Category Archives: Mobile

Voiceitt – The Tech Ranch (TPN Picks Best of CES 2020 Award)



VoiceittThe Tech Ranch awards its TPN Picks Best of CES 2020 Award to Voiceitt.

Over the past few years, we have seen a variety of products that provide language translation services. These products are great for traveling abroad or if you find yourself in a situation where you don’t speak the language. Most of these products require communication within a very limited set of parameters in which even strong accents can be a problem.

But what if you communicate in a non-traditional way? How can you easily communicate with people who are not used to your style? Millions of people have vocal disabilities, due to stroke, cerebral palsy, and other causes. That is where Voiceitt comes in – it provides a way to verbalize communication for people of all abilities. The product is based on the idea that verbal communication is an essential human need, whether you’re ordering food or telling someone “I love you.” For those who have limited speech capabilities, the limitations are difficult to overcome.

Voiceitt is designed specifically to understand and respond to non-standard and dysarthric speech. This is accomplished through a mobile application, which is currently in a closed beta phase. It allows for face-to-face, real-time communication with friends, family, and people around you. This can bring an aspect of everyday life for most that was previously unavailable, helping to build stronger and more meaningful connections.

If you are one of more than 10 million people in the United States or Europe who suffer from speech disabilities or are the caretaker of one of the 8 percent of children with a temporary or consistent communication disorder and would like to join the beta program, you can apply to join on their website.

Sponsored by:
Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy.
Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more.
The most flexible tools for podcasting. Get a 30 day free trial of storage and statistics.


PromSocial reduces the stress of planning your perfect prom date



PromSocial High School Prom PlannerIn the past few years, the world surrounding the high school prom has changed significantly. While it was once a school dance and a right of passage (for some), today it has become almost as involved as a wedding. There are dresses to buy and suits to rent or buy, limos to rent, flowers to buy, parties to plan or attend, and that’s after you’ve got a date. Just asking someone to the prom has become a production on the level of a marriage proposal, even being called a “promposal.” This would be intimidating for an adult, let alone a high school student. Fortunately, PromSocial is trying to make this a less stressful experience.

PromSocial is a platform that brings the difficult parts of prom under one roof, minimizing the “running around” aspect of planning. Currently, the app allows students to look for a date to their prom, in a similar fashion to a modern dating app. You can see profiles, indicate interest, and communicate with people you match with. When you’re ready, the platform also allows you to plan and execute your perfect promposal. You can also plan your after parties, whether that be in a limo or elsewhere. It also is a full social network, with the ability to chat with others going to prom, share your outfit, and post pictures of before, during, and after prom.

In future updates, additional features will be introduced. The primary new feature will be a marketplace of products and services specifically for prom. You’ll be able to buy or rent a dress, suit, or limo, or purchase flowers. Being able to find the local shops or online stores that provide the services you need in one place will take even more stress out of the process.

The app is available now for both iOS and Android. To learn more or download the app, head over to the website.

Sponsored by:
Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy.
Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more.


Take the headache out of getting a babysitter with lliTTLE bUNNY



Little Bunny Babysitter FinderOf all of the services that we hire out in our lives, there is none more important than childcare. After all, there is nothing more important than the safety and wellbeing of our children. That being said, it can also be a huge hassle to find good babysitting services, especially for those last-minute needs. Jean Baptiste Mbaya, founder of Millennial R&D which developed liTTLE bUNNY, made some time to come speak with us at Collision Conference 2019.

liTTLE bUNNY is an on-demand babysitting app that is powered by AI to make childcare very affordable, easy and reliable. They take away the hassle of trying to find a good childcare provider. We’ve probably all been in a situation where last-minute plans come up, or maybe the babysitter that you have had scheduled for weeks calls and cancels. Trying to call somebody up to fill in for the evening can be frustrating and can also get quite expensive if you can even get somebody on shift notice.

The sitters are thoroughly vetted in advance and also come from your same community. So it’s not meant for somebody who lives far away to come into your neighborhood, as with rideshare, grocery and food delivery services. They are people nearby that you may already know either directly or indirectly. And allowing the ability to read ratings and testimonials from other parents provides an added layer that provides more peace of mind. Parents will also get to choose whether the babysitter comes to their house, or they take the kids to the sitter’s home. Getting onto the platform is easy and there are no signup fees for either the parents or the babysitters. It’s also affordable because on average, their prices are lower than traditional childcare costs. Prices are set automatically based upon specific economic factors in each geographic area. And hourly rates get even lower when the parent is requesting service for more than 1 child.

So many areas of our lives are now made easier with the help of mobile apps and community sharing services. It only makes sense that this technology is now being applied to more things, like babysitting. After you watch Jean’s full interview, make sure to also check out their website.

Sponsored by:
Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy.
Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more.


BagsAway makes travel easier by providing a place to store your bags



BagsAway Luggage StorageFor many of us, when we travel there is one common problem that pops up: what do we do with our luggage on the first and last day? Before you can check in to your hotel when you arrive or after you check out before you leave, you are stuck either sitting somewhere with your bags or dragging them along with you wherever you go. There has got to be a better way, and that way has finally arrived in BagsAway.

This new platform allows travelers to find locations with a little extra space that are willing to store their stuff while they continue to experience their trip. The benefit for the people offering up space, in addition to a little revenue, is exposing new people to their place, whether it be a restaurant, cafe, store, etc. By working with BagsAway, however, they get something just as important: protection. The company provides the hosts with special locks to protect the bags, as well as protecting the hosts. This creates a level of trust between the two parties because there is a central protector. If something does go wrong, BagsAway also has insurance coverage for their hosts, covering $1200 per bag stored.

While many startups launch in a small area, BagsAway recognizes that travel happens worldwide, and the need goes with travels. Because of this, they have worked to secure locations in many of the top tourist locations, including Montreal, New York City, Tel Aviv, and more. This means that wherever you are traveling, you should check and see if there is a BagsAway host in your destination city.

The platform is live now and looking for both hosts and travelers to give it a try. To find out the cities where it is currently in action or to book storage, head over to their website.

Sponsored by:
Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy.
Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more.


Event Realms is bringing new technology to the event experience



Event Realms Event TechnologyIf you have attended a big event in the past few years, you know that the level of technology in use has increased dramatically, but the types of technology haven’t changed much. For example, stages no longer have printed backdrops, having been replaced by large LED walls or projection screens. However, it’s still mostly audio and video support, screens, and internet that dominate the event supply catalog, even though there are many new and emerging technologies for events. That is exactly the problem that Event Realms is hoping to solve.

When looking around the Collision Conference itself, Kevin Halfpenny, CEO of the company, has some small but impactful upgrades that he would recommend. While the event’s app is spectacular, getting basic information while on the show floor can be a challenge. Where on the show floor is a particular company? What day are they exhibiting? Where’s the closest bathroom? These questions seem trivial, but they are asked hundreds of times per day, oftentimes to people without the answer, like security. A few interactive informational kiosks, spread throughout the floor, could make the problem a thing of the past.

That is what Event Realms brings to its clients. They know the industry and they know the new technology, and they bring those two aspects together to enhance events for those in attendance and those who are remote. One of the technology categories that he sees as a huge opportunity for events is for making remote attendees feel as close to being there as possible. At a recent conference, he saw a remote presence experience in action that he claims was almost as good as being there.

If you are involved in an event and want to make the experience better for everyone involved, you can reach out to Event Realms on their website.

Sponsored by:
Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy.
Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more.


Calm Radio can fit into your busy lifestyle and create your calm



Calm RadioThere is a phrase that goes “Music has charms to soothe a savage beast”. There is a lot to be said for those words. Eric Harry, the founder of Calm Radio, knows all too well how tue that phrase is. He is in the business of streaming music. The company was second behind Pandora before all the others came in. They specialize in relaxation music and have the world’s largest classical channel collection. They do also offer sleep and meditation music, which is a very popular genre now.

There is competition today in the listening space, such as Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music. However, Calm Radio is a family-run business that, in the last two years, has done a deep dive in the market study to analyze their mobile and marketing space to see where they stand. They then made a lot of changes and found out that they have grown about 50% year after year though they had not started marketing until last October.

In addition to providing music for relaxation and sleep, the aspect of health and wellness is becoming popular. There are a lot of channels with a variety of unique artists. They offer those with long formats for helping with sleep and meditation or even for students who are studying. The availability is world-wide and there are 20 platforms such as Roku, Alexa, Apple TV, IOS and Android. The music is very high-end and has a great graphic interface. The cost is $10 per month, $99 per year or $160 for two years. The selection of music is varied and you can select from several genres for own listening pleasure. He is realizing that recently, that this is great for the wellness and health practitioners. In a focused study, they found out that there was a large percentage of men who chose this. Employers are encouraged to offer this to their employees to create a more peaceful working environment and thus be more productive For more information, go to the website.

Sponsored by:
Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy.
Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more.


Assister is making software assistants easier and safer for all



Assister AI Digital AssistantsFor software developers today, if they want to integrate an assistant into their products, they either have to rely on a third-party service, integrate with a general-purpose solution like Siri or Cortana, or limit themselves to the low value add features like FAQs and basic questions. But most developers want more capability – they want the strength of a full-featured system, with the nuance of their software. That is where Assister comes into play.

This system is designed to help software developers implement a natural language assistant into their products without having to spend the incredible amount of time and resources to build the technology themselves. What that means is that they can allow their users to ask questions or, more interestingly, pose complex challenges, in the same way they would ask another person. Imagine if your bank allowed you to ask the app, “How much money have I spent on tacos this month?” instead of looking at a list and filtering by transaction type. Or how about being able to ask Facebook messenger, “When was the last time I talked with Michele?” rather than trying to find her on your conversation list. All of this and more is possible through Assister.

Most importantly, this technology can live within the company’s platform. This means that there is no need to transfer data between systems. If the bank were to integrate that question into Siri, it would require them to give Apple the answer to the question to display on your screen. By keeping everything housed within the platform, developers no longer have to share critical information with third parties, protecting your privacy and theirs.

For more information about Assister, or to get a demo of the platform, check out the company’s website.

Sponsored by:
Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy.
Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more.


Healthy Dining is a world-wide app for plant-based restaurants



Healthy Dining Vegan Restaurant FinderPeople that live on a plant-based diet have special needs. They require an environment that is restrictive in that they cannot have any cross-contamination of certain foods. Some do not eat any dairy or animal by-products or any foods that animals are involved in, in ay way, such as honey being produced by bees. This can be incredibly difficult when dining out especially in a new and unfamiliar area. That’s where Healthy Dining becomes your friend.

This app provides a location-based curated list of plant-based restaurants that allows you to eat out safely and not have to worry about your restrictions and cross-contamination. In addition to being able to find the ideal places to eat, Healthy Dining allows you to find others who, like you, want to share meals and dining experiences. You create a profile from which others can see and it brings together new friends who have a common bond. In this app, you can view the menu options of the restaurants, and see what specials they have to offer as well as read any reviews posted. The location is chosen by the city, state or zip code.

Restaurants cannot be vegan- or vegetarian-friendly or simply offer vegan and vegetarian options; the entire menu must comply with vegan or vegetarian standards. Ebony McCormick, founder and CEO of Healthy Dining, has individually verified each restaurant on the platform for compliance. For Ebony, part of her research is reaching out to restaurants to make sure not only does the food that is served follow her requirements but the facility itself also has to. There are currently 1500 restaurants available to review and the number is growing.

The app is currently available for $1.99 to download and to allow more profiles to view, it is $1.99 per month. For more information go to her website.

Sponsored by:
Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy.
Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more.


Common Networks is developing a wireless home internet service



Common NetworksA Stable internet connection is one of the most important parts of modern life. For most people, if they’re at home and the internet connection goes down, they don’t know what to do with themselves. We rely on it for work, entertainment and, for some of us, even for food. Somehow, despite our reliance on the technology, it has not improved in any meaningful way in years. Most of us still rely on copper wires that were placed in the ground decades ago to provide our connection to the outside world. Common Networks has a new idea, using a decentralized wireless network structure to make installation easy and connectivity nearly unbreakable.

Using a combination of wireless technologies, the company is producing a wide-area mesh network. This means that if one node is damaged, the network traffic can route around the bad node and keep your internet connection alive. It also means that the network setup is less expensive to maintain because there will be no emergency late-night service tech calls, which can be a huge cost for a network operator. This cost-saving is passed on to the users, with 300 Mbps running only $49 per month with no installation fee, additional taxes, or equipment rentals.

Impressively, this is accomplished without the speed degradation we have seen with previous wireless networks. When 4G, both LTE and WiMax, came about, companies tried to build home systems on top of that technology. Unfortunately, the strength of the signal and the design of the networks made it impossible. That is no longer the case, as Common Networks has worked through those issues, designing a custom network infrastructure that is cloud-controlled and self-healing.

The company is in active development of its network in a handful of cities in California, with hopes to expand beyond the state. For more information and to see if your address is covered, check out their website.

Sponsored by:
Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy.
Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more.


Allergy Butler: a smart approach to airborne allergies in your home



Allergy Butler Home Allergy CareAllergy Butler is a full-service airborne allergy service that brings FDA-approved testing and therapies that can bring you and your family lasting allergy relief, without the need to spend hours at a doctors office. The founder’s family suffered from debilitating airborne allergies, and it is in that spirit that they wanted to offer everyone a convenient allergy treatment that actually works, by bringing together the best research, technology, and experience for you.

Allergies are the 3rd most common chronic disease. Between 30 and 40% of all Americans suffer from them, while also being responsible for 70% of asthma flare-ups, 65% of respiratory infections, and 80% of ear, nose, and throat infections. The service works in 12 easy steps. They arrive at your home, get your basic health information and vitals. They then perform an allergy test, utilizing Comforten: a method that places tiny barbs on your arm that you can barely see and feels as though someone laid a wire brush across your skin. Placing the device 3 times on each arm, they can test for 58 allergens common in your area in addition to 2 control allergens. This is all done quickly because they are doing 10 at a time. Allergy Butler then measures your reaction to the allergens which often manifest as small bumps similar to mosquito bites.

Inputting that information into their software analyzes your results against allergy research, chemistry, botany, biology and anatomy, and even weather patterns. This can provide instant results to create the perfect therapy. A week later they return to your home with a custom immunotherapy regiment, bringing you all the supplies you need, plus training you on everything you need to know. Once you’re trained you start your shots, using the smallest needles available, injecting into the abdomen because there is more fat and fewer nerves, resulting in less pain than in the arm.

If airborne allergies ail you, Allergy Butler may just be the solution. For more information visit the company’s website.

Sponsored by:
Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy.
Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more.