By State Farm might be an insurance company that like any other preys on the misfortunes of everyday people to make a huge profit, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have your safety as an interest. Take the inclusion of a new “On the Move” widget in the latest version of their Pocket Agent app for example. While they aren’t to first to devise an app or widget that will auto-respond to texts in various situations, it certainly does a pretty good job. Of course the aim is to get you to leave your phone alone while in transit, allowing a pre-set message to answer for you, but you could get some other uses out of it too, say when you are in the movies or at a meeting.
[via Gizmodo]
this is actually a really good idea….i might have to try it out later… thank god my HD2 is runnin froyo right now ;)
Nah … I am using Tasker for this :)
With Tasker, you can:
– Response to text with text
– Response to incoming call with text
In ADDITION, in the next version, you can
– Response based on starred contact (not sure about group)
– Read caller/texter name
More neat idea:
– Autoaccept call (plus turn speaker phone on) if the incoming call is from starred contact
EASY!
Tasker is great but isn’t free :(
How the hell does an insurance company “prey on the misfortunes of everyday people” to make a profit? What misfortune could you have that would allow them to make a profit? Paying your bill? Having a claim? I’m confused.
Insurance companies don’t make money off of your misfortune. They make money off of your good fortune by you paying them but never needing them. The less that happens to you the more money they make so yes they very much have your safety in mind
Big deal – you write this app in the Google App Inventor tutorial!!!
+1 Phil. What he said.
@JSludge, ah you beat me to it. I read that and thought the same thing. Long live open source!
NOW the update’s out. I heard it was supposed to be out Monday…
That’s why I just respond at the next light, my city was nice enough to install lights every few hundred feet.
Ummm. Insurance companies have federally mandated 4% max profit margins. Yeah, those evil insurance companies are making SO much money. Way to push an agenda phandroid. Just lost this reader.
“…insurance company that like any other preys on the misfortunes of everyday people to make a huge profit,”
Wow! What a totally stupid statement, Kevin Krause. As mentioned above, Insurance companies pay out when you have an accident so they actually “prey” on you when you’re safe and healthy.
I got this app yesterday. I downloaded it but didn’t open it. I then went back after about an hour to check it out, and it had been using GPS in the background, running down my battery. I hadn’t even opened the app! I didn’t even give it a chance after that; I uninstalled immediately!!
Insurance companies DO prey on the misfortunes of people…. the fear of misfortune sell the policies.
@thenamebob
Really? Then why don’t you just not buy auto insurance and save up your money in case you have an accident and injure someone? Oh wait, that’s right… Our wonderful government forces you to buy insurance doesn’t it?
@Yeath
Not all states require that you take out auto insurance policies. You can declare “self-insured” as long as you can post a bond or cash deposit for $35K to the DMV here in CA.
@thenamebob, it isn’t fear that gets people to buy insurance, its usually state laws, and for homes, it’s usually mandated as well, especially if you have a mortgage.
Not going to say insurance companies don’t do some shady stuff (hello AIG), but nothing would make them happier than collecting your insurance premium, and you never needing to use it.
But in reality, they don’t make money on your misfortune, or good fortune. Insurance companies make their money on investments. You premiums are their seed money. They have to do this, if your house burns down, odds are the insurance company lost money on your forever. All the years of premium probably don’t add up to the cost of your home.