Ask HN: What are some examples where users are inventing new uses for a product? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: What are some examples where users are inventing new uses for a product?

#11

Post by abatilo » Mon, Jul 11, 2022, 11:25 AM UTC

jwilk wrote: post #8

sterlind wrote: post #7

zip ties as handcuffs. tampons for treating gunshot wounds in the field. irons for straightening hair. GPS for geocaching. Sudafed for making meth. TV dongles for RTL-SDR. using the stepper motor as a speaker on the Apple I. CD drives as cupholders. calendar invites as OOF messages. old-school emojis :)

What's OOF?

Out of facilities

Re: Ask HN: What are some examples where users are inventing new uses for a product?

#12

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Jul 11, 2022, 11:37 AM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: What are some examples where users are inventing new uses for a product?

#13

Post by srvmshr » Mon, Jul 11, 2022, 11:49 AM UTC

US Army survival kit suggesting condoms to harvest rain water in Vietnam war if clean drinking water wasn't to be found.

Re: Ask HN: What are some examples where users are inventing new uses for a product?

#14

Post by saimiam » Mon, Jul 11, 2022, 12:13 PM UTC

In India, an Ola Cabs developer figured out how to use phone conferencing to number mask between the driver and the passenger.

Re: Ask HN: What are some examples where users are inventing new uses for a product?

#15

Post by 2000UltraDeluxe » Mon, Jul 11, 2022, 12:48 PM UTC

sterlind wrote: post #7

zip ties as handcuffs. tampons for treating gunshot wounds in the field. irons for straightening hair. GPS for geocaching. Sudafed for making meth. TV dongles for RTL-SDR. using the stepper motor as a speaker on the Apple I. CD drives as cupholders. calendar invites as OOF messages. old-school emojis :)

Cheese slicers are great for slicing cucumbers. Utility knives are occasionally being as temporary replacements for pretty much every other tool in the toolbox.

Re: Ask HN: What are some examples where users are inventing new uses for a product?

#16

Post by gitgud » Mon, Jul 11, 2022, 12:50 PM UTC

manx wrote: post #3

Twitter Hashtags were originally invented by users.

Another twitter invention:

The wordle grid (emoji colors) was invented by Twitter users, then incorporated into the game

Re: Ask HN: What are some examples where users are inventing new uses for a product?

#17

Post by drooby » Mon, Jul 11, 2022, 12:53 PM UTC

Bens brown rice for Ben’s Tek

Re: Ask HN: What are some examples where users are inventing new uses for a product?

#18

Post by gitgud » Mon, Jul 11, 2022, 12:58 PM UTC

Some of the post prefixes were probably started by users here... I assume...

    Show HN: 
    Ask HN:
    Tell HN:
    Who's Hiring:

Re: Ask HN: What are some examples where users are inventing new uses for a product?

#19

Post by cju » Mon, Jul 11, 2022, 1:30 PM UTC

Part of the hacks from https://ikeahackers.net/.

Re: Ask HN: What are some examples where users are inventing new uses for a product?

#20

Post by 0cVlTeIATBs » Mon, Jul 11, 2022, 1:32 PM UTC

Music and other art often repurpose things.

Nefarious uses are sometimes predicted by manufacturers. Like Airtags for stalking. Tone generator crystal swap for blue boxes.

Data mining leads to new uses for collected information, like for advertising, insurance, political campaigning, law enforcement, etc.