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Foodzy

By Cheryl | Posted in Android, Apple, Application | September 19, 2011 – 1:40 pm

FoodzyEveryone wants to lose weight and Foodzy might just be the perfect app to help you get your eating habits under control.

Foodzy is a self-funded start up based in Amsterdam, and launched to the public in April 2011. The concept is based around other popular apps such as Foursquare and GetGlue, where a user checks-in; the difference being is that the app is based around your diet during the day.

Whether you are having cereal for breakfast, a bbq with friends, or a few drinks after work, users are asked to ‘check-in’ and keep a complete log of what they have consumed during the day. Badges are rewarded for eating healthily and even for such milestones as having five bbq’s over the summer.

So, how can it help you to lose weight? By keeping a log of the calories (or ‘bits’ as it’s called in the app), you are able to view detailed statistics of your food habits and the amount you consume in a day. From this you can see were your diet needs to be altered and make the necessary changes.

Pricing

Foodzy Lite – Free

Your food record is kept for 30 days
Only certain badges are available in the lite version

Foodzy Pro – $15 per year

Unlimited storage of your check-ins
Earn all Foodzy badges!
Analyze your food habits in your personal Foodzy dashboard
Start Diet Plans
Foodzy on Mobile

http://foodzy.com

Postcards

By Cheryl | Posted in Android, Apple, Application | September 15, 2011 – 11:20 am

Postcards AppIn an age where everything is becoming digital, it’s nice to see an app like Postcards hit the market.

The app allows you to take a picture on your phone, add a message, submit an address, click send, and a physical postcard is sent to the person of your choosing. Yes, it’s that simple.

Postcards can be delivered worldwide and are printed and posted on the same day, with the cut-off point being 4pm for next day delivery.

Pricing:
(Only payments via PayPal are accepted.)
2nd class – 99p
1st class – £1.49
International – £1.49

As this is a relatively new app, expect some bugs, but hopefully these can all be ironed out as this looks like it could be useful to a lot of people.

The Postcards app is free and available on both Android and iPhone handsets.

Foodspotting – A Visual Guide To Good Food And Where To Find It

By Cheryl | Posted in Android, Apple, Social networking | August 18, 2011 – 12:10 pm

FoodspottingWe’ve all visited websites were we can view and recommend our favourite restaurants, but Foodspotting takes it to the next level.

Founded in 2009, the food photo social network app lets people post images and reviews of a meal, effectively allowing you to see the menu before you even get to the restaurant. Only food you liked can be posted and the app contains a straightforward rating system, simply clicking “Nom” if you like it.

Company founder, Alexa Andrzejewski, had the following to say:
“We really want it to be a celebration of local food, a food lense or food vision about wherever you go. It really shows something about the local culture in any area.”

Users

User numbers have steadily grown across the US, and now the app is starting to find a market in countries around the world, including the UK. Since the app was launched to the public in 2010, over 748,448 foods have been spotted around the globe.

 

Taken from the website, here are the great features of the app:-

As a foodseeker you can:

  • Explore your city or neighbourhood to see the nearest, latest and best foods around you
  • Look up a restaurant and see what’s good there
  • Find a particular dish that you’re craving
  • Bookmark foods you want to try by clicking (“Want it!”)
  • Vote up food you’ve tried and loved (“Nom it!”)
  • Access guides from experts like the Travel Channel to see the nearest recommendations to you
  • Follow people and guides that you trust, and places and foods that you love

As a foodspotter you can:

  • Share where to find a food you love by uploading a photo (“spotting it”), emailing it to food@foodspotting.com (you’ll need to add details from the website), or adding it to a guide
  • Complete guides, scavenger hunts and challenges to earn badges and recognition
  • Become a dish expert by spotting five or more foods of the same type
  • Earn virtual tips for making quality contributions to the Foodspotting community

 

The app is currently available on any iPhone, Windows Phone 7 and Android device, so what are you waiting for? Just beware; you’ll be feeling very hungry once you have visited!

www.foodspotting.com

Opinionaided

By Cheryl | Posted in Android, Apple, website | July 19, 2011 – 11:33 am

OpinionaidedSometimes all we want is an opinion; whether it is on a new haircut or pair of jeans.

Opinionaided helps users gather the views of friends, family and the public, on the topic of your choice; the key being that all feedback is in real-time. Simply post a yes or no question along with an optional photo and sit back and watch as users vote on their preferred answer.

As of June, 1.2 million users had submitted a question which was met with over 90 million responses. The company have noted that people are using the site for 2 hours and 33 minutes on average per month, with posts almost doubling since March.

Currently still working on the Android version, the app is available for free on the iPhone or via the web. The company has recently released figures showing that more than 90% of their user base accesses the app via the mobile platform.

So, if you’re unsure if you should buy that expensive gadget, or if you’re just having trouble choosing the right colour for your bedroom; give Opinionaided a go!

http://www.opinionaided.com/

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Zaarly – Could Zaarly be the next big thing?

By Cheryl | Posted in Apple, Mobile, Services | June 24, 2011 – 12:09 pm

Zaarly logoZaarly helps you buy and sell with people around you. You post what you’re looking for, how much you’re willing to pay for it, and the time scale in which you will need it. This could range from picking up a drink from Starbucks, to delivering an iPad.

The idea is for people and businesses to see what you need and help you out. So, what’s in it for the people who are carrying out these tasks? A profit of course. If you’re stuck in an office and you can’t go out for lunch or you need something within 2 hours, people are willing to pay over the odds to get it.

The service, which has been compared to both eBay and Craiglist, recently announced that it has officially reached $1 million in posted transactions.

Is it safe?

Zaarly users are not checked over, so it is at the discretion of the buyer if you choose the bidder. All sales are final and no refunds are made from Zaarly if you are unsatisfied with your delivery. The service allows you to message or phone the winning bidder and payments can be made in person or via Zaarly’s integrated credit card payment system. Up to now there haven’t been any complaints about the service, whether that stays the same as it grows, we’ll soon find out.

The 18th May saw the service officially go nationwide throughout the US, but unfortunately it is not yet available in the UK. Let’s hope it reaches us soon, I can’t wait to give it a go!

Wahwah.fm

By Cheryl | Posted in Apple, Entertainment | June 6, 2011 – 1:24 pm

wahwahfmIt may sound like a hungry baby, but wahwah.fm is to music what Foursquare is to locations.

The Wahwah app is designed to allow people share music while they’re mobile. The software lets you listen and broadcast your own music for multiple users to hear, giving you a shot at producing your very own radio station.

How does it work?

All you need to do is to choose a selection of songs that are stored on your iPhone to create your station playlist, and then start listening and broadcasting! The company have said that they hope the app will connect people by allowing them to listen to tracks at the same time.
Taking a similar route to Foursquare, you must ‘check-in’ to a playlist, which then enables you to share and discuss with the people around you.

Wah Wah fm founder and CEO, Philipp Eibach, had the following to say:

“People listen to other music in Austin than they do in Berlin or New York. You can check in and discover music that way by tapping into a city’s tastes. There’s a sort of serendipity that comes from patterns of movement, and who’s listening to what where.”

According to the official site, the app will be released in the spring and will be available for free, with chargeable added features also available.

Shop on the go with Debenhams

By Cheryl | Posted in Android, Apple, Application, Mobile, News | April 4, 2011 – 11:57 am

debenhams appMobile shopping has proved a successful venture for retailer Debenhams leading the company to announce that their app, once offered exclusively on the iPhone, will now be available on a number of smartphones.

In October 2010, the department store became the first retailer to offer the fully transactional app to iPhone handsets, allowing users to shop on the go. Since the success of the app and online sales increasing by 82%, the retailer are now offering the app to both Android and Nokia users.

Head of Digital Development, Harriet Williams, had the following to say on the development, “Our iPhone app has already seen 2.4 million shopping sessions with 110,000 customers using the app more than five times. Launching on the Android and Nokia platforms opens Debenhams mobile shopping to another millions more customers, bridging the gap between the high street and Debenhams.com.”

The app includes a ‘Barcode Scanner’, which uses the phone’s camera to take a picture of the barcode, enabling it to automatically check prices and reviews.

Customers can also take advantage of exclusive products and offers by looking out for the special codes in Debenhams advertising and store windows.

Currently there has been no announcement on when the application will be made available to Blackberry users, but if the retailer really wants cater to all shoppers, it would be best not to leave it for too long.

So, what are you waiting for? Download the app and get shopping!

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LG’s G-Slate

By Cheryl | Posted in Android, Apple, Twitter at 12 | March 11, 2011 – 1:13 pm

LG G-SlateAt the same event they announced the Optimus 3D phone, LG also announced they would also be releasing the first 3D tablet, the G-Slate.

Although the tablet isn’t the thinnest on the market, the 8.9 inch screen makes it comfortable enough for everyday use.

The device itself is sleek and well designed, offering 5-megapixel front and rear cameras which allow video recording without the use of 3D glasses. These videos can then be instantly transferred to a 3D TV or YouTube 3D.

The tablet runs the Android Honeycomb OS and includes features such as a 1GHz Nvidia Tegra 2 dual-core processor, 32GB memory, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth GPS, and the support of DLNA/HDMI connections.

The company has said the battery life will stretch as far as 9 hours watching films, but glasses are needed to watch videos on the device. Not something I would fancy wearing on the train!

Competition
Forget about the iPad 2. LG have set the bar for what is going to be a much sought after technology in the market. Although the tablet needs the help of 3D glasses, the fact that 3D capabilities are available on the device surely puts it ahead of the iPad.

Available
The tablet will hit the US market in March and although no official date has been announced for the UK, the product is expected to be released on the T-Mobile network through the middle of the year.

Mobile Development in 2011

By Cheryl | Posted in Android, Apple, Blackberry, Coding, Design, Mobile, Twitter at 12, website | March 7, 2011 – 1:03 pm

iphoneEvery year people look ahead to what they think will be the big trends in the upcoming year. So, how do we think web development will change in 2011?

Gartner, the IT research company, has predicted that within three years, over half of all internet users will be accessing the web via their mobile phones and other handheld devices.

As the demand for Smartphone’s rises, the need for cross platform websites and applications follows suit. Statistics show that the mobile web has grown 110% in the US and 148% worldwide last year, meaning the need for mobile compatibility is extremely high.

Last year was the breakthrough of tablet devices, such as the iPad and the Android Tablet PC, both making their way on to the market to huge interest. It’s these tablet computers that will be one of the main consumer interests in the coming year, making it a learning curve for designers and developers.

Mobile development isn’t new by any means, but these days it’s a lot more advanced. A few years ago the screens were a lot smaller and excessive images on mobiles didn’t work well because the connections were so slow. These days, Smartphone’s have the ability to handle images a lot better, have a larger screen and run 3G for a faster network connection.

Is it difficult to transform your website on to a mobile or tablet platform? One of the main areas that can be a struggle for developers is screen size. Think of the amount of mobile phones on the market and you will see a varied screen size, whether it be height or width. In the development stage websites must be fully tested to allow for these types of occurrences.

The main point to always consider with mobile websites is simplicity is key. Although the design and layout is extremely important, there’s nothing more discouraging to a user than a slow website.

2011 – The Year of Mobile Advertising

By Cheryl | Posted in Android, Apple, Internet, Marketing, Mobile, Social networking | February 21, 2011 – 12:55 pm

Mobile AdvertisingAccording to vast amounts of research posted on the net, Mobile Advertising is going to be big business this year.

2010 saw an influx of Smartphone’s hitting the market and it is now estimated that 70% of the world’s population owns a mobile phone (some people even have more than one!).

The success of mobile internet can be somewhat contributed to social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. It is claimed that over 25% (more than 100 million) users access Facebook from their mobile making it’s an advertiser’s paradise.

The most commonly used type of mobile advertisements includes web banners and SMS, with gaming and music videos also proving popular. Many advertisers have jumped on this type of media as mobile phones outnumber TV sets and PC users, allowing them greater views and higher revenue.

The mobile market is ideal for companies wanting to expand their brand. What better way is there to publicise and communicate with customers than through a device they use everyday?

Mobile advertising continues to grow every quarter and was worth £28.6m in 2010. The market has come about quickly considering there wasn’t a huge demand for it a few years ago; showing how much emphasis there is on Smartphone’s and the ability for users to access data on the go.

Although it’s not just Smartphones that have shaped the market, tablets such as the Apple iPad, have set the benchmark for the coming years.

It is likely that mobile video advertising will be one of the main marketing trends this year and could be worth the big investment for companies. It is proven that visual marketing is more successful, so it’s not hard to imagine how lucrative a full screen video advertisement on a mobile phone would be.

The world of mobile advertisements opens up a whole new world for developers and businesses alike; the question is, how long will it be before businesses rely on mobile advertising more than internet advertising?