I check the lasted additions to my new favorite site almost daily and recently found an entry for the Bar Monkey. Basically, the Bar Monkey is a computer controlled series of pumps, each connected to a different bottle of liquor, that create the mixed drink chosen from the computer's database. The idea was then expounded upon by others. I was impressed. It reminded me of the Sourceforge project I had stumbled upon some months ago where a custom, zoned HVAC system was created with a Linux box, some thermostats and duct vents. I also recall reading about Linux boxes set up as DVRs that would outdo TiVo any day. While I would never have much use for the Monkey Bar, the other items where added to my 'must-have-when-I-get-rich list' (C'mon, we all have one). The possibility of using a computer for purposes other than conventional desktop computing has always intrigued me. To think that hardware can be manipulated through code, rather than custom hardwired circuits opens up so many possibilities in my mind. As I read up on DVRs, I came to understand that the commercially produced TiV0 is one such device. Its controlled by embedded Linux; the same technology used in PDAs, particularly the Sharp Zaursus.
Now, that really got my mind churning. I always wanted to create an original project of my own. To think that I could create a devise with embedded Linux compatible hardware that would handle pretty much whatever I wanted it to and adding features would be as simple as adding code. Now that was, and still is, pretty cool! Real cool!! So what project could I create? What has no one else done yet? What original idea would look really good on my resume?
About the same time I was looking at new stereos for my car. They have all sorts of cool features. Some play MP3s and have large LCD screens that double as video monitors among other things. Even so, they are lacking in so many ways. Wouldn't it be cool if the same screen could be hooked up to the car to tune the cars performance (Such products are available to use with a laptop) and offered many of the features of my desktop like email, GPS, and my schedule and contacts. With a touchscreen it would be a step above a PDA. With a bluetooth enabled cell phone, I could surf the net wirelessly with the phone still in my pocket (while parked, or from the passenger seat, of course). A hard drive of MP3s would be no problem at all. The possibilities seemed endless. I began to dream that someday I would have actually created such a system and developed a successful business custom manufacturing, selling and, possibly, installing the hardware to fit my customers vehicles.
And then I found the Monkey Bar. Not that I see that as a more attractive career, but the site's forum includes a category for people to post links to other such crazy projects. Among them I found the DashPC. My dream has already been had by someone else. And to top it all off, they seem to have included most everything I wanted ( I'de request the bluetooth support if I had the phone to go with it) in such a system and more (such as the TV/FM tuner card, eliminating the need for the stereo). No, its not using embedded software, but they provide a pretty good reason, which I had already considered myself. I was impressed. I want one!
