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"Don't worry" phone button

Reassure neurotic loved-ones
  (+3)
(+3)
  [vote for,
against]

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."

Fishrat, Sep 24 2003

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]

[link]






       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.   

       But that's morbid.
Matty, Sep 24 2003
  

       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.
phoenix, Sep 24 2003
  

       There's no way my battery is going withstand four minutes of Stairway to Heaven.
Fishrat, Sep 24 2003
  

       no news is good news..
po, Sep 24 2003
  

       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.
Dagwood, Sep 24 2003
  

       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.
Fishrat, Sep 25 2003
  

       Welcome to the bakery. (WTAGIPBAN).
krelnik, Sep 25 2003
  

       Awesome idea, [FR] enjoy the pastry +
Letsbuildafort, Sep 26 2003
  

       "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."   

       Can't be a button though, maybe a water sensor?
Worldgineer, Sep 26 2003
  

       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.
oxen crossing, Sep 26 2003
  

       I do not understand why, if you are in your car, you don't simply get a power adaptor for the cigarette lighter.
DrCurry, Sep 26 2003
  

       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.)
hippo, Sep 26 2003
  

       Perhaps a wireless I AM NOT/W DEAD device?
Worldgineer, Sep 26 2003
  

       Uh oh, I sense a "High power USB Cigarette Lighter Port" idea in our future.
krelnik, Sep 26 2003
  

       And a "Zero Power USB Ashtray Port".
FarmerJohn, Sep 26 2003
  

       [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?
Fishrat, Sep 27 2003
  

       hippo: well, in that case, why doesn't he simply email the good news of his non-demise to his girlfriend?
DrCurry, Sep 27 2003
  

       You don't know my girlfriend. She'd be too busy on budget-funeral.com to check her mail.
Fishrat, Sep 27 2003
  

       [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.
hippo, Sep 27 2003
  

       I need this! I need this bad-- for my MOTHER. You don't understand... she goes NUTS when my cell is dead!
futurebird, Dec 08 2003
  

       My mum once left a message on my phone asking me if I was dead.
Fishrat, Dec 08 2003
  

       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>   

       Now, if someone could just bake a universal connector that would do away with all those wires, I'd be a happy man.
Klaatu, Dec 09 2003
  

       I don't own a car.
futurebird, Dec 09 2003
  

       [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>
Klaatu, Dec 09 2003
  

       <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>
Fishrat, Dec 10 2003
  

       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!
dobtabulous, Dec 10 2003
  

       Oh, the things I've had to do to prove that I *really* love her...
Fishrat, Dec 10 2003
  

       [Fishrat]'s newbie idea - buns lost in crash. Would be nice to see this re-bunned to it's former glory.   

       Also, have a look at the 'good ideas from newbies' [link] - most of the buns are gone.. <sigh>
ConsulFlaminicus, Dec 16 2004
  
      
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