ABC's American Inventor Update

Ed Hall of Chicago, IL has advanced to the Semi-Finals of ABC's American Inventor competition. His invention relates to an electronic word game entitled "Word Ace". The game teaches children spelling and vocabulary skills. As an example, the participants may race to create a seven-letter word beginning with "R".

Ed played basketball at the University of Illinois-Chicago and had hopes of reaching the NBA. Ed had promised his mother that upon signing with a NBA team he would buy her a house. However, after not reaching the NBA, Ed became a 5th grade teacher and cannot afford to buy his mother a house. Last show, Ed revealed that he sometimes avoids visiting his mother at her apartment, because her apartment makes him feel like a failure. If Ed wins the competition and the million dollars that come with winning the competition, Ed has promised to buy his mother a house outside her rough neighborhood.