Clearly a lot of excitement about this one, but I can't get past the constant radiation to the head. The health science has been slow to catch up with cell phones and WiFi, but it's coming. (Love, Debbie Downer)
Gosh, so many comments on what initially appears to be a deceptively simple idea. Making the Pillow a “Bluetooth” device or a WIFI device is cool, but now you have to plug it in to charge it or power it and having a low voltage power cable coming out of the pillow into wall when I fall asleep does not strike me as cool, but more of a possible fire hazard.
I prefer the idea of directly plugging my phone into the pillow and using the it as an extension of the phone. Functionality wise it must have : 1) Speakers. 2) Microphone. 3) One or more Led indicators to me let me know of incoming messages from different sources such as voice mail or recently received tweets. 4) Vibrating Device if the phone could not be suitably located so I would feel it.
It would be a given that the device coupled with the phone could convert text to speech and would accept voice commands. The placement of the indicator LEDs could be along the edges of the pillow to be out of the way. The speakers and microphone ideally are located in the pillow, but think sleeping may be adversely affected due to the hard small lumps in the pillow. A simpler solution could be foldable soft stalks (think silly straws)that originate along the top edge of the pillow. The stalks could be easily positioned where needed and pushed out of the way when time for sleep.
The major downside of a non Bluetooth and WIFI design is the pillow would be dependent of the phone connector of the phone, but even if the pillow worked only on the IPhone, it seems like that is a very large market. I think the overall idea has merit and look forward to what happens next. I’m new here and hope I did not offend anyone.
Mobile marketing on other devices from book readers to others. still think that meeting the needs of social networks along with this advertising opportunity might allow you to bring down the cost for sponsorship/advertising revenue?
could do simple social networking pillow cases as lowest common denominator?
if we can find a way to leverage the social networking enthusiasm into the product it would be easier to sell on those networks which is where we are attempting to generate quirky interest for the eCom.
By the way, thank you all for your efforts and energy into fretting out this product.
At first I wasn't sold on this idea, but the more I thought about it, the more I could imagine its potential. I am guilty of having my phone in bed with me at night, and as my job required me to respond to emergency calls, it would often end up falling off the bed.
The idea that I suggest for the pillow design is simple. With a printed graphic of a zipper pocket holding "an image" of a phone or other device. Without any specific name brand or product association printed on the pillow, the pillow now becomes an universal product that does not have any restrictions or need for licensing Brand Names. The pillow itself holds the phone inside so the user does not have to identify the pillow to any brand name.
There are buttons on the printed graphic of the phone that illuminates the type of communication via phone, email, text. or whatever. There is a small speaker that allows the vocal to transmit out from the pillow.
I admit I'm not technical...I can't even upload the image I have created...so Blaine I'll send you an email with my email address and I'll send you the graphic. Once you see it you'll understand why I called it "ZIP-IT"
If you could get this to work and sell for a reasonable price, I think you'd have a winner. Unfortunately, I have doubts as to being able to reach either of those targets.
As Paul Selby pointed out, the base Chumby, which is $100 for a bit and then will be $120, has some but not all of the functionality that you mention. To take everything you mention and fit it into a sub-$100 device (which seems like the price point you'd need to meet) seems almost impossible. The software alone would be substantial, and the electronics would be equally significant as a task.
For me, if I could choose between a Chumby, which I could look at anytime I wanted, or a pillow packed with electronics that I'd lay (somewhat uncomfortably) on and then have to sit up to look at, I'd pick the Chumby, hands down. It already exists, it's already cool, and it already does all I'd need to keep track of social networks.
However... you could redesign the product to be nothing other than a bed-appropriate speaker and microphone - something one could put a pillowcase or something similar over - which would go against the headboard, and you might have something. No software, no Bluetooth, just a speaker, a microphone, some cord leading to a standard headphone jack, and a low-voltage amp and standard wall-wart adapter, and you'd have something people could use to talk as they were falling asleep. That could be made for well under $50.
But once you start talking about anything with software or significant electronics involved, you exceed the development budget and reasonable target selling price. And this idea would require substantial software development and a reasonable amount of hardware development... and you'd need to make it comfortable to sleep on - something a lot of pillow makers haven't been able to figure out.
As it stands, I can buy a Chumby for $100 for social network updates, and use my iPhone headphones as I fall asleep - on my own comfy pillow - to talk to someone. If this can't be brought in well under $100, I'm not sure why anyone would buy one. I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but I also don't want to see an idea "win" but then spend an eternity waiting for 1000+ people to pre-buy at a $200 price to compete with existing $100-$120 solutions. I'd rather see the idea as something easily built and sold at a much lower cost.
Comments
I like this but it seems to make it work well it would have to be so expensive that it would not be worth it.
Cell phones, but not headphones
Clearly a lot of excitement about this one, but I can't get past the constant radiation to the head. The health science has been slow to catch up with cell phones and WiFi, but it's coming. (Love, Debbie Downer)
Gosh, so many comments on what initially appears to be a deceptively simple idea. Making the Pillow a “Bluetooth” device or a WIFI device is cool, but now you have to plug it in to charge it or power it and having a low voltage power cable coming out of the pillow into wall when I fall asleep does not strike me as cool, but more of a possible fire hazard.
I prefer the idea of directly plugging my phone into the pillow and using the it as an extension of the phone. Functionality wise it must have : 1) Speakers. 2) Microphone. 3) One or more Led indicators to me let me know of incoming messages from different sources such as voice mail or recently received tweets. 4) Vibrating Device if the phone could not be suitably located so I would feel it.
It would be a given that the device coupled with the phone could convert text to speech and would accept voice commands. The placement of the indicator LEDs could be along the edges of the pillow to be out of the way. The speakers and microphone ideally are located in the pillow, but think sleeping may be adversely affected due to the hard small lumps in the pillow. A simpler solution could be foldable soft stalks (think silly straws)that originate along the top edge of the pillow. The stalks could be easily positioned where needed and pushed out of the way when time for sleep.
The major downside of a non Bluetooth and WIFI design is the pillow would be dependent of the phone connector of the phone, but even if the pillow worked only on the IPhone, it seems like that is a very large market. I think the overall idea has merit and look forward to what happens next. I’m new here and hope I did not offend anyone.
awesome comments.
Mobile marketing on other devices from book readers to others. still think that meeting the needs of social networks along with this advertising opportunity might allow you to bring down the cost for sponsorship/advertising revenue?
http://adage.com/article?article_id=140746
could do simple social networking pillow cases as lowest common denominator?
if we can find a way to leverage the social networking enthusiasm into the product it would be easier to sell on those networks which is where we are attempting to generate quirky interest for the eCom.
By the way, thank you all for your efforts and energy into fretting out this product.
cheers, Blaine
Awesome thank you orthoblaino@gmail.com
At first I wasn't sold on this idea, but the more I thought about it, the more I could imagine its potential. I am guilty of having my phone in bed with me at night, and as my job required me to respond to emergency calls, it would often end up falling off the bed.
The idea that I suggest for the pillow design is simple. With a printed graphic of a zipper pocket holding "an image" of a phone or other device. Without any specific name brand or product association printed on the pillow, the pillow now becomes an universal product that does not have any restrictions or need for licensing Brand Names. The pillow itself holds the phone inside so the user does not have to identify the pillow to any brand name.
There are buttons on the printed graphic of the phone that illuminates the type of communication via phone, email, text. or whatever. There is a small speaker that allows the vocal to transmit out from the pillow.
I admit I'm not technical...I can't even upload the image I have created...so Blaine I'll send you an email with my email address and I'll send you the graphic. Once you see it you'll understand why I called it "ZIP-IT"
If you could get this to work and sell for a reasonable price, I think you'd have a winner. Unfortunately, I have doubts as to being able to reach either of those targets.
As Paul Selby pointed out, the base Chumby, which is $100 for a bit and then will be $120, has some but not all of the functionality that you mention. To take everything you mention and fit it into a sub-$100 device (which seems like the price point you'd need to meet) seems almost impossible. The software alone would be substantial, and the electronics would be equally significant as a task.
For me, if I could choose between a Chumby, which I could look at anytime I wanted, or a pillow packed with electronics that I'd lay (somewhat uncomfortably) on and then have to sit up to look at, I'd pick the Chumby, hands down. It already exists, it's already cool, and it already does all I'd need to keep track of social networks.
However... you could redesign the product to be nothing other than a bed-appropriate speaker and microphone - something one could put a pillowcase or something similar over - which would go against the headboard, and you might have something. No software, no Bluetooth, just a speaker, a microphone, some cord leading to a standard headphone jack, and a low-voltage amp and standard wall-wart adapter, and you'd have something people could use to talk as they were falling asleep. That could be made for well under $50.
But once you start talking about anything with software or significant electronics involved, you exceed the development budget and reasonable target selling price. And this idea would require substantial software development and a reasonable amount of hardware development... and you'd need to make it comfortable to sleep on - something a lot of pillow makers haven't been able to figure out.
As it stands, I can buy a Chumby for $100 for social network updates, and use my iPhone headphones as I fall asleep - on my own comfy pillow - to talk to someone. If this can't be brought in well under $100, I'm not sure why anyone would buy one. I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, but I also don't want to see an idea "win" but then spend an eternity waiting for 1000+ people to pre-buy at a $200 price to compete with existing $100-$120 solutions. I'd rather see the idea as something easily built and sold at a much lower cost.
Joe that is awesome. i think that fits with where i am at, at the moment.
simple lounge pillow with internet and social network icons on it as patches or badges splattered about.
Then with a phone doc on the arm rest allowing it to power the speakers in the head rest to be like headphones.
And go for 45$ or so?
cheers, thanks for your ideas! Blaine
Still like the social icon backpack idea from above. people could just look on your backpack and sign on to your twitter.
Viewing: 1-10 of 129
Show All