Free project idea - TXT auto-responder for train lateness

I'm clearing off my list of cool computer projects to do. This was a good one, but I'm going to pass on it, so you can have this one for free.

TXT auto-responder for train lateness

Set up a Google Voice account with TXT message forwarding to connect to an email server you control. So when people send you a TXT message like "4336", it comes in as an email, and you can respond with something like "2 mins late, next stop West Trenton", which Google translates back to a TXT message. Data on train lateness is available at http://trainview.septa.org/. Data on train schedules is available at http://www2.septa.org/developer/.

A similar TXT responder service would cost a lot of money to set up using other options, and you would need to use their special interfaces. Google Voice lets you do this for free with an email interface.

Revenue opportunities: You now have data and contact information for people. You could use this to advertise happy hours at bars that are local to where people are. "Train is on time. When you get home, watch the game Mikey's Grill with $2 Coronas and 2-for-1 appetizers until 10pm"

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nontechnical: What is ERC-721?

Image
Read time: 6 minutes. This post explains how ERC-721 works and does not require any prior knowledge of Ethereum or blockchain. 简体中文 -->  http://www.sfgroup.hk/news_post/通俗易懂的告诉你什么是erc-721/  （奇点财经翻译） How does your phone connect to a web server? Most of your time on computers/phones/technology is spent with a web browser accessing a web page. Most of the screens you see out in the world that display information are usually using a web page to show it, but they just hide the URL bar. The flight arrivals screen -- it's just a web page Think for a minute about how this ubiquitous technology works. You.  You are very busy and you are trying to access some information, maybe cat videos or sports scores or your family members' feedback on a photo you posted of your kid.  Your phone , or whatever other device is in your hand, that acts on your behalf. The web server decides how it wants to reply to your request. Technology people, the ones that make your phone an
Read more

I Was Kidnapped in Manila and Lived to Tell About it

Image
Other potential titles: The US Embassy Doesn't Want You Know About This Kidnapping in Manila Scopolamine / Devil's Breath Trip Report It started Easter weekend This story starts at Noon Tuesday April 18th, 2017 on Makati Avenue. I just finished a meeting with the Philippines Board of Investments to discuss how my company can expand our business in Manila. (Also saw the QBO Innovation Hub , it was awesome.) I had plenty of time to kill and some emails to catch up on, so it's time for some brain food! I walked right to the hottest part of town, Makati Ave. and Jupiter Ave. , surely there will be something good to eat. And then suddenly, The Guy approaches me, I'm marked. Hey, I know you are you staying at the Jazz Residences? Jazz is about a 12 minute walk to here, and I did not walk towards Makati Ave. from that direction since I just came from the meeting. I'm always guarded with information and paying attention to stuff like that. There's abo
Read more

Grandmom bakes virus bread

I thought chain mail was a recent phenomenon. Meet friendship bread. Friendship bread is the email forward of yesteryear. First you receive the "friendship bread" from someone who "cares about you". This bread only lasts for 10 days and then goes bad. The idea is that you have to take this bread and work it into an ingredient in your own bread which takes 10 days to fully prepare. At the end, you have a yield of two times the original amount of bread. These bread spawn must be given to other "friends" who are now obligated to continue the forwarding, or else. If the chain is broken, the bread goes bad and nobody wins. EDIT: please see updates in Jehovas flying butter converting virus
Read more