h a l f b a k e r yNot so much a thought experiment as a single neuron misfire.
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On long journeys, against all advice, I sometimes phone my girlfriend whilst driving. On occasion my battery runs low, the phone cuts out, and the human mind being what it is, my girlfriend jumps to the conclusion that I've been involved in a terrible motorway disaster.
On most phones, when they
run flat, there is still enough power stored for the alarm to go off next morning, so why not use this last drop of energy to power a button which, when pressed, will send a text message or signal to the last dialed number saying "don't worry, low battery, not dead."
Socket multiplier
http://www.ishopwiz.com/15/15-1317.html
"This Coleman Powermate socket multiplier you can plug in three 12-volt items at the same time." [Klaatu, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]
(?) The Sidewinder
http://windupradio.com/sidewinder/
Windup Cell Phone Charger with LED Light [Klaatu, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]
Halfbaskery history.
http://www.halfbake..._20By_20New_20Users
Fertile ground... [ConsulFlaminicus, Dec 16 2004]
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If you actually do crash, it could send a message that says "worry, dead" and play your preselected Fatal Car Collision song to the person on the other end. |
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Morbid but good. What happens if you crash after you press the "don't worry, low battery, not dead" button? I'd rather carry a spare battery or get a less neurotic girlfriend. |
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There's no way my battery is going withstand four minutes of Stairway to Heaven. |
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I'd like to have a button that tells the caller my battery's dead. It sounds much more official then just telling the the pest it's dead, or that you really don't want to talk to them any more. |
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I think my girlfriend would worry that [reensure]'s "battery dead" message was just a standard setting, and would need to hear the words "Fishrat's not dead" to ease her mind. Admittedly, if I had actually crashed, this would be misleading... but at that point I guess it would no longer be my problem. |
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Welcome to the bakery. (WTAGIPBAN). |
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Awesome idea, [FR] enjoy the pastry + |
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"Don't worry, Worldgineer has just become upset at the terrible reception and has flung his cell phone into the ocean. He's not dead." |
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Can't be a button though, maybe a water sensor? |
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Why not make it so any conversation not ended with the
"end" button gets a technical difficulties message? This
would work for loss of reception drop offs also. |
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I do not understand why, if you are in your car, you don't simply get a power adaptor for the cigarette lighter. |
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But this sort of neurotic girlfriend
scenario could so easily spiral out
of control. For example, the NG
could start to think that the
message should have read "don't
worry, low battery, not dead. luv
Fishrat" but that the message was
truncated by your untimely death
in a fireball of twisted
metal.
Pretty soon she'll need
text messages every five minutes
to be convinced of your
non-deadness and it's a short step
from that to needing a 24/7 live
NG/you satellite
videolink.
([DrCurry]
Because the cigarette lighter
socket is being used to power his
laptop on the passenger seat
which he's using his non-driving
hand to write emails on.) |
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Perhaps a wireless I AM NOT/W DEAD device? |
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Uh oh, I sense a "High power USB Cigarette Lighter Port" idea in our future. |
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And a "Zero Power USB Ashtray Port". |
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[hippo] Maybe some kind of "I'm not feeling neurotic right now" beacon eminating from my girlfriend on a regular (say five minutely) basis would work? |
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hippo: well, in that case, why doesn't he simply email the good news of his non-demise to his girlfriend? |
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You don't know my girlfriend. She'd be too busy on budget-funeral.com to check her mail. |
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[Fishrat] Mmmm, maybe -
depends how self-aware of her
own neuroticness she
is.
[DrCurry] Fair point -
possible even some Instant
Messaging app would do - with a
regularly updated icon depicting
how dead/alive you are. |
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I need this! I need this bad-- for my MOTHER. You don't
understand... she goes NUTS when my cell is dead! |
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My mum once left a message on my phone asking me if I was dead. |
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Sorry, but I have to be the lone 'bone here. [DrC] points out that a cigarette lighter adapter (CLA) is all that you need. I drive with my laptop plugged in, and 2 cell phones charging at all times. I have my GPS plugged into my USB port and my tape adapter running from my laptop to my stereo. All of this is powered by a 4-to-1 multiplier. <link> |
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Now, if someone could just bake a universal connector that would do away with all those wires, I'd be a happy man. |
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[fb] if you don't own a car and don't want to haul a lead-acid battery in your backpack, you might want to try this <link> |
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<aside> When I came up with this idea, I was driving a car without a cigarette lighter. I'd have loved a wind up powerpoint, as per klaatu's link. In UK cars, cigarette lighters are now called 'power points' especially to annoy smokers.</aside> |
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If you *really* loved her, then immediately your battery died you would find a safe place to pull over and knock on the door of the nearest establishment, explaining that it's an emergency, and ask if you can use their phone to reassure her! |
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Oh, the things I've had to do to prove that I *really* love her... |
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[Fishrat]'s newbie idea - buns lost in crash. Would be nice to see this re-bunned to it's former glory. |
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Also, have a look at the
'good ideas from newbies' [link] - most of the buns are gone.. <sigh> |
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