It would be a scanner/ accounting/ tracking application.
Most receipts now have a bar code at the bottom which contains 1) the amount you spent 2) what you bought and 3) when you bought it.
What I want is an application that will extract that data and put it in a spread sheet. This way you can 1) have a basic electronic checkbook - you scan the receipt and it calculates how much is spent and subtracts it from your total. 2) It also will track what you buy categorically- so you can look at how often you buy milk, or how many times you caved in and got the expensive chocolate instead of the cheap. 3) It also then gives you the data to figure out spending habits- such as if you spend more in the morning hours or evening hours. If you spend more on a Tuesday or Friday.
As with most technology- most people would probably use it only for the accounting application but it would carry the potential for behavior modification if you used the whole thing.
I have seen plenty of tracking applications for various things but nothing like what I detailed. Most require you to manually input the information- which of course is why I don't use them.
I'm all good to learn how to build it- if I have the skills, I just have no idea how right now.
This could also work great for a paper-based system for keeping track of courses/grades. You'd need to generate a code for assignments, but then you could scan things to enter them and create a kind of portfolio reconciled with a gradebook... hmmm...
ReplyDeleteAnd create cool bar codes with student numbers to keep anonymity and track trends in writing processes to show progression- I like the way you make me think Bill :)
DeleteThis reminds me of mint.com, but with more flexibility. I think the behavior part is key (as I've seen that happen even with using mint).
ReplyDelete