Idea-Mill.net

12V powered auto sub-woofer

I spent a long time at Circuit City yesterday waiting for a car stereo to be installed in my fiancee's car. Part of the challenge was that the factory speakers were too small to deliver any low end, so I needed to add a subwoofer to round out the sound. I'm not talking about one of those dual-cone carpeted enclosure pimp-my-ride specials that needs to be powerered by twin 1200-watt amps. I got her a little enclosed tube by a company called Bazooka that has its own built-in amp and thumps out a gentle 50 watts.

But installation of my little thumper and the bigass Kicker is exactly the same. Both need the same wiring kit that connects them directly to the battery and a special subwoofer cable designed to handle low frequencies at high volume. The installation is designed to hold up for the big speaker, and is grossly over-engineered for the little one.

When we went around to the back of the car to see where they'd install it, I spied the 12V power outlet right next to where we were placing the speaker.

"Doesn't anyone make a power adapter kit that plugs right into the 12V outlet instead of having to run heavy cables the entire length of the car?" I asked.

"Nope. You can't get the power you need for big sub-woofers out of the 12V," the tech told me.

"But I don't need that kind of power. Couldn't this outlet power my little subwoofer?"

He wasn't sure, but thought that it probably could. Which still leaves the problem of running a speaker wire to the back, but that's a lot easier (and less costly) than the power kit.

My situation is not unique, I think. Many many cars have the combination of:

1. inadequate factory speakers
2. 12V outlet in the hatch/trunk/back
3. owners who appreciate audio but aren't quite able to be classified as 'enthusiasts,' meaning they will endure some expense and inconvenience to improve their experience, but not much

The Bazooka product that I bought is the only one aimed at this lower end of the market, but even this speaker overshoots many targets, I think. The goal is to find a balance between improved car audio quality and convenience/expense.

A powered 30-50 watt enclosed subwoofer tube (would have to be powered because cars with poor factory speakers usually have underpowered head units as well; but a little bass goes a long way towards improving the sound quality), able to be powered by the 12V outlet (saving the expense/intimidation/install time of the direct-to-battery kit overdesigned for 1200-watt systems), and requiring only a speaker connection were on the market for $100-$150 (including installation), I think it would be seen as a viable alternative to a full system upgrade AND create a whole new market of people not willing to pursue a full upgrade, but not fully satisfied with their current system.

And if auto makers were able to spot and support this trend, that would be advantageous to them. Just as many now include iPod compatibility (ranging from full integration where playlists can be viewed on the head unit and navigation is done through the steering wheel, down to a simple auxiliary jack the iPod plugs into) and Satellite-radio ready functionality, they could also offer 'Audio Upgrade Ready' packages, which would simply entail running a speaker wire to the back where the sub would go, and having a 12V adapter nearby as well, and then adding the product (whoever makes it) to their list of dealer-available upgrades.

Shopping List Generator

From any grocery store's standpoint, I'm a mediocre customer. When I go to the store, I usually have a list in-hand that I scribbled out just before leaving the house. Invariably, 80% of the list never changes, with the remaining 20% added for a particular meal we're aiming for based on a recipe my fiancee saw on the Food Network, or revolving around some of the gourmet frozen meats my father sends us every holiday season.

I'm poor at improvising in groceries so I don't deviate from my list, and also invariably forget something, leaving me to pick it up at the corner deli or even a 7-Eleven. So as far as Safeway is concerned, I'm leaving money on the table - money that they would be happy to have, and also that I would be happy to give them. Their prices are less and their convenience is greater, so if I can do all my shopping in one trip, I'm tickled. Find a way for me to add some variety to my meals or at least streamline the process and I'm locked in for life.

So here's the idea:
The Shopping List Generator

I'm thinking of it as a website but maybe it's a widget or a piece of software, but it has to be interactive and dynamic. On it are all the items I regularly buy, making it easy for me to generate my list every time I shop, or at least the 80% that are usually on it. Selecting or deselecting items is easy, so I can take eggs off my list if my inventory is good, or add extra bananas if I'm showing signs of potassium deficiency.

(Oh, and how does the list get populated in the first place? Maybe this is a way grocery stores can finally put to good use the data in their buyers' club programs. I swipe my Safeway card every trip - surely they could generate a list of my regular purchases pretty quickly.)

Then there's another tier of items I've bought previously, which maybe I'd like to add again. Maybe this will help me remember or recreate some of the recipes we've tried previously. So added to my convenience is some variety.

And then there's the collaborative filtering component, where suggestions are made to me based on what's on my list. Right now, every time I check out at Safeway the register spits out a couple of coupons for items related to my order. More often than not, they're on target and I'd like to buy them. But no way am I going back into the store and then waiting in line again. And no, I don't keep them for next time. I just don't, even though I'd like to. But if I got those targeted messages (based on the same shopping data) before I hit the store, I'm likely to at least add them to my list, and possibly to my basket.

We all know that the best possible scenario for a marketer is to reach a primed prospect with a perfect offer at precisely the right time, which is what I propose with the recommendations above. But what people often forget is that this is the best possible scenario for customers as well. I don't want to see a coupon for Progresso Pasta e Fagioli after I've checked out and forgotten to put it in my cart. That's like sending me a catalog full of striped socks (my favorites) with sale prices that expired yesterday. Save me money, save me time, enrich my life in small ways through variety and serendipity and I'll repay the favor with loyalty and greater wallet share.

But the idea doesn't end there. One of the reasons I have to hit the deli or 7-eleven is not just because I forgot to add something to my list, but I forgot to put it in my cart when I was in that section of the store, and I'm (convinced I'm) just too busy a man to back track. So wouldn't it be great if after my list of staples, past favorites and exciting new products is generated, I then select which store I'm going to (for example, Safeway on Old Georgetown Avenue in Bethesda) and the list is then organized for printing based on the layout of the store I'm going into?

I don't know how complicated this would be, but it seems to me that each store probably follows a similar layout for all their locations, or at the least a handful of layouts. And even if it is onerous, it's the kind of burden that someone should be shouldered by the retailers themselves as it's in their best interests all the way around.

So then add to this network interactivity, so my fiancee can also look over the list and add what she wants. And then modules, like the 'cocktails for 12' option which brings in hors d'ouvres suggestions for us to review and simply 'add-to-list' with a click. Or does the same for Thanksgiving Dinner or Impress your Boss or Camping Vacation (please select how many days you will be living in the woods).

The possibilities for simplifying my life are endless. I've already demonstrated that I'm incapable of simplifying my life myself, however. So I put this idea out there in the hopes that someone will act on it.

Single-Use Washcloths

At the risk of being a cliche, I'll admit that this idea came to me in the shower. Most of the gyms (my current one included) I've ever worked out in have those wall-mounted shower gel pumps in the shower stalls. But it's not really gel as much as a watery soap, less viscous even than shampoo. So to actually get clean you need to pump out one handful and apply. Again. And again. And again. I usually quit after one set of 12 reps. But I don't feel especially clean because I don't get a good lather and have no appreciable exfoliating. Either would be acceptable: visible lather would convince me psychologically that I'm clean; a good scrubbing would do the same empirically. But because there is neither, the shower is highly unsatisfying.

My dad used to carry handkerchiefs. Not pocket squares to add a splash of color to your suit jacket, but actual handkerchiefs to be used for blowing one's nose. The progressive world has now given us paper tissues. I'm told the diapers I wore as a baby were cloth. So were the dustrags I used as a boy to earn my allowance, and the napkins I set the family dinner table with.

You can make just about anything of paper nowadays, so why are there no paper single-use washcloths? I know there are baby-wipes repositioned as disposable washcloths, but that's not the same thing. When I'm showering at the gym, or in a hotel, I don't want to feel (and smell) like I have a medical condition. And the thought of using a washcloth that the last person who stayed in this room may have used is just icky to think about.

I'm talking about something that looks like a loofah (or maybe is a loofah, just a really small one that falls apart after one use), and gets me clean like a loofah. I want to feel the way I do when I get out of my shower at home, not like a leather car seat does after it's been detailed.

My guess is that making such a product is not the stumbling block. Adoption by a couple of key customer segments is the challenge. I've identified them as gyms and hotels, but maybe there are other applications. Why should these institutions adopt Single-Use Washcloths? Here are some thoughts:

• Service component: they create a more pleasurable experience
• Potential cost savings: may allow for reduced consumption of shower gel in gyms, and lower laundry expenses in hotels (though my guess is that the added cost of the product would offset any losses, and that this is the major obstacle towards manufacturing and adoption)
• Environmentally friendly: especially if they are recycled/recyclable, or even biodegradable (sometimes in marketing environmental green trumps even economic green).

So if anyone knows if these things exist already do let me know. At the very least, I'd buy a case or two myself to bring to throw in my gym bag or my dopp kit.

Airport Nail Salons

Last time we traveled together, my fiancee remarked that there should be nail salons in airports. Tons of reasons why:

- Travelers often have 10 minutes to kill
- They often want to look polished upon arrival
- A little pampering smooths out a bumpy trip
- Manicures cost about the same as a grande latte and a scone, and you can sleep afterwards

We brainstormed a bit and couldn't think of any reasons why they're not already there. The only thing we could conclude is that maybe the chemicals needed are tough to get a permit for in an airport. You know, because chemicals are liquids.

Anyway, after we talked about it I sent myself a text message to my email address (because this doesn't exist yet), which I dug out today to write up this entry. I started with a little research, and quickly concluded that this is the best idea of the lot so far:

Airport salon offers travelers fast manicure

So :10 Minute Manicure is in the Lexington, KY airport, and pondering plans to expand to Louisville, KY. There are a lot of airports left, and style points aren't awarded for originality.

Submitted by Bethesda Rookie.

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