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Show HN: Deaf? My iPhone app wakes you up if it hears an alarm

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Re: Show HN: Deaf? My iPhone app wakes you up if it hears an alarm

#131

Post by jballer »

davb wrote: post #27
QuantumChaos wrote: post #3

Great idea. I just hope this sort of thing isn't over-regulated.

I had a similar thought. Less about the regulation, more about liability. If I'm deaf and I pay for an app to tell me when an alarm is sounding, I have a certain expectation that it has been rigorously tested and will work without fail. And I'm a software engineer who understands the limitations and failure modes of such applications on non-real-time, commodity kit. Please be extra careful about how you market this.…

This. There's a reason there are regulations for this sort of product–people need to be able to rely on life-saving devices completely and with 100% certainty.

At the very least, I'd suggest researching brudgers' post and adding a notice that the ADA requires accommodation visual alarms.

edit: You really can't add enough disclaimers to something like this. The last thing you want to do is leave someone thinking this is going to save their life. Maybe as a tertiary failsafe, but you can't guarantee that's how it's being used.

Re: Show HN: Deaf? My iPhone app wakes you up if it hears an alarm

#132

Post by sfall »

devindotcom wrote: post #106
brudgers wrote: post #81

In the US, visual alarms are pretty much standard under all the life safety codes for commercial buildings including apartments.[1] When they are not provided, both ADA and the Fair Housing Act [1] both dictate that owners provide them to accommodate the disability. If there's a problem, the fire marshal is a good person to call. They've typically pulled enough bodies from tragedies to last a lifetime, and this shape…

I live in Seattle and I've not had a visual alarm in either apartment I've lived in, nor do I recall seeing one in any I've visited, generally pre-90s construction. Not saying you're wrong, but the visual thing is far from universal and relying on owners accommodating disabilities can be a problem - my grandma can tell you about that. Ideally what you say would be all we'd need, but in the meantime I will certainly k…

you are right that you don't see them on older building but there are a range of other off the shelf products that can integrate with a smoke detector, phone, doorbell to flash lights or lamp. condo/apt complex also only have to install fire alarm audio visual devices in the room under only certain conditions are met. I see no reason that anyone should rely on this app as a life safety device, it could be a last ditch effort when you travel to a friends home or something similar.

Re: Show HN: Deaf? My iPhone app wakes you up if it hears an alarm

#133

Post by sfall »

pgrote wrote: post #102
baddox wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if you sleep with a mask (which is pretty common), or sleep with your head under the covers (which is even more common)?

Are they all intermittent? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLHJ7WnXbDc

yes the flash on and off, for fire alarm notification device, they are powered by a direct current circuit that also requires battery backup having a constant state light would put a larger load for no gain. Also it be more like emergency lighting not a notification appliance

Re: Show HN: Deaf? My iPhone app wakes you up if it hears an alarm

#134

Post by sfall »

tlrobinson wrote: post #92
brudgers wrote: post #81

In the US, visual alarms are pretty much standard under all the life safety codes for commercial buildings including apartments.[1] When they are not provided, both ADA and the Fair Housing Act [1] both dictate that owners provide them to accommodate the disability. If there's a problem, the fire marshal is a good person to call. They've typically pulled enough bodies from tragedies to last a lifetime, and this shape…

Can visual alarms wake a person up?

yes, deaf people can have bed side lamps that will flash to wake them up, notify them of a fire alarm, or the doorbell

Re: Show HN: Deaf? My iPhone app wakes you up if it hears an alarm

#135

Post by sfall »

alexvr wrote: post #89
roberthahn wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who's deaf (not Deaf) thank you for making it. Sadly, the vibration the iPhone makes isn't strong enough for me but this is an awesome idea and I hope you succeed with it!

You're welcome, and thank you for the comment. I noticed this as well; I'm definitely searching a way to make the vibration more noticeable. Someone else suggested abandoning the mobile phone platform altogether to make a more robust product in general. If not me, maybe Nest will do something like this with their smoke detectors. They're already connected to wifi, so it would just take a wifi-enabled vibrator do the…

there are already products built for the deaf to notify them, they integrate with doorbells, smoke/fire alarms, clock alarms, i think you would have better luck on tailoring it for the deaf person that wants an alarm when they travel to friends homes, etc.

Re: Show HN: Deaf? My iPhone app wakes you up if it hears an alarm

#136

Post by sfall »

brudgers wrote: post #81

In the US, visual alarms are pretty much standard under all the life safety codes for commercial buildings including apartments.[1] When they are not provided, both ADA and the Fair Housing Act [1] both dictate that owners provide them to accommodate the disability. If there's a problem, the fire marshal is a good person to call. They've typically pulled enough bodies from tragedies to last a lifetime, and this shape…

life safety codes like nfpa 101 deal with many things and are typically not retroactive standards.

Re: Show HN: Deaf? My iPhone app wakes you up if it hears an alarm

#137

Post by sizzle »

burntwater wrote: post #126
sizzle wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Never heard of this product, can you link me please? It's what I've always wanted

There are a number of such products, the most popular are probably from Sonic Alert - http://www.sonicalert.com/Alarm-Clocks-s/1819.htm I recently discovered Bellman & Symfon, a Swedish company that has some very attractive (naturally) products. Their vibratating/flashing alarm clocks integrate with wireless smoke detectors. I can easily get a stand-alone strobed smoke detector in just my bedroom, but that doesn't he…

thanks for the reply, I will try one of these out

Re: Show HN: Deaf? My iPhone app wakes you up if it hears an alarm

#138

Post by Houshalter »

sdrothrock wrote: post #122

As a hearing-impaired user, I'd actually love something like this if I could "train" it to specific sounds, like my doorbell. Since my phone is almost always in my pocket or hand at home, it would be very easy to feel the vibration and I'd know someone rang the doorbell.

That's a cool idea. I'm not sure how reliable machine learning on audio would be with only a few samples though.

Re: Show HN: Deaf? My iPhone app wakes you up if it hears an alarm

#140

Post by Retric »

brudgers wrote: post #107
baddox wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if you sleep with a mask (which is pretty common), or sleep with your head under the covers (which is even more common)?

Not sleeping with one's iPhone is far more common, despite the belovedness of Apple products. In design terms an alarm strobe has removed everything unnecessary for its purpose and its sole purpose is to save your life on the rare occurrence of fire. It won't be on a charger or in your pants or sitting on the table by the TV or off with your spouse on a business trip. It will be hanging on the wall, with power or bac…

It will however not be there if your sleeping somewhere else.

Not that I think an iPhone is the correct place for such a life saving device, but redundancy is rarely a bad thing.

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