221–230 of 262 posts
"I wouldn't be surprised if by playing some clever tricks with the accelerometer you could even replace the bathroom scale." I'd be surprised. Very, very, very surprised.
I was mystified at this. I can't imagine a way to measure weight with accelerometer that doesn't involve spinning around in circles or jumping up and down on springs.
"I wouldn't be surprised if by playing some clever tricks with the accelerometer you could even replace the bathroom scale." I'd be surprised. Very, very, very surprised.
I was mystified at this. I can't imagine a way to measure weight with accelerometer that doesn't involve spinning around in circles or jumping up and down on springs.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Microsoft's entire empire was built on platform lock-in and network effects -- from business to business, to customers, and to the homes of their employees. It was a staggeringly successful strategy that everyone copied, Apple being the most prominant exception. They've always made products to please the consumer who bought it and nobody else. Cherry pick counter-examples all you like, but this is pretty much how it…
Really? I don't think that Apple has acted with such altruistic intentions. Certainly they're not just pumping out whatever they can to get more cash, but they're obviously working to make a profit. If their number one priority was really to please the end-user, they'd be selling everything at cost, open-sourcing and giving away OS X for free, etc. People are generally greatly pleased when they can get cool stuff for…
EDIT: here, straight from the horse's mouth http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v...
The fact that you can change font sizes easily means the iPad effectively replaces reading glasses. Really? I mean it might help someone not need reading glasses for the tasks they do on the iPad... but they still have to have them to read the dinner menu, instructions on the box of food, and so on. If you can't replace it fully how good is it? The iPhone replaced regular cell phones because of the fact you no longer…
Or maybe an app that will immediately redisplay what the camera views in a larger format on the screen. Probably be a bit clunky, but might not be too bad. Might even help more for people who need high magnification for reading but whose distance vision is still good.
http://www.appbrain.com/app/ideal-magnifier/com.ideal.magnif...
It not only magnifies, it lights up with the camera flash, it can reverse the black/white or add color filter if you find that easier, take a snapshot and let you zoom around it etc.
Another possible recipe for a startup (not saying this would be easy) is to find an important way that Apple is handicapping their devices and overcome it on Apple's own platform in a way that Apple will allow. If you can do that, users will love it and buy your product.
>If you can do that, users will love it and buy your product. I'm trying now to remember a story relayed here about a company who developed a product that bested Apple, Apple considered buying them/it but the negotiator dropped the ball or something and then Apple wiped them out by besting them. Anyway, if you beat Apple then they'll either lock you out (why handicap it if they'd let you carry on) or integrate your i…
Also in the summer, I was camping when my flashlight died en route to the washroom. On the side of the path, I downloaded and installed a flashlight app, and then used it to find my way.
I volunteer in an after-school guitar class at my son's school, and use my phone to tune the kids' guitars before class starts.
A few weeks ago, a website I maintain went nonresponsive and I used my phone to ssh into the server and restart apache.
Just for fun, I installed an app that measures my heart rate using the camera.
Just five years ago, if you had suggested these uses for a phone, I would have thought you were nuts.
Last summer, I rather surprised myself by using my android phone as a level while working on a backyard building project. Also in the summer, I was camping when my flashlight died en route to the washroom. On the side of the path, I downloaded and installed a flashlight app, and then used it to find my way. I volunteer in an after-school guitar class at my son's school, and use my phone to tune the kids' guitars befo…
> Many if not most of the special-purpose objects around us are going to be replaced by apps running on tablets. I respectfully disagree. The trend for specialised vs. generalised devices seems to go in cycles over a period of a few years, in a similar way to the classic thick vs. thin client cycle. Consider games consoles vs. gaming on PCs, the iPod vs. mobile phones with media storage, etc. Neither extreme is ever…
I think in slightly simpler times. Value isn't only about function, its about form and also timely availability. Some devices are required at a certain point in time and although an application could replace them it most certainly will not. For instance the simple mirror, you can use an app on a camera enabled tablet (which might even allow some cool things like virtually trying different looks etc) but the simplicit…
And I love good maps, it's quite sweet NOT to get lost when you run out of battery.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Really? I don't think that Apple has acted with such altruistic intentions. Certainly they're not just pumping out whatever they can to get more cash, but they're obviously working to make a profit. If their number one priority was really to please the end-user, they'd be selling everything at cost, open-sourcing and giving away OS X for free, etc. People are generally greatly pleased when they can get cool stuff for…
It has nothing to do with altruism, it's about selling directly to the person using the product vs selling to someone who forces other people to use the product. Even if the seller is acting primarily out of self interest, users are going to end up much happier buying something because they like it , and not because forces out of their control have conspired to make it their only viable option. EDIT: here, straight f…
Your comment, while mostly fiction IMO, does have a nice storyline.
> I wouldn't be surprised if by playing some clever tricks with the accelerometer you could even replace the bathroom scale. Galileo might take issue with that: http://www.jimloy.com/physics/galileo.htm
The best way I could think of to actually use the iPad for this would be have a person lay his arm (including wrist) on it. The iPad can use the touch sensitive surface to measure how thick his wrist is and how thick his arm is, and then guess his weight. Using an accelerometer would likely be a worse user experience than just stepping on a scale, but a system where the iPad actually measures your body fat could be e…
http://library.thinkquest.org/C003763/index.php?page=planet0...
So it would be possible to give an estimate of upper body weight if a person would swing the iPhone with hand straight. It could give the body mass as a multiple of the hands mass. It would be easy to cheat though.