I went to One Spark yesterday.   Saw a lot of interesting business ideas, startups and concepts.   I also saw the inside of some of the buildings downtown that are in the process of renovation, and are being used as venues. 

 

I would encourage everyone to go down there.  It costs nothing.   The Skyway is free during One Spark.   I parked at the Convention Center and took the Skyway to Hemming Plaza and started there. 

 

Some of the interesting business ideas I saw: 

 

A postage stamp sized homing device that attaches to anything and allows your smart phone to find it if it is lost.  So, for example, attach it to your car keys, and if you lose your car keys, your smart phone can find your car keys. 

An online service that posts restaurant special deals in real time.  So, for example, if a local restaurant has a bunch of empty tables, they post a special, for example, "buy one entree get one free good for the next 2 hours."

A new kind of putter handle. 

Fishing carts.

Online wine selection guide that will suggest the right wine for your particular taste (via Q&A) and ships it to you. 

Singers, music groups, etc. that need startup funding to get their careers going. 

 

You go down there and vote for your favorite ideas.   The top vote getters split about 3.5 million in startup money. 

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I went to One Spark yesterday.   Saw a lot of interesting business ideas, startups and concepts.   I also saw the inside of some of the buildings downtown that are in the process of renovation, and are being used as venues. 

 

I would encourage everyone to go down there.  It costs nothing.   The Skyway is free during One Spark.   I parked at the Convention Center and took the Skyway to Hemming Plaza and started there. 

 

Some of the interesting business ideas I saw: 

 

A postage stamp sized homing device that attaches to anything and allows your smart phone to find it if it is lost.  So, for example, attach it to your car keys, and if you lose your car keys, your smart phone can find your car keys. 

An online service that posts restaurant special deals in real time.  So, for example, if a local restaurant has a bunch of empty tables, they post a special, for example, "buy one entree get one free good for the next 2 hours."

A new kind of putter handle. 

Fishing carts.

Online wine selection guide that will suggest the right wine for your particular taste (via Q&A) and ships it to you. 

Singers, music groups, etc. that need startup funding to get their careers going. 

 

You go down there and vote for your favorite ideas.   The top vote getters split about 3.5 million in startup money. 

 

I'm pretty sure I've seen something like that for the phone idea.  Maybe not quite like that, but most people can use that.  

 

One Spark is a great idea.  I tried to volunteer for it this year, but was sick last week and apparently I need a training class.

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A postage stamp sized homing device that attaches to anything and allows your smart phone to find it if it is lost.  So, for example, attach it to your car keys, and if you lose your car keys, your smart phone can find your car keys. 

 

A great idea fraught with privacy issues.

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A great idea fraught with privacy issues.

Everything is a privacy issue in todays society.  My tv is a possible privacy issue....its the world we live in.

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Everything is a privacy issue in todays society.  My tv is a possible privacy issue....its the world we live in.

Of course. But I can see this particular one having much greater consequences than a Smart TV with a microphone in it. Not a lot people know how to gain access to that microphone but any idiot can slap a postage stamp on something or someone they want to track.

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Of course. But I can see this particular one having much greater consequences than a Smart TV with a microphone in it. Not a lot people know how to gain access to that microphone but any idiot can slap a postage stamp on something or someone they want to track.

Yeah...that's the first thing I thought of too! This was probably created by a stalker!!

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What in the Wide Wide World of Sports is agoin' on here???

Yeah...that's the first thing I thought of too! This was probably created by a stalker!!

Would you mind moving into the Living Room? My telescope can't see into the bedroom you're in now.

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I'm trying to make myself more informed and less opinionated.

Stop saying whatever stupid thing you're talking about and pay attention to all the interesting things I have to say!

Of course. But I can see this particular one having much greater consequences than a Smart TV with a microphone in it. Not a lot people know how to gain access to that microphone but any idiot can slap a postage stamp on something or someone they want to track.

As the father of a teenage daughter, I'm pretty much tracking my kid everywhere she goes using her phone.  Her privacy isn't my concern. 

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Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

As the father of a teenage daughter, I'm pretty much tracking my kid everywhere she goes using her phone.  Her privacy isn't my concern. 

Not the point. Anything that can be used by someone who means well can also be used by someone who doesn't mean well.

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Not the point. Anything that can be used by someone who means well can also be used by someone who doesn't mean well.

Understood, but if you own a smart phone or any electronic device that has any sort of GPS capability or internet access, that device can be used by someone who doesn't mean well.  I'm not going to put on a tinfoil hat and hide in the hills to avoid the technology. 

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Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

A great idea fraught with privacy issues.

 

Okay, I don't think it would track beyond 50 feet or so.   We're not talking about CIA type stuff here, it's just for finding lost things like car keys.   The closer you get, the faster your cell phone beeps.   So if you get beyond a certain distance, it probably won't beep at all.  

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