Category Archives: Entertainment

FarCloser Travel allows adventurers to experience a whole new world



FarCloser Travel AdventuresFor some, travel is a simple function of exploring somewhere that is not home. They travel to a city and explore the local hot spots and tourist experiences. For others, it’s a more specialized experience designed to get to experience life in a new location. They find big tours that explore sights that most people never get the opportunity to see. For those adventurers, there is FarCloser Travel a platform that allows travelers to find and book exciting experiences.

There are talented local guides in every location around the world. They know the area like no one else and can provide experiences that are unmatched. But, there are also risks involved. How do you know that the listing you are reading is legitimate? What happens when you wire the money internationally? Did they get it? Most importantly, when you get to the meeting location, will there be anyone there to meet you? All of these examples are real-world and happen more often than is fair to these adventurers. FarCloser Travel makes all of those concerns a thing of the past, giving safety and security to both parties.

For travelers, you now have one place to find and explore in-depth experiences all over the globe. Some can be short, like a 2 day Lake Nakuru Safari in Nairobi. Others can be more involved, like 8 days in Kilimanjaro Marangu in Moshi. Once you find the experience you want, you can pay directly through the platform, and the money is held in escrow. The guide can only get the money once the experience has been delivered. This protects the traveler, their safety, and their money.

For the guide, it brings a new way of discovery for their excursions, allowing these guides to make more money and bring their experiences to more people. It also eliminates the negotiation and trepidation that travelers have to deal with people they do not know.

To learn more about the platform and explore the experiences available, check out their website.

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BooknBrunch brings people together over food, fun, and reading



BooknBrunch Book ClubsIn an age where technology is becoming our companion, it is getting harder and harder to feel connected to other people. For some, it can create a deep depression, which causes isolation, only exacerbating the problem. In this case, simply finding a way to connect with someone over a commonality can be a lifesaver. Such was the case for the sister of Daniela Kelloway, who created BooknBrunch after seeing her sister’s experience with depression. By simply creating a book club and spending time with people, her depression began to lift.

BooknBrunch is a platform that allows people to create a meal-based meetup group without all of the overhead of going out to eat with a group. The platform has information about restaurants that cater to groups, including group menus and private room details. Once the restaurant is chosen, the style of meeting can be chosen. You can have people pay for their meals ahead of time, taking the financial burden off of the organizer. It also eliminates the awkward and annoying period at the end of the meal, but before the end of the event, where a server comes around with checks. Now you can simply enjoy the event during the event.

There are also big benefits for attendees, in addition to the end of event financial benefits. If the organizer has made the event public, anyone can find it and join the group. You can see the restaurant details, event menu, and price of the meetup. Plus, you can see the book that the group will be discussing with a link to purchase, so you can make sure to read it ahead of time. You can also see information about the host, including a rating of their past events.

Because of the need to build venue relationships, BooknBrunch is currently available in a couple of parts of Canada, with expansion plans for the near and long term future. Find out more about the platform on their website.

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Businesses and influencers will love CLIC’s effortless content sharing



CLIC Content ManagementSocial media. There is certainly no lack of opinions and judgments on this topic. The debates seem to grow larger by the day. Whether it’s the root of all evil, the most amazing tool for staying connected, or somewhere in between, there’s no doubt that it plays a very substantial role in our current society. The truth is, social media is a very important tool for businesses and consumers, alike. It enables a business to not only connect, grow, and influence, but also get important feedback. Alternatively, it allows consumers the ability to stay informed and improve their purchasing power. But how does a company most effectively utilize such a powerful tool and make sure that their message is personal and on point? CLIC Technologies has an answer for that.

Seraj Toefy, CEO and Founder of CLIC Technologies came from Cape Town, South Africa to Collision Conference 2019 to exhibit their solution for businesses that have multiple social media users. CLIC stands for Central Library of Integrated Content. They realized that the increasing number of images and messages that are now constantly bombarding us on social media is just creating a haze in our feeds. So they are working on a new way of allowing content owners the ability to create their specific content in a way that is easily received and shared by their audience.

CLIC’s platform makes it easy for enterprises and businesses to create and share their messages. They do this by offering a content library that allows users to access pre-approved text, images, video, infographics, and podcasts. Having these items easily accessible right at your fingertips makes it easier to get content out to your target demographic quickly. Content can also be personalized to each user with images and the ability to have your personal details automatically embedded. We especially love the newsletter generator that creates brand consistent communications in seconds and the reports that allow you to track everything on the dashboard, so you know what is working and what is not.

To learn more about how CLIC can personalize and streamline your communications, be sure to watch the complete interview. And don’t forget to check out their website.

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Frogo makes online dating more fun with a game-like environment



Frogo Dating AppThere are a ton of mobile dating platforms in the world, so new services have to do something special to separate themselves. Some go after a particular market, such as LGBT users. Others create special restrictions, such as requiring a woman to make the first move. One uses DNA matching to find compatible matches. Frogo takes a different approach, creating a personality and interest profile to help find possible matches.

While most dating apps begin to get tedious after a short time, Frogo is different. It is designed specifically to be a game, whose prize is potential dates. While some personality surveys come across exactly that way, this one feels more like a game. The questions are more fun than “Favorite sport?” looking more like “Do you prefer to play a sport rather than watch it?” This gives the platform more interesting information on which to base matches.

Once a match is made, you can increase (or potentially decrease) the quality of that match by “frogging” one another. This allows you to answer new questions together. If you answer similarly, your match percentage can go up. You can also purchase special question packs, similar to how you might purchase skins for a videogame. These new questions can expand on a commonality between you and your match or can explore a new aspect of your connection. There are even more risque type questions, intended specifically for adult subscribers. This could, for some, be a more laid back way of breaching the subject of physical intimacy.

Outside of the game aspect of the app, Frogo is a fairly standard dating platform. You can chat with your matches, make plans, and ultimately meet in person. The app does include a number of anti-harassment features, however, including not allowing users to share private photos with one another. This prevents unwanted photos from being sent without permission. All profile photos are verified for compliance with the rules.

Frogo is available now for both iOS and Android devices. Service starts at free.

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Furnishr makes the moving process easier with room design services



Furnishr home furnishingOne of the most stressful things in life is moving. Finding a new place that you like, packing up your old pace, getting everything into the new place, plus trying to make sure you have the right furniture for yourself and the new space can raise stress levels to the extreme. Fortunately, Furnishr is here to take some of that stress off of your plate.

This platform is designed specifically to help you with the process of picking and installing the furniture for your new home. Working with their team through their online system, they will help you design your dream space, whether it be a single room or an entire home.

The process starts with a personality survey of sorts, which is intended to help determine the types of furniture that might interest you. This will help them determine where you fall on the design scale, from minimalistic to modern, as well as what pieces you are going to need for the space. Combining that information with a floorplan of the space they are working with, Furnishr will present you with a full setup, including alternate options for some of the bigger pieces. From there, you can pick what pieces you want to incorporate, and exactly how they will go into the space. You can even incorporate pieces that you already have and really love to make the space truly your own.

Once the furniture is chosen, the process is no longer in your hands. Furnishr will deliver, setup, and clean up, all within a single day. The whole idea is that, when you’re ready to move your personal belongings, like clothes and dishes, into the space, it is completely ready for you. And, since the company doesn’t work with retailers, your overall cost is 20 percent lower than buying furniture pieces individually.

Furnishr is available now for people to design their dream homes.

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You’ve never had this much fun exploring a city in your life!



Driftscape Local GuideChloe Duesberg is the CEO and co-founder of an exciting new company called Driftscape. Driftscape is a mobile app platform for local cultural organizations to share their information and events. It enables them to reach a broader audience and, more importantly, gives users a great way to find in-depth information about local arts, culture, and history, all in one place.

Driftscape is a mobile app that provides a platform for local organizations that shares site-specific stories, tours, and events. It’s a great resource to find out what’s happening in a particular city. The easy to use platform even pairs nicely with augmented reality modes to provide a fun new way to tour, explore and discover hidden gems all around you. Simply hold your phone up and zoom around to find markers that represent places of interest and read all about them. You can find events that are happening along with places of 
interest as well as tours. There is so much to explore. It’s perfect when looking for new things to do in your home town and even better when you are traveling. Take Toronto, for example, where Collision Conference 2019 was located. There are over 30 local organizations already using the platform. This is perfect for tourists who are looking for points of interest and things to do, and also for business travelers who may not have a lot of time to see all of the sites and want make the most what’s around them during their downtime. And also great for locals to find something in their city that they never even realized was there.

The best part is, for Users, the app is free and it provides a great way to explore what’s around you. Simply select what you’re interested in it, and start walking. You’ll be notified when there’s something nearby. And for Organizations, Driftscape is a powerful tool that helps them get your stories out there, as well as potentially generate more interest and possibly revenue.

Learn more details by watching the full interview and visit their website to find out more about what Driftscape can do for you.

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Blue Microphones shrinks their popular Yeti, and adds a new Ember



Blue MicrophonesFor new media, including podcasting and game streaming, one brand of microphones is nearly everywhere: Blue Microphones. From the Yeti to the Snowball, it seems that these microphones are everywhere. Since the company’s original microphone designer, Skipper Wise left to pursue other projects, the product lineup has begun to expand quickly. At this CES, the company was showing off a few of those newer products.

In addition to the popular Yeti microphone, Blue has introduced the Yeti Nano. This product made it to market at the end of 2018 and has really begun to find its market. The Nano has a similar design to the standard Yeti, but with a smaller footprint. It offers two of the four modes on the Yeti, both cardioid and omnidirectional, but sheds the stereo and bidirectional modes. The biggest difference, though, is the color palette. While the Yeti is generally known for its subdued colors, the Yeti Nano features bright red, blue, and gold as options.

Blue might be best known in the consumer space for their USB microphones, but the company got started because Skipper disliked every studio mic he had ever used and designed exactly what he wanted. Following in that almost 25-year legacy is the new Ember. This microphone is powered over XLR, meaning that it is intended for proper studio recording. It is a features a cardioid pickup, with a front-facing condenser capsule. This mic will be perfect for a full studio build out, versus the Yeti or Yeti Nano, which are really designed to enhance an existing desk with a quick and easy setup. As with the majority of studio microphones, it ships in a single color: dark grey.

The Blue Yeti Nano is available now with a suggested price of $99 but can be found for as low as $79 on Amazon. The Blue Ember is also available now for $99.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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Podcasters and musicians alike Shure are going to love these new mics



Shure MicrophonesOf all of the products that we love on the CES show floor, microphones are certainly near the top of the list, for obvious reasons. So we were really excited to see the new technology at Shure’s booth this year. Shure has been in the market since 1925. They specialize in wired and wireless microphones, personal monitor systems, conferencing solutions, and a host of other audiophile products. Their newest product, a part of Shure’s Motive line, is the MV88 Mic. It is a stereo microphone, which you can plug into your smartphone for convenient use. The product comes with a stand and phone attachment, allowing you to take video with your phone while getting optimal quality sound from the stereo microphone. When you plug the MV 88 into your smartphone, it automatically takes over as the default mic and the installed app pops right up on the screen and you’re ready to make adjustments and start recording. It will default to stereo mode but you can adjust the width of how wide or narrow you are trying to cover and change it to cardioid or bi-directional.

Shure created an app to go along with the MV 88, although you can use your default app or an app produced by another company, as well. You can record and edit your sound with the Shure Motive Audio App, making adjustments to both your sound and video quality. You can use this software to change both the sample rate of the audio and the audio file type.

When recording in stereo, the app lets you adjust your sound to your specifications. You can also set presets for your sound quality choices within the app. Making changes is as quick and easy as the touch of a button or slide of your finger across the touchscreen. It remembers all of the changes you have made and will already be set to your specifications the next time you use it. The MV88 kit sells for $249.00 and you can get yours now on Amazon Prime.

Shure also produces the microphone Daniele is using in the video. The KSM8 is a nickel-plated, dual-diaphragm microphone. It has a wide frequency, so it picks up your voice without struggling to find the perfect spot to stand or hold the microphone. This microphone sells for $499.00 and is also available on Amazon Prime.

You can find out more about these microphones and the entire Shure line by visiting their website.

Interview by Daniele Mendez of The New Product Launchpad.

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Sphero Specdrums: The most fun you’ll ever have tapping your fingers



Sphero SpecdrumsDo you ever sit at your desk and tap along to the beat of a song? Is the steering wheel in your car a full-on drum set when your favorite song comes is playing? If you’re like me, you’re a world class drummer in your own head. So, for all of us who don’t quite have the time or drum set to become rock stars, Sphero has introduced Specdrums.

Specdrums are sleekly designed, Bluetooth enabled, app connected rings that detect color, combined with accelerometers that detect tapping. So you are able to play music on anything in the world around you. They are a fun new musical instrument that provides an accessible, portable, and tactile way for anyone to create music anywhere. You can play on the included color pad, or really on anything, like your shirt, a drawing or even a bowl of fruit. They are perfect for beginners who want to explore but also open-ended for advanced musicians to get creative and show their chops. Specdrums provides an outlet for whether you are practicing music using your hands without loud, expensive, and large physical instruments.

They work by sending a very quick, low latency color signal to the app on your device. The colors can be programmed in the app to have a specific sound for each color. They also have curated packs in the app for different genres of music. Each pack has a combination of loops that continue to play like drum or baseline and also some instruments like a keyboard. With all of these great features, they sound great right out of the box. And with all of the customization choices available, you’ll have your own amazing creations in no time. They offer sets with one ring for $64.99 or expand your play experience with a 2 ring set that allows you to switch it up using two hands with more versatility or to play with friends for $99.

You can get more information and grab your own set on their website.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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Square Panda makes learning phonics easier and fun for all kids



Square PandoSquare Panda came into being when the CEO noticed his daughter, who had dyslexia, was struggling to learn to read. Many children with and without dyslexia do not learn easily using only a pencil and paper or listening to a teacher lecture. The innovative thing about Square Panda technology is that it integrates visual, auditory, and tactile learning so that every child can grasp the skills to use phonics in reading.

In the showcased game, a child can place letters in the tray in any order. The chameleon in the game reads the letter combination to the child. If the child has formed a real word, then a picture of that thing may be displayed. The chameleon reads the letter combination, even if it does not form a real word. In this way, the child is still learning sounds and phonetics and learning the correct way to spell through experience. If a child spells several correct words in a row, they are rewarded. If a child attempts to spell words unsuccessfully several times in a row, the chameleon begins to suggest letter combinations or displays a picture and asks the child to try to spell the name of what he is seeing.

There are ten different games available to play with this hardware. The games range in age appropriateness. For instance, there is a lullaby game available for the youngest players and a more complicated bowling game for older players. The child can choose which games he or she enjoys most, and still get the benefit of learning without the tedium of a classroom setting. The interactive nature of Square Panda keeps children entertained, while they are learning.

Being the mother of a very tactile child, I can easily see the benefit of this type of technology. Classroom experiences and homework can be nerve-wracking for my child and me. Many of you know what I’m talking about. Imagine a learning experience your child could enjoy, that was capable of helping them become a better reader! Square Panda is the solution for children who have become frustrated with traditional learning experiences.

For more information, please visit their website. They have sets available for the home and the classroom, as well as replacement smart letters. Pricing for the home set starts at $69.95.

Interview by Scott Ertz of F5 Live: Refreshing Technology.

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