Sgamblog

Blog #9: blog critiques

2011-10-31T17:49:00.000-07:00

These are the links to the blogs I commented on:

http://alexchapmangpsidea.blogspot.com/2011/09/gps-idea.html?showComment=1320109162236#c4806135379895733399

http://disasterisopportunity.blogspot.com/2011/09/week-1-post-1-lightbulb-turns-on.html?showComment=1320109791270#c3697318719335319283

http://ochansyr.blogspot.com/2011/09/week-1-entrepreneurial-idea-and-social.html?showComment=1320110445014#c7309972894341578599

Blog #8: Project Overview

2011-10-31T17:12:00.000-07:00

During this project, my idea has grown. It started out as an idea and slowly I have added ways to make the idea a reality. I have discussed advertising with the social media. Using Facebook, Twitter, and other sites to promote the idea. Security has been dealt with. If a person loses his/her phone, they can just lock it using this website. Also one could track down the exact location of the phone and catch the thief.
Also, to stay organized, the company will use programs such as Excel. This will keep the data organized and easy to look at. An alternative use for this would be getting a data base. A data base would be a good way to organize the information and would visually help people interpret it.
The most important part of the idea is the RFID chips. The RFID chips would track where phones are at the same time. This would be how one locates the phone when it is stolen or misplaced.
This was a good project. I liked it a lot. I liked how we were able to put what we use in class and combine it with real life material. This project gave me and opportunity to use my creativity. It was actually fun doing this project because it was interesting and applicable to everyday life.

Blog #7: Networks

2011-10-31T17:03:00.000-07:00

Ensuring that the network can hold all of the users will be important. Also it will be important that the network be fast. People these days are impatient and want their information quickly, and if the website/ application is slow then not many people will use it.
Also, the network will have to have a lot of bandwidth so it can hold many users at one time. The more bandwidth it has the quicker the network and the more efficient the product will be. Also, the more bandwidth it has, the more likely the system will not crash or lag. It will be smoother for the users which will result in more business.
There are different types of networks. Another type of network that could benefit the company is radio. The company could use the radio to promote the idea and get the company's name out there. This is a good method of advertising and will increase business. Networking is very important and will play a major role in ensuring that the company runs smoothly and appeals to the users. Also it is an efficient way to promote the company's name and idea.

Blog #6: Blogger Review

2011-10-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

Bit Rebels is a self-described "Geek, Technology, Design and Social Media Guide" website that provides insight, info and opinions on the aforementioned topics. The main author/blogger on this site is Diana Adams. She writes for the site frequently and is often their biggest contributor. Her online profile reads, "By day, Diana is a mac geek and the CEO/owner of Adams Consulting Group, Inc. (part of the Apple certified consultants network). By night, she lives and breathes by writing."

In this specific blog post I found, Diana Adams discusses an Android app called "Mobile Defense", an application eerily similar to PinPoint. "Mobile Defense" is essentially LoJack for your phone, as Adams puts it. She advises her readers to download this free app immediately and informs readers of the app's vast capabilities and practical uses.

After reading this blog, I realized my PinPoint idea wasn't all too original. Unfortunately for my company, the technology and applications to find lost or stolen phones already exists, so I would be forced to compete with bonafide companies. However, instead of accepting defeat, PinPoint could carefully analyze the "Mobile Defense" app and attempt to build and improve on the areas it already does well. Potential changes could include a fresh, new interface, enhanced tracking capabilities (possibly via RFID technology), and becoming more user-friendly.

Blog Link

Blog #5: RFID Technology

2011-10-04T23:12:00.000-07:00

Utilizing RFID technology in the correct manner is essential to the growth and development of PinPoint as both an application and brand. As we learned in past lectures, RFID, or Radio Frequency Identification, is a system that transmits the identity of an object or person wirelessly through use of radio waves. RFID tags, which consist of an antenna and microchip (together called a "transponder") communicate with RFID readers, which receive the data and info via antennas. In my current business model, RFID technology would be the backbone of PinPoint's operating software.

The plan is, with PinPoint, every customer's device would have it's own personal RFID tag. By using the specific RFID tags tied to a customer's login/password information, tracking the lost or stolen cell phone would be fairly simple and easy. The tags, along with the phone's GPS capabilities, give PinPoint the tracking device needed to find these lost or stolen smart phones.

Blog #4: Excel, Hardware (and Catching Up)

2011-10-04T21:54:00.000-07:00

To keep my emerging business organized, PinPoint would utilize the many tools and advantages of the Microsoft program, Excel. Why Excel? Because no other program can keep track of vital business information and statistics in such a fluid and easy manner. Mastering Excel would allow PinPoint to be not only extremely organized internally, but also externally show our progress and current status through the use of graphs and charts. Excel will help my business stay out of "the red" with a system of budget alerts and budget surpluses to keep finances in check.

Using graphs and charts in a persuasive and professional manner will also allow my company to accomplish many of our goals, the first of being getting some capital via investors. By displaying the numbers and figures of my business to potential investors through Excel charts and spreadsheets, we could show exactly where the company stands and where we are headed in the future.

"PinPoint" is a fantastic idea on paper (and apparently one that's already being put into play by the company LoJack) but this type of application/online software is not made possible without utilizing the advanced technology and hardware found in today's smart phones. Our smart phones are essentially miniaturized computers packed into a cell phone shell/case, capable of performing at the same level as net-books and smaller laptops. Thanks to the great technological advancements we have made in recent years, the practical use and application of "PinPoint" is very real and very possible.

**Sidenote: I did not realize the subject I posted on was a week behind everyone else's so I attempted to catch up with this post. Please forgive my mistake.**

Blog #3: Privacy

2011-09-26T16:36:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest concepts behind PinPoint is protecting an individual's privacy and personal information. As we learned in this past weeks lectures, online privacy is a huge part of our daily lives that often goes unnoticed. Most people do not realize just how easy it is to access an individuals personal information via Facebook, Twitter and other social media websites. People take their privacy for granted. As much information as we have on our Facebook and MySpace pages, we often have much more vital personal information stored on our smart phones.

If you use a banking app and have bought items using PayPal on your phone, a technologically savvy individual could easily hack into those accounts and have complete access to your credit cards and banking information. By simply stealing one's phone, a criminal could pull off complete identity theft and rob you off thousands of dollars.

With the application PinPoint, if your smart phone is ever lost or stolen you could easily lock and/or delete all of your vital personal information via the PinPoint website. Not only that, using your phones GPS capabilities, PinPoint could find the exact location of your phone and track down the thief who stole it. PinPoint not only protects your phone from going missing, it also protects your personal information from ending up in the wrong hands.

Blog #2: Social Media

2011-09-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

In today's day and age, every single commercial or advertisement out there typically finishes with the same closing line..."Friend us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!" Businesses and companies are using social media websites to promote their products and brand like never before. Now-a-days everyone and their grandma has a Twitter and Facebook, making advertising to the masses quite easy for companies. PinPoint would surely follow this popular social media trend and use these sites to promote this innovative application.

One way of doing this would be to flood Twitter and Facebook with posts about PinPoint, generating knowledge and awareness of the product. Once the actual name "PinPoint" is out there for all to see, we could continue to barrage these websites with positive posts about the application, encouraging smart phone users to purchase the app. YouTube gets more hits per day than any of the major television networks so it is clear that the future of advertising is in the internet and no longer in television, radio or magazines. It has never been easier for companies to create brand awareness than it is today. By utilizing these social media websites, PinPoint has the potential to take off and become one of the hottest selling app's in the iPhone, Android and Blackberry markets.

Blog #1: PinPoint

2011-09-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

In today's day and age, we are all completely lost without technology. We have become so dependent on it, after a couple days without a cell phone or laptop we feel entirely disconnected with the world, our friends and family. Imagine going a week without receiving a single call, text, e-mail, and even Facebook update. Most of modern America would lose their minds! But we've all been in that position before, whether it's due to misplacing cell phones, losing the charger, or even worse - having these precious items stolen. If only there was a way to track and locate these lost or stolen items after the fact......Enter the brand new application "PinPoint"!

PinPoint is an Android, iPhone, and Blackberry application designed to ensure your smart phones safe return in the event it gets lost or stolen. The concept behind PinPoint involves utilizing the smart phones GPS capability to track and locate the missing item. By logging onto the PinPoint website, where all your phones information will be stored and easily accessible, you can "pin-point" exactly where your phone is. Once you have your phones exact location, PinPoint will call your phone until it is picked up and found. In the event your phone is stolen, the PinPoint website gives you access to all the vital information stored on your phone so you can lock your phone and delete valuable information before a criminal has the ability to steal anything else from you.