Comments Off on Comscore Study Shows While Android And Samsung Hold The Most Market Share, Apple Is Growing The Fastest0LikeLike 1,752
We’ve known that Android was ahead of iOS in market share and have for some time, but today a more recent Comscore study shows just by how much. Android has 50.9% of mobile subscribers worldwide, and has a pretty large margin between itself and Apple who is at 31.9%. Windows Phone still only has 4%, which shows that after months of marketing and a partnership with Nokia, they’re still not gaining much ground on the two giants. While Android has the most market share however, Apple is growing the fastest with a 1.7% jump in percentages from February to May.
Samsung is also still the largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world, with 25.7% market share. LG is second with 19.1% and Apple is third with a solid 15%. Apple was also the growth leader again in this category, with a gain of 1.7% since February. With two of Android’s manufacturers at the top of their charts as well, it’s no wonder that Android is the top OS in the world today.
Comments Off on iOS Users Get To Use Google Chrome Before 90% Of Android Users Do0LikeLike 1,572
Today was the second day of I/O, and Google announced that they would be delivering Google Chrome to iOS users. That’s great news at first. Mac, PC, Android–they all have Chrome, it’s just second nature to think that iOS has to be next on the list. They were, and Chrome was released today in the App Store and quickly rose to the #1 spot in the store. This is because, well, it’s Chrome and Chrome is awesome. While Google usually doesn’t release the most polished apps on iOS (Gmail was pretty embarrassing to say the least), they really seemed to take the time to not only make Chrome work properly, but really come out polished and beautiful.
Chrome for iOS will sync all of your settings and bookmarks with your Mac or PC’s Chrome settings, and tabs will sync seamlessly from device to device. I know myself and a lot of others are huge desktop Google Chrome fans because of its sleek, lightweight design, and that factor definitely remains constant in the iOS iteration. Chrome is as reserved as it needs to be, and really only shows your tabs above and nothing else unless a menu is opened. Plenty of options are available to play with, and you can even have an unlimited number of tabs. Chrome for iOS is a fantastic app.
This may leave Android users a little sore, however. While Chrome has been on Android in beta for quite sometime (and saw its first stable release yesterday), over 90% of Android users can’t even download and install it. Only Android 4.0 and higher has access to the app, so even phones with ridiculous specs that are limited by Gingerbread or older can’t even view Chrome in the Play Store. This has got to change. Google can not continue to let Android is so fragmented that iOS devices from 2 years ago can use Google Chrome when a 2 month old Android device still can’t.
Comments Off on Madison Startup: My Fashion Assistant, Is Well, Your Fashion Assistant0LikeLike 1,970
Nibletz spent Tuesday and Wednesday holding office hours in Madison Wisconsin. The startup scene is thriving as a matter of fact, our good friend Brad at Trinker in Madison helped organize a healthy sized, last minute meet up at the beautiful Union Terrace at UW.
Wednesday we spent some time with the co-working startups at Murfie’s office in downtown Madison.
One of the startups we met with was MyFashionAssistant and co-founder Louie Penaflor. Penaflor has a lot of great stories to tell about his work life in Manhattan at magazine publishing powerhouse Conde Nast which was actually the inspiration for MyFashionAssistant.
At first glance Penaflor does not look like he would be one of the founders of a fashion app for iOS and Android that has over 50,000 users. But boy he knows his stuff. Not only that but like many of the people we met in Wisconsin he is very excited about the Madison startup scene.
As for MyFashionAssistant, it’s a three panel slider app that allows users to take pictures of their wardrobe and then mix, match and mash them up in three sections which are shoes, pants (skirts etc) and tops. Now the beauty of MyFashionAssistant is that since right now most of the content is user generated, a fashion conscious man could easily use the same app.
Penaflor told us that he came up with the idea on many of his subway rides in New York. He noticed that everyone in New York is so laser lined focused on what’s right in front of them. “No one really looks at each other, but they do look at their phones and iPads” Penaflor told us.
On more than one occasion he would see groups of friends breaking the no looking rule to hover over someone’s phone or iPad and flip through pictures. It was that flipping through pictures that made a bell go off in Penaflor’s head and think about what if they could flip through their wardrobe.
Deciding what to wear is a major pain point for some folks. They spend hours thinking about what they’re going to wear. Colleagues of Penaflor’s at Conde Nast would bring up in conversation three days early what they might wear going out Saturday night.
Another major pain point is sometimes people forget exactly how this shirt or blouse matches that pair of pants, but not with MyFashionAssitant.
Users take pictures and catalog as much of their wardrobe as they want. Now when they’re at the mall or a new store they can easily see if something is going to look good on them. They can even open up the app while they’re flipping through magazines.
Right now MyFashionAssistant is supporting itself as it’s a paid app. Penaflor is weighing all of his funding options. He could use MyFashionAssistant’s treasure trove of data and market research as a revenue stream. He could partner with other companies, or even white label the technology for name brand stores.
Penaflor admits there are some apps that match fashion the way his does but he started MyFashionAssistant back when there were just 2000 apps in the Apple app store. Also, most competitors are name brand manufacturers who of course only feature their clothes within the app.
MyFashionAssitant supports thousands of different brands across their user base. Penaflor says he could see possibly doing advertising but not in the traditional way. Brands could pay to have their newest lines included in the app so that potential customers could try out the company’s new designs with the users current wardrobe.
Penaflor likes his app to a virtual fitting room. He said Steve Jobs validated the need for MyFashionAssistant by saying iPhone (smartphones) is a lifestyle device and of course fashion is all about lifestyle.
Comments Off on Google Updates Maps With Offline Use, Chrome Comes Out Of Beta, And Google+ Gets Tablet Support0LikeLike 1,824
At Google I/O today after announcing Android 4.1 Jellybean and the Nexus 7 tablet, the Google team also went ahead and updated a few of their apps as well. First, Google Chrome has finally come out of beta and is hitting the Play Store today. It is still only available to devices running Android 4.0 and higher, but it is out of beta and ready to roll in full. Google Maps has also been updated to finally support offline Maps, something they announced would be the “next dimension of Maps.” This will make it much easier for users to navigate with a bad data connection, and those without one at all can download certain maps and use them without any type of connection at all. This version of Google Maps is in the Play Store now and available for download for all users with Android 2.2 and higher.
Google+ finally has a tablet version as well, and an iPad version is on its way according to the Google+ team. This new tablet version is what Google calls the best Google+ experience they have created yet, and it incorporates the newly added events feature as well. Android users have access to this newly optimized app today, and iPad users will get it “soon.” Google+ for Android and iOS recently got a complete UI overhaul and now tablets can have an optimized version so the new UI can properly come to light on the big(er) screen.
Comments Off on Chicago Tech Week: We Talk Raved Social Discovery & Recommendation INTERVIEW0LikeLike 1,244
If you weren’t sure about how hot the Chicago tech and startup scene is, then this may validate it even more. Raved, a Sunny Vale California startup, so yes from the Valley, made the trek all the way to TechWeek in Chicago to show off their social mobile discovery recommendation startup.
We talked with Director of Marketing Bill Porter, about their new mobile app, which he assures us is going to serve up only the best results from your actual friends.
What sets Raved apart from other social mobile discovery recommendation apps is the fact that it’s more of a layer than an actual social network. You’re using recommendations based on your current friends and followers without having to join and keep up with just another network.
The team of engineers at Raved are rolling the app out in the coming weeks to both Android and iPhone.
Raved is going to serve up results about restaurants, stores, and other places that your friends “Rave” about. You won’t get the clutter of the bad stuff, and it won’t be as noisy as other similar apps.
It’s no secret though that social mobile discovery recommendation apps are becoming a very crowded space. For Raved’s sake we are hoping that people will flock to the app because of it’s crisp and clean UX and because it promises to be less noisy.
Comments Off on Google Slashes API Usage Cost By 8X And Plans To Deliver “Amazing Maps Experience” To iOS0LikeLike 1,689
It’s no secret that Apple’s new Maps app coming in iOS 6 has left Google a little uneasy. It started with Google announcing “The next dimension of maps” just a few days before Apple’s WWDC keynote, and now they have decided to do a little price-cutting to keep developers on board. Back when Google announced that they would be charging developers who pulled large amounts of page loads for their apps and services, and now they seem to be retracting that move a little. Or a lot. Google has cut the price they began charging by 8X, now only charging 50 cents for 1,000 map loads as opposed to the previous $4. This is a pretty big price cut to say that it just came from nowhere.
Google obviously feels threatened by Apple Maps, and they have reason to be only because of the huge amount of iOS devices there are. Sure, Maps in iOS 6 will have fly-over and some pretty animations, but where are the necessary features like transit directions. Google definitely has a pretty solid lead from the start over Apple Maps when it comes to the amount of features and quality, but a lot of iOS users won’t care. There will be some who opt for other maps options, but a majority of the average consumers won’t see much of a difference, let alone enough to find a new solution.
Google isn’t giving up that easily though. In a Google+ comment Jeff Huber, Google’s Senior Vice President of Commerce and Local, stated that they are planning to bring “amazing Google Maps experiences on iOS.” This could mean they will be launching Google Maps into the App Store (hopefully), or that they may be pushing for a web-based client (no so hopeful). Either way, Google is planning on finding a way to compete with Apple’s new Maps solution, and it’ll be exciting to see what they have in store.
Ed Gandia of Atlanta, nailed it on the head when talking about Toursphere’s Boston Tourguide app to the Boston Herald. Gandia said “In tours there’s always that annoying person in the crowd asking too many questions.
The other part of that is there’s always that person in the tour, besides the guide, that seems to know everything about the location, buddy either get a job as a tour guide or GTFO.
Those are just some of the problems that South Boston based startup, Toursphere, is solving. Toursphere is exactly what you’re thinking an app that takes you on a tour, in this case in Boston Massachusetts. Toursphere’s Boston Insider’s tour takes tourists on a tour of historic downtown Boston by some of Boston’s notable celebrities like Dicky Barrett of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones. Author Michael Patrick MacDonald has also gotten into the narration for Toursphere.
Tour apps are getting heavily criticized in most cities that use them. People seem to think they have no personality and are dull and mundane. That’s not necessarily the case with Toursphere.
While some appreciate a chummy tour guide who’s hitting you over the head with barely funny jokes and “charming” personality, others think that app guided tours are great.
One of the main benefits to an app guided tour is the ability to go at your own pace. I mean imagine taking a tour down Beacon street and deciding that you want to try some cute little coffee shop, or cupcake shop, and you want to do it now. The tour guide isn’t going to stop, however you can always resume the tour later.
Admittedly, Toursphere isn’t for everybody, however people in other cities are flocking to Toursphere and founder/CEO Rob Pyles. Pyles has created an electronic system where other companies can create their own tour guide apps easily. That system has already been implemented in Chicago, Miami, New Orleans and Washington DC as well as other major cities.
I travel a lot and at sporadic times. I also don’t like having to fork over $40 for a tour and then have to tip the guy. I’m more of a tour at my own pace kind of guy, so Toursphere would definitely work for me. Pyles has developed a monthly subscription rate for businesses that utilize the tour app, making it free for the user. Free is good. Boston is all about Free-Dom you know that Tea and all that, yeah you can hear more about that on the tour.
Comments Off on Virginia Startup: SynkMonkey Keep Your Friends, & Your Plans In Sync INTERVIEW0LikeLike 1,617
We are all very aware of how difficult it is to keep plans in sync when it comes to life on the go running through a smartphone. Whether you’re a group of high school students, fraternity brothers or even golfing buddies, keeping your entire group “in sync” can be a challenge.
Now there’s of course Facebook and Facebook events but one of the huge disadvantages to Facebook is how hard it is to get distracted. I couldn’t tell you the number of times I needed an events address or to ping a friend for somewhere to go and then got sidetracked from my other notifications or even my wall. On the iPhone, iPad or Android phone this can be a wreck.
Enter Charlottesvile Virginia startup SyncMonkey. They combine three very key and important elements in events, activities and staying in sync. Those elements are calendars, mapping and friends. Using this app over traditional event apps keeps you in close contact with everyone that’s supposed to be there.
We got a chance to talk with Hunter Murchison of SyncMonkey about their excited startup, application and some big news, that they’re finally ready for Android. Check out the interview after the break and check out these great interviews, after this one.
Comments Off on Pittsburgh Startup: NoWait Is Kicks Restaurant Wait Times Ass0LikeLike 1,763
I like casual dining and I like chain restaurants. As you guys know we travel all the time, especially during our sneaker strapped nationwide startup road trip. Casual dining and chain restaurants save us time, and aggregation because I know what’s on the menu and what to expect.
One of the problems though is wait times. They vary from state to state and city to city. The way wait times are handled also varies from state to state, city to city and restaurant to restaurant. You may wait until your name is called over a PA system. You may have to wait until the host or hostess screams your name out loud. Or you may have to wait until the beeper/vibrator goes off in your pocket.
Here’s a scenario for you. You arrive at a nice casual dining restaurant or a chain, that’s in a nice big outdoor mall type shopping center. The Apple store is just across the parking lot, and too far for the restaurant pager to work. You want to go to the Apple store but you arrive at the restaurant at 7:25 and the Apple store closes at 9, oh well you’ll have to wait until another day.
Now imagine if the restaurant could automagically text you when your table is ready. Now you can go just about anywhere within reason, and wait for your table. Imagine if you could text the restaurant back and tell them you really need 20 more minutes.
All of this has become a reality thanks to Pittsburgh startup NoWait.
NoWait uses a system fueled by iPads and other iOS devices that keeps the host/hostess, managers, servers and customers in-sync thanks to the cloud. The host/hostess app has a very familiar feel to it, reminiscent of the paper, or white board systems that many restaurants have employed until now. But thanks to the power of Apple, the cloud and no wait, there’s a lot of back end functionality that maximizes convenience and time for the customer. Of course time is our most precious commodity.
This is the idea behind NoWait, founded by Robb Meyer, Luke Panza, Richard Colvin and James Belt.
Really it was all a matter of time before someone somewhere developed a system like this and, it happened to be these four guys, and according to their testimonial video it’s working out great. Their video includes feedback from managers of chains like the Spaghetti Warehouse and local favorites like Burgatory Bar in Pittsburgh.
Now of course we know that no startup is going to put bad testimonials into their video but the testimonials seemed authentic and there’s a lot of footage provided that shows active, busy restaurants utilizing the technology.
NoWait’s quick pitch is that they are the “Open Table” of casual dining. This seems like a good analogy but it may not necessarily do NoWait justice. Where OpenTable requires the adoption of the user themselves, NoWait brings to their technology to anyone who gets in line at the restaurant.
Now if you’re one of those people that doesn’t do texting, doesn’t have a text messaging plan or god forbid you don’t have a phone (chances are you aren’t reading this website), you can still have your name called and wait around the host stand. There won’t be a huge crowd waiting, everyone else will be out enjoying their evening until they get their text message.
One of our favorite sites, DailyDealMedia doesn’t quite understand how NoWait reduces wait time, so let’s explain it real quick.
Now using NoWait instead of pen and paper, you eliminate the messy writing that can mean you call Dan 100 times over the loudspeaker instead of Don. Dan and Don look a lot alike but tables are lost in this confusion. Now your hostess is explaining to Don why he lost his table, he’s upset, and the host staff is dealing with a situation, not calling tables.
Open tables (no pun intended) are stacking up in the back and now that there are 6 open tables in the restaurant it will actually take longer doing it the old fashion way because you can’t just walk a single file line through a restaurant and drop people off.
That’s just one example of how this decreases wait time.
Another way that it saves wait time is the ability to text back. Say I just got in a heated discussion at the Apple store and I tell the Spaghetti Warehouse I need 20 more minutes. They can now call the next person and bump me down.
Yes, NoWait is a great name for this innovative startup. I just hope they build scale quickly because waiting sucks.
Citizen Journalism startup Rawporter has reported some very exciting news themselves. The Charlotte based startup has announced that they’ve teamed up with freedom fighter and journalist Matthew VanDyke, who will provide 1st person perspective of the newly liberated Libya, for Rawporter users around the world to use for footage.
“Weʼre excited to participate in this incredibly unique opportunity, Matt is genuinely trying to make a
difference and weʼre extremely proud to assist in his efforts to bring more visibility to Libya while it
undergoes a massive transition,” said Kevin Davis, co-founder. “Weʼve been building a powerful
platform to help people share their stories and this is a great example of our vision being put into
practice.”
Rawporter will have a page (http://rawporter.com/pm/matthewvandyke) dedicated to Mr. VanDykeʼs videos and photos that anyone can view or purchase. Any proceeds from video and photo sales will be donated to a fund for the family of a journalist killed while reporting in a conflict zone. Additionally, Rawporter will be subsidizing a portion of Mr. VanDykeʼs expenses so that he can focus on his mission and worry less about logistics. Mr. VanDyke will attempt to make himself available to respond to assignments if possible but wants to reinforce that there will be significant limitations on his time.
“Citizen journalism played a key role in the Libyan civil war. The videos captured by Libyans in the early days of the revolution were broadcast through the internet and helped mobilize international support for the war. I believe that Rawporter is an innovative company that will facilitate the dissemination of Arab Spring footage from Libya, Syria, Egypt, Bahrain and elsewhere. Their technology will also assist in the broadcast of revolutionary footage from beyond the Arab world that is essential to attracting the attention of the international community to support struggles for freedom worldwide. My partnership with Rawporter is another opportunity for me to contribute to the cause of freedom, as well as another cause I care deeply about – journalism and freedom of the press. I hope that my participation can help expand Rawporterʼs market and give another way for the voices of the oppressed to be heard,” said Matt VanDyke.
Rawporter offers a unique app for both iOS and Android phones that allows users to participate in the action and supply “citizen journalistic” videos and photos for news outlets, media sites, blogs and more to use across the Rawporter network.
Adding this partnership with VanDyke solidifies Rawporter’s commitment to full fledged journalism in addition to their innovative platform.
Comments Off on Auburn Alabama Startup: GolfJoust The Perfect FREE Father’s Day Gift0LikeLike 1,893
Auburn Alabama is known for their Auburn Tigers championship football team, Bo Jackson, Cam Netwon and being the alma mater of Apple CEO Tim Cook. It’s not known (yet) for it’s thriving startup scene.
There’s a startup in Auburn hoping to change that, and they are Verge Pipe Media. Verge Pipe Media is a media engagement, social, app developer who’s signature product Golf Joust is turning heads on the golf course because it’s easy, different and a lot more fun than just a boring old score keeping app.
The Verge Pipe team is headed by CEO and founder Don Crow and COO Meredith Singer. Crow had a seasoned career at America Online and has a firm background in media. Singer also has a background in media having worked in television and interactive media throughout their career. They came together last year to work on both Verge Pipe Media and their first major project GolfJoust.
Their office in downtown Auburn is screaming startup culture despite the fact that they’re just a smidgeon older than the 20 something sect of startup founders springing up across the country. That doesn’t matter though, when you walk in there’s of course orange and blue accents, but high top wooden desks, macs everywhere and the classic big ass table in the middle of the office for brainstorming sessions, meetings and lunch. It’s here next to Auburn’s oldest used bookstore and a stone throws away from campus that the magic happens.
You may be asking yourself just how magic can a golf app be. After all Golf Joust is their first signature product. Well Crow and Singer along with their developers have come up with a golf app that combines golf, scoring, daily deals, social networking and gamification into one complete package.
With Golf Joust you keep your score and as you play more rounds you move up through knighthood. You stay social within your golf group (typically of four) and also golfers near you and the entire network.
There’s challenges, badges (for good and bad) and even the ability to get deals from clubhouses and golf courses.
They’re even working on an element of Fantasy golf where you can play against your favorite PGA players at your favorite PGA courses. I really hate paraphrasing EA sports but Golf Joust really lets you get in the game.
Crow and Singer are constantly brainstorming more and more things that they can add to Golf Joust and they aren’t afraid to get out in the trenches. They regularly spend days out on the golf course promoting Golf Joust. Crow admits that while he expected easy adoption from golfers 18-25 their next biggest segment is in their early 40’s like himself.
Crow explained that many people love the game of golf but know their limits and levels so utilizing Golf Joust and then adding the ability to play against their favorite players makes it even more fun. But the social element makes it ripe for “crap talking” against golfing buddies. You can even give badges to your fellow knights when they hit the double bogey.
So while we would never advocate giving someone a free gift for Father’s Day, introducing your dad, or the golfer in your family to Golf Joust for Father’s day may get a thank you for many years to come.
Comments Off on My Xbox Live App For Android Finally Released, Retains Windows Phone Metro UI0LikeLike 1,423
I for one have been mighty jealous when my Android device was left out the OS’s that got Microsoft’s My Xbox Live app. iOS and WP7 users have been enjoying this app for quite a while now, and today Android users finally can as well as Microsoft published the app to the Play Store earlier today. On top of its availability supporting most versions of Android, it is actually a really good experience throughout.
Android has a UI implemented into the SDK now that a lot of apps are starting to follow after, however, that didn’t stop Microsoft from keeping their Metro UI that we have seen in WP7 and Windows 8. The font has stayed the same as in WP7 as well, and the lower case letters and swiping UI is constant throughout the app. You can edit your avatar’s clothes, send messages, view your achievements and set beacons from your mobile device so your friends will know what games you’re looking to play when home. Overall, I am pretty pleased with the turnout of the official My Xbox Live app for Android, and anyone with an Xbox and an Android device should hit the download below and check it out.
Comments Off on Samsung Introduces TecTiles, Small Programmable NFC Stickers For Your Smartphone0LikeLike 1,271
Samsung has just announced their solution to getting NFC out to the masses. They have named it TecTiles, and they are little NFC squares that can be programmed to do just about anything that you would like. Unlike mobile payments, this use of NFC is putting the control right in the users’ hands. Available at launch from all mobile US carriers, these little squares will be sold for $14.99 in quantities of 5. Because they can be reprogrammed at any time, this is a pretty good deal because you can constantly mold them to suit your current needs, whatever they may be.
TecTiles will allow users to do things from send a text message to update your social network, and much more then that. They will allow for specific messages, so things like daily updates or messages to loved ones can be as easy as touching your phone to a square. Samsung has really brought productive NFC use to the mass consumer with TecTiles, and I will definitely be picking a few up myself. It will be interesting to see how third-party vendors will use these as well, because NFC can really be used for so many things. For example, if Foursquare started sticking these squares at the door of every venue, users could just tap their phone to the square to check-in, and in my opinion, that would be pretty awesome to see. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on the progress of NFC and how well TecTiles actually work.
Comments Off on Verizon Ushers In Share Everything Plans With Data Shared By All Smartphone Lines0LikeLike 1,376
Verizon made a lot of people’s nightmares come true today with their recent announcement of “share-everything” plans, which is specifically a change for most people in the data area of their plan. While some are still grandfathered into unlimited data, Verizon made a pretty big and unhappy splash a while back when their CFO claimed that unlimited data plans would soon be out the door for good for everyone.
This is probably the first and largest step towards doing so: shared data plans. Now with the company making all lines report their data usage to one big pile of GB’s, families will begin to limit their data throughout in the same way they have done previously with minutes and texts. $40 is the cost you will be paying up front every month for every smartphone on the plan, and every line will have unlimited minutes and text messages. Once you get that taken care of you will decide how much data you will want to pay for per month. While some may actually save money on these new plans, a lot of people, especially smartphone users who stream a lot of content (aka the entire Android community) will take a pretty big hit with these new plans. While Verizon hasn’t officially forced everyone over yet, we are definitely getting closer. Check out the pricing for the new plans below:
$50 for 1GB shared data
$60 for 2GB shared data
$70 for 4GB shared data
$80 for 6GB shared data
$90 for 8GB shared data
$100 for 10GB shared data
So is anyone excited for these plans? Maybe some. Let us know in the comments how you feel about Verizon’s new Share Everything Plans and if you will be getting on one anytime soon.
Elijah Ketchum
Kyle
