6 ms·

So I was expecting one of those sensors that can turn a TV into a touchscreen with like an IR sensor or something so I checked this wondering how they were so c

by cletus 7y ago

So I was expecting one of those sensors that can turn a TV into a touchscreen with like an IR sensor or something so I checked this wondering how they were so cheap. I was delighted to see this is so much better. Figuring out touch events from the reflection is really cool. Well done.

Aperocky 7y ago
What they did not factor in was the cost of the software. You can make junkyard bound stuff do amazing things when you program them right, but you pay for that programming or time spent.
- nullandvoid 7y ago
  The software is a "one time cost" in quotes due to maintenance etc but talking in broad strokes which wouldn't impact the claim of $1 touch Or to put it another way you wouldnt invent a new way to desalinate seawater and then say the cost is $10/litre instead of 2 cent because of r&d on the device you made..
  - Sharlin 7y ago
    In economic terms, the marginal cost is low.
  - musingsole 7y ago
    > invent a new way to desalinate seawater and then say the cost is $10/litre Depends on the marketing strategy, most likely. But I like GP's point about undervaluing programmer time. It is non-free and everyone down to the programmers themselves tend to grossly underestimate its cost. Humans are kind of expensive to keep alive and happy enough to program willingly /That last statement had more caveats than I wanted...
    - tripzilch 7y ago
      It really depends on their intention, whether they consider that part of the work DIY or not. If I paint my wall, I would generally say it costs the price of the paint, not whatever I'd have to pay to have someone do it for me. Or what about the people who tinker with their own smart home solutions with arduinos and raspberries. If you factor in the price of work/research/coding, it would be very hard to justify not buying an off-the-shelf solution instead.
      - musingsole 7y ago
        > If I paint my wall, I would generally say it costs the price of the paint That's the mentality I'm challenging here. Mentally you don't account for the cost of your time, but from an outside perspective, you're spending it all the same. That you have to factor in the price of labor with DIY electronics is the main reason you don't see more of those easy electronics projects available as some off-the-shelf contained product (where's my IoT API-accessible thermometer for $10!!!???).
    - tempodox 7y ago
      Yes, dead humans are probably cheaper to sustain and never get too unhappy to program willingly.
  - crankylinuxuser 7y ago
    We already socialize and use effectively 'free' labor from universities. And then it gets turned around and copyrighted/patented anyways. So yeah it should cost $.02/gal . It's only cause of profittering goons at every level do essential needs for humans get privatized and 'owned'.
  - folli 7y ago
    Pharma would like to have a word with you.
- TaylorAlexander 7y ago
  The programmer has donated their time for free. The code has an MIT license.
dejawu 7y ago
I remember following the work of this guy, Johnny Chung Lee, who did a ton of really neat human-interface stuff with the Wii remote's IR sensor: http://johnnylee.net/projects/wii/ http://johnnylee.net/projects/wii/
- kevinsundar 7y ago
  I remember making a smart whiteboard with his software back in the day! It worked surprisingly well, even in a teacher's classroom, with an online store bought ir led pen.

by cletus 7y ago

Aperocky 7y ago

What they did not factor in was the cost of the software. You can make junkyard bound stuff do amazing things when you program them right, but you pay for that programming or time spent.

nullandvoid 7y ago
The software is a "one time cost" in quotes due to maintenance etc but talking in broad strokes which wouldn't impact the claim of $1 touch Or to put it another way you wouldnt invent a new way to desalinate seawater and then say the cost is $10/litre instead of 2 cent because of r&d on the device you made..
- Sharlin 7y ago
  In economic terms, the marginal cost is low.
- musingsole 7y ago
  > invent a new way to desalinate seawater and then say the cost is $10/litre Depends on the marketing strategy, most likely. But I like GP's point about undervaluing programmer time. It is non-free and everyone down to the programmers themselves tend to grossly underestimate its cost. Humans are kind of expensive to keep alive and happy enough to program willingly /That last statement had more caveats than I wanted...
  - tripzilch 7y ago
    It really depends on their intention, whether they consider that part of the work DIY or not. If I paint my wall, I would generally say it costs the price of the paint, not whatever I'd have to pay to have someone do it for me. Or what about the people who tinker with their own smart home solutions with arduinos and raspberries. If you factor in the price of work/research/coding, it would be very hard to justify not buying an off-the-shelf solution instead.
    - musingsole 7y ago
      > If I paint my wall, I would generally say it costs the price of the paint That's the mentality I'm challenging here. Mentally you don't account for the cost of your time, but from an outside perspective, you're spending it all the same. That you have to factor in the price of labor with DIY electronics is the main reason you don't see more of those easy electronics projects available as some off-the-shelf contained product (where's my IoT API-accessible thermometer for $10!!!???).
  - tempodox 7y ago
    Yes, dead humans are probably cheaper to sustain and never get too unhappy to program willingly.
- crankylinuxuser 7y ago
  We already socialize and use effectively 'free' labor from universities. And then it gets turned around and copyrighted/patented anyways. So yeah it should cost $.02/gal . It's only cause of profittering goons at every level do essential needs for humans get privatized and 'owned'.
- folli 7y ago
  Pharma would like to have a word with you.
TaylorAlexander 7y ago
The programmer has donated their time for free. The code has an MIT license.

dejawu 7y ago

I remember following the work of this guy, Johnny Chung Lee, who did a ton of really neat human-interface stuff with the Wii remote's IR sensor: http://johnnylee.net/projects/wii/ http://johnnylee.net/projects/wii/

kevinsundar 7y ago
I remember making a smart whiteboard with his software back in the day! It worked surprisingly well, even in a teacher's classroom, with an online store bought ir led pen.