Category Archives: Business

Logo Recogniser App for Smart Glasses

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We will all wear smart glasses or lenses one day. They will be as necessary as a smart phone, people who opt out will be odd and incovenienced.

A great feature of smart glasses is they see what you see, and can give you information about what you are looking at.

If you look at a logo for more than a second you are probably actively interested in it.

The logo app on your glasses can feed you info provided by that brand, at that time. It could be a the “ta-dum” Netflix sound, a jingle, or a brief announcement regarding a deal or whatever. If it is annoying, you mute that brand. Being annoying will be detrimental to a brand, so being useful/fun/interesting will be self-policed result.

Obviously it will use location data. No need to go “ta-dum” when you are on your sofa using Netflix. Or looking at the clock at a tennis tournament. Or in your car with a logo on the steering wheel.

We might start liking brands more if they “get this right”.

Curated 17 Dial

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The concept is for private booths in bars, but people with money can get it at home.

The UI is simple, there is a dial like an old rotary phone, with 17 positions. Not numbered, but could be, or use esoteric symbols. The idea is you change channel until you find something you like. The output is sound + video projected onto the wall. Yes, projected. People can get in the way.

Variety is important but the curated aspect is what you pay for.

For example a couple of channels will be sport, but they will be the most exciting live sport happening in the world right now. Could be lawn bowls or UFC. Could be in Scotland or Algeria.

Live feeds of public spaces. Again, curated. Where it is happening.

News service, but the most interesting that is live right now.

Throw in a classic movie, and some music channels – one could be a global what is hot in weird countries…

Steampunk access to the world at large. Aimed at open and adventurous minds.

Food Court – My Restaurant Rules meets Shark Tank

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This is a reality TV concept that ticks a lot of boxes!

  • Find a struggling food court, one that has at least two vacancies. Buy it. Buy the property.
  • But only if you manage to buy out the leases of existing tenants. Stagger their exits.
  • Contestants can have experience, even in food courts, but their brand and menu must be substantially new
  • The free rent is genuine and will continue after the show has ended, after a winner is found

You can imagine the TV part – see their stories, watch their problems, have some clock ticking, have mentors. That part is easy.

The mentors though are industry business folk, with money. They (and the show, lines could be blurred about percentages) front up money for fit-out. A strong focus will be on repeatable standardised components. For example, everyone has the same till and ordering system (so sales can be tracked). Equipment like fryers, griddles, bain maries, microwaves and whatever will be the same for each contestant, and remain the property of the food court. The contestants get to spend money on uniforms, menus, initial ingredient stock and so on.

The reality aspect alone will have the food court bursting with customers. So every player will make money, you’d think.

At the end (of the show), the food court continues. The players can carry on and keep running their business, if they choose, or sell it, or shut up shop.

Oh yeah, the mentors and the TV show get a percentage of ongoing turnover during and after the show, and a percentage of the business, should it ever expand or franchise.

From then on, on a two-year cycle, the group with the least turnover in the food court lose their spot, and get no compensation for it. They lose any food court owned equipment. A new group is chosen to replace them and the clock starts again.

Here’s the cool part – after the show ends the food court is gifted to a trust that manages it. Each business keeps on being rent free (but pays their share of overheads), meaning they will always have a price advantage that should keep the food court flourishing.

Better Foods – Supermarket of the Future

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There are a variety of supermarket formats that serve various niches:

  • Standard large – sells everything
  • Mini mart
  • Speciality Deli
  • Whole Foods
  • Gourmet

I’m thinking of a new type, which is very focussed on health, food trends, sources and independence + information. Somewhere I would shop, as an older person who is very aware and conscious of the many aspects of food shopping.

I’m thinking like a specialty wine store or library where there are little signs in front of products telling us something special about them. To make our choices easier via the thoughts of like-minded people.

Labelling can tell us about:

  • Origin (country, region, nearby)
  • Nutrition
  • Low fat / sugar
  • Super-food ingredients
  • Minimal packaging
  • Ethical parent company

As opposed to the cheating and lying that mass-producers of food put on their packaging. Ideally, if there are alternatives, the bad brands simply aren’t stocked. A little dangling pamphlet can explain why.

No fresh meat, baked goods or veg – we would encourage people to go to a butcher, baker or greengrocer. Well, some amount of bread would be good. But otherwise, nothing is going off any time soon.

A focus on staples and whole foods, especially where you can fill your own container. While the store might have regular discounts (I’m thinking monthly cycles, not weekly), the big point of difference is savings on staples that are never discounted, like generic tins of beans or bags of flour. 50% off sometimes, with limits on how many. This will be funded from being a non-profit business. We will also hire staff who are disabled, autistic or whatever. And 1% of all revenue goes to the charity of the month.

We want to also serve the poorest of people. Every main product type will have the cheapest version that we can source that isn’t truly terrible, with signage pointing out why it is cheap, the trade-off. For example tinned tuna might be from Thailand and not Canada, with different ethical considerations.

We look at, and share, consumer reviews, especially from the non-profit advisors like Choice in Australia.

The key, what makes this extra-shiny and modern, is we do not sell anything, not a thing, that is ultra-processed. There are exceptions to this… But basically you can trust that nothing we sell will be terribly unhealthy for you.

We will promote products with

  • no artificial colours
  • minimal packaging
  • locally made
  • fewest ingredients
  • lack of fillers

And finally, where possible, we will support small business over corporations. We will show on signage if multiple washing powder brands are made by the same company.

Better Foods – Supermarket of the Future

Posted on by

There are a variety of supermarket formats that serve various niches:

  • Standard large – sells everything
  • Mini mart
  • Speciality Deli
  • Whole Foods
  • Gourmet

I’m thinking of a new type, which is very focussed on health, food trends, sources and independence + information. Somewhere I would shop, as an older person who is very aware and conscious of the many aspects of food shopping.

I’m thinking like a specialty wine store or library where there are little signs in front of products telling us something special about them. To make our choices easier via the thoughts of like-minded people.

Labelling can tell us about:

  • Origin (country, region, nearby)
  • Nutrition
  • Low fat / sugar
  • Super-food ingredients
  • Minimal packaging
  • Ethical parent company

As opposed to the cheating and lying that mass-producers of food put on their packaging. Ideally, if there are alternatives, the bad brands simply aren’t stocked. A little dangling pamphlet can explain why.

No fresh meat, baked goods or veg – we would encourage people to go to a butcher, baker or greengrocer. Well, some amount of bread would be good. But otherwise, nothing is going off any time soon.

A focus on staples and whole foods, especially where you can fill your own container. While the store might have regular discounts (I’m thinking monthly cycles, not weekly), the big point of difference is savings on staples that are never discounted, like generic tins of beans or bags of flour. 50% off sometimes, with limits on how many. This will be funded from being a non-profit business. We will also hire staff who are disabled, autistic or whatever. And 1% of all revenue goes to the charity of the month.

We want to also serve the poorest of people. Every main product type will have the cheapest version that we can source that isn’t truly terrible, with signage pointing out why it is cheap, the trade-off. For example tinned tuna might be from Thailand and not Canada, with different ethical considerations.

We look at, and share, consumer reviews, especially from the non-profit advisors like Choice in Australia.

The key, what makes this extra-shiny and modern, is we do not sell anything, not a thing, that is ultra-processed. There are exceptions to this… But basically you can trust that nothing we sell will be terribly unhealthy for you.

We will promote products with

  • no artificial colours
  • minimal packaging
  • locally made
  • fewest ingredients
  • lack of fillers

And finally, where possible, we will support small business over corporations. We will show on signage if multiple washing powder brands are made by the same company.

State-Controlled Tech

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It used to be the dictatorships and communist lands where high technology wasn’t purely a capitalist thing. But as time has gone by, and the power of cheap technology grows rapidly the direction is clear – all tech will end up being state-run. Everywhere. One way or another.

Russia and India can switch of communications (mobile phones and internet) and one day countries like the US will make an argument for such a kill switch, for emergency security reasons.

Countries who are not long-term peaceful partners are distrusting each other’s operating systems, productivity suites, data centers, cloud storage, drones and surveillance devices. Soon that will include cars.

Military is becoming more electronic and less mechanical. Expect missiles encrypted so only those with permission can use them.

Every country making their own versions of everything isn’t feasible. So we will have Asia and Africa having Russian and Chinese tech, Europe AU/NZ/Canada and the rest of the Americas having theirs, and the US all by themselves.

Governments will have at least partial control of every tech business, from TVs and phones to toys and robots, to cars and drones. Anything on the spectrum that starts with certification and ends with complete ownership.

Within 5 years – the change will be rapid. A new cold war in terms of not wanting to be spied on.

State-Controlled Tech

Posted on by

It used to be the dictatorships and communist lands where high technology wasn’t purely a capitalist thing. But as time has gone by, and the power of cheap technology grows rapidly the direction is clear – all tech will end up being state-run. Everywhere. One way or another.

Russia and India can switch of communications (mobile phones and internet) and one day countries like the US will make an argument for such a kill switch, for emergency security reasons.

Countries who are not long-term peaceful partners are distrusting each other’s operating systems, productivity suites, data centers, cloud storage, drones and surveillance devices. Soon that will include cars.

Military is becoming more electronic and less mechanical. Expect missiles encrypted so only those with permission can use them.

Every country making their own versions of everything isn’t feasible. So we will have Asia and Africa having Russian and Chinese tech, Europe AU/NZ/Canada and the rest of the Americas having theirs, and the US all by themselves.

Governments will have at least partial control of every tech business, from TVs and phones to toys and robots, to cars and drones. Anything on the spectrum that starts with certification and ends with complete ownership.

Within 5 years – the change will be rapid. A new cold war in terms of not wanting to be spied on.

An Alternative to the 5% Billionaire Tax in California

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The proposal might be on the ballot in the state elections of November 2026; a one-time 5% tax on the wealth of billionaires, including any illiquid wealth.

Illiquid is the bug-bear. It isn’t necessarily easy to cash out on such things. I would argue that they can easily get a cash loan, but I appreciate that this factor makes the tax a harder sell.

Instead, I propose something far more pre-emptive and socialist. Give 5% of your unrealised wealth to the state. The state becomes a passive investor in the business that made the billionaire rich.

To lessen the potential shock of that, when giving great wealth to someone, it should include 5% that is held in escrow, for the state to take, if and when the person meets the wealth threshold (which might of course vary in the future). But also, the rich person and take it out of escrow at any time, but they must acknowledge that the state can potentially take it from them one day.

Trump is already being very socialist and taking a share of some major companies. We just need to make sure that having such a stake doesn’t lead to governmental nepotism.

Slob Maids

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Having a maid or housekeeper is quite common these days, for wealthier people. I once had cleaners, the pair of them spent two hours every Thursday basically cleaning surfaces and vacuuming. It wasn’t really necessary but my wife was a clean-freak and we could afford it.

I am currently your typical bachelor slob. I vacuum maybe twice a year, sheets get changed monthly, the bath and sink have never been scrubbed. That is because those tasks are not important to me.

What is important is dishes and washing clothes. They have to be done, and I tend to put them off as long as possible. With a dishwasher in the mix, this pretty much comes down to some quite simple tasks

  • Put clothes in washing machine
  • Put clothes in dryer
  • Clean the kitchen surfaces
  • Scrub a few pots

In an apartment complex with many slobs, that work can be done very efficiently. Set clothes to wash, spray surfaces, soak pots. Return a few hours later, finish the kitchen, put clothes in the dryer.

The slob can take the clothes out of the dryer. Therefore the work might take as little as half an hour total. Pay them $50. They can do 10 apartments in a day.

Universal ID QR Code Phone Numbers

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It is a mouthful, for sure.

I have noticed a trend in Australia. First we had loyalty cards, then we had loyalty apps, and now people just tell the sales clerk their phone number. It saves keep things and remembering things. I expect this to be happening everywhere soon.

However, it is inefficient and tedious. We can make this happen faster. People wear a badge with a QR code on it, containing your phone number. It could be on an actual badge, or on the back of your phone (physically). To indicate to the checkout chick that you want them to know it (because it identifies you for their loyalty scheme), you simply hold it up or point to it – and they scan it.

Another trend is being emailed receipts and warranties instead of paper ones. That can automated in the same movement. If you want a paper receipt, you ask. Otherwise it is emailed.

Before long emails will have some kind of code in the subject line identifying them as a receipt or warranty, from any of your loyalty apps, and will be stored somewhere convenient and backed up elsewhere.