This is one which struck me earlier today. I doubt if I am the frst to think of it, but having not heard of it yet, I want to throw it out there just to make sure. If it is original, this will be my record, August 15, 2010.
Nowadays, you can buy e-book readers like the Kindle, from Amazon.com, or the iPad. There are others, but for the sake of discussion, I want to focus on these two. You can buy an electronic version of a book, which is basically a text file containing the actual words and punctuation along with some of the formatting data that goes along with it. The pages of the e-book look just like the actual paper pages. They are really cool. That is not my idea, although I really wish it had been.
In addition to buying books from Amazon, you can buy the actual content of the book in audio format, which you can listen to on an iPad or and iPod. Much of the time, you can get the audio form on CD or in MP3 format, recorded by the actual author of the book. I listen to Books on Disc with my wife, whenever we go on a long trip somewhere. There are good books, and there are sucky books which I can't even see publishing, let alone listening to or reading. I marvel at the ability of people to listen to some really boring stuff. But, people have different tastes.
But here is my newest idea: wouldn't it be coo if you could go online, buy a book in e-Book format, and get the audio version of the same book? You already can, buy buying both formats at one time. But here is the cool part: What if the audio were indexed to the text? You could read part of the book at the beach or on a bus, without plugging your ears with headphones. Then, you could put a marker on the text where you left off, and have your Kindle or iPad play the audio version for you starting at the place where you left off reading. You could listen as long as you want, then when you stopped, the device woud mark the text so that you could resume your reading at the point where you stopped listening.
Amazon, are you listening? All I want is 10 percent!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Haunted Car Wash
I drove my car through one of those automatic car washes the other day. I actually drove it to the car wash, and the car wash dragged my car through by the front wheel. So, as I sat there in a reverie watching the soap spray on the window, I came up with a really cool idea.
When my kids were young, I tried to get them interested in going through a car wash. They were not at all excited by it. My latest idea would be to make a car wash into a form of entertainment. Wouldn't it be cool if the car wash were also like an amusement park ride?
You could have little skeleton heads with red LED eyes pop out, or have skeletons drop down afer the rotating brushes get done scrubbing. The rinse water could be sprayed out in a sheet, and have an image projected on it, just like at Disneyland. A scary soundtrack could be broadcast on a low-power FM transmitter. Synchronizing the soundtrack with the actions woul be hard if more cars than one were going through it at a time, but spacing the cars out could take care of that.
Anyway, it is an idea that is bound to be implemented somewhere, if it hasn't been already. I have never heard of one, so here it is. Of course, I thought I was the first one to think of programming GPS systems with the locations of stop signs. So if this is original, and you use it, and if it makes you some money, could you keep me in mind? I'm not rich yet, and could use the help.
When my kids were young, I tried to get them interested in going through a car wash. They were not at all excited by it. My latest idea would be to make a car wash into a form of entertainment. Wouldn't it be cool if the car wash were also like an amusement park ride?
You could have little skeleton heads with red LED eyes pop out, or have skeletons drop down afer the rotating brushes get done scrubbing. The rinse water could be sprayed out in a sheet, and have an image projected on it, just like at Disneyland. A scary soundtrack could be broadcast on a low-power FM transmitter. Synchronizing the soundtrack with the actions woul be hard if more cars than one were going through it at a time, but spacing the cars out could take care of that.
Anyway, it is an idea that is bound to be implemented somewhere, if it hasn't been already. I have never heard of one, so here it is. Of course, I thought I was the first one to think of programming GPS systems with the locations of stop signs. So if this is original, and you use it, and if it makes you some money, could you keep me in mind? I'm not rich yet, and could use the help.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Chip Your Glasses
People lose a lot of things at theaters and restaurants. Cell phones, glasses, coats, wallets, cameras, credit cards, all sorts of things. A cell phone is easy to get back because you just call it, and whoever answers makes an appointment to meet you somewhere, you give them a reward, they give you your phone. Wallets usually have some ID in them, and credit cards have your name on them.
Some items, like glasses and wristwatches, aren't so easy to get back, or to return if you find them. These items can be very expensive at times, and worth some effort to get them back.
What I propose is the application of the identity chip like people have put into their dogs and cats. It would be a simple version with a serial number embedded, with the number registered in an online database. It would probably require a scanner to read, but restaurants and other businesses could invest in the hardware, which would be pretty cheap. It would read the code and put the number out on a computer screen via a USB port. I'm sure the dog chipping people have all the necessary hardware, it would just be a matter of applying it to a different task.
The database would be available on the Internet, open to the public, and free of cost. The finder would input the serial number in a dialog box, identify themselves, and send a message to the person who lost the item. The owner would then decide how and when to contact the finder. If someone were to crave a profit from the business, it would be on the sale of the chip, the sale of the scanner, and maybe some onscreen advertising.
This is one of my best ideas yet. I only wish I could get the money to develop it myself. Of course, if someone else were to do it, I would be grateful if they remember me with small stipend. Ten percent would be enough for me.
Some items, like glasses and wristwatches, aren't so easy to get back, or to return if you find them. These items can be very expensive at times, and worth some effort to get them back.
What I propose is the application of the identity chip like people have put into their dogs and cats. It would be a simple version with a serial number embedded, with the number registered in an online database. It would probably require a scanner to read, but restaurants and other businesses could invest in the hardware, which would be pretty cheap. It would read the code and put the number out on a computer screen via a USB port. I'm sure the dog chipping people have all the necessary hardware, it would just be a matter of applying it to a different task.
The database would be available on the Internet, open to the public, and free of cost. The finder would input the serial number in a dialog box, identify themselves, and send a message to the person who lost the item. The owner would then decide how and when to contact the finder. If someone were to crave a profit from the business, it would be on the sale of the chip, the sale of the scanner, and maybe some onscreen advertising.
This is one of my best ideas yet. I only wish I could get the money to develop it myself. Of course, if someone else were to do it, I would be grateful if they remember me with small stipend. Ten percent would be enough for me.
Boxer Suspenders
In the hood, you frequently see young men walking around with a cell phone to their ear with one hand and the other hand holding their pants up by the crotch. This must be very inconvenient, since both hands are tied up, and no hand is available for waving or shaking hands. The reason they hold their pants up by the crotch is that it would take two hands to hold them up if they were holding them up by the waistband.
And the reason they need to hold their pants up at all is because many young men insist on wearing their pants below the level of their hips. Hips provide a natural widening of the skeleton which is convenient for holding up pants, as most people who wear pants will attest. And the young men who wear their pants so low that they are pratically always falling off instinctively know this because they wear boxer shorts, which ironically they wear at their waist.
In the previous century, women used garters to hold up their stockings, which were the predescessor of panty hose. It consisted of a band that encircled the upper prt of the leg, but was concealed below a skirt. The band had clips dangling from it that wee attached to the tops of their stockings, allowing them to walk around without using their hands to hold their stockings up.
Men, in the past, have either used a belt or suspenders to hold their pants up. Suspenders are basically two bands that have clips on opposite ends, and work by clipping to the waistband of the pants and holding them up by going over the shoulders of the wearer.
This idea is an application that would work the same way as a garter, basically, but which would be designed to look like the top part of a pair of boxer shorts. Mechanically, it would be a waistband a little stronger than the usual elastic of boxers. A series of clips would hang down strategically from the band, which would be the same type as those used for suspenders, which would affix to the top of their pants. A band of stylish fabric four or five inches wide would cover the waistband, and hang down enough to cover the top of the pants.
Altogether, you would have the perfect solution. The Boxer Suspenders would come in a variety of styles, and economies of scale could drive them down to the price level of a belt plus a pair of silk boxer shorts. The young men of America could then do other things at the same time as making cell phone calls, and they would be able to wear briefs for the first time in many years.
And the reason they need to hold their pants up at all is because many young men insist on wearing their pants below the level of their hips. Hips provide a natural widening of the skeleton which is convenient for holding up pants, as most people who wear pants will attest. And the young men who wear their pants so low that they are pratically always falling off instinctively know this because they wear boxer shorts, which ironically they wear at their waist.
In the previous century, women used garters to hold up their stockings, which were the predescessor of panty hose. It consisted of a band that encircled the upper prt of the leg, but was concealed below a skirt. The band had clips dangling from it that wee attached to the tops of their stockings, allowing them to walk around without using their hands to hold their stockings up.
Men, in the past, have either used a belt or suspenders to hold their pants up. Suspenders are basically two bands that have clips on opposite ends, and work by clipping to the waistband of the pants and holding them up by going over the shoulders of the wearer.
This idea is an application that would work the same way as a garter, basically, but which would be designed to look like the top part of a pair of boxer shorts. Mechanically, it would be a waistband a little stronger than the usual elastic of boxers. A series of clips would hang down strategically from the band, which would be the same type as those used for suspenders, which would affix to the top of their pants. A band of stylish fabric four or five inches wide would cover the waistband, and hang down enough to cover the top of the pants.
Altogether, you would have the perfect solution. The Boxer Suspenders would come in a variety of styles, and economies of scale could drive them down to the price level of a belt plus a pair of silk boxer shorts. The young men of America could then do other things at the same time as making cell phone calls, and they would be able to wear briefs for the first time in many years.
Grease Rag Chaps
Whenever I work on cars, I always wear my dirtiest pair of old jeans. This is because I like to wipe my hands on my pants. Working on cars can be quite messy. Professional mechanics carry grease rags in their pockets, but you have to pull them out to use them, then put them back when you are done.
This is a simple invention. Basically, is is a grase rag that has belt loops at one end and an elastic strap at the other. I would be worn by threading your belt through the top straps, and fastening the bottom straps around your thigh, securing them with Velcro(r). They would offer a convenient place to wipe your hands, and could be designed with pockets, or with slits to allow access to pockets.
The basic idea is, of course, conceptual. But, with proper engineering, a marketable product could be created, after determining optimal width and length, and strap details. I could come up with several improvements, and if anyone wants to use this idea, I will be happy to share my thoughts.
This is a simple invention. Basically, is is a grase rag that has belt loops at one end and an elastic strap at the other. I would be worn by threading your belt through the top straps, and fastening the bottom straps around your thigh, securing them with Velcro(r). They would offer a convenient place to wipe your hands, and could be designed with pockets, or with slits to allow access to pockets.
The basic idea is, of course, conceptual. But, with proper engineering, a marketable product could be created, after determining optimal width and length, and strap details. I could come up with several improvements, and if anyone wants to use this idea, I will be happy to share my thoughts.
Bluetooth Hearing Aids
I was walking around the grocery store the other day, and I saw a grey-haired old man with a Bluetooth headset in hei ear. This guy seemed like he was in his 80's, and I immediately came up with this really cool idea.
Hearing aid manufacturers spend a great deal of effort and technological expertise making hearing aids that are so tiny asto be almost unnoticeable. They hide behind an ear, or inside an ear, and sometimes you can't tell someone is wearing one until you get right up close. What with the advent of Bluetooth headsets, it seems that there is an easy out for hearing aids that don't have to hide.
My idea is to manufacture inexpensive hearing aids designed to look like Bluetooth headsets. They could use larger batteries, and the only real diffence would be which way the microphone is pointing. You could go a step further and make Bluetooth headsets with built-in hearing aids, which automatically switch to regular hands-free phone mode whenever you get a call coming in. These would be for the more technologically adept seniors, of course. The Bluetooth disguised hearing aid could be targetted at the non-technical seniors who just want to hear, but don't want people to shout at them.
Anyway, there it is. It may not be original, because I recall reading a funny e-mail the other day that said something similar, but I wanted to get it down, just in case. Stay tuned for my next brilliant idea, which is coming, but I don't know when it will arrive. Thanks for reading!
Hearing aid manufacturers spend a great deal of effort and technological expertise making hearing aids that are so tiny asto be almost unnoticeable. They hide behind an ear, or inside an ear, and sometimes you can't tell someone is wearing one until you get right up close. What with the advent of Bluetooth headsets, it seems that there is an easy out for hearing aids that don't have to hide.
My idea is to manufacture inexpensive hearing aids designed to look like Bluetooth headsets. They could use larger batteries, and the only real diffence would be which way the microphone is pointing. You could go a step further and make Bluetooth headsets with built-in hearing aids, which automatically switch to regular hands-free phone mode whenever you get a call coming in. These would be for the more technologically adept seniors, of course. The Bluetooth disguised hearing aid could be targetted at the non-technical seniors who just want to hear, but don't want people to shout at them.
Anyway, there it is. It may not be original, because I recall reading a funny e-mail the other day that said something similar, but I wanted to get it down, just in case. Stay tuned for my next brilliant idea, which is coming, but I don't know when it will arrive. Thanks for reading!
Jamba Juice Blender Emptier
The fruit smoothie is one of my favorite treats. I had one just the other day, in fact. I like the one that tastes like a CreamSicle(r). One of the things I have noticed at most smoothie places, possibly the main drawback of working there, is getting the smoothie into a cup. Fruit smoothies are pretty viscous, a word which means thick. They don't pour easily, and a lot of it gets left inside the pitcher, which is a terrible waste.
If you ever go to a Jamba Juice or another smoothie place, you will see the poor smoothie workers pounding on the side of the blender pitcher to get the stuff to pour out. My answer to this problem is rather elementary, basically a blender shaker. You put the pitcher upside-down in a shaker, over the cup. It shakes the heck out of the blender pitcher, causing the smoothie to fall out, and saving the hands and wrists of the workers from early carpal tunnel or some other repetitive motion disorder.
The concept is an electric motor with an offset weight on the shaft, which is mounted on shock-absorbers. It has a tilted V-shaped holder with a lip that holds the top of the pitcher in an upside-down position. The lip does not extend across the pouring edge of the pitcheer, and a small latch holds the bottom of the pitcher in place. The main drawback would be noise, but it couldn't get much worse, what with all the noisy blenders.
That's just one of my many bright ideas. Read my previous entries for more, and check back later. Feel free to capitalize on any of my ideas, just remember me when you get paid. Ten percent is all I ask, and thanks for reading.
If you ever go to a Jamba Juice or another smoothie place, you will see the poor smoothie workers pounding on the side of the blender pitcher to get the stuff to pour out. My answer to this problem is rather elementary, basically a blender shaker. You put the pitcher upside-down in a shaker, over the cup. It shakes the heck out of the blender pitcher, causing the smoothie to fall out, and saving the hands and wrists of the workers from early carpal tunnel or some other repetitive motion disorder.
The concept is an electric motor with an offset weight on the shaft, which is mounted on shock-absorbers. It has a tilted V-shaped holder with a lip that holds the top of the pitcher in an upside-down position. The lip does not extend across the pouring edge of the pitcheer, and a small latch holds the bottom of the pitcher in place. The main drawback would be noise, but it couldn't get much worse, what with all the noisy blenders.
That's just one of my many bright ideas. Read my previous entries for more, and check back later. Feel free to capitalize on any of my ideas, just remember me when you get paid. Ten percent is all I ask, and thanks for reading.
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