Win a free pass to Web 2.0 Expo 2009

The annual Web 2.0 Expo kicks off at the end of this month in San Francisco. As in years past, it should be an interesting conference with a ton of useful sessions for those involved in the Web ecosystem, as well as an exhibit hall populated by core Web 2.0 infrastructure companies.

You can get a 35 percent off a conference pass to the event by using the code websf09btd45 on the registration site, or better yet, win a free, all-access pass (I have two to give away) by participating in our contest.

Here's the game: Describe, in one paragraph, the Web service you want someone to build for you that hasn't been built yet. In addition to winning the free pass, I will harass the entrepreneurs and VCs I meet for next few months with the best ideas, trying to actually get them built.

Use the feedback system below to tell us what you'd like to see. If you haven't already, you'll have to register on CNET to post a comment. Or you can use Facebook Connect to sign on. If you use a CNET ID, we'll need to reach you through e-mail if you're a winner, so please be sure your e-mail address is current. If you've been registered on the CNET network for a while, use this form to check your e-mail address. If you use Facebook, we'll notify your Facebook account. In the case of multiple versions of an idea we like, the earliest entry will win.

You have 24 hours--I'll stop taking submissions at 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday. Good luck!

The contest is now closed! We'll announce the winners on Monday Tuesday. Thanks!

[Lara-Ricardo]

i want a service that will stop me from surfing from page to page when i want to get updated on my personal information. That means a personalized web page with my bank account info, alerts from all my social network sites (FB, MS, TWT, and the like) RSS reader or similar app built into the page that will deliver all my subscibed rss news. Basiclly a site that will tie up all the sites i most recentlly visit with out the need of me installing crapware and annoying toolbars on my browser, or without having to run any outside apps.

[dracoaffectus]

I'd just like to point out that websites that aggregate information from different similar sites already exist. For example, www.mint.com aggregates all your financial information to one website for free. It can handle bank accounts, credit cards, loans, investments, and even real estate. And they categorize transactions for you, and have nice looking graphs to help you track spending. And there are other sites that offer similar services (not all are free).

And I remember reading about social networking aggregates, though I couldn't recall specific sites. Lucky for me, google came to the rescue, and I found that www.power.com is a social network aggregate site.

And as for RSS, I don't really deal with RSS that much, but I do use iGoogle to keep up on my favorite news sites (and webcomics).

Now if they made Mint and Power iGoogle gadgets, you'd be set. =)

[Tyingthingstogether]

Hi Lara,

Our team just launched a tool that might help you with the services you need. If you have time, feel free to take a look at it @ http://www.tabtab.com.

Thanks.

[Ktl_XV]

I´ll like a service that will help you remember and stay updated of ALL your other services (Not only social, because I´m sure many of us here sign up to most of the new services we see). You could add services with a bookmarklet or browser add-on; or by an automatic username search in Google. It will let you sort by service category have RSS reader and will alert you of new updates your services might have had. And when selected a service it will open it with your user information already entered.

[karenauby]

I would like a one stop shopping site that is really neutral. A site that pulls together consumer reviews and press reviews for products, something that is more up to date than epinions and more robust than amazon. It would be cool if I could create a profile and it could suggest things - maybe based on what I review and what I search for. Like for example, I bought a washer and dryer and wanted to be sure i found one with great reviews. I spent HOURS going from epinions to best buy to craigslist forums etc etc . I found the reviews and products on epinions we're very dated and I had to sort through too many to find anything recent or relevant. Of course, the site should include price comparisons and payments through paypal. Maybe there is a site like this and I've missed it. I think google shopping tries to be like this but doesn't organize stuff well and doesn't include press reviews or suggestions

[mnegrini]

I would like a service that allowed me to share any file or folder with other people by simply sending a link over email. Something running on background, invisible to me after I sent the link. The recipient woul click on the link and the file would be downloaded right from my machine. If my machine is offline, the recipient's machine would queue the file and let him/her know when the file was downloaded. The download authorization would be sent just for that person, and after a succesful download it would expire. That would save me a lot of time that I lose posting large PPTs and video files to an FTP server every day.

[postmistress--2008]

I want a visual workflow app or software that follows me where I go all day and what I'm posting, so I have an accurate look at my social media work. It's very hard (for me) to quantify as I go, but I work in PR, so I have to. An important aside, no one would be allowed access unless I allowed them... :)

Jennifer Lindsay
Director of Digital Services, Social Media Evangelist / New Media Guru
Eastwick Communications
http://blogs.eastwick.com

[joshkraemer]

It would be nice to have an online backup service that backs up websites automatically. A user of this service would enter their website's FTP server, MySQL, etc. login so that the online backup service could find the files and DBs to backup. The backup service would save multiple versions of each file/db that is backed up and would also save deleted files for at least 30 days.

[jvesci]

Greatminds.com - connecting "great minds" around the world. Imagine a homepage with discussion topics linking to comment streams submitted by users with "great mind" status. "Great mind" status can be achieved through an open peer review process. Honorary "great minds" (ex. President Obama, Seth Godin, Bill Gates...) can post topics for discussion at will. Every user can create a profile page with the objective of becoming a "great mind" in one or several subjects. Also, translation tools can be utilized to enable worldwide discussions.

[wbl8w]

I would like a web service that works with mobile phones that will map my way through large stores I visit regularly. The service would partner with stores that take some navigation (Target, Home Depot, Best Buy, Large grocers, etc) and allow maps be viewed on my phone based on my shopping list. It could work with GPS for turn by turn instructions and navigate me through the store. It would be great if it could even calculate best/fastest routes and times to shop. Even better, the service could send inventory information so that it could save me a trip when the store doesn't have what I want.

[haroldmann]

File DETACHMENTS - service receives all your mail, strips all the attachments and replaces them with links. If you've downloaded the attachment before (e.g. viral video, etc.), then it tells you so you don't have to watch it again. If you haven't downloaded it, it doesn't clog your email client with a huge file attachment. Free for up to x gigabytes per month, pay for larger volume. Or put interstitial ads in between the link and the attachment result. Easy integration opportunity with google docs or other types of services with this method. And IT managers will LOVE it.

[dracoaffectus]

use gmail and stop worrying about "clogging up your e-mail client". =P

[jpoboulot]

I just finished a program that makes all these functions. It also Web server and FTP server, if the computer does not.

[bookd]

We have plenty of calendar applications that know what we're doing, when we're doing it, and where it's happening. We also now have Google Latitude and other GPS-related applications that know where we are. What I'm looking for is something that will put these two things together in a meaningful way.

A calendaring application that also knows you current location would be able to to do two things really well:

1. Send you a message for when you should leave for an appointment based on your current location and the location of the upcoming meeting.

2. If it detects that you are too far away from the appointment location to make it in time (e.g. your appointment is in San Jose in five minutes and you are in SOMA), then it can send you a text message asking what you want to do: a) have it e-mail the other meeting attendees on your behalf or b) send you the contact info of the person you are meeting. You can respond simply by replying to the text message.

[dracoaffectus]

like a more advanced version of www.oopsimlate.com?

[wauler]

I need a logger plug-in for my browser which can universally help store all my texted in whatever web 2.0 site I surfed and even better keep RSS on it afterwards. Sure there should be some advanced function as well... Stay tuned!

[xris_]

A service I would like to see would be a type of hybrid between Wikipedia, Twitter, and a multi-category blog.

Basically, there could be a core group of core contributors who would publish content in a blog format. Other members would then have what would essentially be an enhanced comment ability that could go so far as editing (or, more likely, adding to) the original content. The ability for normal comments would also be there. This would allow for the most current or updated information to be quickly added to the posts, maybe causing them to resurface on the site.

Eventually, members who seem to be valuable content contributors could be promoted to have the ability to post new stories. This would most likely use a user voting/rating system.

Seems that it could eventually generate a large amount of content

[dracoaffectus]

I'd like to see someone develop a web 2.0 application for college students. I envision an interactive calendar (think Google Calendar) that shows students important school dates like holidays, and their personal registration date for the next semester (since every student has a different registration date), the last day to pay for classes (again, varies based on registration date), as well as their class schedule and finals schedule. I would even go as far as to include information that is typically given in the class syllabus, such as weekly topics, project due dates, and midterm dates; though, I think teachers should have an easy way to update this information for their classes (and students enrolled in classes would be notified automatically). Currently, my school's system for providing this information is fairly disjoint, and a lot of this information is hard to find. For example, the finals schedule is presented as a chart just showing what time the final is based on the date and time of the class; as a computer science student I know a computer can be programmed to interpret this chart and figure out when the finals are for a given set of classes MUCH faster than a human can. In addition to this system, I'd like their to be an intuitive way for a student to figure out what classes they need to graduate, and then easily enroll in classes through the same application. My schools current system has a nicely laid out "Academic Planner" which does a very good job of showing students what graduation requirements they've completed, and what classes they can take to fulfill the rest of their graduation requirements; BUT, the student has to use this tool, then write down (or type in notepad) the classes they want to take, and then go through the class schedule to enroll in classes. Going through the class schedule requires you to perform a search for each class you want to enroll in, and can get confusing. The whole process just needs to be more intuitive. There are many other aspects of (my) schools websites that need drastic improvement, these are just the ones I deal with on a regular basis as a student. And many other students find the current system difficult, confusing and just plain stupid.

I realize this web app would only be useful to a small percentage of users (college students), and there might already be schools with very interactive and intuitive websites. But I think it needs to be developed on a wide scale for use by all colleges and universities.

[MissM-]

Would love to see GPS enabled buses that call a predetermined amount of time before the bus will arrive to pick up the child. The benefits I see are many: Route documentation and Driver Training, Child safety, monitoring of progress by the school of the bus' progress. If the kids are latchkey kids then the parents would know when their kids got home.
P.S. Is travel to SF included? I'm on the east coast. :)

[bastianlehmann]

Hi Rafe,

great idea for a free conference pass competition. What do you think about an application that let's you stream and share the iTunes music library on your iPhone via Wi-Fi? I attended SXSW and an application like this would have been a blast, even more combined with a neat location based element. Think about people gathering around a hotspot, streaming and discovering new music. The app would allow you to buy all the streamed tracks directly from the iTunes Music Store. In a later version you could add a friend layer allowing you to share your location and the music you are currently listening too with your friends. Combine that with the new FB Connect login for the iPhone and you have a great way to share and discover new music with your existing or new friends.

All the best,

Bastian

[Pic0]

I would like a site that would aggregate all my insurances, for example flex sending, health, medical, eye, life, car, insurance, etc. and let you monitor them. Similar to a mint.com, it will notify you during times like open season and do a cost comparison with other insurance companies to show you your options. Users can also fill out surveys to help them choose the insurance best suitable for them. Users should also be able to match their insurance statements with their credit cards they use to verify any charges. The site can also have blog articles from insurance professionals to teach others about the different types of insurance and plans.

If anyone knows of a site like this at the caliber of mint.com let me know.

[pastorZach]

Give me an online (and free) web (browser) editor with the functionality of Kompozer, the ease of iWeb, the templates of a fully loaded stock site, and the promise of security. I'm quite tired of using one service at a time...one limited and tied to one computer service at a time.

[mahavard]

I wish someone would build an app that lets me get localized recycling or freecycling options for an item (TV, monitor, plastic bottle) by uploading a cell phone pic or (on website) dragging an icon to a window. Once that action is completed, I'd like to see a Google maps mashup showing nearby recycling/donation centers, or non-profits that have a need I could meet, and get useful info on how to correctly recycle or dispose of difficult items (TVs, monitors, CPUs).

Data on how many carbon units, kilowatt-hours, etc, I'm saving by recycling said item would be a way to encourage follow-thru. Aggregate data on how many of those items have been recycled in my region, (difficult, I'm sure) would be even better.

[LayerDown]

I would like to see a job opportunity web application that went beyond just aggregating job listings everywhere and was actually a tool for employers [that don't have their own HR departments] to help them from the very beginning of the process, job listing, to the very end, notifying applicants that they have not been chosen, in a nice way. Other features could be quick-and-easy reference checking, interview scheduling and notification for applicants, or even a way for multiple managers in the company to share and rate potential applicants. If personality tests are required, offer that as well, as part of the applicant's profile.

I just think the process could go a lot farther than just making a list of jobs.

My favorite part of this idea is the polite notification of applicants that they have not been chosen.

[amandafrench]

I think that's a great idea. Even places *with* HR departments are often terrible about notifying rejected applicants.

[dracoaffectus]

wow, excellent idea. I'm kinda jealous that I didn't think of it first, I was really hoping to win that expo ticket.

I love every part of the idea, I know there's tons of job listings sites like monster.com, but I can't think of any that boast such robust employer tools for the hiring process. There definitely needs to be a site that offers employers a week to sort through, save and annotate potential employees' resumes; then also help to schedule interviews, and finally notify the applicants letting them know if they've been hired or not.

Great idea!

RememberforYou.com - A social networking site that revolves around gift giving to your friends and loved ones. When your social circle registers to be in your network, they input their birthdays or other relevant gift giving days. In addition, they fill out a short form with information about interests, favorite authors, favorite movies, etc. The site then takes this information and inputs it into a database with other similar information (maybe something similar to how Amazon generates their recommendations) to generate gift ideas for a certain individual. When a birthday or anniversary of a person in your network approaches, you get an email to visit the site where you are presented with a list of gifts to choose from along with links to Amazon or another online store to order one or more of these gifts. While this may take a little bit of the originality out of gift giving, it will at least save you from having to run to the flower shop on the way home on the night of your anniversary.