Inferring User Intent - Can Apple Do This? See

I've run into this before and had to Google it again... if you don't have scroll lock set, the arrow keys pan the sheet instead of moving you from cell to cell.

Question is, like they detect that Caps Lock is ON when you're typing a password, why couldn't the Excel see that I used the arrow key and then the scrollwheel and then the mouse to move to a different cell and suggest that I set Scroll Lock?

Is Apple smart enough to do this?

Paper that Changes Colour

I checked some material out of the library today and it asked if I'd like a receipt with due-date.

I thought - how about something that gets exponentially redder as the due-date approaches - maybe options you can set on the screen - no change until within 5 days, etc.

Then, at T-4, it's light pink, at T-1, it's really-really red.

How do we accomplish this and keep it cheap? Then you could just put the receipt on your fridge and not miss it since most fridges are white.

Transoms that Protect

Okay, you wonder - suppose, just suppose the bad guys have figured out that my ADT sign is a dummy and was installed by the previous owner? It's not that hard to get full-access to the house in that case - get in through the transom, unlock the door to the garage and then open one of the garage doors. The really smart crooks will wear some kind of uniform to make it look like they're delivering something and bring in a large box with straps as if they're leaving a dishwasher or something. How about, if you could spread a spider-web across your transom - material so thin it doesn't detract from the aesthetics, yet, when someone tries to go through the web, the web just sticks. You've had this happen to you at some point - a spider's dropped from the ceiling - the start of his new trap - and you're the first prey - and you're cussing and getting that stuff off you. Except, in this case, you can't break the web - because the material is so strong for its thickness that, if you try mechanical force to break it - you just end up extruding more out of the source - which is something your homely spider can't do. For one thing, the brash bandido might not even be aware of this new whisker and still be tethered by the time he gets back to his car - in which case, he's left some evidence there as well. Once he starts driving of course, the mechanical force will overpower the extrusion rate and he'll be free. But, maybe you can throw in some property that'll make the stuff flouresce under a black-light. All we need is a revolution in materials. How unsafe I suddenly feel in my own home.

RFID in Lawncare

So trivially simple - lawnmowers already hog a tonne of power - why not a few more milliWatts to be tag-aware - when you don't want them chopping off sprinkler heads and dissecting drip-irrigation guts, just stick a tag that you can get from HD or Lowes. Jeez. Why must we wait for the Japs and Israelis to invent everything?

iRing : The End of iPhone Theft

After watching Eric Li's TED talk, I remembered something Condi Rice said on the Tonight Show a few years ago - something about, if America wasn't the dominant power, there would be a lot less compassion in the world; I don't see people wanting to migrate to China. And, now, a few years later, I've actually heard an American woman say she wants to move to China and start a company - not for any ideological reason but because it's the thing to do these days.

Anyway, back to the subject. Before I posted this, I wanted to see who had already thought about this one. Great minds think great things, but not necessarily alike.

My friend took her iPhone with her to the apartment complex pool party and got robbed. Think, how nice it would be if you could wear a ring that gives you a mild electric shock when someone moves your iPhone, and then you press two buttons on the ring simultaneously, and the phone immediately, silently (!!) calls 911. Inspite of having insurance, she had to pay $160 to Verizon to get it replaced.

In their last developer conference Craig Federation of Apple made a big deal of how a thief will not be able to use an iPhone with IOS7. Duh - who wants to use it? Where do you think the repair shops at the mall that can fix your broken iPhone screens are getting the screens from? Wonder if there really is iPhone aftermarket parts industry.

Panda Poker

Panda Express' internet access was down today, so they couldn't take credit or debit cards. Luckily, I had cash. Bill came to $7.10. Sorry, I says, I only have 7 - is that okay - but I have a credit card..

It's okay. I had 8 - my backup was - just kidding. Anyway, bluff worked.

Then I thought, most people in the store have smartphones. How about an app that lets you use your phone and your data connection to pay your tab? I guess AAPL lets you do that in their store - maybe WMT too.. How about without tying you into a chain's app? Maybe that's what bitcoin is all about?

Google's Biggest Duh

You're in gmail, you want to send an email and add and attachment. You can add files from your Google-drive.

You're in gmail, you're reading an email that has an attachment. You want to save it to your Google-drive. Oops - there's only View and Download. Duh!!!!!

Follow-up : Thanks Google for adding this much loved feature :)