Experiment writeup: BottleBuddy

Here's a quick writeup of a little side project which I've spent a small amount of time on over the past year.  It's an excellent case study in exploring something new and fun - and letting an idea go when the numbers don't add up: BottleBuddy!

Background:

 At a birthday party, I was telling a story and had to set my drink down to excitedly tell a story.  After the (no doubt uproarious) punchline, I looked back, dismayed to see that I'd set my beer down among others of identical brand, and similar level-of-consumption. Impossible to know which beer was mine, I realized there might be a market for a tool to identify different people's beers, similar to wine glass charms/tags for dinner parties.

Wine charms, from HowAboutOrange

I started out by designing a prototype, doing a bit of market research, and protecting the idea.  Here's the path I took, graphically, and then the steps I took, below.

The general path I was on during development.

Prototyping:

I drew up some early designs incorporating a feature that would both identify the beer, and provide a bottle opener function:

BottleBuddy, revision1

This was obviously too clunky, didn't offer much useful advertising space, and most importantly, would be very expensive to manufacture, due to mold sliders.  So on to revision 2:

BottleBuddy, revision 2 (adds a bit of branding space, injection moldable)

(I realized that I'd need a metal insert to provide strength for opening cans, as below.)

On to revision 3 to start to maximize the advertising space, and add a few features at minimal/no cost.  Extra advertising space, to lay against the vertical wall of the beer bottle, and act as a dust cover on top of the beer:

BottleBuddy, revision 3 adds a living hinge, and a dust-cap lid.

I made some prototypes along the way, first with a Dimension SST printer, and second with RedEye's awesome 2-material co-printing abilities (VeroWhite plus with a 40 Shore A Black soft overmold).

BottleBuddy, revision 3, prototype.

Researching:

I didn't see many competitors in the marketplace - this was a double-edged sword: either I was saving an industry in need of a solution, or there simply was no need for the tool in general.

The closest thing to a competitor.
They decided to charge a premium, rather than to give advertising space.

I conducted some internet research about how free promotional items / giveaways are brought to market, sold in batches and then distributed to users, called up a few people in this space and got their feedback.  While none had seen anything similar, they all questioned whether I could make it for a low enough cost - between 20 and 40 US cents a piece in large quantity.  

The ASI is the major trade group organizing these widget people.

I drew up a few images with actual branding to act as a testbed - this product is not affiliated with Leinenkugel brewing in any way. I wanted to test a very long, wide beer name, but one with a round logo (figuring I could put "Bud" in the same space fairly easily).

I solicited quotes from tooling manufacturers as well as final part manufacturers, and it looked like the cost of each part would only drop to about 50 cents each, before any silkscreening or shipping.  Yikes.

Click for full size image

I wasn't worried about the mold cost; I would amortize it myself (rather than having the molder put it into the per-piece cost.  Depending on the quality of mold, the grade of material, number of cavities, I found quotes between $2k and $10k.  I knew that I needed to be selling 10's of thousands of Bottle Buddies, and so I figured with any real margin, this tooling cost would be paid back.

Finally, I put up a small, simple website, just to see if people would come based off of google adwords, etc.  (Short answer, a few did.)  You can find the website here.

The small, simple website for tracking visitors / web interest.  BottleBuddy.me!

Patenting:

I thought up a few different usage cases, penned them down, and combined with some detailed drawings.  You can access my provisional patent filing here.

The provisional patent which I filed for BottleBudddy

A few images from it appear below, along with what is claimed. There are more images, as well as the use cases, etc., in the text of the application (above).

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-function bottle identifier tag for use with bottled beverages comprising a bottle opening device with a means of identifying the beverage from other beverages without the tag, via identifying marks on the device.
2. The identifier tag of claim 1, wherein the device has personal user identification marks, temporary, or permanent.
3. The identifier tag of claim 1, wherein the device has promotional or other commercial branding indications including trademark or copyrighted color, text, logo, tactile shape, or other unique marks.
4. The identifier tags of claim 2 or 3, wherein the device has an (or multiple) additional flexible protrusion(s) with the dual purpose of temporarily securing liquid from exiting the bottle, and more commonly, providing additional identifying features as mentioned.

Addendum: some tidbits from my notes

Why not add something else to object:
key ring
whistle
pen
knife
lighter
double use as pony tail holder?

Add a magnet under the lip to catch the beer bottle caps!


1. Offer personalized engraving as an extra cost
2. Include stickers with letters in the pack (a block of 26 letter stickers), so you can label it yourself
3. His & Hers Bottle Buddy pack (World's Best Dad, etc.)
4. Add a simple metal loop for a keychain attachment, so you always carry it on your keychain until you're at a party, then you remove it & put it on the bottle
5. Deluxe versions: a larger one that has brass knuckle loops, so it gives your beer bottle brass knuckles - call it the Chuck Norris Bottle Buddy - also the hand grenade Bottle Buddy with removable pin

Brainstorm #2
What else goes with drinking?
Smoking: Create a deluxe version that has a lighter on it.  Now you have your bottle opener and a fancy lighter to show off.
How about a rubber extension cap that you can wrap over the top of the beer that covers the top so if you leave your beer for a bit, it is fully covered & can't spill. (optional add on)

"If you like it, put a ring on it" --Beyonce

General diameter of bottle holder:
 Lip width: 1.06 - 1.12
 Min stretch: 1.1
 Max stretch: 1.4
 Bottom of neck: 1.48

Existing bottle openers:
 Magenta: Width: 0.480
 Shotgun: Width: 0.622
   (Shotgun tab: Width: 0.630, Thickness: 0.023")

Names:
  The Bottle Buddy
  Drink ID (DID)
  NeverLost
  SecureDrink
  BevFriend

Conclusion

In the end, I decided not to take the project forward, as it was simply not worth the time and effort for an industry-outsider.  Drop me a line, if you're interested to take BottleBuddy forward, I'm happy to let you!

Magnificent Matrimony

Just wanted to share the excellent news for any who hadn't heard:

Meagan and I got married!

On a beautifully sunny winter day in southern California, we gathered some close friends and our family members to celebrate - a reverent ceremony, followed by jubilant games, food, drink, and dancing!

We tried to tie in a bit of something from all of our recent travels, and we hope that all of our guests enjoyed each others' company.

I'm happy to share more details and media from the day, just drop me a line!

We were able to include the following awesome close friends who are also vendors in our special day; all are highly recommended!

A Moveable Feast - Kinetic Sculpture (pictured above)

Wise Guys Games

Super Tall Paul

Stacey Adams Photography

Wave Pendulum

A while back helped a friend, Dan Busby, in building a Wave Pendulum.  I posted a few pictures here, but never got around to posting any videos!  Here you can see Dan and some elementary kids geeking out on simple science!

(Here, our wave pendulum is part of the STEAM Carnival by Two Bit Circus!)

Also, here's a self-made video in a back alley of the wave pendulum, un-cut.

Mild introduction to a new chapter of life

Last week I was able to complete the last item on my Los Angeles bucket list - something I'd been meaning to make time for, for the past few years: visit the Getty Villa.  Not to be confused with the main Getty Center, the Getty Villa requires (free) ticket reservations and is located 5 miles north on Highway 1 from Santa Monica.

I learned that heavy Greek and Roman architecture, sculpture, and overall artifacts are not my favorite styles.  That said, I'm glad that Getty took on the project of tying together his modern design approach and incorporating his historical interests; it makes for an interesting experience.  Many more geometric designs than I anticipated, and which I associate more with Arabian design; I loved the inlaid stone floors!

With my Los Angeles bucket list completed for the time being (items can always be added!), I packed a few bags (more than I should have) and walked out my front door, hopped a train, bus, and then a plane.

I embarked a journey that will take me to fjords in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, tropical beaches, markets of the last thousand years, and more.

Utilizing planes, trains, ferries, automobiles, bicycles, and, of course, my Talaria (shown here) I charge forth!

Much like this little child / kuros, I press onward in my journey of life, trying to interpret the world through the eyes of someone more wise, and learn along the way!

My first stop takes me across the International Date Line to Auckland, NZ, where my host neighborhood offers a wonderfully sporty method of controlling automobile speeds: two-way working chicanes instead of speed bumps/humps.

The photo below is taken looking straight down the street, and note the angle of the van exiting the chicane; clearly a poor execution that focused on the optimal trajectory for the first turn, ignoring the second turn and making impossible a more preferable exit from the obstacle.

Tsk, tsk, van driver.  Slow down earlier, line up optimally for your final turn, and accelerate into the straightaway.

There's also a super-awesome, hand-spinnable kinetic sculpture in town that plays with light and wind nicely:

Nicely polished welds on unpolished, raw stainless steel (?) left the piece with a beautiful raw-yet-refined finish.

Pasadena Gets A Spark!

Just wrote a quick blog post about 

the startup ecosystem 

in Pasadena, check it out!

Click here!

Stephen Hawking's public lecture at Caltech

... in which I freely admit that I only partially understood some of the topics which he discussed, but don't yet admit that his institution (which grew out of Oxford) is any more superior than my future institution.  :-)  Also, apologies for the poor grammar, sentence, and paragraph structure.

Overall, I loved the lecture.  It was accessible to someone who had only read "A Brief History of Time" but also engaging enough for the host professors to comment on new theories in the field.  Loved it.  Professor Hawking also has an awesome sense of humor.

Info: Hosted by Caltech

Notes:
Prof Hawking started with a rundown throughout the past few thousand years of humans' understanding of our role in the universe, starting with a tribal group (can't remember where) that believed a typical myth with a main god, who invented the sun, creatures, and stars.  Skipping along, he discussed Aristotle, and then Kant, who held that there are possible universes that exist in space independent of time.  Einstein came along and showed that there is a link between space and time.  Yay.

He discussed that time outside of the universe as we know it is undefined.  It's not that there is no time, or that time would run negative, but more like you couldn't have one without the other (I imagine this as us existing on an X,Y plane, and trying to graph a point with only one coordinate.  Impossible.

He mentioned how if we thought there was a specific start to time, we would probably have to arbitrarily pick it, and then that point would be incomplete, as one moment earlier there would be a lack of information (ie. no space).

He explained that one requirement of a good model was that it gave hypotheses that could be tested and proven true or false.  fuzziness in notes here...   (But that previous point is worth remembering!)

Then we come a bit more into the modern discussion on the origins of the universe, and that the stars are not spread evenly, but formed into galaxies, and that when Hubble first observed the galaxies outside our own, he found a peculiar thing: more galaxies were moving away from us than towards us.  This meant that the universe was not created stagnant and continued unchanging, but rather that the universe is expanding (by observing that the farthest galaxies were moving the fastest).  This means that earlier in time, the galaxies were closer together, and that possibly, they could have been colocated at some "beginning point."

So then people (?) came up with the "Steady State Theory" that although galaxies were, indeed, spreading out, that new galaxies were continually being formed from newly created matter.  Unfortunately, this was proven untrue by noting the uniform radio noise when observing space.

The next theory that came was the Collapse Fail Theory - again starting with the idea that there was no start to the universe, but rather that it was continually expanding (our cycle now) and contracting (just before our cycle now, and will happen again).  The theory says that in the case of a collapse of the universe to a near single point, with a lack of symmetry, the matter in the universe would simply slingshot around the center of mass of the universe and then expand again.  Professor Hawking disproved this, though I'm ashamed to say I don't understand.  He basically proved that asymmetry during collapse couldn't happen.

Then the discourse got lighter for a bit and he joked about the ambient microwaves from space being very ineffective at defrosting our frozen pizzas, as well as joking about his fear of the Inquisition, in light of his presentations at the Vatican (and a bit of a jab at JP2's lack of scientific knowledge [though I think Prof Hawking is allowed to make that joke regarding most other humans on the planet, to be fair]).

He discussed the rate of inflation in Germany after WWI, and how it wasn't such a good thing, but that the rate of expansion of the universe after the Big Bang dwarfed the German currency inflation, and that *was* a good thing.  On the order of one million, trillion, trillion fold within a fraction of a second.  (Turns out that this is related to a second thesis of his "Hawking Radiation" idea, more later.)

Extreme inflation right after the big bang.

We looked at some maps of the universe, which was sweet.

Map of the infant universe, from WMAP data.  (By the way, over 100 WikiPedia pages link to this image.  For real.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ilc_9yr_moll4096.png

Professor Hawking discussed how General Relativity doesn't cover quantum items, which fall under quantum theory.  Which is fine, except when you realize that the entire universe might be tiny as viewed from the outside, and in that case, our entire universe might follow quantum theory.  So we've got some challenges there, since we think we've got all the items under General Relativity under control / understanding.  To answer this, we learned about Feynman's "Sum History" of universes in which every possibility is indeed possible, but with various weighting for probability.  

Now onto the "No Boundary Proposal" that Prof Hawking and Prof Hartle (UCSB) proposed.  In this, we have a formation of the universe in a Euclidean frame of reference, where there is no time, and simply space on each of two axes.  At some point, this transitions to a Lorentzian frame, where time replaces one axis and we now have the space-time that Einstein helped us understand.  (See image below) The explanation of the Euclidean frame is much like the bottom half of the earth.  If you traveled to the South Pole, you would find yourself at a point.  Now, if someone asked you to travel south, you would not be able to.  Not for lack of trying, or lack of space, but more that there exists no point more southerly.  It's undefined.  Just as the laws of physics hold on our Earth's South Pole, so should the laws of nature hold at the beginning of time, at this space X space frame.

Hartle-Hawking model of Big Bang

He discussed *very* briefly the "M theory" which is a collection of theories that try and answer the deep questions such as "Why are we here", "Where did we come from" and "Why do we have this set of laws, and not some other set of laws."  Lots of multiple universe stuff going on for a minute.

M Theory representation

His closing suggestions:

"Look up at the stars, not down at your feet!  ...  Be curious! ...  It matters that you don't just give up!"
(I like how he doesn't say "don't give up" but instead "It matters that you don't just give up!")

In the Q&A we discussed Hawking Radiation which is the idea that radiation is emitted at the event horizon of black holes, and this is a possible way that the energy escapes.  In a second, later case, Hawking Radiation is the radiation emitted at the horizon of the Big Bang, which would have disturbed the uniform density of all matter to break up into dense pockets that eventually became galaxies.

He mentioned that now that we have matter (mostly) figured out (though he hates being a bit wrong on the Higgs Boson), that we have a grasp on 6% of the universe: the normal matter.  Now we can delve into the 27% of the universe: dark matter, and then onto the remaining 68% which is dark energy.  Whew!

A few other questions about Quantum Entanglement and the Big Bang Black Hole Theory, in which Prof Hawking discussed the necessity of an event horizon to move as matter is consumed (and the fact that nothing could know of this move before it moves, because there could be matter further ahead of you, about go go over the event horizon) as well as killing the idea that matter that enters black holes could somehow be forming other universes (and be a possible source of our universe).

Successful End of Event!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bang
Better info: http://www.kitp.ucsb.edu/news/former-kitp-director-receives-einstein-prize
Better graphic: http://www.springerimages.com/Images/RSS/1-10.1007_978-3-642-18137-5_8-1

http://www.sukidog.com/jpierre/strings/mtheory.htm

Pebble Smartwatch Review

Wanted to share a few notes on the Pebble Smartwatch, which came out of the largest Kickstarter crowdfunding to date (as far as I know), and which I wrote about in December.  The team raised $10M in 38 days, and delivered my watch roughly 9 months after the close of the campaign, 5 months later than promised.  Despite the late delivery (FCC approval!), I'm still very happy.  As I've noted to others, part of supporting a kickstarter campaign is to support entrepreneurs, as I think they make our communities stronger.  On top of that, I got an awesome watch!
(Here's an interesting article/debate about how investing relates to Kickstarter.)

I'm very happy with the watch.  I felt that they did an excellent job, and even over-delivered in a few ways:

1. Battery life is excellent.  They noted roughly a week, and that's what I get.  You might say that they delivered what they promised, but even the most honest teams in tech (Apple, Motorola, etc.) regularly give ridiculously high battery estimates, and so I was prepared for a couple of days of battery life.  My pebble lasts usually about 7 days, in my experience of a month of daily use.
2. Screen and backlight are done perfectly.  Flick or tap your watch to see the backlight, fades out nicely, impossible to tell if the backlight is on or off during the day, contrast is super high.  LOVE it.
3. Water-resistance to 5 ATM.  That's 130 ft below the surface.  Granted, the rating is more helpful in surviving streams of shower water than in deep free diving, for me, but the point remains that they delivered.  I was surprised by this, as the water resistance was a 'stretch goal' - when I contributed to the campaign, they hadn't decided to make that a feature.
4. The software development team is continuing to put out software.  There was a major update just after I got my phone, and that as well as the primary setup were quite simple.  There's still some room for improvements, but the point is that they are attentive to forums/user needs, and are active in addressing those requests.  (Glad they included an easy-to-set alarm, but will have to install a countdown timer for help with daily stretching!)
5. Build quality is good, though I expected that.  Buttons work well, magnetic-attach charging cord is super simple to use, wrist strap is comfortable.
6. Software development through the SDK is going wild.  Super creative watch faces, like this animated Mario one, and games and other apps starting to be released, as well.  (Also, don't forget, there's horrible clock faces as well!)
   
   
   Casio 'retro' watchface: "Dub 91
   
   
   
   
   Tetris!  Well... Pebblis block game.
   
   
   
   Watch app: Stopwatch by Bit Hangar
   (Working on some pretty watch faces!  http://www.bithangar.com/ )

Now the downsides:

1. The screen is plastic.  I knew this when contributing, but went forward anyway, I felt it was unrealistic to expect this group to pull off a glass screen.  Scared for the potential of scratching, I got a few Skinomi screen protectors and after a botched-application the first time around, have been using my Pebble for a week with the Skinomi on there, and very happy with how it looks.  No double-reflection or unsightly seams.
   
   
   
   
   Skinomi screen protector
   
   
2. The amount of notifications seems a bit finicky.  Lately I'm receiving a deluge of wrist-vibrations for next-appointments, and haven't found a good way to handle that.  Good news: it's fixable with software updates.

Now the suggestions / requests:

1. Menus: It should never be possible to create disturbing action by repeated pressing of single button from home screen.  As it is now, in a meeting, if I lean on a table and depress the 'enter' button, music will start playing from my phone.  I apparently did this in my sleep last night.  I'm weird, I know.
2. Screen polarity: It would be excellent to have an option to set all non-graphical applications (ie. menus and notifications) to reverse polarity; the visual display would be much more appealing, as you wouldn't notice the large bezel of the watch, but rather notice the watch being black, and then white text floating in the middle.

Final thought: When people ask what it's good for, and I tell them about incoming call / text / email screening, silent alarm clock, music control on the phone, various displays, I almost forget to tell them the most important thing:

It's an awesome watch for telling time!  It's the first real watch I've bought, and I love it!