English Teenager Invents a Better Doorbell 363
Several readers have written with word of a new doorbell, invented by 13-year-old Laurence Rook. What's so special about a doorbell? This one lets you answer the door from wherever you can receive a call from its embedded 3G chip; to your in-person caller (facing the doorbell), that means it sounds like you're answering the door over an intercom system, even if you're really across town. Pretty clever way to make it harder for a thief to know if a home is actually occupied, though Rook says that he initially just wanted a system to avoid missed packages.
Re:Overkill (Score:5, Informative)
Except this isn't anything 'new'. One of the newer apartment buildings built on campus (finished in ~2005) lets you buzz in anyone from anywhere using your phone. I believe the place also had washer/driers that would text you when they finished their cycle.
It may be cool, but definitely not a new 'invention'.
Re:Overkill (Score:3, Informative)
Comment removed (Score:5, Informative)
Re:UPS Rings Doorbells? (Score:4, Informative)
You might know the dogs, but the delivery guy does not. Why should he take the chance, or brave phobias to deliver a package into the property, rather than just to the property? Think before you compose.
Re:UPS Rings Doorbells? (Score:2, Informative)
If you're seriously afraid of dogs, why would you take a job that requires you to travel to and on stranger's property where there's a pretty good chance you're gonna come across dogs pretty often?
I dunno; hunger, rent, car payments ... lots of things I suppose.
I never get why every single person's dog is "harmless" if you ask them.
Re:Overkill (Score:3, Informative)
Why not just tape a prepaid cellphone to the door with your number in the speed dial and a note that says "hold 1 to call someone to the door"? Wow... did I just invent something?! Now I just need a 13... no, make that an 11 yr old kid to peddle it....
Re:UPS Rings Doorbells? (Score:5, Informative)