Dr. Gadget moves to town By: MICHAEL BUCHANAN TEMECULA ---- Dave Dettman has a microwave in his kitchen that can scan bar codes and tell you exactly how many minutes to heat your popcorn. The trash can in his garage has an electronic lid that opens when you wave your hand over it. He can lock his refrigerator doors at the touch of a button. Dave Dettman, aka Dr. Gadget uses many of the high and low tech items he highlights on his television segments Sound a little out of this world? Well, welcome to the world of Dave Dettman --- or as he is known to millions of television viewers ---- "Dr. Gadget." As his alter ego, Dettman has made a name for himself by showing off the latest household gizmos on syndicated talk shows and radio programs. Dressed in his signature white lab coat, Dettman has been a regular on PAX Network's "Shop 'Til You Drop," the syndicated "The Wayne Brady Show" and dozens of other television and radio shows. For Dettman, who recently moved into a new home just east of Temecula with his wife and two kids, becoming a television personality is the realization of a dream. "Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to be on television," said the 44-year-old Dettman. "Television is a medium that allows you to express yourself to millions of people." Dettman studied acting and communications at Fullerton College, but at that time, he was pursuing a career in baseball. After graduating in 1983, he tried out for minor-league teams and nearly made the cut for the 1984 Olympic team, he said. When he didn't make the team, he decided he had to find something else to do with his life. Seizing on his communication skills, Dettman began marketing title insurance to real estate companies. Then, in 1990, he met the inventor of a puzzle toy called the "Happy Cube" and decided to go to work marketing the gizmo, which had become a best-selling toy in Europe. A year later, Dettman said, he found out another company had copied the Happy Cube. That discovery led to a costly legal battle and wound up costing Dettman and his partners several hundred thousand dollars to fight, he added. In the aftermath of the lawsuit ---- which both parties eventually dropped ---- Dettman decided to form his own marketing company, called Mr. Product. "I decided I was going to make a company that would help people with new products take those products to the market," Dettman said. The company marketed a line of stuffed animals ---- called "Stars of the Wild" ---- that were all endangered species. Each animal was sponsored by a celebrity. The pop group 'N Sync sponsored a blue-eyed white tiger, for example. Dettman was eventually asked to show the animals on KTLA's morning talk show. The episode got good ratings and Dettman was soon asked to appear on a variety of other programs as "Mr. Product." During those shows, he wore a black tuxedo with flashing light bulbs on the cuffs. Dettman later cut ties with his company and had to change his moniker. In 1999, he traded in the tuxedo for a lab coat and "Dr. Gadget" was born. Since then, Dettman has traveled around the world promoting products for clients such as Sony, Mitsubishi Electronics, Disney and The Sharper Image. On "The Wayne Brady Show," Dettman often banters with the host as they try out electric juicers and work-out machines. Dettman said not all of his gadgets are high-tech. His goal is to promote products that are practical and user-friendly ---- not products that will become the stuff of tomorrow's garage sale, he said. While he doesn't have a favorite gadget, Dettman said the one that was the most fun was the "Master Spa" ---- a jacuzzi outfitted with stereo speakers and a flat-screen television that "pops out like a religious experience," he said. Dettman has also appeared on "Hollywood Squares" and will play Dr. Gadget in the upcoming action movie "Mr. and Mrs. Smith," starring Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. A line of "Dr. Gadget Approved" products is expected to be launched this fall. Dettman said he and his wife, Marti, moved to their home, which sits on a 5-acre lot. They moved because they wanted a more peaceful setting for their children, Brooke and Noah. Their house is filled with many of the products he promotes. The ring tone on his cell phone, which sounded off several times during an interview in his kitchen, is the theme song to the "Inspector Gadget" cartoon. Reflecting on his success, Dettman said he feels lucky to be doing what he loves, though he takes fame with an ounce of humility. "I'd say I'm a bona fide B-list celebrity," Dettman said.