Tag Archives: application

How to: Solve a sudoku puzzle by snapping a picture

12th January 2011

The power of mobile continues to amaze me each and everyday. And I have to say, this recent advancement would have come in pretty handy during those “difficult” days of filling in puzzles from the Red & Black while in class at UGA.

Check out the video below on how Google Goggles can now solve your sudoku puzzle. If you are not familiar with the application, Google Goggles allows user to do a visual Google search from his/her phone. Simply snap a photo, and it works to recognize the image using their image database.

As we see more mobile advancements in 2011, the uses of applications such as Goggles and it’s implications for search, branding, etc. are endless.

Getting fit on Facebook

15th November 2010

It’s clear Facebook has allowed brands to interact and respond to consumers on an entirely new level in recent months. While many brands are sticking to the basics, some are trying out new and exciting apps, contests and tabs.

Here’s why Nike Women is my newest “like.”

I came across the page through a Facebook ad. I really love it when this happens, looks like my  interest in running listed on my profile paid off for the target.

Nike’s Get Fit app. The app is fairly simple: ask a fitness question, and Nike will respond with tips from trainers.The questions and answers are easy to find and nearly almost always tailored to women.

Rather than search across the web through forums for this type of information, Nike makes it easy to ask in one place, associates it with a brand I love and helps to build a community. I may not return to the page to find out when running shoes will go on sale, but the community base this app builds will make me return, and when a post of those sneakers on sale does show up, I may order a pair.

This is the secret formula missing to many social campaigns, take the time to discover your brand’s voice in a space and figure out what content your fans will value. These details will bring fans back in the long run and create the brand advocates you were looking for .

Foursquare: Earning badges without checking in

18th October 2010

Last month, RunKeeper became the 1st Foursquare partner to allow users to earn badges without checking in. Users can now earn badges by completing tasks rather than heading to a physical location.

I’m a runner myself and although I’m generally a Nike+ user, my sensor recently died and I decided to give RunKeeper a shot. The process could not have been simpler, just connect your Foursquare account within RunKeeper like you would Facebook or Twitter and you’re all set. The app does the rest. For speculators of location based services, this could be a game changer. By earning badges for activities, users are still using the fundamental idea of “exploring” but without the added hassle of remembering to check-in.

Foursquare has stated it will soon be testing out this feature with other partners, a leap that will allow the service to jump into the action based realm of many other location based applications.

Imagine making a reservation for your favorite restaurant and automatically receiving a  reward? Or scanning a receipt from a boutique and getting a discount? The possibilities and user base are opened much wider with this expansion. What do you think? Will more people be open to using LBS with these integrations?