If I could create an app for my blackberry, it would be an app that could easily help me find things in my large purses. My bags literally swallow my keys, wallet, phone, etc. I want an app that could somehow locate the object right away, so I don't have to go searching around for it; which takes forever! I want to create a convenient app that will allow me to find what I'm looking for within seconds.
While doing some research, I found an app that works only for Droid called the Cobra Tags. "The tag can be attached to keys, a bag, or pretty much anything that is easy to lose or to forget. Both the tag and the phone can be used to find each other if in range." says a website which covers a story on the new app. http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2011/04/cobra-tags-find-lost-keys-with-your-android-phone/
The app itself is free, but the Cobra Tag is $60. The only inconvenience is having a bulky, large tag attached to whatever item you are trying to prevent from losing. You can't take it off, or else the whole system would be pointless. The tag should have been made smaller, micro sized, so that it would be more manageable and less noticeable on the item.
Another website goes on to explain another app which allows you to do nearly the same thing. "Zomm is described as a wireless leash. It's the size of a key fob and works with your cellphone's Bluetooth transmitter. If you walk out of your house or your office and leave the phone more than thirty feet behind, the Zomm starts vibrating, then flashes and sounds an alarm." http://www.aarp.org/technology/innovations/info-08-2011/find-it-faster.html
It is sold for around $50-$90. The Zomm is small, compact and easy to use; unlike the Cobra tag. The Zomm also features a speakerphone button and an emergency call button, which is more than the Cobra Tag features, and it is slightly cheaper if found at the right place. Another good thing about the Zomm is that if you lose the actual Zomm piece, you can reverse the method and use your phone to trace its location. So either way, you'll always be preventing yourself from losing your items, AND the wireless leash itself.
Actually creating an app is a very lengthy process. "As in all things related to software development, the goal of your app will be to provide a solution to a set of end users" says a website which explains further into how you actually make your own app. http://gigaom.com/apple/preparing-to-write-your-first-iphone-app/
They are saying you must make your app so that it targets a certain crowd of people, that way it can generate and get revenue. The app also has to be convenient and easy to use. The site also recommends you document every idea and thought, "Before you commit any code to your new project, take some time to document your end-user experience." You want to know how your product works so that you can successfully sell it to others.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Week 3 EOC: My Demographics
Millennials: These are people born between the years of 1977 and 2000, approximately 83 million people were born in the millennials time. This is divided among 3 sections of people; tweens, teens, and young adults. They also have a massive amount of purchase power, exceeding more than 733 billion. I think I fit the description of a millennial pretty well; especially the parts of being very active within technology and spending large amounts of money as well.
In the textbook, they state, "One thing that all of the Millennials have in common is their utter fluency and comfort with digital technology"; I've never really known a life without technology, except for when I was much younger and computers were just becoming popular within the market. I've basically grown up knowing mobile phones, computer sites, and technology in general; so I'm really good with technology. I've also been able to learn a lot through technology, to the point where I almost depend on it for my sources and up to date information. "They don’t just embrace technology, it’s a way of life" says the textbook, which is exactly how I view technology, it's just there and my way of living."
I've also noticed a lot of people my age tend to spend much more than older adults or elders. I think this is because we as teens or young adults, always want something new. Whether you're a gamer who wants the next new video game or a fashionista who's constantly buying new clothes to keep up with current trends. The millennials all have basic hobbies; but to support our hobbies, we have to spend money. The market uses this to their advantage, because they know that teens or young adults NEED and WANT their products; so sometimes they'll even price their products at a high amount. I personally, am always shopping! I'm willing to pay ridiculous amounts of money to buy the clothing that I see and like. People who grew up in the generation x or baby boomers, are not as willing to spend; this is because they grew up in a generation that was not as materialist as the millennials. "With total purchasing power of more than $733 billion, the Millennials make up a huge and attractive market" says our textbook.
In the textbook, they state, "One thing that all of the Millennials have in common is their utter fluency and comfort with digital technology"; I've never really known a life without technology, except for when I was much younger and computers were just becoming popular within the market. I've basically grown up knowing mobile phones, computer sites, and technology in general; so I'm really good with technology. I've also been able to learn a lot through technology, to the point where I almost depend on it for my sources and up to date information. "They don’t just embrace technology, it’s a way of life" says the textbook, which is exactly how I view technology, it's just there and my way of living."
I've also noticed a lot of people my age tend to spend much more than older adults or elders. I think this is because we as teens or young adults, always want something new. Whether you're a gamer who wants the next new video game or a fashionista who's constantly buying new clothes to keep up with current trends. The millennials all have basic hobbies; but to support our hobbies, we have to spend money. The market uses this to their advantage, because they know that teens or young adults NEED and WANT their products; so sometimes they'll even price their products at a high amount. I personally, am always shopping! I'm willing to pay ridiculous amounts of money to buy the clothing that I see and like. People who grew up in the generation x or baby boomers, are not as willing to spend; this is because they grew up in a generation that was not as materialist as the millennials. "With total purchasing power of more than $733 billion, the Millennials make up a huge and attractive market" says our textbook.
Week 3 EOC: Making Money for Good
1. The Invisible People-
Ford sponsored Mark Hovarth's campaign, The Invisible People; which is a fight to help homeless people escape their unfortunate living situation. Homeless people usually go unseen or not thought of as a major problem; but the increase in homelessness is rising due to the downfall of the economy. There aren't enough charities or campaigns that target homelessness, so this big movement is in play is a right step in the direction. Mark Hovarth himself says, “I not only feel their pain, I truly know their pain. I lived their pain. You’d never know it now, but I was a homeless person. Fourteen years ago, I lived on Hollywood Boulevard. But today, I find myself looking away, ignoring the faces, avoiding their eyes – and I’m ashamed when I realize I’m doing it. But I really can feel their pain, and it is almost unbearable, but it’s just under the surface of my professional exterior.” http://www.thefordstory.com/our-articles/cuvs/flex/mark-horvath-is-using-a-ford-to-make-invisible-people-visible/?moved=true
It's important that the person who is running the campaign has also struggled through the same issue, because it makes him more relatable and also makes the person feel more comfortable telling their story. The Invisible People is raising awareness to others by even doing a televised event that allows the homeless to broadcast their stories, which makes others want to get involved and help the unfortunate.Being homeless is not okay, whatever their circumstance, we need to go to great lengths to also help them out as well as other special needs.
2.The Invisible Children-
The Invisible Children's mission statement is, "Invisible children uses film, creativity, and social action to end the use of child soldiers in Joseph Kony's rebel war and restore LRA-affected communities in central Africa to peace and prosperity." http://invisiblechildren.com/
Children are kidnapped and forced into becoming soldiers against their will. The campaign has traveled to colleges, high schools, churches and many other venues over a period of 7 years to aware the growing problem in Central Africa. You can buy tee shirts, bracelets or make monthly donations to support and protest against the cause to save these children. They also offer a Legacy Scholarship program, which offers a full merit scholarship to education to those who have been forced into being children soldiers, orphans and those living with HIV/AIDS. This gives the children hope for a better life rather than being forced into a terrible cult led by Joseph Kony.
The program also offers a bracelet campaign, in which all funds and profits go to the scholarship programs. There is also the protection plan, in which the program breaks down 5 of the main concerns for the invisible children, and let's you help:
1: Protection of Communities- which allows communities to be aware and alert when LRA violence is around.
2: Encouraging LRA Defection- This allows children to return safely home.
3: Providing Rehabilitation and Family Reunification- This is a center which prepares children for their homecoming, what they can expect and how to cope with the trauma of the LRA.
4: Post-Conflict Recovery- Supporting the recovery process.
5: Promoting the arrest of Joseph Kony and Top LRA Leadership- Invisible Children is constantly pushing the international community to appoint the arrest of Joseph Kony, to stop the children soldiers once and for all.
This organization strives to end child soldier endangerment, which I believe is an enormous threat to the Central African society. It's not fair for children to be forced into being soldiers, it's almost as equivalent to slavery.
3. Breast Cancer Awareness Month-
There is a whole month dedicated to the awareness of the breast cancer disease. Through out the month of October; corporations, stores, and people are doing the most they can to spread the word about breast cancer and how serious it really is. I've seen it all over the place this month, on paper bags from food stores, to being able to donate a certain amount in grocery stores. Everywhere you go in October, you just see pink, which is the symbolization of the pink breast cancer ribbon. I think it's great that so much advertising and campaigning goes into this cause, because it affects nearly 1 out of 4 women. Some people don't realize how serious the disease is, but the fact that they are going to such extensive efforts to get the word out and to raise money is amazing. People need to know the hard facts and be aware of the disease that surrounds them.
"The new focus on a cancer’s surroundings, researchers say, is a major shift in thinking about why cancer occurs and how to stop it." quotes an online website dedicated to breast cancer awareness. http://www.nbcam.org/
Ford sponsored Mark Hovarth's campaign, The Invisible People; which is a fight to help homeless people escape their unfortunate living situation. Homeless people usually go unseen or not thought of as a major problem; but the increase in homelessness is rising due to the downfall of the economy. There aren't enough charities or campaigns that target homelessness, so this big movement is in play is a right step in the direction. Mark Hovarth himself says, “I not only feel their pain, I truly know their pain. I lived their pain. You’d never know it now, but I was a homeless person. Fourteen years ago, I lived on Hollywood Boulevard. But today, I find myself looking away, ignoring the faces, avoiding their eyes – and I’m ashamed when I realize I’m doing it. But I really can feel their pain, and it is almost unbearable, but it’s just under the surface of my professional exterior.” http://www.thefordstory.com/our-articles/cuvs/flex/mark-horvath-is-using-a-ford-to-make-invisible-people-visible/?moved=true
It's important that the person who is running the campaign has also struggled through the same issue, because it makes him more relatable and also makes the person feel more comfortable telling their story. The Invisible People is raising awareness to others by even doing a televised event that allows the homeless to broadcast their stories, which makes others want to get involved and help the unfortunate.Being homeless is not okay, whatever their circumstance, we need to go to great lengths to also help them out as well as other special needs.
2.The Invisible Children-
The Invisible Children's mission statement is, "Invisible children uses film, creativity, and social action to end the use of child soldiers in Joseph Kony's rebel war and restore LRA-affected communities in central Africa to peace and prosperity." http://invisiblechildren.com/
Children are kidnapped and forced into becoming soldiers against their will. The campaign has traveled to colleges, high schools, churches and many other venues over a period of 7 years to aware the growing problem in Central Africa. You can buy tee shirts, bracelets or make monthly donations to support and protest against the cause to save these children. They also offer a Legacy Scholarship program, which offers a full merit scholarship to education to those who have been forced into being children soldiers, orphans and those living with HIV/AIDS. This gives the children hope for a better life rather than being forced into a terrible cult led by Joseph Kony.
The program also offers a bracelet campaign, in which all funds and profits go to the scholarship programs. There is also the protection plan, in which the program breaks down 5 of the main concerns for the invisible children, and let's you help:
1: Protection of Communities- which allows communities to be aware and alert when LRA violence is around.
2: Encouraging LRA Defection- This allows children to return safely home.
3: Providing Rehabilitation and Family Reunification- This is a center which prepares children for their homecoming, what they can expect and how to cope with the trauma of the LRA.
4: Post-Conflict Recovery- Supporting the recovery process.
5: Promoting the arrest of Joseph Kony and Top LRA Leadership- Invisible Children is constantly pushing the international community to appoint the arrest of Joseph Kony, to stop the children soldiers once and for all.
This organization strives to end child soldier endangerment, which I believe is an enormous threat to the Central African society. It's not fair for children to be forced into being soldiers, it's almost as equivalent to slavery.
3. Breast Cancer Awareness Month-
There is a whole month dedicated to the awareness of the breast cancer disease. Through out the month of October; corporations, stores, and people are doing the most they can to spread the word about breast cancer and how serious it really is. I've seen it all over the place this month, on paper bags from food stores, to being able to donate a certain amount in grocery stores. Everywhere you go in October, you just see pink, which is the symbolization of the pink breast cancer ribbon. I think it's great that so much advertising and campaigning goes into this cause, because it affects nearly 1 out of 4 women. Some people don't realize how serious the disease is, but the fact that they are going to such extensive efforts to get the word out and to raise money is amazing. People need to know the hard facts and be aware of the disease that surrounds them.
"The new focus on a cancer’s surroundings, researchers say, is a major shift in thinking about why cancer occurs and how to stop it." quotes an online website dedicated to breast cancer awareness. http://www.nbcam.org/
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Week 2 EOC: Boston Consulting Group- Video Games
The BCG consists of 4 elements; star, question mark, cash cow, and dog. In the video gaming industry, there are multiple consoles and gaming systems that fall into the 4 categories.
I feel like iPhone mobile games are at the top of the BCG which would be the star; they're mobile, easy to download, and fairly cheap. They are also much more convenient, instead of running out to the store to buy a game; you can just pull it up on your phone and play right then and there. "Mobile game development is among the fastest-growing avenues to the big bucks in technology today," says an article on a gaming website. http://www.blogger.com/goog_1511807857
The Wii console would fall into the question category. It has low growth since it's expensive, but high market rate since you can stream movies and shows through sites like Netflix. The dog would be play stations and play station portables, since they're not every popular anymore and don't really come with game bundles like other consoles. They are also way too expensive, which is why they had to make the drastic decision to drop their prices; especially with the portable play stations. "Sony Computer Entertainment America today announced a price reduction for the PlayStation Portable. Starting February 27, 2011, the system will be available for $129.99, down from its current price of $169.99" reports a video gaming website about how much play station has really plummeted. http://gamerant.com/
I think the cash cow would be the Xbox because there are lots of things you can do through the Xbox, and they also offer games where you can win money; so more people want that opportunity. "Games provide so much value that you don't necessarily need to buy other stuff," says Evan Wilson, a video game analyst. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124865158612682399.html#printMode This is where Xbox and iPhone come in, the tools themselves already have a lot that comes with it, which is why they're more successful than other consoles.
I feel like iPhone mobile games are at the top of the BCG which would be the star; they're mobile, easy to download, and fairly cheap. They are also much more convenient, instead of running out to the store to buy a game; you can just pull it up on your phone and play right then and there. "Mobile game development is among the fastest-growing avenues to the big bucks in technology today," says an article on a gaming website. http://www.blogger.com/goog_1511807857
The Wii console would fall into the question category. It has low growth since it's expensive, but high market rate since you can stream movies and shows through sites like Netflix. The dog would be play stations and play station portables, since they're not every popular anymore and don't really come with game bundles like other consoles. They are also way too expensive, which is why they had to make the drastic decision to drop their prices; especially with the portable play stations. "Sony Computer Entertainment America today announced a price reduction for the PlayStation Portable. Starting February 27, 2011, the system will be available for $129.99, down from its current price of $169.99" reports a video gaming website about how much play station has really plummeted. http://gamerant.com/
I think the cash cow would be the Xbox because there are lots of things you can do through the Xbox, and they also offer games where you can win money; so more people want that opportunity. "Games provide so much value that you don't necessarily need to buy other stuff," says Evan Wilson, a video game analyst. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124865158612682399.html#printMode This is where Xbox and iPhone come in, the tools themselves already have a lot that comes with it, which is why they're more successful than other consoles.
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