My wife has an idea for a new app. Is it feasible? (1 Viewer)

[Willie Neslon]

Yesterday while driving home from the grocery store my wife noticed a young lady basically dancing down the street while listening to music on her phone. My wife remarked the lady must really like the song and wondered what song the girl was listening to. That's when the light bulb came on. My wife asked if there was an app where you could find out what other people around you were listening to in their earbuds/on their phones. I said there probably wasn't one. The rest of the night was her talking about her idea and how to go about making it a reality.

My wife has no experience in this field. She worked as a veterinary assistant for a while but decided to quit because she couldn't handle the emotional component of the job. I asked her how she thought the app would work and she thought it could work in a way "similar to radar" where you "point the app" at the person who you want know what music they're listening to. The app will then tell you the song.

She sent an email to Sprint's technical support asking what the next step would be. I voiced some concerns about the app regarding privacy issues which she dismissed, at one point citing "The NFA". I asked her if her app had a name and after a few seconds of thought she came up with "what song are they listening to". I am trying to be supportive and not negative so i told her I'd ask around about it. I know there is an app that can hear a song and tell you what it is but that is not what this would be.

 

[Bonfire]

I would imagine people would have to volunteer to 'project' their music/media/etc. Why would people do this? Also, until you reached some sort of critical mass, would be tough as no one is broadcasting.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Technically: Not sure, seems difficult.

Usefulness: Never occurred to me to wonder what a song I couldn't even hear was. I guess it could be kind of cool to survey what people around you are listening to based on their looks/demographics.

Privacy: Yea, probably bigtime problems here. What's to stop the app from listening to phone calls? This is probably a sticking point. As other people have mentioned you'd probably have to opt-in to it, and then you'd have the problem of getting enough people to use it before anyone is broadcasting (and convincing people that it's worthwhile for them to use up battery life to broadcast).

Execution: Talking to Sprint will get you nowhere. App ideas are worth, literally, absolutely nothing. Everyone has a zillion cool app ideas. You have to either actually make the app or pay someone to do it for you. You can't sell app ideas. There is literally no market. The complexity of this app means you'd need funding and it would be a full-time job.

It's a decent enough idea, especially since it has a direct revenue stream (links to buy the song that the person was listening to). It's not a casual design-in-your-basement-during-free-time app though. It's a full on startup company.

 

[Spin]

You could create a way to broadcast what song you're listening to, say over Bluetooth. Then anyone that also has the app can look at what everyone around them is listening to and piggy back along. Could be useful for like jogging groups or people biking together maybe?

 

[dickey moe]

Is there an app that simply tells you in real-time what song is being broadcast...especially over the radio when the song isn't identified?

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Is there an app that simply tells you in real-time what song is being broadcast...especially over the radio when the song isn't identified?

You mean like a song comes on the car radio and you want to know what the name of it is?

Yes, there are many. I believe it even comes standard on phones now. I know on Android you can just ask google play "what song is this" and it will identify it. I imagine Siri does the same on iPhone.

 

[Willie Neslon]

Great input so far. I had never considered the possibility that it could be a voluntary thing.

 

[Bucky86]

Your wife is nosy.

 

[Willie Neslon]

Is there an app that simply tells you in real-time what song is being broadcast...especially over the radio when the song isn't identified?

Yes, for sure.

 

[[icon]]

Bluetooth is the only common near field communication that would work right now and it would require pairing devices, a huge security risk.

Props to the wife for thinking about stuff like that, but it's not something technically feasible right now.... nor is it something I think folks would adopt voluntarily (open sharing with strangers.

Facebook/Spotify have partnered to share "what XXXX is listening to right now" so there is some social sharing going on between friends.

 

[Harry Manback]

Great input so far. I had never considered the possibility that it could be a voluntary thing.

It would have to be or the negative press would be soul crushing.

 

[Hu-Tang Clan]

Usefulness: Never occurred to me to wonder what a song I couldn't even hear was. I guess it could be kind of cool to survey what people around you are listening to based on their looks/demographics.

Yeah I'm not sure many would be interested at looking at another stranger or group of strangers and wondering what they're all listening to.

 

[Willie Neslon]

My main issue was how would the app know which person you were trying to use the app on? Hundred of phones could be in the area. You're in a public place and see someone rocking along to a song, how would the phone know to pinpoint that person?

 

[Willie Neslon]

Usefulness: Never occurred to me to wonder what a song I couldn't even hear was. I guess it could be kind of cool to survey what people around you are listening to based on their looks/demographics.

Yeah I'm not sure many would be interested at looking at another stranger or group of strangers and wondering what they're all listening to.

I think they would and I even think some would want other people to know what they're listening to. I have to say i the voluntary idea has me thinking about it differently.

 

[TenTimes]

People put on earbuds to tune the world out, not connect to it

Can you figure out a way to give an incentive to people who broadcast what they are listening to? And a commission based on how many "click throughs" or whatever a person can get.

I can imagine this working for the daily bus/train commuter. Just plug in to the app and latch on to a random broadcast with one or two taps. Actually seems like a pretty cool way to discover new music.

Make sure it auto shuts off when a call comes through.

 

[heckmanm]

If it wasn't voluntary, you'd basically have an app that could eavesdrop on anyone's phone. How is the app supposed to know when someone's listening to music vs a private phone call or voicemails? Would it only listen if you point it at someone who's dancing?

 

[SWC]

back in the day we had this crazy ap called talkking to people so you could stop and say hey what song are you rocking out to bromigo and then they would tell you and bam you would have the name of a rocking song and also a new friend take that to the bank brohans

 

[belljr]

App name should be nunya

 

[bostonfred]

App name should be nunya

Nunya?

 

[Gianni Verscotchie]

Nunya business. Lol

Just man up and tell your wife her idea is stupid

 

[Hu-Tang Clan]

I'd like to know what Sprint told her.

 

[Willie Neslon]

Nunya business. Lol

Just man up and tell your wife her idea is stupid

Thanks but I like sleeping in the bed.

 

[ffldrew]

Instead of Sprint she should be reaching out to the NSA - I'm sure they know

 

[Willie Neslon]

I'd like to know what Sprint told her.

Me too. I know she's looking for a "how to" for creating and selling the app.

 

[mr roboto]

Also lets say I'm using Pandora or some other app or listening to music I paid for. Would the content providers want people to be able to share their accounts or purchased music?

 

[Willie Neslon]

Also lets say I'm using Pandora or some other app or listening to music I paid for. Would the content providers want people to be able to share their accounts or purchased music?

I don't think she's thought that far ahead.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

I'd like to know what Sprint told her.

Me too. I know she's looking for a "how to" for creating and selling the app.

This is not a "let me read a quick tutorial online and whip this thing up" app.

This is 4 people doing this as their full-time job with funding.

 

[Willie Neslon]

I'd like to know what Sprint told her.

Me too. I know she's looking for a "how to" for creating and selling the app.

This is not a "let me read a quick tutorial online and whip this thing up" app.

This is 4 people doing this as their full-time job with funding.

Don't tell her that. She's hoping for a simple 3-4 step plan with the last step being type in the address who/where we send the cash to.

#1: tell us what you want the app to do?

#2: how would it work? (example: "radar")

#3: what is the name of the app?

#4: where would you like us to send the money?

 

[Fennis]

name the app: Radio Raheem

 

[MC Gas Money]

This is as good a time as any to announce this....

I am releasing my own app

Youpoop

Its free. You take a photo of your poop and it will tell you precisely how long and at what shower head setting it will break up at while you bathe.

For 99 cents it will remove the ads and also tell u if you are eating too much gluten

 

[Johnny Rock]

Tell her you talked to a guy who has a friend at Sprint and he just filed a patent on this idea today. Loose lips sink ships. Then at least you tried.

 

[dickey moe]

back in the day we had this crazy ap called talkking to people so you could stop and say hey what song are you rocking out to bromigo and then they would tell you and bam you would have the name of a rocking song and also a new friend take that to the bank brohans

what if you are a mute brohan

 

[SWC]

back in the day we had this crazy ap called talkking to people so you could stop and say hey what song are you rocking out to bromigo and then they would tell you and bam you would have the name of a rocking song and also a new friend take that to the bank brohans

what if you are a mute brohan

then you write on a piece of paper and would not be able to hear the song anyhow bromigo

 

[Willie Neslon]

Tell her you talked to a guy who has a friend at Sprint and he just filed a patent on this idea today. Loose lips sink ships. Then at least you tried.

If anyone wanted to buy the rights i'm sure she'd be open to that.

 

[Maurile Tremblay]

That's when the light bulb came on. My wife asked if there was an app where you could find out what other people around you were listening to in their earbuds/on their phones. I said there probably wasn't one. The rest of the night was her talking about her idea and how to go about making it a reality.

My wife has no experience in this field. She worked as a veterinary assistant for a while but decided to quit because she couldn't handle the emotional component of the job. I asked her how she thought the app would work and she thought it could work in a way "similar to radar" where you "point the app" at the person who you want know what music they're listening to. The app will then tell you the song.

This is kind of brilliant and, yes, totally feasible.

After installing the app, the user would point her phone at somebody, click the "What's that song?" button on the screen, and the app would display the name of a random song (along with its corresponding musical artist).

It would be totally inaccurate except for twice a day by luck, but the user won't know that. Her curiosity will be satisfied, and a lot of the songs displayed will be delightfully or humorously surprising, as when an old lady is revealed to be listening to death metal or gangster rap.

The app will be less interesting to people who know it's a farce, but I bet a great many people will be truly impressed by it.

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

The app already exists. It's called NSA.

 

[JoeSteeler]

Turn it into a dating app...could find people near you that are listening to the same song, band, genre

 

[Willie Neslon]

Some great ideas. Going to run them by the CEO and see if what she thinks.

 

[Brony]

I'd like an app that gives me X-ray vision and super sense of smell

 

[PatsWillWin]

Your wife is the one that thinks bears try to "play" with people, right?

Maybe you should just start a single thread about her, I'd be in.

 

[cheese]

As far as people broadcasting, when you are on an iPhone and want to share pictures or something, you can see a list of users in airdrop. The technology is there to find those other phones around you. You could maybe work off that concept but I think you would lose the key component you want, which is using it on strangers.

 

[Willie Neslon]

As far as people broadcasting, when you are on an iPhone and want to share pictures or something, you can see a list of users in airdrop. The technology is there to find those other phones around you. You could maybe work off that concept but I think you would lose the key component you want, which is using it on strangers.

airdrop only shows people you know? I have never heard of it. would you know exactly which person is the iphone user? or just a random list?

 

[larch]

Shazam Spy

 

[Jayrok]

That's when the light bulb came on. My wife asked if there was an app where you could find out what other people around you were listening to in their earbuds/on their phones. I said there probably wasn't one. The rest of the night was her talking about her idea and how to go about making it a reality.

My wife has no experience in this field. She worked as a veterinary assistant for a while but decided to quit because she couldn't handle the emotional component of the job. I asked her how she thought the app would work and she thought it could work in a way "similar to radar" where you "point the app" at the person who you want know what music they're listening to. The app will then tell you the song.

This is kind of brilliant and, yes, totally feasible.

After installing the app, the user would point her phone at somebody, click the "What's that song?" button on the screen, and the app would display the name of a random song (along with its corresponding musical artist).

It would be totally inaccurate except for twice a day by luck, but the user won't know that. Her curiosity will be satisfied, and a lot of the songs displayed will be delightfully or humorously surprising, as when an old lady is revealed to be listening to death metal or gangster rap.

The app will be less interesting to people who know it's a farce, but I bet a great many people will be truly impressed by it.

Random song generator. Like it.

 

[HughHoney]

This is a really good idea. I'm gonna steal it.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

back in the day we had this crazy ap called talkking to people so you could stop and say hey what song are you rocking out to bromigo and then they would tell you and bam you would have the name of a rocking song and also a new friend take that to the bank brohans

what if you are a mute brohan

then you write on a piece of paper and would not be able to hear the song anyhow bromigo

Don't stop him, he's on a roll.

 

[Dentist]

This is as good a time as any to announce this....

I am releasing my own app

Youpoop

Its free. You take a photo of your poop and it will tell you precisely how long and at what shower head setting it will break up at while you bathe.

For 99 cents it will remove the ads and also tell u if you are eating too much gluten

buy

 

[Gawain]

This is as good a time as any to announce this....

I am releasing my own app

Youpoop

Its free. You take a photo of your poop and it will tell you precisely how long and at what shower head setting it will break up at while you bathe.

For 99 cents it will remove the ads and also tell u if you are eating too much gluten

buy

I'd like it more if it was called YouTurd

 

[Guest]

I'd like an app that gives me X-ray vision and super sense of smell

I'd settle for just knowing what kind of panties a woman is wearing.

Old School

 

[flysack]

I'm thinking of developing an app that tells you a woman's bra size. That's not creepy, right? So if I see a woman dancing in the streets and I want to know if her breasts have something to do with it, I can just walk up to her and point my phone at her chest and voila! 36D!