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Dumb Million Dollar Ideas — Parallax Forums

Dumb Million Dollar Ideas

ercoerco Posts: 20,259
edited 2012-11-01 02:35 in General Discussion
With all the combined genius of Forumistas here, how come WE didn't come up with this silly headphone cable button (no, not a push button switch, a SHIRT button) on Mashable which will probably sell millions: http://mashable.com/2012/10/29/button-headphones/

Recall the lady who made the hair scrunchy and got rich. Or the Snuggie.

God help us if the "Forever Lazy" catches on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S2p7AiNX9g

Or the PooTrap! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IrlhLF1c3k&feature=related

Comments

  • idbruceidbruce Posts: 6,197
    edited 2012-10-30 09:34
    LOL The Poo Trap :)
    And your pets will love it too.
  • skylightskylight Posts: 1,915
    edited 2012-10-30 09:44
    Does the deluxe version come with velcro attachments? Woof!
  • skylightskylight Posts: 1,915
    edited 2012-10-30 10:30
    erco wrote: »
    Sounds a good idea at first till the umpteenth time you are stopped in a search for contraband.
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2012-10-30 10:50
    I think we can all remember way back when we all first acquired those folding two wheeled carts to carry luggage or even a bunch of electronic equipment.

    But it was the guy that got rid of the rather flimsy carts, put two wheels on the suitcase and a folding handle that really cashed in. I still wonder why I didn't think of that. Maybe I just didn't fly enough to notice how everybody was struggling with the carts.

    I am still conviinced that machines, not electronics offer some of the best patent opportunities for the little guy.
  • Duane C. JohnsonDuane C. Johnson Posts: 955
    edited 2012-10-30 11:22
    How about the guy that put that built in Liquid Crystal thermal sensing battery checking strip on the side of flash light batteries.
    It does work surprisingly well.
    But the brilliant part of the scheme is it also discharges the battery some requiring buying more batteries sooner.
    Well done my fellow, well done.

    Duane J
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2012-10-30 11:57
    Pure envy. I have been trying (half heartedly) for ages to bring my combined eyeglass/pen and pencil box to market. I think that they would do very well as a give away by a large optometry chain.

    The box could be made nicely in plastic and have a partition to keep your writting tool separate from your glasses.

    I just don't want to spend money up front in travel and prototypes to get the attention of someone that can say yes. It is unlikely to ever be a big payoff. But it is a wonderful gadget.
  • GadgetmanGadgetman Posts: 2,436
    edited 2012-10-30 15:22
    Ah, yes, the strips that were so much fun in equipment with already tight tolerances...
    In fact, there have been reports of the batteries completely discharging because the strip has been activated by the cramped battery compartment of some flashlights and PDAs.

    Loopy, try talking to someone with a homebrew 3D printer. Shouldn't be too difficult to make a decent prototype.
    Another version of the box could be one with room for a mini spray bottle and a rolled-up microfibre cloth.
    Or possibly, the room could be sized to fit those wet wipes they sell?
  • vanmunchvanmunch Posts: 568
    edited 2012-10-30 19:59
    Pure envy. I have been trying (half heartedly) for ages to bring my combined eyeglass/pen and pencil box to market. I think that they would do very well as a give away by a large optometry chain.

    The box could be made nicely in plastic and have a partition to keep your writting tool separate from your glasses.

    I just don't want to spend money up front in travel and prototypes to get the attention of someone that can say yes. It is unlikely to ever be a big payoff. But it is a wonderful gadget.
    Gadgetman wrote: »
    Ah, yes, the strips that were so much fun in equipment with already tight tolerances...
    In fact, there have been reports of the batteries completely discharging because the strip has been activated by the cramped battery compartment of some flashlights and PDAs.

    Loopy, try talking to someone with a homebrew 3D printer. Shouldn't be too difficult to make a decent prototype.
    Another version of the box could be one with room for a mini spray bottle and a rolled-up microfibre cloth.
    Or possibly, the room could be sized to fit those wet wipes they sell?

    I have a 3D printer.... :)
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2012-10-31 00:22
    vanmunch wrote: »
    I have a 3D printer.... :)

    Can you really do hinges and latches with that?
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2012-10-31 05:12
    Since I have a weird eye prescription, and I now need reading glasses, I can't use bifocals. So wwhen I saw the guys in the factory with eye loupe mounted to their glasses, I got an idea... I would make a real life Opti-Grab like int he Steve Martin movie. But my wife talk me out of it after she saw the $1.67 part...
  • vanmunchvanmunch Posts: 568
    edited 2012-10-31 10:11
    Can you really do hinges and latches with that?

    Ya, it really just depends on how small or big you're looking at making. I have a Replicator from MakerBot that can print print fairly small features. I really wouldn't try anything less than 1mm. (Actually I'd try it, but it would have problems). If you need something done really well I would just have a place like Shapeways print it for me. There're fast (~48 hrs worldwide) and they print in a lot of different materials. I used them before I bought my printer.
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    edited 2012-10-31 10:28
    Since I have a weird eye prescription, and I now need reading glasses, I can't use bifocals. So wwhen I saw the guys in the factory with eye loupe mounted to their glasses, I got an idea... I would make a real life Opti-Grab like int he Steve Martin movie. But my wife talk me out of it after she saw the $1.67 part...

    I have myopia, astigmatism, and now presbyopia and get shafted when it comes to glasses. I can't use cheap one hour glasses, or glasses over the internet. So now I buy lenses custom made out of a high index plastic (I think it is made out of dark matter) with a progressive prescription.
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2012-10-31 11:33
    Martin_H wrote: »
    I have myopia, astigmatism, and now presbyopia and get shafted when it comes to glasses. I can't use cheap one hour glasses, or glasses over the internet. So now I buy lenses custom made out of a high index plastic (I think it is made out of dark matter) with a progressive prescription.

    can you give link? i want to give this a try!
  • LoopyBytelooseLoopyByteloose Posts: 12,537
    edited 2012-10-31 11:45
    vanmunch wrote: »
    Ya, it really just depends on how small or big you're looking at making. I have a Replicator from MakerBot that can print print fairly small features. I really wouldn't try anything less than 1mm. (Actually I'd try it, but it would have problems). If you need something done really well I would just have a place like Shapeways print it for me. There're fast (~48 hrs worldwide) and they print in a lot of different materials. I used them before I bought my printer.

    If you want to do it, go ahead and I will allow you to do so for one US dollar. I will even sign a sales contract to that effect.

    If you make a lot of money, keep it. The last time I participated in making 10,000 of anything was when a little company I worked for sold the idea to Warner Bros. to promote rock n' roll on T-shirts. We printed 10,000 Skeleton Rose T-Shirts for the Grateful Dead album in 3 days by working around the clock.

    Warner Bros. loved the t-shirts, so did the Grateful Dead. A representative from WB visited the factory and we thought we were on our way to making real money. A month later no re-orders, but Bill Grahman has set up a T-shirt printing company under the name Winterland Productions. They used the same equipment we had. And even bought their T-shirts from the same supplier, Steadman T-shirts.

    In other words, how would you keep control of this item? Once you sell a few and they take off, there will be copies from China and so on.

    Of course, that was the beginning of everyone promoting music on t-shirts. The concerts would break even, but the t-shirt concessions were all profit as a $2 t-shirt from Steadman sold for $15 at the concert.
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2012-10-31 11:53
    If you want to do it, go ahead and I will allow you to do so for one US dollar. I will even sign a sales contract to that effect. ...
    In other words, how would you keep control of this item? Once you sell a few and they take off, there will be copies from China

    my thought. is, if somebody else can do it cheaper, let them. i'd rather buy one for less than hassle with building it my self.

    id like to print a case like this as well. did you have specific demensions in mind, or is that to be determined?
  • Cluso99Cluso99 Posts: 18,069
    edited 2012-10-31 23:19
    Often the simplest things make the most money. And as always, everyone says why didn't I think of that.

    So next time you are dreaming up something, think about something amazingly simple!
  • MacTuxLinMacTuxLin Posts: 821
    edited 2012-11-01 02:35
    Cluso99 wrote: »
    So next time you are dreaming up something, think about something amazingly simple!

    Yeap, seems the KISS methodology prevails! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwWeN1ARy74). Should have just added fur, remove 10 servos & put in a simple 3-layer neural network facial recognition algorithm with small number of input features with multi-class classification that points to behavioural functions thereby moving the head, eye-lids, arms & legs.... who cares about details ....
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