
RunPee – Because movie theaters don't have pause buttons - getdavidhiggins
http://runpee.com/
======
Brajeshwar
In India, we have mandatory breaks somewhere in the middle of all movies. Even
for Hollywood Movies, it is just shut off, sometimes right in the middle of a
fight or an intense scene. We pee, have snacks and make phone calls. :-)

My first reaction when I saw Sin City somewhere in Detroit was, "How long is
this movie?" Then I realize why everyone had popcorns and everything before
the movie starts.

~~~
deancognation
That's because Bollywood movies tend to be on the "longer side" its crazy how
short most Hollywood films are now....catering to the short attention spans of
their viewers.

having said that.....this app must die, its a terrible idea :)

~~~
stormbrew
Hollywood films have been getting _longer_ , not shorter.

[http://www.slashfilm.com/by-the-numbers-the-length-of-
featur...](http://www.slashfilm.com/by-the-numbers-the-length-of-feature-
films/)

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kemayo
I note that the app store reviews[1] mention that it does a lot of forced ad-
watching. One says "must sit through a 10 second bright full screen ad for
bladder medication upon opening". This seems counterproductive for an app that
you may want to glance at during the film, to say the least...

[1]:
[https://itunes.apple.com/app/id450326239?mt=8](https://itunes.apple.com/app/id450326239?mt=8)

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paul9290
We created something similar, but it lets you listen to the movies audio on
your device using headphones.

We have a live demo on our site if interested -
[http://speakerblast.com](http://speakerblast.com).

We think 4D movies; movies that gets the audiences' devices involved into the
experience could be a way of the future. Similar to the texting PSA in China
created by Volkswagen (very effective).

~~~
erikano
>We think 4D movies; movies that gets the audiences' devices involved into the
experience could be a way of the future.

That is certainly an interesting idea. I'm thinking, though, that getting it
to work and be stable across the many devices we have is prohibitly difficult.

If I were to do something like this, I'd look at the Firefox OS phones. I
don't think they are ready yet, but crazy cheap Firefox OS phones will come.
They target developing countries, but would also be good for something like
this. So when people buy their ticket, you also sell them this cheap device
which you've prepared so that it'll work out of the box. It'll be similar to
the way they currently sell 3D glasses at the cinemas.

~~~
paul9290
No, it wouldn't be too hard.

Here's a live demo where we turn a small crowd & their devices into the
movie's sound system. [http://vimeo.com/71647538](http://vimeo.com/71647538)

~~~
paul9290
Oops just noticed I linked to turning an audience and their devices into a
stereo system.

Here's the movie clip I speak of above
[http://vimeo.com/m/93899424](http://vimeo.com/m/93899424)

This is new(ish) type of technology that requires solid and FAST Internet. It
may or may not work in various countries based on Internet speeds (10Mbps or
higher is recommended ... Possibly 5Mbps of higher could work too. )

~~~
erikano
For future versions, maybe you could do local position tracking and use that
to make surround sound?

Or better yet, if the audience is on numbered seats, print a QR code on their
ticket which gives them an URL that includes their seat number as a parameter.

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patrickdavey
I went to the movies on Friday, the guy in the seat ahead was looking at his
(bright) phone ~ 5-10 times during the movie.. it was pretty annoying. I
really hope this sort of thing doesn't become the norm to be honest!

~~~
downandout
Apparently it uses vibration.

 _" The Timer is our ace in the hole. You start it when the movie begins and
it will vibrate before each Peetime"_

~~~
mbrutsch
I've been using it for years, and it's awesome.

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mleonhard
The Android app demands permission to access Photos/Media/Files. This app has
no reason to read my images, videos, audio, or external storage. :(

Not installing.

~~~
reedlaw
You could use XPrivacy[1] and prevent access to anything you wish.

1\. [http://www.xprivacy.eu/](http://www.xprivacy.eu/)

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drallison
There is another, less high-tech, approach. Use Depend(TM)underwear or
equivalent and simply pee as needed. Simple and non-disruptive to the movie
experience of other patrons in the theater. Seems to me that the urge to solve
all problems with an App is not a good trend.

~~~
foxylad
I'm probably just giving in to my terroristic anti-consumerism pinko
tendencies, but... don't buy a soda?

~~~
nnnnni
You'd like a small Coke? Okay, that'll be $4.

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mikestew
Movies in the U. S. _used_ to have intermissions. _2001_ has been mentioned
here. More recently, _Tess of the D'Urbervilles_ and _Ghandi_ in the 80s. (All
of these from memory, I'm sure there are other examples.) It seems that after
that cinemas just didn't do it anymore.

I understand that cinemas want you in and out as quickly as possible. At the
same it would seem they can sell more high-margin soft drinks and popcorn if
folks are given the opportunity to do so. In fact, there's no way in hell I'm
buying anything at all even before the movie starts if I know it's a 3 hour
"epic" that won't have an intermission. I'm going into that with a bladder
that resembles Death Valley.

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kyberias
Here's a metric for the overall quality of a given film: the relative amount
of pee-time.

~~~
RunPee
That's a common comment but actually isn't true. Some great movies have
fantastic Peetimes. Take for instance Captain America: Winter Soldier. (Lets
not debate how good the movie was. I think it was at the very least a well
told story.)

At any rate it has a fantastic Peetime. There's an entire 4+ minute span of
Steve and Natasha entering the old Army base where Shield began. There's
almost no dialog, it's just them searching as the tension builds. As a story
telling device it's an important scene - building the tension. But if you need
to take care of some urgent biological needs this makes a perfect time to run
and pee. :-)

~~~
dajohnson89
I think you missed his point. He said "relative" amount of Peetime. Meaning if
a 2-hour movie has 1 hour of Peetime, you may want to pass on that movie
altogether.

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skrebbel
I hope that a few movie directors see this app and will make it their next
challenge to not allow any convenient pee break.

I guess "Crank" comes quite close.

~~~
RunPee
I don't think that's the case at all. Most good stories ebb and flow. It's
important to give the viewer a chance to relax and build up tension before
another exciting scene. But you're right, "Crank" is one of those movies that
puts the peddle to the metal and doesn't let off. There is of course merit to
that type of story telling as well.

~~~
pdpi
Ebb and flow doesn't necessarily mean dead time. Gravity had plenty of changes
in pace, yet I don't think it had a single pee break in it.

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smoyer
I usually make sure I've emptied myself out before the movie starts, then
return to the "loo" sometime after the movie has completed. If the director
left a scene in a movie, at least one person thought it was important enough
to be watched ... after screening a film, I sometimes think the whole movie
was a pee-time.

~~~
bdcravens
I usually try to go during a scene I've seen online (for example, XMen:DoFP
had the airplane scene that was available online well before the movie came
out)

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benbristow
Decent idea but don't cinemas normally frown on people using phones during a
film?

~~~
tomphoolery
When they're talking on them...

~~~
lnanek2
Nope, I've definitely been told to put phones away in movie theaters. People
consider the bright screens, even at full dimness, a distraction.

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fiatjaf
There should be a category for this kind of project (and a lot of others):
"too much work for too little benefit".

I really think there are more important things to do with all this technology.

~~~
wmeredith
>> I really think there are more important things to do with all this
technology.

Then get crackin' buddy ;)

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dallasgutauckis
I made a mock integration of this for a coding challenge in NYC last week and
won a free Android Wear watch:
[https://plus.google.com/103860840652017295649/posts/5qQ2djiV...](https://plus.google.com/103860840652017295649/posts/5qQ2djiV4AH)

They should implement something similar, given the watch concept is
significantly less intrusive and… bright.

~~~
RunPee
Believe me, this is something I've been thinking about. Hopefully by year's
end I'll have some integration like this. Not that it takes that long to
develop, but I have a lot of other things on my plate right now.

Also, integration with Google Glasses. #WIN

~~~
jfoster
Sounds like a good idea on the surface of it, but I think most Google Glass
owners would probably take it off during a movie in the cinema. It would
probably feel slightly distracting with such a big screen in front of you.
Glass does sit a bit above your right eye, but not to the extent that it's
completely unnoticeable.

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jbkkd
I'd love to see an app the combines Popcorn time with this. Instead of just
reading about the missed parts, it'll stream the relevant part on your phone.
Obviously it would have to be legal, therefore with some kind of partnership
with the studios, and should recognize the scene you left the movie.

That is, if you're ok with using a phone while peeing.

~~~
codechick
ew! Why do so many ppl use their phone while on the toilet!

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shekhar101
Are those celeb reviews for real? Excellent app :D

~~~
cronin101
I highly doubt that Stephen Fry would miss-spell "Lets".

~~~
parisidau
[https://twitter.com/stephenfry/status/459689832986734592](https://twitter.com/stephenfry/status/459689832986734592)

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Yahivin
Why not just stream the scene to you on your phone while you're in the
bathroom?

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Jehar
This leads to what strikes me as a potentially negative heuristic for
determining what moments in a given film have worth. Summer flick drivel
aside, would RunPee assign a high pee time to, say, Drive, which has a
significant amount of mood-setting long shots without any dialogue or plot-
relevant action?

Excuse me for probably taking this too far, but this app seems to imply that
films are merely the sum of plot-related scenes, and that doesn't sit quite
well with me. Would the app consider every establishing shot in Alien to be
pee-able?

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tobych
If this app were ever to be wildly successful, enough people would try to
leave the theater at the same time that cinema operators would either lock the
toilets or start having intermissions.

~~~
comboy
It's not their problem. Possibly people would just not leave if too many left
already since with waiting in the queue they could not make it back on time.

Btw, I think we had startups like this already. Is it the same one with some
more sexy domain or something different?

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gpvos
This is what smartphones were made for.

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brownbat
I guess we're at the point where each of us carry around sufficient technology
to give us subtitles on demand, useful if we missed a few lines of dialogue.

(We're probably not socially or legally cool with that, though.)

Ooh, a more experimental place like the Alamo Drafthouse might be able to pull
off restrooms attached to each individual theater, simulcasting the show onto
screens in there. Licensing for extra screens, even tiny ones, might be
complicated though...

Here's to home viewing I guess.

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foreigner
I use this app on Android. It's awesome. My only criticism is it's ad-
supported. I would gladly pay lots of money for am ad-free version of this
app.

~~~
DanBC
How easy is it for devs to release two versions of an app on the various app
places?

One is free but ad supported; the other has a single upfront cost and no ads.

~~~
voltagex_
I've seen it done three ways on Android:

* A link in the app to an "Unlocker" which is detected by the main app and removes the ads

* An IAP that removes the ads

* A pro vs free version of the app.

I can't answer your question directly but I know that the IAP is a few lines
of code in Google's billing APIs.

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tootie
I have to ask: why is this an app and not a web site?

~~~
delucain
Because it vibrates during the best times to run and pee. That way you never
have to look at your bright phone in a dark theater. At the Alamo Drafthouse
in Texas looking at your phone even once can get you removed from the theater
if you're noticed.

------
mhb
Previous discussion:

[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=626083](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=626083)

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cjf4
I remember hearing Jordan Palmer (Carson Palmer's little brother) talk about
this on Hard Knocks a few years ago.

~~~
driftsumi-e
Exactly. It's not new. I'm a little curious why this has resurfaced now.

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facepalm
Great idea, but how do they find the good times - simply by watching all
movies? That might get old pretty fast.

~~~
rmason
A friend of mine knows the guy and both he and his wife do attend all the
movies. His Twitter handle is @PolyGeek.

I know people who won't go to a movie on opening weekend because it isn't on
runpee.com yet. If Hollywood was smart they'd give them advance screening
privileges.

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sareon
This is a great idea but I don't think it's unique. I remember a similar app
that was on the iPhone when those apps first came out. I remember looking at
it but it had a cost to download it so I never did use it. I just can't
remember what it was called.

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mhb
Opportunity for integration with Arduino-Based Bathroom Occupancy Detector:

[http://robots.thoughtbot.com/arduino-bathroom-occupancy-
dete...](http://robots.thoughtbot.com/arduino-bathroom-occupancy-detector)

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makeset
I've been using RunPee for a long time, and it's been fantastic. Yes, they
broke it a couple of times, but whatever, seems fine now. If I have to get a
new phone, the essentials I need are text, email, maps, and RunPee.

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afterburner
Great use for RunPee: finding out if any movie has extra scenes after the
credits.

~~~
idlehands
This. I've been using it for a couple of years (old version, no timer) and it
has saved me so many times from being frustrated later that I missed a scene
in the credits.

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kmfrk
Last I used it, they pushed an update that completely broke the app, because
the performance was so bad. I loved it before, but the ratings suggest it's
still bricked, so let someone buy the app, before you do.

~~~
RunPee
What? No one told me. Sometimes things get crossed up during updates. Happens
to all apps, iOS and Android. Uninstall and reinstall fixes it 99% of the
time.

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apricot
I envision an app called "Monkey Pissing" that enables users to reserve their
spot at the urinal during specific times. "Get paid $13 an hour just to piss!"

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ChuckMcM
At some point these folks:
[http://www.oneonthego.com/](http://www.oneonthego.com/) will sense a
marketing opportunity.

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meshko
But if this app ever becomes really popular it will render itself useless
because there will be huge lines in the bathrooms.

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stefan_kendall3
I can't make it through a movie without peeing at least once, if not twice.
The app works well.

~~~
RunPee
Very happy to hear it. I'd love to hear exactly how you use the app and if
there's anything you think I can do to improve the experience. It's certainly
a tricky situation: making an app usable during a movie without bothering the
other people around you. Email me: Dan@RunPee.com if you have any feedback.

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seshakiran
Would this tell where the bathrooms are located and how long will it take you
to get there and back? May be that will help to decide to leave or not.
Imaginne getting notifications from the bathroom that you have a stall
available to Run and Pee :D

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emeidi
Silicon Valley, saving the world, one app at a time ...

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kken
I had to laugh

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qwerta
That is great idea.

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auvi
innovation, at the vanguard

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zwieback
For guys, if you use this app too often you might want to have your prostate
checked out. I used to leave in the middle of a movie but post-op cancer
surgery I luckily don't need this app anymore. I was in my early 40s when I
was diagnosed so it's not just old geezers who should be aware. Luckily most
cases are benign, though.

~~~
collyw
Is it safe to assume that since I have always peed a lot, I am OK?

At university (nearly 20 years ago) I had a friend who was the same (or worse)
than me. He was a bit of a hypochondriac, went to the doc, got tested for
diabetes, and a number of other things. They shoved an endoscope up his parts
(most painful thing ever, he said) and told him he had a weak bladder, deal
with it. Since hearing that story, I have basically ignored the problem.

~~~
judk
After 20 years, maybe get a second opinion from modern medicine.

~~~
collyw
I think he and myself are both in decent health.

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ignu
yes, please use your bright-ass smart phone in the middle of the movie
theater. distract every person behind you while you figure out when would be
the most convenient time for you to pee.

(this is why i don't go to movies anymore.)

~~~
daybreaker2
yes, please dont read the features of the app and instead make a snarky reply
full of assumptions that are actually incorrect.

(this is why i dont go into the comments section anymore.)

~~~
dang
Please don't reply to snark with more snark.

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linker3000
I'd rather have an app that screens all the other moviegoers so that I can
arrange to sit in an area where I'm not surrounded by people who have some
kind of Pavlovian response that 'movie' = 'feed my face with crunchy popcorn,
slurpy drinks and sweets from a noisy plastic bag'.

People: You will not die if you go without carbs for a couple of hours.

~~~
maaaats
For many, including me, going to a cinema is to treat ourselves and have a
good time. If all I wanted was to watch a movie, I could've done that at home.

~~~
linker3000
You have a 30ft screen and dts surround sound at home? Wow!

~~~
maaaats
What a weak attempt at an argument. Of course I don't have, what is your
point?

~~~
linker3000
Well, like you, I go to the cinema because it has the facilities I can't
afford to have at home - but while I sit there quietly, trying to enjoy a
movie and not disturb anyone, all I can often hear is the noise of people
around me eating, spilling popcorn, passing trays of food between family
members and friends, or rummaging in packaging to fish out more food.

Seriously, this isn't worth developing into a long thread, and it's not
personal, but it's not my idea of a "treat" to sit passively for an hour or so
while ingesting over a thousand calories or pure carbs* - that's a diabetic
and heart-crushing, self-harming time bomb.

*WebMD: "To save you money (how thoughtful), theaters offer combos. For example, for a mere $12 Regal hands you a medium popcorn and a medium soft drink, and AMC dishes up a large popcorn and a large soda," write CSPI researchers in their report published in the Nutrition Action Healthletter. "Where else can you be so distracted (by the movie) that you don't realize you've just swallowed 1,400 to 1,600 calories?"

