RealMassive, an open-data commercial real estate platform recently launched in Phoenix, will serve commercial real estate land owners, property managers and leasing agents who want to get marketing information “out to the rest of the world” but have up to now been stymied by existing data systems that have not allowed the information out to the public, explains Joshua McClure, … [More]
Auction Alert
Thanks to a partnership between eBay and Invaluable.com that united the global leader in commerce and technology with the market leader in online live auctions for fine art and collectibles, Invaluable member J. Levine Auction & Appraisal recently experienced an unexpected bidding frenzy over a bronze statue that was originally estimated to be worth between $100 and $300, … [More]
Parking Meters Go App
Using its PaNGoTM platform, Pango Mobile Parking, Ltd., allows drivers to “feed” the meter through the ease of a mobile phone app, to pay for parking at parking meters, add more time from a remote location, track where they parked and also receive discounts from local participating businesses. The service recently debuted in Phoenix. … [More]
Gamification Empowers Employee Incentives Program
Two-plus years ago, when Mountain Park Health Center in Phoenix wanted to find a way to inspire and recognize its 750 employees, executives decided on a gamification approach. This is one of many real-world applications in the expanding trend of using features of games to engage people and influence their behavior. For help with the project, Mountain Park Health Center … [More]
Technology for Networking
Pitching itself as a mobile partner to LinkedIn, Reach offers technology to take online networking offline. The app enables users to locate other professionals based on proximity, industry and job title. Users can customize their option to apply to specific industries or disciplines. The app works as a virtual business card, letting users first identify potential partners in … [More]
Calling All Nerds
Phoenix recently welcomed Minneapolis-based The Nerdery to its tech scene. It is the company’s fourth major market since its founding in 2003. The company with the tongue-in-cheek name has earned numerous recognitions in the ensuing years, including making Inc. Magazine’s list of fastest growing private companies for seven straight years. “We took a long look at several … [More]
Mobile App Ops in B2B Market
Mobile apps have become a hot trend, and while B2C has gotten more saturated, Jay Belfore, co-founder and co-owner as well as software director of Scottsdale-based Widely Interactive, sees a lot of room for growth in B2B. “Mostly, now, they address a specific function,” he says. “Projects are unique to the individual business.” The mobile app should serve at least two … [More]
The FBI’s 10 Internet Safety Tips
Use reliable anti-virus software, and set it to update. Ensure the system’s personal firewall is active. Update patches on operating systems. Use complex passwords, and make sure the system does not have default passwords. Think carefully about information shared on social networking sites. FBI Special Agent Paul Schaaf offers an example of a post not to make public: … [More]
Cyber Security or Digital Vulnerability?
The common advice — and practice — about passwords is wrong, says cyber security expert Hoyt Kesterson. The former chairman of the international committee involved in creating digital signature credential protocols, the current senior security architect for Scottsdale-based Terra Verde Services points out that oftentimes, being required to frequently change their password puts … [More]
Kitchen Command
Cooking app SideChef reads aloud recipe directions so that cooks can pay attention to the cooking technique and quality of the food at hand. While including automatic timers to ensure meals are cooked to perfection, its voice command technology allows users to say “next” or “back” to move through a recipe at their own pace. Founder and CEO Kevin Yu also built in gamification … [More]
Text Has Feelings, Too
The developing field of affective computing (AC), which includes recognizing emotion in text, has significant potential in such business applications as marketing and customer service. Researchers Changqin Quan and Fuji Ren, in their article “Textual emotion recognition for enhancing enterprise computing,” recently published by Taylor & Francis online in Enterprise … [More]
The Fabric of Our Lives
BeBop Sensors, Inc. is now marketing a wearable, smart-fabric sensor that measures and reports in real time all aspects of physicality, including bend, location, motion, rotation, angle and torque. For markets from clothing and protective wear to robotics to appliances, BeBop’s Monolithic Fabric Sensor Technology measures actual physicality to sense and display 3-D maps of … [More]
Mapping and Marketing to an Efficient Schedule
Mapping software is a key element of the app FreshLime is debuting to home services companies in Phoenix and Salt Lake City. “They will know exactly how far apart addresses are, so they can figure travel time between appointments” — easily and accurately — says founder and CEO Jay Bean. This will increase their efficiency in scheduling calls and managing their … [More]
New ATM Prods Consumer Behavior
Use of ATMs to access cash is up — going from 11 percent to 14 percent over the past year, according to the American Bankers Association. And cash-back is still an important part of consumers’ practice in many retail transactions, necessary to facilitate what the Federal Reserve System’s Cash Product Office reports is the “most used retail payment instrument” — cash. Even with … [More]
TiE Arizona Membership
TiE Arizona educates, transforms, inspires and offers invaluable resources in the form of global and local relationships, educational events and development programs designed for business growth. The organization offers Arizona entrepreneurs access, knowledge and connectivity to its global network of large- and small-business owners, inspiring mentors and influential … [More]
Accounting Tech Tool
Designed to complement the look and feel of Apple keyboards, the just-released NewerTech numeric keypad features precision-machined aluminum housing, white keys and a bracket that attaches to the Apple keyboard — no tools needed. The design incorporates input from accountants to get every detail of the full-sized, 28-key, numeric keypad just right, including key-throw, feel, … [More]
High Tech as Indicator of High Opportunity
JLL, a real estate services and investment firm, has released the 2014 High-Technology Office Outlook Report, which helps tech companies and other businesses make informed expansion decisions based on indications of high-tech hot spots. For instance, as high-tech companies in one dedicated area increase housing prices, new amenities seem to spring up, adding to the overall … [More]
From Warehouse District to Tech Hub
Putting the most cutting-edge industry in some of the Valley’s oldest buildings — some of the brick structures dating back to the 1800s — Phoenix’s Warehouse District is being viewed as a potential tech hub. Brad Jannenga, CEO of WebPT, says he realized the area’s tremendous potential as his company moved up from 5,000 to 10,000 to 15,000 to its current 30,000 square feet. “The … [More]
