David Lidsky's Blog, page 3266
May 7, 2014
Google Reveals Classroom, A Tool That Lets Teachers Collect Assignments Online
No more "the dog ate my homework."
Being a teacher doesn't end when the kids go home. After 3 p.m. you still have to develop the curriculum, grade assignments, and more.
Why The Best Way Into Your Customer's iPhone Is The Headphone Jack
Saturated with apps and social utilities, the iOS ecosystem is beginning to see more third-party hardware than ever--especially the kind with a minijack.
This story contains interviews with Inder Singh, CEO of Kinsa Health, and that company's lead mobile engineer, Mike Akers.
Your Future British Airways Flights May Be Powered By Garbage
A new production plant will soon crank out jet fuel made from trash. As airlines seek to lower their carbon footprint and cities struggle with growing piles of waste, it could be a match made in heaven.
In a few years, your flight from London to New York may be powered by trash. A new production plant--ironically located in a former oil refinery outside of London--will be cranking out a renewable fuel made from waste that otherwise would end up in the city's landfill. British Airways is going to buy over $500 million of the garbage fuel to help fly its planes with a lower carbon footprint.
One Man's Quest To Donate Flights To People Visiting Their Dying Loved Ones Finally Comes True
Matt Dimmer's organization The Extra Mile--like many well intentioned nonprofits--came close to not getting off the ground at all. But now, after a moving first donated trip to connect a son to his estranged father, he's ready for more.
Last year, Matt Dimmer was burning the candle at both ends trying to launch The Extra Mile, a nonprofit designed to allow people to donate unused frequent flyer miles to the family members of terminal cancer patients. Working a demanding day job as a creative director at an ad agency while struggling to set up his fledgling organization, he was fueled only by the memory of his late father, Pete, and some innate networking skills. Given that Dimmer's idea is such a no-brainer, it seemed like only a matter of time before his org was up and flying. As he said in his interview with Co.Exist at the time: "There's a need for this, and I'm going to make it happen."
Eight months later, Dimmer is still struggling, but he just took a massive first step. And the second chapter of his story holds plenty of encouragement, inspiration, and information for anyone out there trying to build their own organization or foundation from scratch.
May 6, 2014
Now You Can Hail An Uber Car From The Google Maps App
Google picks its horse in the race for ride-share domination.
Google unrolled a major update to its Maps app for iOS and Android Tuesday, with improved on-the-fly navigation instructions, offline maps, and Uber integration in select cities.
From Fuck Cancer's Founder, A New App For People Who Ask "How Can I Help?"
When someone gets sick, well-meaning friends and family often offer help that's not really helpful. New coordinated care app StandWith helps seamlessly coordinate the type of care patients actually need.
As Yael Cohen knows too well, when a family member gets sick, all the people who offer to help generally aren't very helpful, despite good intentions. "So much of the time people send flowers and casseroles," Cohen, founder of Fuck Cancer, told Fast Company. "No one needs a fucking casserole; you've got 14 bouquets of flowers that are dying and nobody has walked the dog." And walking the dog is just one of many, many day-to-day things that need to get done.
What Happens When You Break Up With Facebook: Nothing
Here's your contradictory marketing idea for the day: One month after deleting its Facebook page, food delivery app Eat24 is on the rebound--with more downloads and response to other forms of marketing than ever.
At the end of March, food delivery app Eat24 deleted its Facebook page, explaining in a hilarious Dear John letter that it was frustrated with the social network's severely diminished free organic reach, and the company would spend its marketing dollars elsewhere.
Branding 101: We Respond Emotionally To Numbers
The numbers 10 and 11 make us feel very different things.
Radiolab recently examined the emotional power of digits when guest Alex Bellos, who writes and lectures on mathematics, discussed a global survey he conducted--on favorite numbers.
Lyft Partners With MetLife To Provide Auto Insurance For Drivers And Passengers
"MetLife has recognized the opportunity to serve Lyft users in this emerging marketplace for community-powered transportation, with millions of rides shared among users across the country."
A small bit of news from the Lyft camp: The ride-share platform just announced a new partnership with MetLife to provide auto insurance for drivers. "MetLife has recognized the opportunity to serve Lyft users in this emerging marketplace for community-powered transportation, with millions of rides shared among users across the country," wrote Lyft in an email. The terms of the agreement are vague, but the two will purportedly work together in the coming months to "develop insurance solutions that further protect Lyft's drivers and passengers."
Inspired By Asian Body Pillows, A Mattress Designed To Prevent Bedsores
A mesh design may make bedsores a thing of the past.
Chinese designer Horatio Yuxin Han has leveraged the design principles behind common Asian products to solve problems that afflict the less fortunate. His Unifold affordable shoes were inspired by the folding art of origami.
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