BT Bits: Nuzzel, Moves, & some Duhs (!)
In case you missed the last BT Bits where I highlighted some great products like Newsle, Billguard, and Postmates, be sure to check it out!
BT Bits is a monthly write-up, where I will highlight some of my favorite products that I have been using and think others might like as well. It will be a mix of products and services, from new technologies to products that are really hitting their stride. I will also feature a few great reads that I highly recommend.
Nuzzel - Not to be confused with last post’s Newsle (that provides “News about your network”), Nuzzel is providing you “news from your friends.” Nuzzel plugs into your social accounts and curates the top stories shared by your friends and people you follow via an email digest (and now iPhone app as well). I’ve been using the service for some time now, and while it is a simple concept, I think it is very powerful. The people/pages/brands that users choose to follow on Twitter are some of the best indicators of their interests and preferences. As such, a list of the top-shared items are then highly tailored toward these interests. Especially for those people who only check Twitter on occasion but would like to stay in the loop about the most popular stories flying through their homepages, Nuzzel is definitely worth a try! Sign up here.
Moves - The “Wearable Movement” so to speak, which fits into the whole “Quantified Self” wave and terminology relating to a more self-aware and technology connected individual, is upon us. There’s fluffy terminology and many new apps and devices that keep popping up (Fitbit, Jawbone UP, Nike Fuelband, Sleep Cycle, etc.), but really this movement is about being more in tune with various data points from our bodies: how many steps we take, how many hours we sleep (and how deep that sleep is), etc. I think the devices are very cool and evolving as they should, but since I wear a watch I am not keen to add another item to my wrist. Thus, Moves is a very simple and effective way to play in the space. The mobile app runs in the background in my pocket and tracks my steps and running distances on any given day. I’ve also liked it for checking what time I may have left somewhere or arrived as it shows a timeline and location of your moves.
The inclusion of the M7 chip (motion tracking) in the last iPhone update is another big step toward the iPhone being the only “wearable” you need. I think that until a host of Apple-developed apps pop up to do this sort of tracking even better for us, Moves is a great app to use. Get Moves here.
[The recent acquisition of Moves by Facebook might creep people out, but if anything we should start to realize that these socially connected applications will improve the functionality and our experiences as opposed to be a hindrance to our privacy (a longer post for another time on the merits and concerns of a Digital Utopian society).]
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These next few apps I will rattle off because they are the most DUH! apps that I have written about. Basically, if you do not have these apps on your phone, go to the Appstore and download them, yesterday.
Dropbox - There are many applications for this great cloud storage app, and everyone has heard of it by now, but the feature I want to mention is the Camera Upload. Download Dropbox, turn on Camera Upload, and all of your photos will be sitting in the cloud. Don’t be that person who loses your phone and loses your pictures from the day before. It’s easy, download Dropbox. (Apple recently announced the new iCloud Photo Library for iOS 8, designed for pictures as well, so we will see if that will be a worthwhile update for solving this pain point in the fall). Download Here
Spotify - I was late to the game here, but this is certainly the music app of the future. Download the free version first, then start paying for it when you realize it’s more than worth the money! All music you want, on-demand, shared playlists with friends. It’s the natural evolution of iTunes and Apple can maybe get there soon with their Beats Music acquisition, but it is always a challenge to strategize a cannibalization one of your own industry disrupting businesses. Download Here
Uber -- Since I’m playing Captain Obvious here, there is an $18B private company that you should be opening every time you need to consider transportation in a crowded city. Download Uber. And now you get double points when you enroll your AMEX, #AMEXUBER, and can use points to pay. No brainer here: Download Here
~~~ Some good reads:
They say lightning doesn't strike twice, but have you heard of Expedia? And Zillow? And Glassdoor?... Rich Barton is a serial entrepreneur for the record books, having co-founded and advised (too) many industry disrupting and category defining companies. What's remarkable about his success is that he looked at the web in its infancy and said, there will be categorical disruption every time you use the internet and new technologies to add the "transparency layer" to the web. That is, in giving visibility and powerful, open data directly to the consumer, you will not only be providing extremely critical information but will also be creating an insanely valuable business that only grows more defensible over time. Updated and transparent flight prices, home prices, workplace reviews... he also applied this model to law (with Avvo), to cosmetic surgery (with RealSelf)... Extremely Impressive.
You can learn more about this perspective and what he looks for in "Power to the People" Startups video and The Art of "Something from Nothing". Check out his newest Q&A from today.
A bit on the technical side here but if you have been hearing about SaaS and want to know why it is such a compelling business model, this is a must read: A16Z's Understanding SaaS: Why the Pundits Have It Wrong