Protests or profits?

There has been a lot of howling and teeth gnashing about the TSA's new full body scanners. And while some tried to capitalize on the uproar by staging useless protests and through gratuitous media grand-standing, inventor Stephen Russell has used the furor to create a new product opportunity.

His company, Betabrand is testing a new type of underwear called Privates. They're made from a special fabric that essentially distorts the image created by the scanner, thereby protecting your privates from the ogling eyes of the TSA's finest.

I'm not sure how big this opportunity really is seeing as the scanners are only installed in a few airports and wearing this underwear may increase the possibility that you'll be pulled out of line for a more intimate search. But as always, you can count on the inventiveness of a few individuals to provide a solution to the rest of us, as long as there's potential for profit.