Kickstarter idea (bitcoin price LED ticker)

[f3tus]

Hi,

Could somebody who knows about electronics and programming please make a prototype bitcoin price ticker: http://www.instructables.com/id/Make-a-Bitcoin-Price-Ticker-almost-from-scratch-us/

Preferably wireless, so it can be put on a wall or wherever. Additionally, allow to set a "limit," that when the bitcoin price drops below the limit, trigger an alarm sound.

If this can be done and sold for ~30$, I bet it'd turn into profit. I'd certainly buy it. In the example above, the components alone cost $60, and that's too much...

[Abdussamad]

I looked into this a while back and found this:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=375393.0

I wonder why they never made any?

[devthedev]

I looked into this a while back and found this:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=375393.0

I wonder why they never made any?

He took preorders in December then ran away...

[Abdussamad]

I looked into this a while back and found this:

https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=375393.0

I wonder why they never made any?

He took preorders in December then ran away...

That's a shame.

If you just need one for use in an informal setting you can make one for yourself with an old smartphone and a ticker app.

[f3tus]

He took preorders in December then ran away...

Eh, what a dick. That's why this would be better by starting a Kickstarter, and having a face and a name to connect with it. It's still not guaranteed, but much better.

If you just need one for use in an informal setting you can make one for yourself with an old smartphone and a ticker app.

Yeah I suppose, but I don't want a phone hanging on my wall, heh.

[Bibop]

30$ is a very long shot my friend..

[evilimprint]

30$ would hardly pay for the board and chip set let alone the screen, wi-fi technology.. custom made boot loader and software to make it all work correctly. best way i could think of do this is use the core parts of a cellphone and try developing on a android operating system.. but even then the screen would not even be big enough for you to hang it on the wall and see.. i am more the capable of developing this but 30$ would be impossible.

[f3tus]

30$ would hardly pay for the board and chip set let alone the screen, wi-fi technology.. custom made boot loader and software to make it all work correctly. best way i could think of do this is use the core parts of a cellphone and try developing on a android operating system.. but even then the screen would not even be big enough for you to hang it on the wall and see.. i am more the capable of developing this but 30$ would be impossible.

Oh? I didn't know that... I thought this could maybe be made cheaply by using a small 10x5 cm LED as a screen, but for the rest, I have no idea...

Still, one could do the smallest/cheapest prototype possible, start a Kickstarter campaign, and try his luck with a reasonable price... If it fails, at least you have a ticker for yourself.

[Pauly454]

It's an interesting idea for a project.

I think something that displayed the current price and glowed red for price decreases and green for increases would be great. There is a company that does something similar for stock prices http://www.ambientdevices.com/.

They're flogging the Ambient Orb for $150 so the idea could be a money maker especially with the headlines it would make on Bitcoin sites and news.

[bitsmichel]

I thought this could maybe be made cheaply by using a small 10x5 cm LED as a screen, but for the rest, I have no idea...

LED could be the output. There is some processing to be done: i.e. it needs to show the actual price.  You want a hardware device (computer) that is connected to the internet and displays the price. Computers generally are not so cheap, say an FPGA is 750$.  Then again, a simple router is about $50.  But I think, given that you want to use LED as output you want a simple device.

You could have a hardware device which simply shows whatever it receives trough signal. Perhaps an Arduino board. They cost about $10-$15. You can upload software into it which shows a price over a signal. Your pc would broadcast the bitcoin price (trough cable or wireless), the hardware device would receive it and show. This is the cheapest solution as far as i know.  

[Mitchell]

I read about the BitTicker and I am glad that I didn't pre-order it. I always liked the idea though and I will most likely support a Kickstarter if there ever is one. I would love to wake up and check my ticker to see how Bitcoin is doing.

[f3tus]

You could have a hardware device which simply shows whatever it receives trough signal. Perhaps an Arduino board. They cost about $10-$15. You can upload software into it which shows a price over a signal. Your pc would broadcast the bitcoin price (trough cable or wireless), the hardware device would receive it and show. This is the cheapest solution as far as i know.  

Yes, Arduino was my first idea as well, but look at the prices of it with a WiFi shield: http://store.arduino.cc/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5 XBee shield isn't cheap either: http://store.arduino.cc/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=38

Then there's the cost of other components... Too much. I was hoping somebody could do it with cheaper components. I guess we're out of luck, and an ordinary ticker would cost more than $60...

[bitsmichel]

Then there's the cost of other components... Too much. I was hoping somebody could do it with cheaper components. I guess we're out of luck, and an ordinary ticker would cost more than $60...

You could do it without wifi. Get the input trough usb or another port from a pc. That way, its cheaper 

Alternatively, you could make the electronics design and build it. Individual chips are very cheap.

[DeathAndTaxes]

You could have a hardware device which simply shows whatever it receives trough signal. Perhaps an Arduino board. They cost about $10-$15. You can upload software into it which shows a price over a signal. Your pc would broadcast the bitcoin price (trough cable or wireless), the hardware device would receive it and show. This is the cheapest solution as far as i know.  

Yes, Arduino was my first idea as well, but look at the prices of it with a WiFi shield: http://store.arduino.cc/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5 XBee shield isn't cheap either: http://store.arduino.cc/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=38

Then there's the cost of other components... Too much. I was hoping somebody could do it with cheaper components. I guess we're out of luck, and an ordinary ticker would cost more than $60...

You use an Arduino dev board and shields to build a prototype, not to make a finished product.  They are used to save time and money.  Nobody really cares it he hardware for the prototype costs $200 vs $30 you just want something you can proto quick.  Then the design is converted to a custom board using the same low level components (and dropping everything which is not needed).  So a design might prototype with the wifi shield but the final design would be mass produced with a wifi processor like this: http://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Texas-Instruments/CC3000MOD/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMul4LbMdexInYO9dzLxESeK Less than $15 in bulk and honestly mouser prices aren't that good.  An assembly house probably can get it for half that depending on how many boards you are making.

A lot depends on the volume.  A $50 to $60 target (depending on components and quality) is probably doable.  Getting that down to $30 would take a lot of volume.  If you make a million widgets you will be surprised how much cheaper all the widget components become.

[f3tus]

Ok, so I guess that's why it hasn't been done yet. It would cost too much, and there wouldn't be enough demand to lower that cost. A few people would buy it, but not enough for any profit.

[bitsmichel]

Ok, so I guess that's why it hasn't been done yet. It would cost too much, and there wouldn't be enough demand to lower that cost. A few people would buy it, but not enough for any profit.

There are other reasons.  Mobile/wearable devices get more common and you can run software on them. To make separate hardware is more expensive.

Instead of going for the mass market, why not make it an exclusive product?

[mrflibblehat]

Easy to do. would cost about $80 - $100 just for the parts though, If you fancy a project you could have a go yourself with an Arduino and a old cellphone LCD

[f3tus]

There are other reasons.  Mobile/wearable devices get more common and you can run software on them. To make separate hardware is more expensive.

Yeah, but it's a lot nicer if you have a ticker on the wall like a digital clock of sorts... Ah well. I suppose the hardcore traders with tons of bitcoin would buy it even for 60-100$, but I wouldn't.

[bitsmichel]

Yeah, but it's a lot nicer if you have a ticker on the wall like a digital clock of sorts... Ah well. I suppose the hardcore traders with tons of bitcoin would buy it even for 60-100$, but I wouldn't.

You can skip production costs, if you produce in another continent. For example, you can get one of this flying drone helicopters for about $10 in China (I have one).  Of course, you have shipping costs;

Perhaps a simple serial/usb cable to a tiny board, with the LCD attached. Prints whatever data you send from the computer.
Here is a list of some cheap boards : http://www.intorobotics.com/alternative-arduino-boards/
Example prices:
MSP: USD $10
Teensy : USD $16.00
Funnel : USD $16.84

For example the MSP has input/output pins for easy integration of external devices. It does not come with an LCD screen tho.  Im guessing the total cost would be around $20 to $25 to produce in the cheapest way possible using standard boards.

Alternatively, you could link the LCD screen directly to your computer and use computer software to interact with it. Assuming the LCD has some mico-controller attached to it.

[General]

If I knew a good EE I'd definitely pair up and do this with the proper funding.