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Valentine’s Day is close upon us. Beyond chocolate or Tweethearts, there are plenty of techy gifts for your sweethearts (or yourselves).
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You’ve heard a ton about it, from the stock market to small businesses. But how does it work?
Bitcoin, noun;
An Internet-based virtual currency. You can’t get bitcoin from your local bank, but through exchanges or mining. Like coal and gold mining, mining for bitcoins is difficult. A miner makes computer hardware solve complex math problems that confirm transactions through the system, creating an open-source security system. Miners are rewarded with newly “minted” bitcoins. It’s referred to as mining because, like physical mining for resources, it requires work (mental more than physical) and slowly makes the new currency available at a rate similar to gold, which is mined. Bitcoins can also be obtained through online exchanges, just like gold.
There are 21 million coins for the people to mine. So far, 11 million have been uncovered and move about society; as the 10 million remaining continue to be mined, the equations to discover them become more and more difficult so that coins won’t flood the market and implode. Unlike national currency, which can be printed and introduce inflation, bitcoins are finite. But, like all money, their value depends on their surroundings. As valuable as people see bitcoin, that’s how its price is set. This makes it incredibly volatile; it is uninsurable and can’t be returned. There isn’t central regulation, it’s easily hackable (since it’s totally virtual), and the value of a bitcoin jumps and falls drastically from day to day.
On the other side, Bitcoin is freeing. It is a completely tax-free type of money that can be exchanged directly from person to person with no banks involved. For small business owners, it is a great option that is extremely low cost, gives high visibility (as long as Bitcoin is trendy) and is easy for international transactions. And though it’s still a bit rocky as a currency, it’s market valuation caps at $10 billion — so, it’s not going away fast. As it becomes a more common and “liquid” currency, it’s possible that you’ll be paying for your coffee virtually.
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There are a ton of great blogs to follow for all things mobile. We spend a ton of time reading a ton of different blogs to keep up on the trends and movements in the mobile world. Some, you get tired of. This list is full of blogs we come back to and love to read every day, and are ranked in no particular order. Let us know in the comments if there’s one we’re missing!
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Heard whispers about the M7 motion co-processor that Apple’s new iPhone 5S, iPad Mini and iPad Air are equipped with? If you then responded with a jumble of techy words like “Javascript” and “microchip”, you might need our help.
M7 Motion Co-processor, noun;
Also known as the Apple M7, the motion co-processor is a chip that lives inside your iPhone and never sleeps. It utilizes a bunch of different tools like a gyroscope and accelerometer (which translate to measure your steps and speed, respectively), and stores that data for apps that can use it.
The addition of the M7 is huge for fitness apps. Moves, which tracks your steps, can accurately measure every step you take when your phone is on your person, and know when you’re running, biking, or using speedier transportation.
Sure, apps like this have existed before the M7. What makes it an innovative step forward is it’s ability to feed data to apps even when the device is asleep or the app isn’t open. This means longer battery life and less energy wasted by the more than a billion smartphones in the world.
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In 2009, recent college grab Tammy Tibbetts thought up (and bought up the URL for) She’s the First, inspired by her work with Donate My Dress and a college final. The organization — which sponsors girls’ education in developing nations to give them the chance to become the first in their families to graduate from secondary school — launched with a video PSA in 2009, and has grown leaps and bounds since.
College and high school chapters starting popping up across the States after a student at the University of Notre Dame held a tie-dye cupcake bake sale, raising $900 for She’s the First to send 3 girls to school in Nepal. These {Campus} chapters of She’s the First grew, and helped bring Yapp into the picture.
For their 2012 campus leaders conference, She’s the First put together an app as a digital and mobile version of their program, with the ability to interact. They loved the Yapp so much that this year, they ended up replacing their printed programs, which wouldn’t be ready in time for the summit, with the app. Leaders from 83 high schools, colleges and universities gathered to learn, reflect, and amp up, with all the info and updates they needed in the palm of their hands.
The awesome mission of She’s the First is supported by fundraising events from these college and high school chapters. They’ve solidified the “social selling” model with a twist. Similar to charity: water, they want people to use their own creativity and passions to raise money and awareness for an incredible cause. By jumping in with young college and high school chapters, She’s the First is leading the pack in turning social selling into social giving.
The bake sale has become the staple fundraiser for She’s the First, but any creative campaigns are welcome — think marathon sponsorships, painting parties, birthday donations. All the money raised at fundraisers goes directly to the girls; it costs around $300 to sponsor a girl’s education for a year, including uniforms, food, mentorship, and the awesome support of the organization.
So far, the ladies (and gents!) behind She’s the First have sponsored 615 years of education for girls in 11 underdeveloped countries. There are 289 She’s the First scholars, and they wear their sponsorship like a badge of honor.
If you want to host a fundraiser or donate to She’s the First, check out their site and join the mission. If you’re in school and want to start a chapter, take a peek at their apps below to see what’s in store! Once your plans are in action, put together a Yapp so the She’s the First founders and your community can stay in the loop. Show off what you’re baking and of course, include info about She’s the First.
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On college campuses everywhere, students new and old are flooding the quads, lofting beds and cramming into dorms. Freshman aren’t the only newbies this fall — Yapp is going back to college as well.
Take a look at these Week of Welcome apps from all sorts of colleges and, if you’re a student, come join our ambassador program!
Fort Lewis College in Colorado is getting ready for their welcome week in early September, sharing a schedule of events for new students and returning ones. Plenty of freebies await.
Acadia University’s welcome week includes plenty of meeting and greeting, as well as a crash course in surviving all things college.
UVa’s College at Wise has a one-stop spot for all things student activities in their app. From fairs and festivals to games and movies, it’s everything a Wise student needs.
Missouri Western State University’s Griffon Edge program is a jump-starting orientation for new and transfer students. Their app is all about getting to know the school, their classmates, and their future at MWSU.
Don’t forget! Apply to join our college ambassador program if you’re a student on campus this fall: http://www.nycreativeinterns.com/jobs/view/yapp-campus-brand-manager
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We’ve got a couple of new themes rolling onto the site, adding a few extra options for your party, wedding, reception, anniversary…
Take a look, and give them a test drive!
Have a favorite theme? How about a theme you’re excited to see? Leave us a comment and keep a look out for more themes soon to come.
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Recently, a new user at WorldVentures created an app for a corporate training bootcamp. The app skyrocketed to the top of our most downloaded list, with more than 2,000 users.
The awesomely simple app — which was shared on Twitter by WorldVentures and attendees, as well as publicized at the event — is a perfect showcase of how simple Yapp can be to ease internal communications.
“[We’re] trying to take a real-life experience and take it mobile,” one of the WorldVentures organizers explained. With Yapp, they were able to do just that.
Are you part of an organization with internal events, conferences, or training sessions? Check out what WorldVentures did and give us a try! http://yapp.us
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We’ve featured college campus apps on our blog before, but this time, we’re bringing you a crash course on awesome Yapps made by job seekers and college-centric orgs alike to get to networking.
Are you in college? Looking for a way to get some awesome startup experience + sweet freebies on your campus this fall? Apply to be a Campus Brand Manager with Yapp! http://bit.ly/1bgEy1G
NYCreative Interns aims to help college students and recent grads network and find suitable entry-level jobs and internships. The org uses Yapp for a variety of networking events each year, including their upcoming Summer Opportunity Mixer. The app lists all the different organizations present + the company’s representatives to make following up easy.
(P.S. — If you’re internship-hunting in NYC, come to the mixer and meet some Yappers!)
Her Campus is an online magazine essential for female college students. Their national intercollegiate conference brought followers, bloggers, and big-time editors together for a stellar learning experience. The HerConference Yapp connected students and mentors with clear schedules, easy directions, and engaging news feeds.
On the other side of the equation is the job seeker. One of our users recently tweeted out her resume app, complete with a gallery portfolio of work, a quick list of her best qualities, and a space for viewers to leave notes and recommendations.
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On the same day that the Royal Baby might be born, we’ve got a few new additions to the Yapp creator family to announce ourselves.
We’ve split our old News Feed page to make it easier for you to show off your Twitter page and encourage conversation. Now, the News Feed page is just for users of the app to post in comments, questions, updates and photos. There is a separate Twitter page (complete with the iconic bird icon) just for your accounts and hashtags to rest in.
And we’ve added a page for your videos! A highly requested feature, the videos page will embed videos from YouTube and Vimeo links right into your app page. We can’t wait to see how you use ‘em.
Keep looking for more exciting product updates to come!