As I often do, I was googling an idea I had today to see if anyone had had it before me and posted something on the Net about it. However, I just completely forgot what I was originally surfing for because I stumbled on a site called HalfBakery.com. It appears to be a site where people post ideas for products and businesses, and then other people can comment on them. There appear to be some serious ones on the site, but what really hooked me was the just plain crazy ideas people post.
Some of the funnier ones:
- Carrymehome.com: You
don’t want to drive and you don’t want to wait for a bus because then
you’d have to pay attention. Even walking to a taxi is too much effort.
Remember when you used to pretend you were asleep so your parents would
lift you from the car to your bed? In this most modern of all possible
worlds, why
should any adult have to forego that childish pleasure? … With
the premium service, you are wafted along on the hands of a half-dozen
basketball players (of either sex) dressed in flowing gowns. A bargain
version might involve being simply dragged by a large dock worker. 
Hullaballoon: A
personal airship both lofted and propelled, at a leisurely pace, by a
series of balloons tethered to a conveyor belt which moves along the
vertically-oriented perimeter of the longitudinal axis of the craft.
Each balloon inflates as it moves from the underside of the ship, up
around the prow, reaching
peak inflation above the center of the ship. The balloons then deflate
as they move around and down the backside.- Evil Laugh Activated Hand Dryer: Instead of a button or infrared sensor, people sometimes rub their hands together in the airstream,
activate this hand dryer by laughing evilly
Some of the better (seemingly real) ones:
- Panic PIN: In
addition to the regular PIN number, each bank card would have a
second PIN number that would indicate the user was in some sort of
distress (such as being forced to withdraw money at gunpoint). Use of
this alternate PIN would summon the police and perhaps put the ATM’s
camera in a higher resolution
and/or frame rate mode. - Cream Cheese Rings: Pre-packaged, preformed, cream cheese rings separated by thin plastic sheets. Just peel and toss on the bagel.
- Receipt Scanner: The
Receipt Scanner is a small upward standing USB device that would
receive receipts like a paper shredder, scan the receipt, and use
integrated OCR software that would read the receipt and enter the
appropriate information, including place of purchase, date, and total,
into the user’s primary finance
program (such as Quicken or MS Money).
If you’re the entrepreneurial type like me and you appreciate original ideas it’s worth taking a few minutes to check out this site, if only for a chuckle. The site reminds me of the Hamper and Trivet Catalog… I think it’s out of print now but it’s worth picking up if you see it.
