Startup Ideas We'd Be Willing To Pay For • Hacker News Board

Re: Startup Ideas We'd Be Willing To Pay For

#21

Post by losvedir » Wed, Oct 19, 2011, 10:04 PM UTC

edw519 wrote: post #17

Have you had another idea you’d pay if existed? 1. A device that rings a bell or flashes the lights in any/all rooms of my house if my cell phone is at home and rings. This way I don't have to carry it with me everywhere in the house. 2. A service which lets me know which restaurants have excess capacity and will give me a discount if I come right now. 3. A reasonably priced dependable on-line grocery service that de…

* 7. A device that automatically disables any cell phone in any car within 50 car lengths of me and heading in my direction.*

Pretty sure this would have the opposite of your desired effect. Nothing will distract people more and have them fumbling around with their phone than if a call drops, GPS loses signal, streaming radio stops, etc.

Obviously, people shouldn't be doing these things in cars, but I think it's always interesting to think about unintended consequences. Also, I'm pretty sure your (7) was in jest, anyway, but just playing along here...

Re: Startup Ideas We'd Be Willing To Pay For

#22

Post by pdx » Wed, Oct 19, 2011, 10:07 PM UTC

edw519 wrote: post #17

Have you had another idea you’d pay if existed? 1. A device that rings a bell or flashes the lights in any/all rooms of my house if my cell phone is at home and rings. This way I don't have to carry it with me everywhere in the house. 2. A service which lets me know which restaurants have excess capacity and will give me a discount if I come right now. 3. A reasonably priced dependable on-line grocery service that de…

    7. A device that automatically disables any cell phone in any car within 50 car 
    lengths of me and heading in my direction.

I think this device would have the opposite effect that you hope for. I wonder how many days you would last with it?

Multiply the number of talker_drivers you meet with the probability that one of them can't handle the extra distraction of driving and banging on his cell phone, trying to reconnect his call that you jammed. Imagine on a busy commute, this happening every two or three seconds.

Actually, this could be a murder mystery plot, on par with cutting the brake lines. Hide a jammer in somebody's car, and wait for the inevitable result.

Re: Startup Ideas We'd Be Willing To Pay For

#23

Post by endeavor » Wed, Oct 19, 2011, 10:08 PM UTC

anamax wrote: post #20

edw519 wrote: post #17

Have you had another idea you’d pay if existed? 1. A device that rings a bell or flashes the lights in any/all rooms of my house if my cell phone is at home and rings. This way I don't have to carry it with me everywhere in the house. 2. A service which lets me know which restaurants have excess capacity and will give me a discount if I come right now. 3. A reasonably priced dependable on-line grocery service that de…

> 5. A device that lets you know whether the dishes in the dishwasher are dirty or clean. The door latch tells you that. If the door is latched, the dishes are clean. If the door is unlatched, the dishes are dirty. This works if everyone who opens the door when it is latched either empties the dishwasher (and leaves it unlatched) or relatches it AND no one latches the door after putting in a dirty dish unless they al…

Newer dishwashers have a "Clean" indicator light that stays on after the cycle finishes, and you can toggle on and off.

Re: Startup Ideas We'd Be Willing To Pay For

#24

Post by pmikal » Wed, Oct 19, 2011, 10:09 PM UTC

run4yourlives wrote: post #18

edw519 wrote: post #17

Have you had another idea you’d pay if existed? 1. A device that rings a bell or flashes the lights in any/all rooms of my house if my cell phone is at home and rings. This way I don't have to carry it with me everywhere in the house. 2. A service which lets me know which restaurants have excess capacity and will give me a discount if I come right now. 3. A reasonably priced dependable on-line grocery service that de…

Number 7 rocks. :)

It'd likely cause a more dangerous condition as the jammed drivers would be fussing with their phones trying to figure out what happened to their signal.

Re: Startup Ideas We'd Be Willing To Pay For

#25

Post by chrischen » Wed, Oct 19, 2011, 10:09 PM UTC

akavi wrote: post #14

chrischen wrote: post #12

4. An iPhone code editor with Github / Heroku integration Can kind of be solved by using iSSH or any other SSH client for the iphone. If you've got a bluetooth keyboard then it's pretty handy.

That makes it possible , but far from easy/convenient enough to be worthwhile . What I imagine is intended by this is a text editor tailor made for browsing and editing code on a touch screen with limited real estate. A non-trivial problem in my estimation.

iSSH+vim for iphone has a usable interface. I've actually done emergency work through it. But if you have a bluetooth keyboard it becomes even more usable. I figure it's about as usable as you'll get with the iphone's tiny screen and keyboard.

Re: Startup Ideas We'd Be Willing To Pay For

#26

Post by rednaught » Wed, Oct 19, 2011, 10:10 PM UTC

edw519 wrote: post #17

Have you had another idea you’d pay if existed? 1. A device that rings a bell or flashes the lights in any/all rooms of my house if my cell phone is at home and rings. This way I don't have to carry it with me everywhere in the house. 2. A service which lets me know which restaurants have excess capacity and will give me a discount if I come right now. 3. A reasonably priced dependable on-line grocery service that de…

1. I use a cordless phone at home with stations in every room. The base unit has bluetooth which when paired with cellphone(s) is able to receive calls. I drop the cell phone off at my charging station when I get home and never pick it up again until I'm ready to leave the house.

4. Isn't this the Peek(getpeek.com) device?

6. Doesn't Windows have to work first before a working clone can even be fathomed? I kid.

Re: Startup Ideas We'd Be Willing To Pay For

#27

Post by ebiester » Wed, Oct 19, 2011, 10:10 PM UTC

edw519 wrote: post #17

Have you had another idea you’d pay if existed? 1. A device that rings a bell or flashes the lights in any/all rooms of my house if my cell phone is at home and rings. This way I don't have to carry it with me everywhere in the house. 2. A service which lets me know which restaurants have excess capacity and will give me a discount if I come right now. 3. A reasonably priced dependable on-line grocery service that de…

#7 would be pretty dangerous.

So, the guy suddenly loses his call. He then looks at his phone, trying to figure out what happened. In that time he accidentally swirves into another lane.

Re: Startup Ideas We'd Be Willing To Pay For

#28

Post by hornbaker » Wed, Oct 19, 2011, 10:14 PM UTC

run4yourlives wrote: post #18

edw519 wrote: post #17

Have you had another idea you’d pay if existed? 1. A device that rings a bell or flashes the lights in any/all rooms of my house if my cell phone is at home and rings. This way I don't have to carry it with me everywhere in the house. 2. A service which lets me know which restaurants have excess capacity and will give me a discount if I come right now. 3. A reasonably priced dependable on-line grocery service that de…

Number 7 rocks. :)

Not sure about that. Here's how it plays out: 1) driver coming towards you gets disconnected from her call; 2) she looks at phone to diagnose problem, starts to redial; 3) drifts across center line just before reaching you...

Re: Startup Ideas We'd Be Willing To Pay For

#29

Post by hariis » Wed, Oct 19, 2011, 10:15 PM UTC

edw519 wrote: post #17

Have you had another idea you’d pay if existed? 1. A device that rings a bell or flashes the lights in any/all rooms of my house if my cell phone is at home and rings. This way I don't have to carry it with me everywhere in the house. 2. A service which lets me know which restaurants have excess capacity and will give me a discount if I come right now. 3. A reasonably priced dependable on-line grocery service that de…

#2: Is Groupon Now doing this?

Re: Startup Ideas We'd Be Willing To Pay For

#30

Post by mahyarm » Wed, Oct 19, 2011, 10:17 PM UTC

chrischen wrote: post #12

4. An iPhone code editor with Github / Heroku integration Can kind of be solved by using iSSH or any other SSH client for the iphone. If you've got a bluetooth keyboard then it's pretty handy.

An iPad and a bluetooth keyboard is around as heavy or heavier than a 11" macbook air.