A Dumb Idea Everyday

An air freshener with an input that detects foul odors. When a foul odor is detected, the air freshener releases more perfume.

Campaigns should have an online portal where constituents can make proposals, other constituents can edit the proposal or support it 'as written'.  Users would also be able to submit their own ideas for slogans and logos.

A smartphone that's able to be docked at a workstation (two monitors, full keyboard, mouse, and office style phone with headset).  It will keep all of your work information on one physical space- backed up online- but a more convenient size than a surface/chromebook. Hotdesking is going to become more popular in the future, even though employers should not use it as an excuse to reduce the employees home station.

Workplaces need a calendar function for work functions that allows employees to choose available, tentative, or unavailable so they're able to let the company know if they're able to accomplish those specific offsite duties.  If the employees keep their availability up to date, it would make scheduling multi-worker events easier.

Cities should install pylons in the bike lane that detect oncoming bikes and automatically start the crosswalk signal. Bikes can choose to go through the pylons or not depending on their route of travel.

A CRM specifically built for law firms so attorneys can manage which people have atty/client relationships.  It would have a built in conflict checker and a la carte services menu that automatically creates a scope of relationship agreement.

States should create a lottery, where homeowners can pay $1 more on their state taxes to be put into a pool of money.  The winner gets a home renovation that upgrades to code (including amnesty for any work done without a permit) and energy efficiency.  New windows, energy efficient furnace, etc. The program would strengthen the state's housing stock, make living spaces safer, and reduce wasted energy.

Airports should put in vending machines that can print shirts on demand or dispense popular designs in the preferred color.

A workplace security software system that works like an airport check in station.  If a guest wants to visit the 22nd floor, they're required to get a customized QR code from the meeting host.  This could be connected to Outlook.  The QR reader would be affixed to the security stations at the base of the elevator banks, as we're seeing them pop up in skyscrapers and apartment buildings downtown. There could be a self check in option at a kiosk such as the flight check in system. This would increase building security and decrease dependency on availability of security guards.

An event planning website that helps professional groups organize their members. The website would make it easy to print new name badges on the spot. The website would offer recorded classes Right now organizations use excel sheets to keep track of their members but have a hard time getting the membership lists to their sponsors.  An organized website would create seamless access.

A personal calendaring system.  It would remind  you to text someone for their birthday, anniversaries, and just "you haven't texted or called your mom in 2 months" reminders.

There should be a camera add-in on phones that allows you to put a little map icon that shows where you are and what direction the camera lens is facing as you film.  If you were looking at online videos of tourist attractions, it would help you decide what to visit.  If it was on vehicle dashcams, it would help recreate how a crash happened. Viewing old videos would help you remember where the video was taken, with more context.  In general, it would add another layer of data to the film that would enhance it's usefulness.

Marriages should start with an equal distribution of assets.  It should be part of getting married to actually square away how much each person will own when the marriage is complete.  Then every year after that, the income between the two should be added together and divided by two.  Both parties are responsible to pay their half of the expense through the entire marriage. This would make divorces much cleaner. This would help equalize the gender pay gap.

We should create a universal .job file.  The file type would actually just be comma separated values in a spreadsheet, but we should agree to a universal order that the questions are asked.   For example First Name Middle Name Last name Highest level of school achieved (None, High school, under grad, etc) Current address 1 Current address 2 Current address City Current address State Current address Zip Current address Country Age  Ability to work in USA Will you require sponsorship to work in the USA? Are you currently employed Most recent employer Most recent job title Most recent job start date Most recent end date, if not, select currently employed.  etc We could find through current applications available online which data is often listed at the top of the priority.  There would have to be some committee for the questions at the way bottom.   The main purpose of the .job file is to be able to input your data wi...

Every high school should have a coding class where kids learn how to program a computer. Additionally, web design.  The class should have open hours where old people can pay a set fee to have a kid built their website.  The money should go right back into funding the class to keep modern equipment and licenses.  The kids should also help the local government bring more of their services online. It's not just the computer knowledge, the kids would get a lot out of learning how to deal with customers that don't know what they're talking about. Then funnel the best students through a programmer bootcamp before they graduate, which includes lessons on how to set up your own consulting business. This would help small to middle size cities retain some young talent.

Someone beat me to it edition: This was an old idea of mine to have an entirely robotic fast casual restaurant where patrons could see their customized bowl being made by robotic arms. https://www.spyce.com/ Chipotle should expand with express locations that have this capability.  Not every location and not all employees have to be robotic but this would improve the efficiency. There will even be robotic arms in fancy restaurants to reduce the turnaround time on food.  This is going to be a huge area of growth for robotics.

Chipotle needs to make their own hot sauce. Especially in to-go packets.  Tobasco was a good hot sauce when there were few alternatives.  Hot sauce recipes have matured and there are significantly better, less vinegar forward flavors on the market. They should literally copy Taco Bell's sauce success.

A cooperative book writing system where several people can write a book together.  There are many people with different skills who would like to write a book but never get the time or motivation to finish writing the entire book. The system, a password protected website would allow people to work on the book by constructing it from the basic elements.  Writers with a keen sense for big picture would plot the major plot points and character arcs.  Once the ending is vaguely finished, you put easter eggs and foreshadowing through the earlier chapters.  For differences of opinion, they vote on the direction of the story. Then the conversationalist writers, if different from above, will fill in the dialogue to get the characters through the story.  Perhaps a creative person could speak into a dictaphone if a transcriptionist type would enjoy putting it into writing. Then someone to make sure the story makes sense, there is no plagiarism, and editors to chec...

A group travel site that allow friends to pool resources to book charter flights/ or tickets on the same flight, bus rides to/from the airport, etc. Each traveler will set their open dates, their preferred dates, and their absolutely cannot make these dates work, then the organizer will be tasked with choosing the final dates when they find airline prices, etc. The website would let each individual vote on the activities of the day or abdicate their vote to their partner or another person.  Not all events have to include every person, the travelers may be able to choose from several activities and the groups that want to do them.  Particularly dinner, some picky eaters may want to stick together while the adventurous eaters are free to try more daring dishes. The website will find hotels with block rates for large groups, etc.

Create a data mining company that is upfront about selling your data to corporations. You get free netflix and sample items from companies. You agree that, although anonymized (big issue), your data is given to companies to help them study consumption patterns. You can even earn points by filling out information. You're a 24 year old, professional, african american, male, who makes $430k/yr in the banking industry and live in a $1,500/mo apartment with a 60lb dog, and a 70s muscle car.  Your gps says you visit the donut shop every saturday and the gym every weeknight.  Etc, so now there are coffee shops sending you advertisements for saturday after the donut stop and gym clothing companies sending you deals on workout clothes. Even boring stuff like life insurance and car detailers. You can see everyone that has access to your data. I don't like data mining but making it transparent might help.

A review site for restaurants that focuses on finding "The Best ______." The user must prove their purchase by taking a photo of the restaurant and food.  The site will focus on quality of reviews, not quantity. The first reviews for the item is gray until you've eaten the same item at two other establishments.  Your review ranks the different locations and your review is weighted by how many of that item you have eaten.  It won't be too specific, but it will create a curated list of "the best" items. For example, Jucy Lucy burgers: Matt's  58 Blue Door Nook Shamrock Hell's Kitchen Red Cow Mercury Dining Room  Twinburger The Depot Tavern Moe's The user's reviews for any one jucy lucy wouldn't unlock until the third one.  The user will get their current list of jucy lucy ratings and have to pick where their newest one fits in.  The weight of the best jucy lucy will go up with every other review so Matt's getting...

A shopping app where users can swipe one way if they like the item and the other if they don't. It turns the shopping experience into a game.  The items are categorized so items similar to the likes keep showing up and the dislikes disappear.  The person can swipe up to purchase an item.

A house buying website from the buyers perspective that allows people to comment and a new process to buy where up to 10 people can join the process to buy. If they get chosen, done. If they waive, they lose their earnest money. 

Hotels should copy the airline check-in feature.  Rooms should have a QR code scanner so you can hold your phone up to the scanner to get in.  If you don't want to use your phone, you can print a room key at home on your printer or you can use a kiosk like they have at the airport to print on in the lobby of the hotel. A guest could go curb to bed without stopping to check in or out. These would be available 24/7 and the kiosk would push upsells on available rooms so it would increase revenue for the hotel (for example, checking in late during the slow season, the hotel could upgrade the guest for a nominal fee). This doesn't need to replace humans, they can still be at the desk for guests that insist a human does it for them.  The desk attendant will just have a kiosk behind the desk and do the same thing as the guest could do on their own, but with a personal touch. The kiosk could also have tourist information, which businesses would buy advertising space.  P...

Someone beat me to it edition: https://www.crowdcow.com/ Have you ever bought "half a pig or a quarter of a cow?"  It's almost a question you can ask to test a new acquaintance on their background.  In the country, this is a really common thing.  Usually two families will go into together to buy a live cow, they have it delivered to the butcher and then split the meat down the middle. Each family pays half the costs. My idea was to get many more farms involved in all areas and then work through local butchers so that people could sign up to get fresh, never frozen meat. Then you'd be able to handle the money and you don't need to know another person and you're not stuck to another family's deadlines.  Shoppers could choose "no unneccessary antibiotics"  "Cruelty free farm"  "Grass fed" etc. Restaurants could source directly without a contract.  There could be several different apportionment options as long as 100% of ...

Uber/Lyft need a selector that allows you to ask if the driver is okay with a dog in the car.  The results filter down the available drivers willing to let you bring a dog.  Further, it would be nice if they could deliver the dog from A to B and let them into the house using a feature like amazon key.

A laptop carrying case that has a space for a phone and charging cables that complies with airport security guidelines

High schools should have outdoor summer courses that include advanced physical education, botany and other outdoor suited sciences, and team building exercises.  

A projector with a camera installed so that a presenter can give a live presentation to an audience or class and simultaneously stream that presentation over the internet to a live online audience.  This would work really well for work or schools.  An onboard harddrive or connection to a google drive could save the video with the audio/visual and slides individually or connected so anyone accessing the course on demand could also view the presenter's actions on the slide in live action. This would work really well for developing an online high school curricula from teachers so teachers around the state could work together to build a really good standard for teaching the course.

Start an internet contract brokerage where the "broker" handles all the contract negotiations, including the speed and price for all their members, contests incorrect billings, and doesn't let their promotional price lapse.  The representative will get everyone's billing contract onto the same date and then negotiate when the contract comes up for renewal.  The leverage will let them get better deals, and they can threaten to leave the company.  The salesperson will be likely to cave under the pressure of losing 100 accounts at one time. The brokerage would also recommend dropping unnecessary services or explaining how to get those services cheaper and easier from third party providers, such as leaving aol, using a home line via google voice, home security via blink, and buy your own modem off amazon.  The brokerage could take the slower modems back and sell them to slow package customers if the high end customers buy a really fast modem for fast internet packages...

Someone beat me to it edition - reelgood.com An app or website where you can list all of the places where you can get media content online, cable, or over the air. The app connects to the accounts to get live updates on content. The media app (MA) categorizes the content such as action, stand up comedy, Christmas classics, etc.  MA uses rotten tomatoes or other critical reviews to display the best content on top.  Once you start rating shows, it starts suggesting new programs for you. Also studies your viewing patterns. MA analyzes all your accounts to let you know which one gives you your favorite content and helps you decide if you should drop one. Once you've viewed a show, you can choose to hide them from future suggestions.  MA let's you tag a new movie when its released and when it comes to one of your services, it reminds you.  MA works with an OTA tuner to record content that you want to view or keep. It helps create a movie library...

An all automated bar, with self pouring beers, vending machines of cans, and the automated mixed drinks.  The money saved on bartending can be used to hire more bouncers and entertainers.