MacTank, one of the nation's premier providers of e-mail customer solutions for small business, today announced the rollout of several enhancements to its popular MailTank program. iPhone may have ramped up the interest at MacWorld 2007, but MailTank followers who saw a preview of the upgrade, were also enthusiastic.
According to MacTank co-founder and CTO, Lon Baker, the enhancements include:
The editors of Sommelier Journal have devoted their entire February issue to service in the restaurant industry, covering topics ranging from glassware to training to an all-star roundtable discussion on a wide range of service topics.
"Part of our core mission is to provide a place for sommeliers to share best practices, and in this economic climate, there may not be a more important area than service where we can do that for our readers," said Sommelier Journal Editor David Vogels, CWP. "I am delighted with how the issue turned out: this is essentially a textbook on restaurant service."
February's Special Service Issue is anchored by the 16-page roundtable discussion featuring a panel of experts from around the country: Randy Caparoso, Matthew Conway, ASA, Christie Dufault, Nick Peyton, and Bobby Stuckey, MS. The conversation covers subjects such as the attitude and skills required to excel in service; finding, training, and motivating your staff; proper methods of handling difficult guests and service interruptions; greeting and saying goodbye to guests; pricing strategies and tableside dialogue; and much more.
"Sixteen pages, and it really is 16 full pages without any padding, may seem like a lot," said Editor David Vogels, CWP, who moderated the discussion. "But it was tough for me to cut it down even to that length. The discussion was so good and so useful that I felt I should have had to pay a fee just for the opportunity to sit and listen to it."
Vogels gathered together a group with more than a century of combined industry experience: Sommelier Journal Bottom Line columnist Randy Caparoso, a founding partner and former corporate wine director of Roy's Restaurant Group; Matthew Conway, ASA, currently the general manager of Marc Forgione in New York City, and formerly a sommelier at Aquagrill, Pace, and Gray Kunz's Caf
InFlight Labs, LLC, new proprietary product called Inflight 911 Services which is scheduled to be released later this year has selected the FAA-approved iPad as their device of choice. Inflight 911 Services will leverage the aircrafts Wi-Fi Internet connection over the iPads web browser to establish a top priority connection between aircraft personnel and the Inflight 911 Services administrative team.
With one touch, an airline pilot or flight crew member can access a secure network which gives them immediate 2-way communication between the aircraft and the Inflight 911 Services administrative team. Inflight 911 Services communications are also simultaneously transmitted to the mobile and/or computer devices of 100 + government personnel, such as the FAA, Homeland Security, FEMA, FBI, CIA, e911 and related agencies. Inflight 911 Services dynamic web interface stores more than 18 points of critical information in an encrypted format about the flight details, air crew and current crisis situation. New Inflight 911 Services upgrades include: 2,000 character Emergency Messages, a Live InFlight Audio and Streaming Video /Recorder, Speech Recognition Software for message entry and embedded Geo-location coordinates in the message body.
We envision several iPads being available throughout the aircraft from the cockpit through the cabin ready to be used as a source of 'air-to-ground' communication during an in-air emergency. Inflight 911 Services can be accessed over any Wi-Fi enabled device but we feel that the iPad is the best choice for the job states Joseph Bekanich spokesperson for InFlight Labs.
Inflight 911 Services is the perfect Plan B as an in-flight emergency alert system which will benefit everyone from airline staff to passengers and government officials by bringing numerous key resources together within minutes of an in-air emergency.
InFlight Labs, LLC: InFlight Labs, LLC is a privately held company with offices in Manhattan, NY, and Los Gatos, CA. The company is launching a world-class proprietary platform to aggregate an advanced, real-time communication experience for its subscribers. For more information please visit: http://www.InFlight911Services.com.
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TaskRabbit, http://www.taskrabbit.com, the nations first service networking platform, launched today in Los Angeles, following success in Boston and San Francisco.
Built on the notion of neighbors helping neighbors, TaskRabbit is a new service network for people who dont have the time, resources, or particular skills needed to get everyday and skilled Tasks done. TaskRabbit makes it easy to live smarter by providing skilled and trusted TaskRabbits right in your neighborhood, who can help wrangle any Task on that nagging to-do list.
A two-way marketplace, TaskRabbit connects TaskPosters, people who need extra help, with TaskRabbits, a network of background-checked and pre-approved individuals who have the skills and time available to complete Tasks. TaskRabbit is proud to promote micro-entrepreneurship among its TaskRabbits by providing a platform to build a business based on their unique skills.
Los Angeles has many of the same characteristics as our current markets - Boston and San Francisco - distinct neighborhoods with a strong sense of community, a large pool of talented and entrepreneurial people and, of course, a population of time-strapped residents who can live smarter by utilizing TaskRabbit, said Leah Busque, founder and chief executive officer of TaskRabbit. We look forward to welcoming LA to the TaskRabbit community.
TaskRabbits can help with pretty much anything, but some common and interesting Tasks include:
For years, Washington D.C. cable TV provider RCN has demonstrated a commitment to providing quality services, programming and customer care. A technologically-driven digital entertainment company, RCN maintains edge as one of the areas top cable providers, constantly reviewing, developing and providing products that showcase the latest in cable TV, home phone and internet services. Customer-centered RCN additionally takes great pride in supporting the local D.C. Metro community. This support includes proactively recognizing customers full spectrum of entertainment needs, leading RCN to deliver a diverse lineup of International and multicultural programming to residential customers. Subscribers are no longer encumbered by geography, experiencing global programming with the click of a remote.
Featuring digital cable TV programming in 14 languages from more than 24 countries, RCN Global Passport, the multicultural viewing tier of the cable service provider, connects D.C. Metro cable customers with the world. From Bollywood blockbuster movies to riveting Spanish novellas and from late-breaking world news to wholesome family entertainment, RCN delivers diverse viewing to living rooms across the D.C. Metro area. RCN Cable TV has become an essential resource for residential customers, making it possible to explore and experience other cultures in-language. Customers not only access world-renowned programming from trusted channels like Telemundo but also find extraordinary viewing options unavailable from other service providers.
Launched in 2006 as a free application, Voki enables teachers and students to create, configure and share customizable online avatars for education. Users can select one of many types of avatars, customizing every aspect, from size and colors, to outfits and even jewelry. Voki users can then create an audio message, based on text-to-speech (over 25 languages and 150 voices), a microphone recording, uploading an mp3 file, or even calling a number to record by phone. Users can select an image or animated background, or upload their own. Finally, Voki users may share their creation anywhere on the Web - posting it on 3rd party sites and blogs, sharing a link, or embedding it directly onto their websites.
Voki quickly became popular among educators, who enjoy the interactivity of the service, and students, who love new technology and creating speaking characters. Today, Voki has almost 1 million users worldwide, with thousands of teachers and students registering each week. Voki is used across a variety of topics and grade levels, and has some universal benefits:
-> Voki helps introduce fun and creativity to the classroom through technology.
-> Voki allows shy students to more easily express themselves through speech.
-> Voki serves as an effective language acquisition tool.
-> Voki increases engagement and interest levels among students.
-> As a result, Voki helps improve message comprehension in the classroom.
One drawback with Voki, according to many teachers, has been the inability for young students to register their own accounts due to COPPA. As a result, young students have been limited in their access to Voki.
While teachers and students love using Voki, we understood that there was a large usage gap. Voki appeals to many age groups, but especially to young learners - which is precisely the age group that had limited access, based on the age restrictions. We needed an easy way to address this issue says Jesse Kedy (Marketing Manager for Voki).
Based on extensive feedback from educators and Voki advocates, the Voki team has developed Voki Classroom, an online platform that allows teachers to manage students Voki experience. Some of the main features of Voki Classroom include:
-> Automatic Student Logins. After a teacher imports or adds a list of students, Voki Classroom automatically generates a login and a password for each student. This overcomes the need for students to register with Voki. This also eliminates the need for teachers to spend time showing students how to register.
-> Each teacher can add up to 10 classes (with multiple lessons per class) and 200 students.
-> Classes and Lessons. Teachers can add all of their classes and assign students to their respective classes and assignments. When students log in, they will see their assignments and can create their speaking avatars in class or at home. Each lesson also includes a Web page, which displays all student characters for that lesson. Lesson pages can be customized by the teacher and can include password protection.
-> Educators using Voki Classroom also receive unlimited online support, something that is not available with the free Voki service.
Voki Classroom is accessible from Voki.com. Additionally, Voki has launched a new Learn section (http://www.voki.com/learn.php), which will include resources for teachers and students interested in using speaking avatars for education. Finally, Voki will maintain free access to its Lesson Plan Database (http://www.voki.com/lesson_plans.php), which includes a growing list of lessons using Voki avatars across many topics and grade levels.
Voki Classroom is a paid service, which might be an issue for some teachers. Kedy says, We are acutely aware of the lack of school budgets for most things tech-related. Taking this into account, we have worked to lower the cost of the service to a very affordable amount. Our formula for affordability is simple: charge less than the price of one small macchiato per month, and ensure that the value far outweighs the cost. We believe that Voki Classroom meets both requirements. Voki Classroom also includes discounts for longer subscriptions, and for multiple accounts. For pricing details, see http://www.voki.com/products.php.
No features have been removed or reduced in any way from the free version of Voki. Teachers and students can continue to access and use Voki and all of its features, as they have in the past. Voki Classroom is our way of adding more value to the Voki experience, while making it easier to manage for educators.
For more information on Voki Classroom, please visit the Official Voki Blog (http://blog.voki.com/) which includes a 3-part announcement of Voki Classroom. Alternatively, you may visit http://www.voki.com for complete details.
For further information, contact The Voki Team at feedback(at)voki(dot)com.
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