When my mind isn't wandering, I can think pretty intensely.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Apps for Apps
“We should open a restaurant. We make great sandwiches,” I said to @twelch12. He replied, looking at my pork tenderloin slices topped with cheeses and jalapenos, “And apps. We should have apps for apps.”
He’s referring to iPhone applications for appetizers - that would be fun. I can sense some rolling of eyes, and I realize the idea of inserting a digital system to order food and drinks may sound ridiculous to some, but the idea is not as much about streamlining the service or cutting the cost of a waiter. Waiters are a staple; moreover, they provide personality to the dining. What Thomas and I began to discuss highlights the trend in digital data flow and analysis, not to mention social potential in the social media frontier.
If orders for food and drinks were placed via a mobile device, the possibilities explode for the restaurant. The device could show what’s hot, have a rating system with comments for the chef/manager, provide easy data on quantity and time/date trend of specific foods. The restaurant could lean out it’s inventory or know when to bring in the freshest food for the most demanded moments. It would be fantastic for rookies to order based on real data favorites and compare likes to other, more familiar tastes.
If the system could link to an app with high depth such as Foursquare, where the data could be deeply analyzed and interpreted by their team. And since Foursquare recently commented how they are in the data business not just check-ins, the idea of ever flowing information would be incredibly lucrative and powerful to their development. Similarly rated and sampled data could offer new restaurant suggestions through a very deep use of the “Explore” function. It would not need to be Foursquare, but I feel it is the most recognized social sharing service directly related to this idea. Maybe @arainert and/or @dens are already pursuing this.
I could see flat screens at a bar showing real-time graphs or charts of what is being ordered and how long meals take to be at a restaurant delivered. Maybe the most ordered beer of the night goes on discount the next night. Happy hours could be taste relevant and games could be created. The 100th Vegas Bomb is free…I know a few people interested. Restaurants could have foods promoted and bars could have drinks promoted. There lies another source of small revenue. Although, I think if this were to hit bars, due to a positive correlation of clumsy smart phone handling and elapsed time, maybe the application should be based on an individual’s phone, not a venue owned asset.
These are just some thoughts and ideas built from a couch discussion on a Sunday evening. It kind of reminds me why @twelch12 and I dropped Chemistry II in college; late night brainstorms instead of studying/working. Plus, Chemistry was hard.
Google+
Digging it at first, but I’m afraid I’ll over hype it like Google Wave. #Circles has potential to be useful.
Data super highway for cars.
Take #IBM’s concept “Build A Smarter Planet,” and apply it to automobiles. Cars supplying endless data, in real time, to R&D departments. I can’t think of a better way to study driving styles and how a car is performing than using millions of product as live feedback. Another perk, you could get updates and notices when maintenance is looming or a quick heads up, “Yo, your car is about explode.” The hurricane data surge would be incredible. Get on this.
I Just Want Simplicity
This past week, I have been greeted with two new platforms to like/friend/follow on top of my already overloaded assortment. Keeping up with MY OWN social media and blogs is hard enough, especially when added to checking out ALL of my “friend’s” endless stream of personality-defining data. Being a digital native is a full time job. Last week, Apple decided to throw another course in to the already gluttonous meal that I try to digest daily. Now I should monitor my web community’s music interests? I swear, if Chipotle or Starbucks comes out with a social media platform, where I get to see every burrito or drink that my friends are consuming, I’m going to yell….or just tweet “ahjsdfkjajsdklfalk ahsdlfkhaslkdfjlaks kjahsdf;l kjas~~~!!!!!”
I have a novel idea that I wish someone could create for me. Just for me, since I know no one else has the problem mentioned above.
How about you take the platform of Google Reader, but allow me to uber-customize it for all my social media, with expandable folders/tabs that are my feeds. Take the folders and pretend that each is Facebook, Twitter, Ping, LinkedIn, blogs, Google Buzz, and of course the google reader news feeds I already use. Then, you could customize it with folders that highlight specific Facebook friends, organized in groups, Twitter groups, pictures, comments, etc.
And while you are at it, include the options of two OR three columns. I was too lazy to photoshop my examples in, so use your imagination.
OPTIONS! CUSTOMIZATION! Please?
