Two start-ups that caught our eye at last night's SFbeta here in San Francisco were MizPee and DateMyPet.com. Not so much for their services, which to be honest, aren't the most necessary we've seen, but rather their ingenuity for finding some interesting ways to direct people towards something they're looking for.
In the case of MizPee, that direction comes in the way of bathrooms. Yes, MizPee helps you find and rate public bathrooms. Like HotSpotr, another SFbeta demonstrator of the past, users can login to the service on their mobile devices and hunt for available toilets by plugging in their city and street address. It will then track down a list of the nearest toilets, along with cleanliness ratings (on a scale of one to five toilet paper rolls), and a quick note about whether or not a purchase is required for use. Users can also give the toilet their own rating.
The service is also linked up to a coupon-and-deals-finding service that will let you know if there are any discounts or specials at nearby businesses.
DateMyPet.com is kind of like Dogster and Catster, although not limited to a certain breed of pet. In fact, users can search from nearly a dozen types of common pets, including fish and exotic animals. The creators made the site after several failed relationships where their partner's incompatibility spurred from dislike for their pets. The site takes a social networking approach, with combined profiles for both users and their pets.
RightRound, which had a presentation table at SF Beta last night, was showing off a new product it's working on for people in bands: BandBot. It's a one-stop shop for managing a band's online presence. Initially it will manage an e-mail list, a Web site, and a band's footprint on a few social network sites. So all a band will have to do is update its info in one place. Then its Web site (under its own name, e.g., www.thebandthatsucks.com), MySpace page, and other social networks will all get updated at once.
Unfortunately, the site's not live yet, and I didn't get a firm date for its release. As soon as it launches, I'm going to bug my wife's group (sorry, a chance for a free plug, had to take it) to check it out. They could really use it.
The idea is spot-on. There are so many online locations where companies and individuals have to manage their presence. Updating a site, several social networks, a few blogs, perhaps a photo feed on Flickr, and also emerging communications platforms like Twitter, is just too complicated and time-consuming for the average mortal. People who are selling things also have to think about their Amazon store presence, eBay, and possibly other outlets (bands, for example, shouldn't overlook CDBaby and Lala). I would like to see more sites that act as universal publishing front-ends, like BandBot plans to, but for other industries. It's a great idea that could make life easier for anyone who has an online presence.
(And speaking of music start-ups at SF Beta, also check out ASoundMatch, a dating service that matches you with other people based on how important music is to you and what types you listen to. [via Stowe Boyd])
Webware is a media sponsor of the SFBeta mixer that's on tonight. I'm looking forward to finding some new companies there to cover. Most of the official presenting companies are not new to Webware, so I'm hoping that somewhere in the crowd I'll find the CEO of some tiny, unknown, and very cool start-up. Wish me luck.
The official presenters get demo table space, but there's a changeover halfway through the evening since there are more presenters than tables available. With any luck, there will be a CEO stare-down--or worse!--when the first shift of presenters doesn't want to give up their space to the late-night crew.
Here are the companies we know we'll be seeing tonight. New (to us) ones first:
New to Webware
- YourStreet: New company. Officially launches April 11. This company is similar to StreetAdvisor (review), in that it aims to collect information about the tenor of local real estate markets, so people can decide if they want to move in to a neighborhood, or so they can determine how to price a property in the neighborhood if they want to sell it. Run by former CNET employees (and friends), with some current CNET staffers freelancing for it, so I can't review it; check it out yourself.
Chesspark: A site for chess geeks.
(Credit: CNET Networks) - Chesspark: Chess meets Web 2.0. Play against the site's own bots or mix it up with other members. Rich functionality on the Web site. There's a download, too. The service does not appear to support wagering, so Chess hustlers will have to head elsewhere.
- SoftSearch: Helps you find business software apps for your particular industry or function.
- FreePledge: Site that collects affiliate marketing fees from big online retailers on your behalf and gives them to charity. An easy way to do good (reminder: you can also just donate money to your favorite charity directly).
- Rightround: Site by and for indie musicians and the people who listen to them.
Previously covered
- SpotDJ: Cool service that lets you listen to--and record--commentary blurbs between your iTunes music tracks. Webware review.
- Kongregate: Flash games site. Recently got a big pile of venture money, so should have some new features coming soon. Review; News.
- Xcellery: Makes Excel spreadsheets collaborative over the Web. A Webware Top Five Under the Radar pick. See also our review.
- Fliptrack: Makes slideshows with music. Review.
- Wrike: Project management through e-mail. Review. This company also presented at last week's Stirr event.
- Prosper: Lets you lend to, or borrow from, other Prosper users. See our previous review.
- Facebook: Right. Them. Don't know if they have anything new to show us tonight. We'll check.
I discovered Hotspotr at SF Beta this past week. It's a neat little service that mashes up Google maps with a local Wi-Fi hotspot finder. The real pull of the service is you can rate and comment on hotspots as you would with restaurant reviews on a review site like Yelp. It's the perfect service for the casual Wi-Fi traveler to benefit from road warriors who are willing to take the time to review a wireless access point.
(Credit:
CNET Networks)
The ratings aren't just things such as the overall quality of the wireless signal either; you also can rate food and drink, outlet availability, and whether it's better for work or play.
One of the neatest parts of using Hotspotr is its zoom technology called GZoom. GZoom lets you draw a simple rectangle to zoom into precisely the part of the map you want. Sure you can accomplish something similar by simply double clicking on the spot you're looking for, but GZoom lets you select certain regions with much more accuracy.
Hotspotr has listings for more than 1,200 cities right now and a mobile version of the site for use on your cell phone.
The last SFBeta party featured CEOs pitching their company concepts in Haiku. Note to other party organizers: Quiet, contemplative Haiku is not the best format for a crowd of young, frat-boyish entrepreneurs...who've been drinking.
So at the most recent SFBeta party, organizer Christian Perry (from Zaptix) changed the poetry form to limerick. Much better! Bawdy rhymes tend to cut through barroom chatter more sharply than soft leaves underfoot.
YouSendIt
Sending big files was a chore
Burn CDs, then FedEx? No more!
No more FTP mess
Or clogged in-box stress
With YouSendIt, your business will soar!
YouSendIt is a service to send files that are too big to go through e-mail. I covered it previously.
LikeBetter
There once was a girl named Sue.
She fancies good photos, don't you?
To LikeBetter she went
And her mind was bent:
How did it so surmise her virtue?
LikeBetter is a Hot or Not meets Rorschach testing. It asks you, several times, which of two photos you like better, and then it tries to tell you something about yourself from your selections. I played along for a while, and it surmised I was a teenager. Whoops. I kept going, and just as boredom was about to overtake me, it said, "You're a guy." Brilliant! Next...
Joyent
I work at a little company called Joyent
With applications available wherever jill went
Our CFO says we're profitable
While I sit and wax philosophical
Any one else care to take off and get bent?
HostedLabs
There once was a site that got big
It was linked to on Slashdot and Digg
but after a spell
the Web site fell
"HostedLabs to the rescue" -- our gig
A hosting service for Web companies.
Shoutfit
There once was a girl from Boise
who loved to buy clothes from Paree
to keep up with the trends
and the looks that are in
she checks up on Shoutfit daily!
Shoutfit is a community site focused on fashion. It's still in closed beta, unfortunately, and I did not get access in time to review it.
Guba
There once was a girl from Cuba
A band geek who played the tuba
But her skin cleared up
She bought herself a C cup
Now she shows off her tatas on Guba.
Of these companies, Guba is the most relevant for consumers--it's a movie-viewing and download service that's live right now. And, it has a deal to show content from Warner Bros. Entertainment Group to show.
I spent most of yesterday at the Under the Radar conference on Mobility, and I saw a few really interesting companies working on mobile Internet access and digital imaging. I'll cover those shortly.
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