Monthly Archives: July 2014

Be An Expert on All Things Using Crowdsourcing Apps

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We live in an age where people either want to share what they are doing or thinking or know what their peeps are doing or thinking. For this reason, naturally,  social media is all the rage but there is a new black and it’s called “crowdsourcing.” It’s rather brilliant, really!

crowd·sourc·ing (as defined by merriam-webster.com)

noun \ˈkrau̇d-ˌsȯr-siŋ\:  the practice of obtaining needed services, ideas, or content by soliciting contributions from a large group of people and especially from the online community rather than from traditional employees or suppliers

Now that you know what Crowdsourcing is, there are the traditional ways to crowdsource like asking your Facebook friends where is a good place to: eat, sleep, camp, drink, get your haircut,  or do anything for that matter. Or you can search using Pinterest

WAZE
As far as I am concerned, this is the best possible use of your “crowd.” Use them to avoid traffic and speeding tickets!

Waze app for traffic
Waze Navigation app

Waze is one of the world’s largest community based traffic and navigation apps. Join drivers in your area who share real-time traffic & road info to save time, gas money, and improve daily commuting for all.

Crowd Flik

Have you ever been to an event, then checked Facebook or Googled it to see what other pictures/videos might be available or what other people thought about it? Crowd Flik is the ultimate app for people who like to do this. CrowdFlik is the mobile video APP that allows you to share, view and edit mobile video footage captured by the crowd. CrowdFlik automatically synchronizes and organizes multiple video streams and gives you the power to easily create multi-angle, shareable video compilations of your favorite moments at your favorite events.
This is a solo several people videotaped to illustrate the point of using it for different camera angles but imagine using this to videotape your favorite band or a school concert or recital your kids were in and you forgot to charge the camcorder.

CrowdFlik crowdsourcing app
CrowdFlik

 

The best part is maybe you will see pix or footage of yourself! Talk about reinventing the selfie!

Crowd Update
Need current information of crowd condition: wait times at restaurants, night clubs or bar scene, parking situations, and other need-to-know insight at different establishments prior to arrival? Crowd Update is the solution that provides the most important details needed to make the best decision.

CrowdFund

crowdsourcing app
CROWDFUNDING

Got a great idea you need funded and you’re at the end of the friends and family list? If it’s a great idea, why not have it sourced by the masses?
This is a great way to do just that. Try Techfunder, which is made up of Kickstarter and others.

 

Reach out to your peeps (and the rest of the world), isn’t that what they’re there for?!

Peace out!

Get Your Mobile Devices Ready for Vacation

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Smartphones and tablets on vacation
Make your smartphone vacation ready

When you are packing for vacation, chances are you are concentrating on clothes. You may want to give some thought to the mobile devices you are going to bring and what you may need to support it. Here are some ways to prepare your devices and accessories so you can be connected when you need to be.

Research Global Plans

Contact your carrier to see if switching to a global plan would benefit you based on the locations you are traveling to. Charges while roaming can quickly become astronomical. Without a global plan, data transferred will cost approximately $1.99/MB. Texts are $.50 for outgoing and incoming. Verizon has a fantastic Trip Planner that can help you decide if you need to ammend your plan for vacation. T-Mobile Global info | AT&T Global | Sprint

Download What You Won’t be Able to Access

Download books, music, games, apps, and movies ahead of time. Even if you switch to a global plan for the duration of your trip, it is still going to cost you per MB of data transferred. For this reason, it is a good idea to download anything you think you might need prior to sailing into a roaming area or worse, an area that completely lacks service.

Waterproof Your Devices

Get a waterproof case for your phone (or tablet) if you plan to take it with you on any  excursions that might involve the water or the beach. If you have a good camera on your smartphone, there is really no reason to bring an extra camera if you can waterproof it. If you have an older phone, basic phone or a phone that isn’t compatible with a LifeProof or OtterBox case, you can get a waterproof box that will fit one or two phones and perhaps some cash and credit cards. Just be careful not to let your smartphone and credit cards touch as the phone could render magnetic strip on the card useless. Also, keep your room key or cruise access passes away from your smartphone.

Use Airplane Mode

When you are traveling by plane, most airplines will allow you to keep cell phones and tablets on for the whole flight but they must be in airplane mode. When you are on a cruise out of cell phone range,  if put your device(s) in Airplane Mode. you will keep your device from constantly searching for signal. That process consumes a great deal of battery and you’ll find it draining rapidly without even using any of the voice or data services.

Set Date and Time Manually

While you are at sea or in another country using a different radio signal and you plan to use your phone for a watch or an alarm clock, you’ll need to set the date and time manually. When you put the device in airplane mode, it will no longer keep the correct time. Do this by turning off the network provided time and time zone and set it yourself. That way you can still use your phone for a watch and you’ll always have a camera on hand. Be aware, of any times changes if you are traveling across time zones.

A little preparation before you head on vacation will make for a better trip, especially if you are the type that is used to being “connected” at all times. The first few times you pick up your device to Google something and realize it’s either not possible or going to cost you a bundle will make you rethink being connected. You’ll be happy you downloaded what you may need and prepared your technology for it’s own vacation.

Check back next week for Part 2 of this series. I will tell you about some FANTASTIC accessories that will make your life and vacation easier, where your mobile devices are concerned, I have no control over air traffic!