Ultimate wakeup device: The Skype-enabled coffee machine

02 Sep 2010

Do you enjoy fresh coffee? Ever sleep through a wakeup alarm and miss something important? I have an idea and I think I could get Jim Furyk to fund the development of it.

This is the iPad version. This auto-grinding coffee pot has a built-in charging iPad dock and comes with a free iPad app. You also need Skype installed and Skype out credits. This is how it works:

• At night you put your iPad in the dock and start the iPad app.
• Insert a new vacuum-sealed coffee bean cartridge in the top of the machine. This is our revenue stream.
• In the app: Set the time you want to wake up.
• In the app: Set your phone number.
• In the app: Set your emergency phone number(s). Could be your office, your boss, your Mom or your caddy (Fluff?).
• 5 mins before your wakeup time, the app starts the bean grinder and starts to make the coffee.
• At your wakeup time the app calls your phone number via Skype with a wake up message.
• A timer starts, you now need to lift the coffee pot and pour out a cup of coffee before the timer runs out.
• A weight scale detects if you have poured coffee or not.
• If you fail to pour coffee before the timer ends the app will call your emergency number(s) and report you are sleeping.
• If you lift the coffee pot in time, the app quits and opens up your RSS reader for you to read over coffee.

Note: The machine could also be available as a Linux enabled device (no need for an iPad), have onboard Wi-Fi and use something like Skype4Py for the telephony.