Invention Week, Day #5 Something simple. Something easy. Something already done. (Hey, at least I looked this time.)This faucet, the Wonder 77, appears to do everything I want. Automatic temperature control with presets, flow control, soap dispenser, proximity sensors and speech recognition. Sweet.
I want temperature settings for brushing my teeth, washing my hands, drinking, etc. No problemo with this baby. Best of all, they're looking for investors!
Ya know, I gotta stop deleting that e-mail from MP3.com without reading it, or at least do a search for cassette tape-shaped MP3 players -- and thus save countless minutes of R&D time.Ladies and germs: Duo-Aria, which looks to be the exact same device as the RomeMP3.
At least the MP3 player that I invented in my head was Mac compatible. I like to think that the sound quality of my fictious player is better too. And the battery life... the sucker runs forever! :)
For my next invention I think I'll create a wireless phone that can be used anywhere within various large transmission "cells" in a city. I'm going to name it after my pet goldfish, Nokia.
Invention Week, Day #4 A logical progression, IMHO, of cars that drive themselves: no more traffic lights or traffic jams.I yearn for the happy days in the not to distant future of really smart cars that drive by themselves; with people in them, I presume. But I'm not talking about that wimpy "caravaning down the highway, inches apart." I want the good stuff.
I want smart cars in the city that never need to stop for traffic lights because the opposing streams of traffic will automatically create gaps between the cars *just* big enough to let the other cars through. If you could get it to work at about 60 mph that'd really make it scary!
There are, of course, some significant issues preventing this from happening anytime soon. Like the small problem that you need to wait until everyone has a computer driven car, otherwise some old guy will break formation and ruin the whole damn thing. Let's not forget the fiendish amount of programming necessary to coordinate near misses between thousands of cars charging towards each other at ramming speed. And then there's the whole communication between the cars problem. I don't see the amount of data being the problem, per se, but how does a car in the middle of the pack know that it's in the middle of the pack with all those damn network packets flinging through the air. There's gotta be a whole lot of really accurate position tracking going on, really quickly; but that's what makes it interesting!
The biggest obstacle, however, could be the tremendous potential for lawsuits. One little programming glitch and you could create a vehicle pile up of epic proportions. (But I'd like to think that the independent collision avoidance systems would create an even more spectacular show as dozens of cars automatically dodge and weave without hitting anything at all.)
Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz?Invention Week, Day #3: Adaptive Cruise Control.
I've wanted "adaptive cruise control" for years -- something that speeds up and slows down automatically based on the distance and rate of closure to the car in front of me. All I've ever seen is a handful of self-driving car demos on TV years ago... nothing that I could actually buy, just some stuff that was going to be ready "in the future."
The future is now!
It seems that North America is not big on the whole ACC concept, unless you're talking about the Eaton Vorad EVT-300 Collision Warning System with SmartCruise -- which you can get for your Mack truck for $2,000 - $3,000. Look, here's a list of installers.
Let's just go on the assumption that I'm unlikely to become a truck driver anytime soon. Where else can I get this technology? Eaton is supposedly testing a version of their system for passenger cars, but the most recent page on their site is from 1998, so where the hell is it?
Here 'tis: Distronic. Nice name. Developed independently, I presume. Available as an option on every S-Class model. The only small problem is that the S-Class Mercedes starts at $70k.
Everyone and their dog is working on Adaptive Cruise Control so it's only a matter of time ("the future") before you can get one for your car. In the meantime, certain European BMW models, and Jaguar XJ6s are other options (see here).
Invention Week, Day #2. Nothing so grandiose as an MP3 player today; something a little more functional. A dishwasher.Any bozo can make a dishwasher that washes a whole bunch of dishes at a time, but it takes a special sort of bozo (that would be me) to want one that just washes a single plate or bowl at a time.
My ultimate dishwasher would be a multi-armed robotic device built onto the sink. Probably three arms: two for holding, one for scrubbing. You'd also need some manner of vision and/or touch sensors. Let's not forget plenty of nifty programming for the control system. So... not a weekend project, most likely.
The more practical version would be very simple in comparision. Stick a plate in a slot, spin the plate with some rollers, apply soapy rotating brushes to both sides for a few rotations, give it a rinse. QED.
For bowls you need to articulate the rotating brushes a little bit, but no big deal... (since it's so easy to picture in my head, I assume it is also easy to build. :)
I want one of these because, as a single dude with sole posession of the TV remote, I'm usually "cooking for one" and end up washing one plate, one fork, and a frying pan -- 3 times a day, every day. (I've been on a dishwashing kick for a few months now.)
Hey, where's my gauntlet? Oh yeah, I threw it down!Starting Invention Week small: a portable MP3 player. This MP3 player is much like any other MP3 player, with a couple of differences which I will get to in a minute. But first, the inspiration...
My new car (new to me, anyway) has all manner of extras like heated leather seats and a moonroof (yay!), but it doesn't have a CD player. Argh!! So, while I ponder whether I should get an add-on CD changer or a new deck that would also include the ability to play MP3s from CD -- which I assume will be stolen eventually, based on past experience -- I've been using my old portable CD player with a cassette adapter.
Ah, but there are some annoyances with having a CD player sitting on the passenger seat with a wire for the power adapter and a wire for cassette adapter; namely: there are wires, the player slides around as you drive, it can be a distraction to change tracks, and changing CDs while driving is not recommended (which doesn't stop me, natch). There are, of course, solutions for those problems (i.e. buy an in dash player, or mount the portable); but I am not here to talk old tech! I want new tech!
Picture if you will: an MP3 player that uses built-in memory plus a Memory Stick or SmartMedia card for music storage, has a USB port for loading the music, runs on built-in rechargable batteries, has a wireless remote, includes a mini-headphone jack and a cassette adapter.
Not necessarily anything new until you consider the size and shape... It is exactly the size and shape of a cassette tape -- it is, in fact, built into the cassette adapter.
But what about the holes? If you take the tape spools out of a cassette tape you've got 1.375 inches between the holes, which is plenty of room to slide a memory stick or two in from the top. Put the USB port, the power plug and headphone adapter on one of the ends. Put a rechargable battery pack in the other end, put the cassette adapter part right where it's supposed to go... (duh!)
Don't think it will fit? I just found a SmartMedia MP3 player with 64MB of built-in memory on Amazon for $100 that's 2.5" wide x 3.5" high x 0.7" deep. The Compaq iPaq MMC player is even smaller at 2.2" w x 2.7" h x 0.8" d, and it also has 64MB and USB. A cassette tape is 4" wide x 2.5" high x 0.3" deep; which is only a little less volume, but should still work nicely.
Throw in a docking station for your desk so you can charge it and upload tunes from your Mac (or PC, if you like that sort of thing), and you're good to go.
Big deal? Yes! Load some tunes, walk out to your car, pop it into the tape deck, listen to an hour or two of MP3s. Eject the "tape" and plug in your headphones. Put it into your boom box or portable cassette player! Drag the rest of the world kicking and screaming into the Digital Age!!
Thank you, and good night!
p.s. Don't even get me started on the miniature charging circuit powered by pressing "fast-forward" on the tape deck...
The fine print: by reading this far you agree to pay me royalties if you actually build and sell these. Thanks a bunch.
And how can this be? For he is the Kwisatz Haderach!All this talk of "Ginger" and "IT" and other fun things like the kick-off of the latest FIRST robotics competition has inspired me to devote a whole week's worth of posts to inventing and inventions.
To increase the level of difficulty I will submit a (somewhat) original invention every day for a week!
Invention Week will begin sometime after I get out of bed and eat breakfast...
Fine customer serviceSo I got the Nokia 6190 instead. Not that I asked for the 6190, I merely asked what it would cost and then asked for the 5190 anyway. Two days later the UPS guy brings a 6190. I'm keeping it since it's just so cool.
It also has the Extended NIMH battery so the talk time is something obscene like 3-5 hours and the standby time will supposedly hit 9 days (with a tail wind I assume).
I must also say that the hands-free car kit is simply marvelous. The person you call won't usually notice that you're calling from the car since the sound quality is so good -- and the big speaker makes life worth living!
It's just that easy!My 28 months of loyal subscribing to VoiceStream (nee Aerial), qualifies me for the el cheapo handset upgrade to the Nokia 5190. Only $18!
The phone swap to the 5190 is important because the new car has a Nokia car kit (w/speakerphone and handset), and I wanted something with decent talk and standby time.
While I was at it I dropped down to the $20/mo. basic plan; going on the theory that someday I may have to pay my own phone bill, what with all the 'cost saving' going on at work.
Big train wreck in Giants Stadium; Vikings' offense --MIA-- uninjured.The Vikings 2nd-half strategy:
This differs from their 1st-half strategy, which was to let the Giants get ahead 34-0.
- Take the game _to_ their opponents
- Start playing defense
- Start playing offense
- Replace the painted horns on their helmets with _real_ horns. *ouch*
p.s. Somebody tell dumbass Madden that the word is "onus," not "omus."
Oh Yeah!You bet your ass I've already ordered this.
Eight weeks of Hot Lexx!Lexx is back on Sci Fi starting Monday night (1/8)!
Also, if you're interested, Traci Lords joins the cast of FirstWave, also airing Monday nights.
Gimmie some sugar!
I predict that next video game cyber babe will be that chick from the NetZero commercials. NetZero is not yet Mac compatible -- which is problem since NetZero is supposedly our new net connection standard for mobile users at work. Doh!
Monday is New Tire Day!My new tires (and wheels) from TireRack.com have finally arrived. Since I had them drop-shipped to the local Euro car mechanic I will have to wait til Monday to get them mounted.
If you're thinking that buying a new set of tires and wheels on the internet and having them mounted, balanced, and shipped FedEx 2-day economy would cost more than, say, going to TiresPlus and having them do it, you'd be wrong by about $200.
And as we all know, $200 is almost enough for a tuneup.