Virginia Tech students create "smart" brake lights for cars | My iStop

March 30, 2008 By

smartbrakeli  I had an idea over 20 years ago that was very similar to this – except I had an additional twist – when the car was actively accelerating (ie, gas pedal being pushed and not just coasting) a small segment of the tail light glowed a faint green.

That would give followers the ability to know everything you need to know about the momentum of the vehicle in front of you.

In any case, it is about time we update brake lights.

 

It’s only taken about a million years, but someone has finally decided that improvements are possible in automobile braking lights. Students from Virginia Tech have developed a new system that can show not just whether you’re stopping, but if you’re slowing down, when you’re about to stop, and how quickly you’re pressing the pedal. The concept uses an array of horizontally arranged LED lights — when you begin to slow, lights in the center glow orange, after a certain threshold side lights turn to red, and if you’re slamming on the brake, they’ll all flash red.

Virginia Tech students create "smart" brake lights for cars | My iStop

Filed Under: Ideas

Deadcasts.com

March 22, 2008 By

I have a lot of odd ideas.  Most of them I just pass on to others, and see if they run with them.  A few of them I pursue.  Some of them I know are stupid, but they are so stupid I can’t get away from them.

That’s why I bought the domain name of deadcasts.com today.  Podcasts delivered from the grave – after you are dead, to the people you specify.  Or to the world.  Could be video, could be audio, could be a favorite YouTube video.

And yes, I know there are things *like* this out there.

But a cool domain name is a cool domain name. 

Even if I don’t ever build the exact idea – I’m not afraid of buying a domain name here and there.  I wish I had done more of it in the late 90′s!

Here’s the thing about domain names – if you buy 500 of them at $10 each you spend $5,000.  Sell just one of them for 10K (I have) and suddenly it isn’t stupid anymore. 

But I don’t buy domains to make money off domains.  I buy domains hoping someone interesting calls me wanting to build something off those domains.  And I hope I can work with them on it.

I love building stuff.

Filed Under: Ideas, Personal

Microsoft patent makes Plug-and-Play smarter – istartedsomething

March 22, 2008 By

Let’s see – Microsoft applied for their patent on March 20, 2008.  Mine, for virtually the same thing, was filed November 25, 2004.

Microsoft Patent Application.

My Patent Application.

I think I win.

 

The problem lies with device drivers. The device drivers which ship with each operating system release is only what is available at the time, so it cannot support new hardware which has been released after that time. This means when you plug in the device, the system is not going to find a suitable driver or it’s going to end up becoming a generic device. I’m sure you too will be quite pissed when you just installed a $300 gaming keyboard and mouse, and it defaults as a generic USB keyboard and mouse.

Up to and until now, operating systems and hardware vendors have tackled this problem by the use of internet updating mechanisms which seek out new drivers when you plug in a device. This of course relies on vendors actually actively updating the drivers in this drivers pool which so far they’ve failed, but more importantly, it requires an active internet connection. The paradox of installing a new network adapter which requires a network connection to download a new driver is a good example where this fails.

Microsoft has just patented an idea that solves both of these problems with one stone. Patent application 20080071935, Self-Installing Computer Peripherals for those of you playing at home.

Microsoft patent makes Plug-and-Play smarter – istartedsomething

Filed Under: Ideas Tagged With: , ,

I just did a startup on Twitter – the first, I think.

March 15, 2008 By

It is nearly 3 am.  I’ve spent the last several hours thinking about an idea.  I needed some Marketing thoughts – so I sought Marketing people on Twitter.  I needed someone to check my math, so I asked on Twitter.  I needed validation of the business, and I asked Twitter.  Not publicly – but privately.  Launching on Twitter is one thing.  Telling everyone WHAT you are launching exactly is another thing (stupid).

But I had all of these amazing people on Twitter that I could reach out to – even in the wee hours of the morning.

And tomorrow I will reach out to more.

And a company will be born.

On Twitter.

Cool.

:)

Filed Under: Community, Ideas

Recognizing the "Social" aspect of Social Networking (for what it is)

March 5, 2008 By

On two occasions tonight the question came up, “What is a friend”?  Both happened around discussions pertaining to social networking. 

Personally, I dislike the phrase “friend request”.  I have *very* few friends.  I know a hell of a lot of people though.  565 in my Instant Messaging client.  That is a lot of people.  VERY few friends.

People I meet on social networking sites are contacts.  Just because they join my network does not make me friends with anyone.  I just made a new contact – and I appreciate it.  But it is still a contact.

Friends are different.  Friends are people that you can call and ask for money and they ask you “how much” before they ask you “why?”

Friends are people that you absolutely trust with really important stuff – like your kids.

Friends are not bits and bytes flowing in through a cable modem.

And if you consider everyone who “follows” you to be a friend, then I think you are doing a disservice to your real friends.  The ones that would raise your kids for you. 

And you would trust them to do it.

Filed Under: Community, Ideas, Imported, Personal
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