Living without the Internet is a difficult task in this day and age. Accessibility to online media, however, has become easier for those with auditory and visual disabilities. Audiopoint, a voice data solutions enterprise, has been in the business of text-to-voice services since 1998. The reason it’s still around is simple: it listens to its clients and gives them what they want.
The D.C.-based company is gearing up to release version 1.5 of Voice Terminal Service (VTS), a system provides instant access to user-defined Internet content in real time over any phone. With access to multiple applications, including email clients and Google Calendar, company executives hope the service can net a wider-audience. “It’s not just for [the] blind, but also for [the] elderly who aren’t tech savvy and people who aren’t tied to a keyboard all day,” says Brian Lichorowic, CEO of Audiopoint. There is no software to install, subscribers need only to dial-in.
Included within VTS is Notifier, a proactive and reactive broadcast system that securely pushes important information to up to 5,000 individual recipients with single-point activation and delivery authentication. “Instead of just having a dumb alert coming to your phone saying you have an email, [the system] will ask you to login, and allows you to work the alert,” Lichorowic says, adding that a user can add the information to a calendar or forward the alert in an email to someone else.
Notifier messages can be based on keyword, weather or even medical alerts. In a partnership with Informedix, a medical adherence company, users can get reminder alerts to take medications or a phone call from the company asking how they feel that day. Should something be wrong, the call can immediately be forwarded to emergency services.
Audiopoint’s products are currently in English as well as some accessibility in French. VTS will soon come be available in Spanish, and possibly Greek. Lichorowic adds that he wants to make newspaper feeds involved as well. “It’s becoming voice-enabled OS, allowing the Internet to be available to anyone anywhere without a keyboard.”
While many other voice-to-text operations have been bought by larger companies or defaulted onto other products, Lichorowic says his company has survived because they continually evolve based on user feedback. In a partnership with Earthlink voice services, developers have brought easier access to email via phone, and more applications, after getting thousands of emails about what the clientele needed. He adds that when getting feedback, he finds that respondents “just hear better” on what needs to change. He says they often tell him, “We use that sense differently from you.”
Networking is essential to business in any industry. However, when traveling on business, meeting people in the same field can be difficult when you’re not familiar to an area. MeetingWave, an online service that helps business travelers connect, allows users to schedule public meetings in locations like hotel restaurants to which other users in those cities can request an invitation.
“Our target user is people who need to network for work,” says John Boyd, founder and CEO of MeetingWave, including consultants, service providers, and retailers. A secondary goal would be social networkers, he says, including those networking with fellow alumni, trade associations, those who want to meet new people, are new to town, or traveling. There is a portal for those looking for romantic invitations, but those are usually only found through advanced searches.
Starting out as an associate lawyer at a small patent firm in New York City, Boyd recalls often going on business trips and staying in hotels in remote areas, where usually the hotel eatery was the only option for socializing. “In the hotel restaurant, you ate with 20 other people eating alone. I wondered who these people were. Related industry? Potential clients?” Thus, Boyd launched the web meeting service to encourage and facilitate easier networking.
MeetingWave has both Facebook and Bebo applications, and launched a mobile version of the site in June. The mobile app works on Blackberry, iPhone and other mobile browsers, and there are preliminary plans for a full-fledged iPhone app based on geographical location. “What we want to do is allow people to be notified in a certain radius of where you are,” Boyd says, “We’ll notify the person when an invite of interest is posted.”
Content is currently English only, and most invitations are located in the United States and the United Kingdom, in urban areas. “Most of our invites are being posted near people’s home or work,” Boyd says. However, he adds that invites can be posted anywhere, citing a recent invite accepted in Bangladesh.
The networking site also re-launched their blog. “Our goal is to allow users to promote themselves,” Boyd says, allowing members to submit testimonials, articles, and public invites. MeetingWave also has plans to debut a new widget, allowing a blogger to post invitations and events on their personal sites. In November, Boyd says they’re hoping to add some features to the site, including safe search and email alert features. “We want to make functionality as seamless as possible.”
Not everyone is a computer whiz it always easy to get your computer repaired. It often involves driving somewhere, shipping your desktop or laptop off to some factory, or paying hundreds of dollars to have a repairperson stop by your home or office. PlumChoice offers assistance via secure Internet connection and is upgrading their level of service.
PlumChoice was founded by Ted Werth in 2001 for consumers and small businesses that needed tech support but couldn’t find one person to help them without having to drive over. Services range from digital camera installation to training users how to use Windows Vista. PlumChoice also offers IT service to small businesses (usually in the 1 to 20 employee-sized range) for companies that can’t afford to keep someone around full-time. After seven years, the company has expanded to assisting larger organizations as well, including a program and partnership with Circuit City, firedog services. However, the core of the business is helping individuals without hassles or frustration.
Next week, the Massachusetts-based venture, will be releasing Alert Me, a proactive desktop agent which alerts customers of problems with their computers and if they want assistance. “Consumers have been asking somewhat for this, but it’s a more advanced feature,” says Fred King, vice president of sales and marketing at PlumChoice. “We don’t want anyone to feel like there’s a big brother feature. But we think that customers get so frustrated and don’t know where to help, and this is just the next step.”
The secure online support system uses underlying software from third-parties with a 128-bit AES SLL encryption to ensure security and privacy when accessing computers. Once the technicians are done, they can never log on to a consumer’s computer again without reapproval. All work, including video of mouse movements and phone conversations, is recorded so the customer is completely protected. King says, “We ultimately want to help consumers integrate every piece of technology in the home.”
Is the paper resume outdated? Despite the stress of dealing with thousands of stacks of resumes and the time it takes to go through all of them, no one has figured out an innovative replacement or more efficient examination method -- until now. On October 15, Zapoint, Inc. launched the world’s first Talent Platform, a web-based talent management platform for recruiting, developing and retaining talent. Through a calculated point system and algorithm, site developers argue that their enterprise is the most objective and efficient way of sifting through applications.
“It becomes an interactive process, and it is competitive in an inclusive environment,” says Chris Twyman, CEO of Zapoint, “We can have an end-to-end process and eliminate inefficiency in the marketplace.”
One particularly interesting amenity is Life Chart, a graph that essentially creates a stock chart of one’s career. The ultimate goal is to provide resumes that are much more consumable documents. “Looking at a Life Chart, in five seconds you can get a great sense of the person,” Twyman says, “If you look at a word document resume, you have to read it from start to finish to get an understanding [of the candidate].”
There are two ways to develop a Life Chart: either upload an existing resume and it’s automatically converted or a user can follow a few online steps in creating one from scratch. Zapoint’s service is free to professionals, and is available by subscription to small and large enterprises as well as universities.
In 2009, Zapoint is launching a new program with social networks with a member range of 500,000 to 2 million active participants. Twyman remained mum on the details but says, “If it works, it could change the landscape for recruiting.”
Let’s face it: the U.S. presidential election is dominating our lives and won’t stop until November 4. Might as well have some fun with it, right? Luckily, Halloween falls before Election Day, making it the opportune time to get creatively political. Not to mention, its great for business. According to the National Retail Federation’s 2008 Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions survey, approximately 574,000 adults plan to slip on some sort of political costume on October 31.
Most Halloween stores carry Barack Obama and John McCain face masks, which go well with a dapper suit and a blue or red tie. If you’re a little strapped for cash this year (who isn’t?), the Chicago Tribune offers some nice printable cut-outs you can tie around your head with some string. For tips to dress like ANYONE running for president or vice president, their spouses, down to their kids, New York magazine has a full-run down.
Tina Fey might have gotten there first, but expect plenty of party-goers dressing up as Republican vice presidential candidate, Governor Sarah Palin. The good news is you don’t have to spend $150,000 to get the look, as there are plenty of options out there. For instance, when I popped into a Ricky’s Halloween Store in New York, choices included “Sexy Palin Trapper” and “Miss Alaska,” which included an American flag bikini and a pageant sash that reads “Miss Alaska” on the front and “Miss Vice President” on the back. (I found it particularly amusing that the “White Russian” costume was strategically placed next to the Palin costumes.)
I, myself, will be hitting the streets this Friday, as Gov. Palin. I’m going for the conservative, debate-look, complete with the rimless glasses and rhinestone-American flag pin. For those of you would also like to try the Palin hair-do, there’s an online tutorial here, but if you don’t have the necessary long brown locks, you can pick up a wig.
Google may be one of the greatest innovations of the decade, but one could argue there’s a lot of clutter. Smaller, more niche search engines are popping up to cut through all the flotsam. One such site is Twing, a search engine scouting out information in discussion forums.
“The main goal is to let people quickly find relevant content within the social spaces of online discussions,” says Scott Germaise, director of product management at Twing. The initial focus of the search engine was and continues to be in forums, which he acknowledges “seems a little bit dated” but argues that forums retain an incredible depth and wealth of content.
Most of the buzz among Web 2.0 users is about blogs and social networking, but forums shouldn’t be counted out yet. According to a Forrester-Groundswell study of over 10,000 U.S. consumers, 28% of internet users read online forums and discussion groups, while 25% read blogs.
Alternative search engines are innovating the way both individuals and businesses alike do research. “There’s a value toward segregating content by certain types of information, Germaise says. “If you look at major search engines, they don’t have a segregated area for this content. They don’t make it easy for you to get it. Page popularity is not going to get you the best stuff.” Business owners can also use niche engines as a new medium to better engage their clients. “What we allow brand managers to do is find out what people are saying about their products. Is there a business opportunity here that I’m missing? In the scope of social media, I think it’s increasingly important to find out what real people are saying.”
Twing developers are hoping to expand into other social media discussion spaces beyond forums, as well as adding more widgets and getting to the content in more forums.
Do you think searching forums could help small or large businesses?
We’re always looking for an easier, more secure way of getting a hold of contact information, whether its personal or professional acquaintances. Telnic, a UK-based registry operator, launched what their developers call the “webless web” platform, opening the door to resources and open source code for third-party developers on October 15.
.tel is a new hub granting easy access to individuals and businesses from any device connected to the Internet -- without HTML. Contact information is linked to a domain name system (DNS). “What we do is a fundamentally different use of DNS,” says Justin Hayward, communications director at Telnic. He adds that the only IP address stored in the DNS leads to a proxy page, allowing information to be viewed through a browser. Because it doesn’t use HTML it transmits small amounts of data, which can be accessed faster, particularly helpful on mobile devices.
What .tel is providing is twofold, Hayward says. As an individual user, one can use .tel as a bin for storing contact information. The network is safe because a user can hide or encrypt information in DNS and only release it to people with designated authority. From a business perspective, .tel offers three things: a listing in global directory, search engine optimization (SEO) as it has structured information and keywords indexed by search engines like Google, and finally, while a small or large enterprise can have a presence online, the hub enhances the way customers can get in touch. Address book entries are instantly updated on the platform when a contact revises his or her account, thus, the person’s contacts never have to worry about changing individual profiles themselves.
Developers have already created plug-in applications for the iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Mobile and Microsoft Outlook. With the iPhone 3G, a user can click into his or her address book or find a contact. Using the GPS function and .tel location records, one can locate a friend and give the person a call to grab a cup of coffee nearby. .tel isn’t available on the Google Android platform yet, but Hayward says the potential is there. “What we’re hoping is that developers will get fired up by this and develop a number of different things,” Hayward says.
The platform will be released to business owners on December 3 and to the general public on February 3, 2009.
If you want your business to be noticed, design is everything. However, a lot of startups and small businesses often don’t have the budget for an in-house design department. In an effort to facilitate the connection between freelance designers and small businesses, there’s 99designs, an online crowdsourcing contest that creates a forum for designers to showcase their work and win new clients. The Melbourne, Australia-based operation just opened up their American headquarters in San Francisco.
“The main thing that 99designs is about is choice,” says Matt Mickiewicz, the U.S. office representative for 99designs, “It’s a fantastic model that eliminates risk for small business owners and puts designers on equal footing.” Designers can be of any age, background or level of experience to post designs on the site, making the site a great lead-generator. “It doesn’t matter if you’re 15 or 60. It’s completely based on merit.” Most participants are students and freelancers, but Mickiewicz says that several designers have managed to make a living out of the site, including a designer in Romania who earned approximately $25,000 USD.
The process begins when a small business owner or entrepreneur posts a wanted listing on the site, with details of what they want designed and a budget for the project. Then designers can jump in and submit concept designs. In a recent design brief from an eCommerce pet site looking for a logo, the client asked that the product have a “clean design, a nice use of stable, yet soft colors, with professional art,” but not “tacky use of ‘Paws’ or ‘Pets.’”
Anyone can comment and give feedback to designers. Typically within a week, the owner will pick a winner. Often times, Mickiewicz says, when the client finds a winning designer, they work with them on additional projects like business cards, banner ads, etc.. Designers can use the site as lead-generation for their own careers.
Over 20,000 active designers participate on the site. 250 to 300 contests are active at any time, with $90,000 to 100,000 up for grabs each week. Site moderators say that new designs are posted to the website every 30 seconds.
The clientele is primarily small businesses, ranging from a lone entrepreneur to a company with 50 or 100 employees that typically don’t have a graphic designer in-house. Mickiewicz says that 99designs attracts a lot of work from charities and non-profits as well as startup companies in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley.
Currently, 99designs is only available in English but developers are looking to expand to additional languages in the near future. The key now is developing a community for designers and provide contests that generate inspiration and innovation. Mickiewicz affirms, “We live for the designers.”
As a frequent flyer between American coasts, I have become a regular customer of JetBlue, with its typically cheap(er) nonstop flights from New York’s JFK airport to San Francisco. I still remember the first time I landed in JetBlue’s Terminal 6 in August 2007. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a dingy, crowded, sorry excuse of a baggage claim area and the upstairs departures terminal wasn’t any nicer.
That is all but a distant memory, as JetBlue has cut the ribbon on its newly renovated T5 terminal – just in time for the holiday season. The state-of-the-art aviation hub is equipped with 65 check-in kiosks, 20 security lanes and a children’s play area. The terminal has a more airy feel thanks to the huge floor-to-ceiling windows with their bright silver and blue design palette. Another new amenity getting plenty of buzz is the gourmet food court, with over 20 cafes and restaurants. Normally, I detest airport food, with its over-inflated pricing and sheer lack of appetizing options. However, at least now passing the time waiting for a delayed flight (Let’s not kid ourselves completely; things won’t change that much as this is still JFK airport), won’t be as bad. As an additional perk for the business travelers, JetBlue’s terminal will continue to be a free Wi-Fi zone.
The first flight landed and disembarked at the new terminal this morning from Burbank, CA at 5 a.m. EST, to a crowd of cheers from JetBlue employees. The discount-domestic carrier has been touting the opening for over a year, and retail and restaurant developments delayed the originally-planned October 1 opening. Airline officials say the new terminal will facilitate traffic better than ever before with 26 gates and the capacity to handle 500 daily departures and arrivals.
See more Fast Company coverage here, and for coverage of today’s happenings and photos check out JetBlue’s live blog.
New Yorkers took back the streets on Saturday -- again. Park(ing) Day Redux sprung up in Chelsea on October 18th, a reprise of the global one-day event in which artists, activists and community members design installations and transform parking spaces into public spaces. The green community movement, which got started in New York in 2005, is meant to “provide a breath of relief from the auto-clogged reality of New York City, and aim to spark a dialogue about our valuable public space and how we choose to use it,” according to the Park(ing) Day NYC website.
In partnership with the Eyebeam Art and Technology Center, select installations set up shop again on a block of West 21st Street. Designs included a cloud car emitting a refreshing mist, a collection of 88 inverted cones hanging, and an eco-bake sale. At the end of the day, an army of cardboard-clad soldiers took to the street in front of the design studio. While I’m not sure what the intention or message of the corrugated-corps spectacle was, in a city where one can become jaded to all things weird and eclectic, it caught my attention.
