Relatively hack-proof internet interface for wifi security cameras. If someone breaks into the house and steals all my gear (including the cameras), at least I wouldn't be losing another $2-400 PC.
209 karma · joined May 24, 2010
I have had an idea for a smartphone app on my Big List for years. This app would implement lag-sequential analysis (see for example http://www2.gsu.edu/~psyrab/references.pdf). I haven't actually used it (which is part of why I have procrastinated this one), but my understanding is that LSA is basically a chi-squared analysis with a time function. Chi-squared compares expected vs. actual incidence of something. So LSA would look at expected vs. actual incidence of X happening following Y. The prototypical test would be to prove/disprove that chocolate milk makes kindergarten kids more violent. But you could (as I envisioned it) generalize it to sniff out all kinds of factors that might systematically precede migraines or whatever.
You'll also need to explain to people that a negative result might not be a reliable one unless you get a lot of data and record all variables reliably.
I'm not sure how much my app idea overlaps with yours, but I will cheer you on in any case.
Example: User clicks on a web page link. Half of the next page is drawn (clearly not finished). After about 4 seconds without visible progress, the user will assume that the process has failed. A longer (>4 seconds) page download/draw may be accomplished with progressive feedback.
Example: User enters some text and clicks a Search button in a desktop app. A thermometer control shows initial progress, then stalls. Again, you get ~4 seconds in (apparently) stalled state before the user starts thinking something may be awry. (Time to actual give-up varies more).
Interestingly, lower-resolution progress feedback that includes animation is vulnerable to the same threshold. So for example if instead of the progress thermometer we simply put up an hourglass cursor, we can assume that some users will start to question the integrity of the process after ~4 seconds of watching the hourglass do its usual thing. Likewise with a barber pole/ thermometer that spins but doesn't grow. Normal animation, or rotating slide shows, or whatever other easy-to-display distractions that we have come up with, don't actually address this fundamental problem. I believe habituation teaches even many naive users that those indicators cannot always be trusted. Trusting the integrity of a process, after that 4 second threshold, requires something progressive or novel. This makes getting through any process that takes an unknown amount of time but more than 4 seconds a tricky unsolved problem. I believe a higher level of novelty would extend the threshold considerably, but the real key is demonstrating that the process is still making tangible progress toward a known end goal.
My confidence in this is low because I'm not really sure what your business model is.
I've read a pile of published usability reports on other text entry methods, such as chording keyboards, and they all show essentially the same thing. Letting fingers extend to hit a fixed close target is hard to beat, and the optimal amount of pressure needed is very small (though perhaps not zero).
My theory is that it takes less mental effort to write than to use an OSK, so the OSK is perceived as being slower. With the OSK the level of mental effort is mostly high (mostly visual search), with periodic dips (hit the key). With pen-based writing it's the opposite -- mostly automated / low-cognitive-effort behavior with periodic thinking about what to do next.
I read a quote from Jobs somewhere recently where he said something like, "the problem with handwriting is that it's just so darned slow" so that makes me think that Apple may have done a similar usability study.
I don't think OSKs are ideal. I'm continually impressed by the steady flow of innovations in text-input methods. But pens have their own usability baggage even outside the limitations of handwriting.
Speaking of accessibility, blind people are big users of cabs. So that might be another market to focus on.
In Vegas it scales up further though. You have lots of people hopping from hotel to hotel to see shows etc. So if I want to get from the MGM to Bellagio to see O (particularly at predictable intervals before shows start), it's a good bet a bunch of other people will too.
Cutting out all of these things that are above-average cost, you may wonder what damage it will do to your health. I'm a firm believer that optimal nutritional health comes from 1) greatly lowering the excess bad stuff and 2) eat green things. Really, anything loaded with chlorophyll is probably good for you, and will fill in the gaps in your nutrients. I'd bet you could live on rice and spinach alone indefinitely.
When I was in college I a single-burner hot plate and a 1-qt non-stick sauce pan for just about everything.
So basically the cost-minimizing technique is to eat as most of the Chinese do.
We have a few discount stores over here (I'm thinking of one in PA, but I know of another in MT) that sell dented cans, out-dated (but perfectly good) boxed food, etc. for roughly half of regular retain price. It's the same thing you'd get at a regular grocer, but the packages aren't right. If you have one near you it could save you more than any other diet-changing strategy.
+1 for needing pricing details upfront. I'll suggest $.10/call or SMS but I might pay up to $.50 for my application. I could be using this within a couple of weeks for a project I'm building.
But... You must have noticed that there's another company using Phonify.com (no e). You're going to get in trouble with trademark infringement if you launch with this. Seriously, it's an easy call, and I wouldn't say that your space in the commerce realm is too far apart to matter. [insert flashing red light] Now maybe the other company won't have a trademark, in which case maybe you could use this, but then you can't trademark it yourself. Given the potential name confusion (I just typed their URL when I wanted yours a minute ago), I'd think hard about this before charging anyone for anything.
Some PHP sample code wouldn't hurt.
There are several Wordpress plugins for signing up for an email mailing list. Adding your service to that would be compelling. Note that the Wordpress people have a strong interpretation of the GPL (that is they assert that all plugins are covered under GPL and must be $free) though. But maybe that doesn't matter if you're charging per call.
Going further down that train of thought, I'm thinking someone might duplicate this functionality for Wordpress and just require the user to have Twilio account (as some folks require an Amazon storage account, or whatever). Twilio signup is a low bar to jump, so I'm thinking this is a reason to keep your fees low.
The main problem with this kind of technology is that it remains very expensive, even as tech in general keeps getting cheaper. A CCTV that would help Grandma write checks and read Christmas cards may cost $1500 on the low end. The market-dominant screen reader applications have been around $800 since I was an accessibility program manager in the 90s. The main problem is that with such a small market they don't get good economies of scale. Some have estimated that we may currently reach as little as 5% of the affected population, and cost is a big factor.
Fundraising for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and their many clones, is ridiculously easy. It's a pitch everyone can understand. Well, guide dogs get many blind people outside their house, but technology lets them keep middle-class jobs, interact with the world via the internet, etc. In terms of fundraising, it's a fairly powerful pitch, but there is no equivalent central non-profit that just focuses on IT. Most of the non-profits out there focus on skills training or fighting the causes of blindness. IT for the Blind will first determine whether applicants can get funding from schools and employers (as required by law), then pass on the many requests that aren't addressed by existing sources.
I've got board members / founders and a UI spec, but haven't been focusing on this one because my consulting work has been keeping me busy. I'll be able to work on it full time in the summer, and having a MVP would make initial donor fundraising much easier.
By the way, you should assume that donated work would be tax deductible, if we get 501(c)(3) status this year. :) Thanks!