inventors and Innovators / Izumitelji in inovatorji

This short film is about Edi Gobec, author of the book Slovenian American Inventors and Innovators. It introduces over a hundred members of a relatively small and often unknown nationality group who have pursued - and in many instances captured - the American Dream and in the process substantially contributed to prosperity and progress of America and often of the entire world. No fewer than forty chapters and more than sixty sketches "list the marks left by these men and women on Earth and in Space" (Cardinal Franc Rode). Contributions by these inventors, Inventors of the Year, and innovators have affected almost everyone in the civilized world and beyond, ranging from birthing beds, infant car safety seats, Gerber Baby Foods and meat industry; labor-saving devices, polyester and textiles, the strongest fibers on earth, calculators, computers, microwave products; Press-O-Jet mass inoculation, medicines and medical records; GPS, water treatment installations in 77 countries and printing of newspapers and magazines in 46 countries; intercontinental and space missiles, weather prediction; automobile, bus, ferry and airplane industry, including Boeing 747 which, according to astronaut Neil Armstrong "forever changed long distance travel". For many, this book will be an eye-opener. For the young and also for not so young of any nationality it may also be an inspiration.

Zvonko Fazarinc and his inventions at Stanford and HP

Zvonko Fazarinc is one of those effective and illustrious scientists who worked for HP and later on at the Department of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University as Consulting professor. Zvonko came to HP after early telecommunications system design with HP equipment in Yugoslavia, and recommendations from his friend Dr. France Rode, already at HP, as well as the local HP Salesman. Getting to the United States involved first the doctorate program at Stanford, although he wasn’t planning to actually move to HP.

France Rode and the first scientific handheld calculator

A documentary about dr. France Rode, a Slovenian of exceptional achievements, dedicated in his honorable memory. Dr. Rode was a Slovenian engineer best known for his pioneering work on the first handheld scientific calculator HP-35. In his successful scientific career, he remained a proud Slovenian always willing to help his homeland and his people. The film focuses primarily on the story of dr. Rode as the inventor and his life and career in U.S., as witnessed by his closest ones (daughters Maja and Ana, his wife Mija, and a friend and co-inventor dr. Zvonko Fazarinc).