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The Importance Of The Wireless Doorbell
from the where-does-this-lead? dept
There's a short blurb over at Infoworld about a new wireless doorbell that actually hooks up your doorbell to a cellular phone system. This way, when the doorbell rings, it can alert your mobile phone -- and you can talk to whoever is at your door and even let them in remotely if you're not home. While at first, that might not sound all that special, it does demonstrate how wireless technology is going well beyond its original uses. Most people think of how mobile phones enabled them to do what they did before (talk on the phone), but do it while mobile. But what can often be more interesting is how such mobility allows for entirely new applications and services that simply couldn't exist before. That's not to say that the wireless doorbell is all that useful. In fact, I'm not sure there's really all that much demand for it. But, it's still encouraging to see people experimenting with allowing new types of products and services built on top of what the last generation of technology allows. For all the talk of how the mobile phone market was becoming saturated due to so many people owning phones, for those who view it as a starting platform for much more interesting offerings, it seems like there's plenty of potential.
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http://www.openmoko.org/
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Should have been done sooner
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Not so new technology
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Small steps but innovative...
but its a step in the right direction...
only problem is if I was in a building where anyone could buzz in remotly.... I'd be locking my doors extra tight...
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New?
I can log in and watch the door anytime, which is only slightly less boring than reality TV. It's supposed to be able to send an image to compatible cell phones, although I've never tried that.
Mine uses a land line to call, but there's a cellular version too.
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I like this idea...
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Re: I like this idea...
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Sorry I'm not home right now...
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wireless doorbell
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Wireless Doorbell
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Re: Small steps but innovative...
I was about to say exactly that. There's an old trick where if you want in an apt building or the building's parking lot or whatever with one of these, all you have to do is carry a portable touchtone dialer, ring a random number there, wait for them to answer and hit the redial button that's programmed to enter all the possible codes and presto, you're in...assuming you hold the dialer next to the mic/speaker thing.
I used to be a pizza delivery driver so this was common practice since some customers just can't figure out that when they have a pizza on the way they should also listen for them to buzz. Hell, some went to the freakin' grocery knowing we'd be there in less than 20 minutes...and that we were within 2 minutes of the grocery AND their house.
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Applying it the other way
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The elimination of keys
Introduction of an easy to install alternative to having a lock and key, which will allow you to control access to your home when you are not there, is an enormous leap forward for society. Sure, I can get one of the systems described in some of the comments above -- but at significant cost for installation and for the equipment. The innovation of a GSM door mechanism means that this is now an affordable alternative to a lock and key.
Another interesting element is that this lets you know when people have come to your house. Always wondered when your house cleaner really was arriving while you were at work? Now you know.
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Doorbells are obsolete
It's also better when picking up, or getting picked up - someone doesn't have to park or get out of the car.
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Re: Doorbells are obsolete
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the next big thing...
Point me the way to the patent office!
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Re: Doorbells are obsolete
So what do you do if they don't have a phone or you don't get cell service in their area? Leave and find a payphone, or maybe not on their door and ask to use their phone to call them?
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They are useful.
I've given her the button so if she has trouble in the night, she can push the button and ring the bell in my room.
This is the second time I've used this system this way. In five years of use, it has gone off *once* without the button.
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