Furbing

Social TV

2011-08-12T03:09:00.000-07:00

There are a few out there already, social media web site of some kind sharing comments on the TV programme your watching right now.

A full feature set might include the usual tablet and smartphone apps too, along with rating of the story line (a bit like the rating of the speeches given during elections) or following at social trends and watch what "they" watch.

A more fancy feature set might include influencing the TV program story line via social media or maybe even the actor/actress interacting via social media with the audience (while on TV) either live or staged.

Pretty sure this has been thought off already, so how to make it happen?

Location with context please?

2010-05-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

Not really sure this is an idea as such, but I'll jabber on about it anyway.

So on the web location is the next big thing. Find things, go to things, target content, target adverts etc.

But location provides have no real context for the person at the location. For example, my location might be Leeds but where I am is at work, but just because I'm in Leeds doesn't mean I'm at work. You see?

Anyway I reckon the "next big thing" isn't all that until location has a context.

Maybe context could be deduced from time and IP range (plus location :o)?

For example say its 7pm and my IP range belongs to a B2C ISP then its likely I'm at home, change those numbers at little to 4pm and a B2B IP range and I'm probably at work. Using a public Wifi ISP and near home? then I'm probably socialising or shopping, Wifi ISP and far from home then I'm probably on my jollies. This falls to bits when you're on a radio/telco network big you get the idea.

What to do with all that context is the really big question.

Targeted Adverts on TV

2010-05-13T11:17:00.000-07:00

Not really a new idea, clearly, but.... why o why aren't adverts on TV targeted?

It could be really simple, something like letting the viewer skip the advert (which starts another ad) and then recording the time of/type/style/genre of the advert skipped (or record the ones not skipped, either way will do). Then target the future adverts based on the recorded information.

The advert time slot remains fixed just the adverts vary. I guess it would mean the broadcaster would have to broadcast say 30 or so adverts (to be selected from) where normally there would be 5 or 6, and somehow monitor how many people watched each advert.

I realise this doesn't fit at all with how advert slots are sold/bought but surely that targeted advert is worth a mint to the advertiser. Also the broadcast/receiver technology is nowhere near, but how about on demand services skyPlayer, iTVplayer, Hulu etc, that seems like it could work by pulling the appropriate advert for the user into the video stream (pretty much how adverts work on web pages)

Anyway I think it would be great if the adverts on Tele were targeted to me, I'd probably even enjoy them more than the trash TV I watch.

Location based comparison

2010-03-23T03:22:00.000-07:00

There are lots of price comparison web sites around. How about a web site or mobile app, TV widget that shows a map where you can go buy the product, relative to your location, with the price at each location, so you can balance price versus convenience. Seems simple enough.

Not so great for books/cds etc but maybe good for must have now purchases, larger purchases or items you want to see before you buy (clothes, furniture, TVs). Not sure how to make money from this though, no affiliate tracking for real life purchases :s Maybe sponsored listings or similar.

Little screen for the big screen in the corner.

2010-03-23T03:13:00.000-07:00

How about a website that is aimed at people watching TV (with laptop on sofa).

Not exactly sure what the website might contain, but maybe running commentaries on corrie, betting on sport, webisodes related to the program or advert during the adverts/half time, aggregated programme content from the various TV channels. I'm sure there are lots of things. Probably. Then stick some (related) adverts on the site and hopefully make revenue that way, maybe even sponsorship when popular TV programmes are on (assuming you have the traffic yourself). WDYT?

World Map Holidays

2009-05-15T13:00:00.000-07:00

Why not build a website that is just a map of the world (wii globe style even?) with holidays pin pointed on the map. Add some filters for price/type etc and link thru to the holiday details from the pins and you have a holiday finder. Maybe throw in a weather filter too :o)

Christmas list thingy

2008-11-29T07:46:00.000-08:00

I'd like to be able to create a list of people and potential presents for the on a web site.

The site could also offer suggestions, cheapest prices etc.

Needs to accessible from a mobile phone too.

Could probably add some reminder element to it too.

Would also be useful to keep as an historical record of what you've bought people (I never can remember so often buy them the same thing twice over a few years)

Virtual Mannequin

2007-10-23T06:08:00.000-07:00

No no, not for that!

There are already a few virtual mannequins out there to preview wedding dresses and other clothing items.

But what I suggest is some kind of clothing aggregation mannequin. The idea is the customer can choose clothes from other websites (that sells clothing/shoes/handbags/makeup/jewelry/perfume?) and place them on a virtual mannequin. When you find/build/create/design an outfit you like you (hopefully) buy it.

The problem this is solving is that you can see various clothes/accessories you might want to buy all together as one outfit (all from different shops!) without having to buy anything.

The clothing items could be sourced from any clothing web site (theoretically, integration required/ search?), all you need is an image than can be scaled and mapped to a 3D model of a person (or a dog/elephant/whatever).

The mannequin could be configurable to your (imaginary) dimensions/colours, and I guess you could even put an image of your face on there too (and maybe nice wig, or how about a tattoo?)

I guess you could even decorate/paint/customise the clothes while on the mannequin too. Maybe.
You could even save your "outfits" (in your virtual wardrobe?), share them with friends, suggest clothes for a friend (and take the p*ss), add to a wish list etc.

But how to make money from such a thing? Well I guess if you build a website and host this your effectively selling clothes/accessories from other websites, so you could go down the affiliate route.
Alternatively you could sell the technology to other websites, such as Ebay or shopping.com (but would they buy it?).
Or maybe you build a website and hope/pray that everyone love the idea of putting clothes on "virtual dolls" that you get enough traffic to get advertising revenue to cover the costs (hmmm, you could make more money the other way around, taking the clothes off?)

Sat Nav tour guides

2007-10-18T07:48:00.000-07:00

AFAIK you can navigate to things like "points of interest" on current satellite navigation toys, which is nice, but how about a full on tour guide:

"on your left you will see the cafe where Last of the summer wine was filmed ...... turn right now .... and now you can see where Compo crashed his bicycle in episode 12.... turn left after 1 mile ...." and so on.

I guess the scenarios are:
- You want to go on a tour, or follow a plan route (say monte carlo F1 circuit)
- You going somewhere, but want interesting bits mentioned to you
- You want to drive to an exciting/fun road with no speed camera

Surely that kinda information can be put on a DVD or memory card and sold at £10 a pop?

Even better would be SatNav that updates its self via Wifi/bluetooth when you car is parked at home, then you could buy updates and guides online too. And if you have a "temporary" net connection you could also add extra search parameters to your navigation too, for example, "I want a fun road where the weather is sunny and there are no roadworks, no caravan sites and no motorbike events nearby".

Might be a nice way to introduce a new business model from a gadget that's currently a one off payment and then end of customer relationship until upgrade time (unless its a built in jobby then you can't upgrade the gadget, just the information).

Idea: Intelligent Microwave Oven

2007-10-12T04:03:00.000-07:00

So how about this...

You buy food with a bar code on it, uniquely identifying it (almost anyway).

A microwave that can scan the bar code, pop the food in the microwave and know how to cook your food perfectly (gaps and all).

A internet connection than keeps the microwave informed of what bar code means what.

True enough, this isn't a big problem if you can read and know what rating your microwave is, but we're all lazy at heart (otherwise why have a microwave) so people might actually pay for it?

WDYT?

First Post

2006-04-24T14:05:00.000-07:00

Hello

This is my first blog post.

Goodbye