One of the problems that I mentioned in my bug list involved
not being able to set an alarm on my phone using music from sources other than
iTunes. My solution to this problem is to create an app that lets you access all
of your music and radio accounts within one app. That means one app to access
Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Prime Music, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn, plus others. The
app would serve as a multi-purpose app, one that not only puts all your music and
stations in one convenient place, but also let you set an alarm to any song or
station of your choice from any of the different accounts. This would also give
the additional benefit of freeing up space on the user’s phone, as it would
allow them to delete all the original music apps. There are currently similar
apps on the market that do this for social media, but none so far for music!
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Looking for Opportunity
Solar
Energy in Florida
(Regulatory
trend)
Where I found the opportunity:
I originally read an article about a new bill in San
Francisco that will require solar panels on all new buildings (first link). I
decided to look up what kind of initiatives Florida has taken toward renewable
energy, which led me to the second link, which is where I found the opportunity.
The last two links are supplemental information that I found after originally finding
the opportunity.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-koch-brothers-dirty-war-on-solar-power-20160211?page=5
Why this opportunity
exists: Florida, known as the Sunshine State, has the third-best rooftop
solar potential in the United States. Despite this, less than ONE PERCENT of its
energy consumption is powered by solar energy. Massachusetts Institute of
Technology has also recently released news of a breakthrough in solar energy
technology that could double the amount of energy collected by solar panels.
Most likely consumer:
While the potential for solar energy exists nationally and even globally,
in this instance the most likely customers would be residents of Florida. This
is because the solar energy market is currently nonexistent in the state due to
many unusual barriers of entry in the market.
Exploiting the
opportunity: This opportunity would be extremely difficult to exploit, but has
the potential to be highly successful. The reason for this is that energy consumption
is regulated by the state, and monopolies such as the Koch Brothers and Florida
Power & Light (FPL) fervently defend anti-solar policies and even band
together to come up with state amendments that punish and even prohibit residents
from using solar power. Bills such as Amendment 1, which will be on the ballot
this November, are worded to make it sound as if they are advancing the cause,
when in reality the amendment would only strengthen the hold that the
monopolies have on customers in Florida by doing away with net metering, which currently
requires companies like FPL to buy any excess power generated from homes with
solar panels. Trying to take advantage of this untapped energy source in
Florida would be a huge and very difficult task as it would mean first dethroning
the current energy monopolies whose profits come from burning fossil fuels.
Why I saw this
opportunity: I saw this as an opportunity because it honestly makes me
furious. I hate bullies, and my beloved state of Florida is currently being
bullied by the power companies. We are the Sunshine State and yet we are
producing virtually ZERO energy from the sun. I feel like I am being taken
advantage of by giant corporations, and the worst part about it is that I’m
PAYING these people to take advantage of me because my only other immediate
option is to go without power. Which I’m pretty sure I can’t do either because
my apartment complex would likely kick me out if I stopped paying my utility
bill. I apologize for the rant, but this seriously pissed me off when I heard about it.
Reusable Shopping
Bags
(Regulatory trend)
Where I found the
opportunity:
Why this opportunity
exists: Massachusetts is in the process of passing a bill that would ban
plastic bags. This could be an opportunity for other alternatives to plastic
shopping bags, or an opportunity for more widespread use of reusable shopping
bags. Some stores, such as Target, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s, even offer small
discounts or incentives for people who shop with reusable bags.
Most likely consumer:
Currently, people who live in Massachusetts, but the market could be very
successful elsewhere in the United States, especially if other states fallow
suit and ban plastic bags as well.
Exploiting the
opportunity: I think that this would be fairly easy to exploit, just because
of the use of plastic bags expands many different markets, not just one. Reusable
shopping bags have been around for a while, the problem is getting people to
switch. In order to do that you have to target the stores and either get them
to do away with plastic bags completely or have them offer incentives for using
reusable bags.
Why I saw this
opportunity: I saw this as an opportunity because I am a regular user of
reusable shopping bags. While there is not one in Gainesville, back home I do
most of my grocery shopping at Aldi, which doesn’t even use bags at all. They
require shoppers to bring their own or do without them completely. It may sound
weird, but going without bags is not as bad as it seems. I’ve forgotten my
reusable bags on occasion, and it basically just means that I bag my groceries
when I get home rather than at the store.
Hurricane Preparedness
(Economic trend)
Where I found the
opportunity: I originally found the first article about the newly formed Tropical
Storm Bonnie. The article also talks about the hurricane forecast for the rest
of the season, which is where I got the opportunity from.
Why this opportunity
exists: Certain states such as Florida tend to be at a higher risk of
getting hit by a hurricane, but residents of states at slightly less of a risk,
such as states farther north along the coast, tend have a lot less experience
dealing with hurricanes and often times make crucial and costly mistakes by not
preparing enough or doing so too late. Stores will often times run out of hurricane
supplies quickly in the days before a storm hits, so those who didn’t prepare
early enough end up without supplies completely. Sandbags, which are used to
help prevent flooding, can be hard to come by and are often times in very
limited supply at places that do offer them.
Most likely consumer:
Residents of any state that is at risk of being hit by a hurricane or
tropical storm.
Exploiting the
opportunity: I feel like this could be a fairly easy opportunity to
exploit. Someone could create hurricane preparedness kits that included all the
basic supplies needed, and then sell those to stores that are in areas at risk
of being hit by a hurricane. The only part that would be difficult would be
getting consumers to buy the supplies early instead of waiting, but certain
marketing strategies and advertising could be used to help get the word out.
Why I saw this
opportunity: As someone who has spent all but 3 years of my life living in
Florida, I have gone through my fair share of hurricanes and tropical storms. It
is vital to inform people that they need to be getting supplies such as
nonperishable foods, flashlights, and water now rather than everybody running
to the store to get these things the day before a storm is supposed to hit.
Mass
Transportation Systems
(Economic trend)
Where I found the
opportunity:
Why this opportunity
exists: There is a notable lack of mass transit systems in the United
States, and many of the ones that do exist are in desperate need of upgrades
and repairs. The D.C. metro line is currently at risk of being shutting down due
to failing to comply with safety inspections. This comes days after there had
been a fire on the rail. The D.C. metro line is primarily used by people commuting
to or from work, and if it shuts down, many people will be stranded without
transportation. It is also worth noting that the majority of mass transit
systems in the U.S. are located only in large cities. A few do go beyond city
boarders, but not by much. SunRail, the new commuter rail line in Florida, only
goes North of Orlando. The transportation company Amtrak has a sizable rail
system throughout the United States, but tickets are expensive and are usually
meant more for long distance travel between states due to lack of stops in
between major cities.
Most likely consumer:
Anyone who relies on the D.C. metro system or any other metro system that
needs upgrading, as well as anyone who commutes to work and is looking for
cheap alternatives that save them from sitting in traffic.
Exploiting the
opportunity: Past the obvious need for upgraded metro systems, I think
there is definite need for city-to-city mass transportation systems. This would
be relatively difficult to exploit as it would be timely and costly. However, I
do think that it is completely doable. Think of it this way: what if instead of
expanding highways and adding more lanes to help with traffic congestion, they
just built a rail system to help alleviate the traffic? Same goal, different
solution. And one that is more environmentally friendly as well as potentially
faster.
Why I saw this
opportunity: I saw this as an opportunity because I spent four months in a small
town in Italy, and even with a population about a quarter the size of
Gainesville’s, it still had 2 major train stations. I traveled almost primarily
by train in the country, and many locals over there prefer to travel by train
rather than by car because it was cheaper. While the U.S. is much larger in
size, I think that making a rail system similar to Europe’s, even if it starts
out small with cities like Orlando or Tampa, could be very beneficial. I also
lived in the Virginia/D.C. area for about a year and a half, during which my
dad commuted to work every day using both the train and the metro. I remember
him complaining about how often there were really bad delays or backups on the
metro due to closed tracks or maintenance or whatever, which would either make
him late for work, or force him to walk or take a taxi to get where he needed
to go.
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Identifying Local Opportunities
Title: ASO:
Another skimmer found at gas station near I-75
Description: A credit card skimmer was found at the pump of a gas station
located right off of I-75 in Gainesville. The sheriff’s office said that
skimmers like the one found are showing up more and more. They warn residents
to be careful and always check the pump for tampering before making a purchase.
Problem: These credit card skimmers are designed to steal credit
card information from any customer that uses the pump. Even though they found
this particular skimmer, many skimmers are designed nowadays to transmit your
information via Bluetooth the moment you swipe your card.
Who: Anyone who has a credit or debit card is at risk here.
Title: Frustrated,
talented teachers leave Florida classrooms in droves
Description: Florida teacher Noah David Lein, one of only 4% of the
areas teachers to be a recipient of the “Best and Brightest” teachers’ bonus
last year, is retiring from teaching to begin a career in sales. Lein is only
32, but is fed up after only 9 years of teaching due to lacking salaries and
Florida politicians pushing for emphasis on standardized testing over actual
learning. He is not the only one who is fed up, many other teachers are leaving
as well, and state records show that 40% of new teachers leave after only 5
years.
Problem: Teachers are not getting the fundamental support they need
to do their job correctly, and politicians care more about test scores than
they do about students’ retention of what they are learning. Florida
politicians are constantly complaining about the education system, but none are
actually doing anything about it. They spend more time talking to themselves
about the problem than actually listening to what the teachers have to say.
Who: Teachers and students are the most directly affected, but the
constant turnover of teachers costs the state $130 million a year, meaning that
the indirect affect is much more widespread.
Title: Day care
dilemma: Experts worry cost, demand for quality too much of a strain on working
families
Description: Quality day care centers are becoming more and more
expensive, and it is putting a large financial burden on families. The average annual
cost of day care for an infant is $8,694. The cost is forcing some families to
find alternatives, many turning to unlicensed facilities.
Problem: Some of these unlicensed facilities are unfortunately putting
the children at risk. Just this past week a 5-month old was found dead at one
in Jacksonville. There is an unmet need here of quality child care at a
reasonable cost.
Who: Parents who work and have young children
Title: Apalachicola
River named 'most endangered' river in America
Description: Apalachicola River was named the Most Endangered River
in America by AmericanRivers.org for 2016. The river system is shared between
Florida, Georgia, and Alabama, and as a result the three states have been in
legal battles over the usage and management of the water basin since 1990.
Problem: The outdated water management systems and ever increasing
demand for water from the river is seriously harming the river system. It is causing
droughts and fishery disasters, and because the states have been battling over
this in the courts for some time it is seriously taking its toll on the
ecosystem.
Who: The water system is crucial to many, providing jobs to
oystermen and being a major supplier of metro Atlanta’s drinking water. But this
problem affects everyone in all three of the states. Overuse and mistreatment
of the river system in one area ends up affecting all three states eventually.
Title: Nile
crocodiles slither into South Florida
Description: A recently published a paper by University of Florida
researchers confirms that three animals captured in 2009, 2011, and 2014 are in
fact Nile crocodiles and not local American crocodiles. The DNA evidence showed
that the captured animals were related to each other, but proved that they were
not related to any of the Nile crocodiles that currently live at any of the licensed
attractions in Florida.
Problem: Nile crocodiles are native to Africa, are much more
aggressive than American alligators and crocodiles, and have been known to
attack livestock and humans. They are responsible for up to 200 deaths every
year in Africa, and there is worry that it could harm the already endangered
American crocodile population.
Who: The fragile Everglades ecosystem is faced with the biggest
problem, but farmers who have livestock in the area, and really anyone who
lives in the area could be at a greater risk if the Nile crocodiles become established
in the area.
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Bug List
1. When the faucet is too close to the edge of
the sink and you don’t have room to wash your hands
Why: Poor product design.
2. When I go to an academic advisor and they
have never even heard of the Innovation Academy.
Why: They live under a
rock. Like come on, it’s one thing for a student not to have heard of it, but
these people work for the university
and are supposed to be there to give us academic
advice. How can they give me academic advice if they haven’t even heard of
the academic program that I am in? This has happens way more often than it
should.
3. When I need to use scissors and the only ones
available are the “ergonomically correct” ones.
Why: Lefty inequality!
Ban ergonomically correct scissors! (If you’re a righty, I encourage you to try
using those evil things with your left hand. Then maybe you’ll understand the
pain and suffering that us lefties go through.)
4. When a public computer is set up in a way
that the mouse cannot be moved to the other side, requiring me to sit there
awkwardly with my whole body twisted just to reach the mouse or struggle to use
the mouse with my right hand.
Why: People forget
that lefties exist and don’t think to wire the computers with enough cable room
to move the mouse to the other side.
5. The Dunkin Donuts at Turkey Lake Service
Plaza in Orlando (which is on my way home from Gainesville) has never once
gotten my coffee order correct.
Why: Maybe not enough
training? Or just really bad luck on my part? I don’t have a complicated order
(really, it’s only an iced coffee), and yet every time I stop here they get it wrong.
Honestly I should probably just start going to a different one.
6. People who are on the phone on the upper
floors of the library
Why: Because they either
don’t know the rules or don’t have the patience to walk downstairs when they
get a phone call.
7. Drivers who go straight in a right turn-only
lane (especially when it’s a red light and everybody behind them is waiting to
turn); specifically at the intersections of 34th St & 2nd Ave, and 34th St & 20th St.
Why: This problem
exists because drivers didn’t see (or chose to ignore) the large obvious sign
with the obnoxious flashing light. I wish cops would just sit out at these
intersections and ticket anyone who does this. It can be very annoying and can
really back up traffic at peak hours.
8. Not being able to name group text messages (like
you can in GroupMe)
Why: Because Apple
hasn’t thought of this yet or has deemed it unnecessary.
9. When it starts raining on your way to class and
you only have a rain jacket or a small umbrella (so no golf umbrella), and you
have to choose between either you getting wet or risking the laptop in your
backpack getting wet.
Why: This problem exists
because backpack umbrellas don’t exist. There is always the option of those
clear plastic backpacks, but then everyone can see all your stuff and how messy
your backpack actually is, and that is a whole different problem.
10. Not being able to make a left turn onto 34th St coming from 28th Ave.
Why: There is a median
in the way. Poor construction design? Or maybe this is to prevent accidents
from occurring since 34th St gets a lot of traffic.
11. Not being able to search for something that
is along your route destination in Google maps.
Why: There is not
really a reason why this doesn’t exist yet, other than because nobody has made
it happen. The technology is out there, someone just needs to make it happen. Imagine
how much more convenient it would be if you were able to search for things along
your route instead of having to close out of the navigation entirely to do a
new search when you get hungry or need to stop for gas.
12. Not being able to find ice cream past a
certain time in Gainesville without driving a significant distance.
Why: Because there are
very few ice cream places open past 10 that serve ice cream, and most fast food
places usually start cleaning their ice cream machines around this time.
13. Most girls’ shorts and pants have really
small pockets.
Why: I guess this
exists because girls tend to carry purses. But why are we always expected to carry
a bag with us? What about those times when we actually can’t bring a bag due to
safety restrictions put in place by certain venues? Why can’t they just make
the pockets bigger?!
14. Not being able to find parking on campus or
in the midtown and downtown areas.
Why: UF and
Gainesville have very limited parking.
The Gainesville area is relatively condensed, with a high number of businesses
and buildings in a relatively small area, meaning less room for parking spots.
15. Most of my music is through Amazon Prime, but
to set an alarm on my phone I have to use music that I have bought through
iTunes
Why: Exists because Apple
wants you to buy music from them and not other music services. This actually
bugged me enough that I submitted a suggestion to Amazon through their music
app and asked them to create a feature to let me set an alarm within the app.
Still hasn’t happened yet, but yay for me taking action.
16. When I’m on the phone with someone on my
iPhone, and I get another incoming call, hitting the “End and Accept” button to
end my current call and answer the incoming one will sometimes just end both
calls.
Why: Technical
glitch? Honestly I don’t know. This could
be just be a technical problem with my specific phone or with iOS operating
system in general.
17. Not being able to change the font color in
the Notes app on my iPhone.
Why: Again, this bug basically
exists because nobody has made it happen yet. There are other apps on the
market that will let you do this, but the only ones that I have been able to
find you have to pay for. And who actually pays for apps on the app store?
18. When the underwire in a bra starts to pop out
and poke you. It’s painful. And usually inevitable.
Why: I guess it is
generally just from normal wear and tear, but it is still annoying because it
basically means you can’t wear the bra anymore even if it is otherwise still in
perfectly good shape.
19. When people don't clean kitchen surfaces after cooking with raw meat.
20. My apartment complex has only one recycling
bin per dumpster, and most of the time they are either full or missing
completely.
Why: Honestly probably
because they don’t recycle anyways. I’ve lived here for almost a year and have
not once ever seen them pick up the recycling, only the trash. I’m pretty sure
they just dump whatever is in the recycling bin into the dumpster before they
pick it up.
I found this assignment pretty easy in the beginning because I've actually kept a list of "bugs" as you call it on my phone for years. It was definitely a good place to start, but by no means was it enough to complete the list. Once I got down to the last few I definitely struggled to come up with more!
Friday, May 13, 2016
My Entrepreneurship Story
I am in enrolled in this class primarily as a requirement for my minor in Innovation. While I don't plan on starting my own business (at least for now), I hope that this class will help me develop an entrepreneurial mindset and refine the creativity and leadership skills that I have already started to develop in some of my previous classes.
As part of the Innovation Academy, I have been lucky enough to encounter entrepreneurship in many different forms, from meeting CEOs and founders of local businesses like Fracture and Knack, to designing and prototyping a travel app my freshman year as part of my Creativity class for the Innovation Showcase. But the specific experience that I want to tell you about was with Matt Hintze, the founder of Tutoring Zone. I chose this experience to share with you because unlike the other entrepreneurship encounters I have had, this one actually stayed with me afterwards.
I have actually known Matt Hintze for little over a year now. I first met him last spring when I took Financial Accounting and used Tutoring Zone to help me pass the class. Matt was, and still is, the tutor for that class, and over that semester and the following fall I got to know him a little better as I started working for Tutoring Zone as a campus representative.
About a month and a half ago, I was on my way to an IA Leadership, Enhancement, And Development club meeting when I learned that Matt Hintze was going to be the guest speaker. Anyone who has taken a class with him through Tutoring Zone knows how cool of a person he is, and I was excited to hear what he had to say about starting Tutoring Zone and the different challenges he had faced in doing so. That is what I expected him to talk about because that is what every other guest speaker who came to the meetings usually talked about. But what made that meeting stick with me, and the reason why I am sharing it with you today, is that he did NOT talk about that stuff. In fact, he barely even mentioned Tutoring Zone at all.
Instead, he spent the meeting talking about what he still wants to do. He talked about the time when he had been called on to head a project between the State and the University of Florida to create an online school, and how he had backed out when they refused to consider any of the ideas that he had, and how he still wanted to make those things happen. He talked about how he wanted to better the retention rate of online learning by tailoring to a student's specific learning style and matching them to professors with that specific teaching style. He did an ice breaker with us, and throughout the entire meeting he was constantly bouncing his ideas off of students and letting students bounce their ideas off of him.
I'm in my junior year, minoring in innovation with several creativity classes already under my belt, and I have never been in an environment with more creative thinking going on than at that meeting. I have had a multitude of opportunities to talk with different entrepreneurs, but this was the first time that I actually felt inspired by one, the first time that an entrepreneur actually got me thinking instead of just telling me their story. And this was someone that I had already known for year!
I am sure that many of the people in this class have used or at least heard of Tutoring Zone before, and if you ever find yourself in Matt's presence, I would highly recommend striking up a conversation with him. He is definitely one of the coolest entrepreneurs I've met!
The picture is of a puppy that someone had just adopted and brought to the meeting with them. It was a pretty epic meeting. Also I apologize for writing so much. It's a bad habit.
As part of the Innovation Academy, I have been lucky enough to encounter entrepreneurship in many different forms, from meeting CEOs and founders of local businesses like Fracture and Knack, to designing and prototyping a travel app my freshman year as part of my Creativity class for the Innovation Showcase. But the specific experience that I want to tell you about was with Matt Hintze, the founder of Tutoring Zone. I chose this experience to share with you because unlike the other entrepreneurship encounters I have had, this one actually stayed with me afterwards.
I have actually known Matt Hintze for little over a year now. I first met him last spring when I took Financial Accounting and used Tutoring Zone to help me pass the class. Matt was, and still is, the tutor for that class, and over that semester and the following fall I got to know him a little better as I started working for Tutoring Zone as a campus representative.
About a month and a half ago, I was on my way to an IA Leadership, Enhancement, And Development club meeting when I learned that Matt Hintze was going to be the guest speaker. Anyone who has taken a class with him through Tutoring Zone knows how cool of a person he is, and I was excited to hear what he had to say about starting Tutoring Zone and the different challenges he had faced in doing so. That is what I expected him to talk about because that is what every other guest speaker who came to the meetings usually talked about. But what made that meeting stick with me, and the reason why I am sharing it with you today, is that he did NOT talk about that stuff. In fact, he barely even mentioned Tutoring Zone at all.
Instead, he spent the meeting talking about what he still wants to do. He talked about the time when he had been called on to head a project between the State and the University of Florida to create an online school, and how he had backed out when they refused to consider any of the ideas that he had, and how he still wanted to make those things happen. He talked about how he wanted to better the retention rate of online learning by tailoring to a student's specific learning style and matching them to professors with that specific teaching style. He did an ice breaker with us, and throughout the entire meeting he was constantly bouncing his ideas off of students and letting students bounce their ideas off of him.
I'm in my junior year, minoring in innovation with several creativity classes already under my belt, and I have never been in an environment with more creative thinking going on than at that meeting. I have had a multitude of opportunities to talk with different entrepreneurs, but this was the first time that I actually felt inspired by one, the first time that an entrepreneur actually got me thinking instead of just telling me their story. And this was someone that I had already known for year!
I am sure that many of the people in this class have used or at least heard of Tutoring Zone before, and if you ever find yourself in Matt's presence, I would highly recommend striking up a conversation with him. He is definitely one of the coolest entrepreneurs I've met!
The picture is of a puppy that someone had just adopted and brought to the meeting with them. It was a pretty epic meeting. Also I apologize for writing so much. It's a bad habit.
Thursday, May 12, 2016
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