SOS Reivew

I thought that the SOS invention was thoroughly thought out and well explained and presented. The concept of the idea especially stood out to me because of its eco -friendly intention. I live with three other roommates that are girls and they are always leaving the lights on whenever they step out the house. Every month our light and gas bill is through the roof due to this problem. The beaker box is a great idea that can tackle this problem due to the face that I am able to cut off all the unused energy in the house at the touch of a finger.


In addition, I also really like the grocery item expiration barcode app. One can scan the item’s barcode with the phone and it will load up the expiration date. It also informs the person ways you can store the grocery item in order to further its expiration date. I always go grocery shopping weekly but I find that these items expire faster than I expect. As a result, I waste a lot of money because I am not able to use the whole thing due to molding and what not.

There’s also an app that informs you on how to garden and the different methods in order to. I really like this part of the invention because I’ve always wanted to plant different types of flowers, such as carnations, but never had the time or knowledge too. If I could also start a herb garden I would be able to save a lot of time and money. I would also be helping the Earth a lot as well.

The reward network rewards users with prizes every time they reach a milestone with the point system. This motivates users to go out and help the Earth. Personally, I know it would motivate me a lot. Who doesn't like to be rewarded free things for their hard work?

Overall, this presentation incorporated a lot of background information and statistics in order to provide their audience clarification and credibility. To conclude, this presentation was my most favorite. I would definitely download this app and help donate, if possible.

SOS review

One of the groups in our class designed an app called SOS, which is intended to help people save resources and prolong the Earth's life. This app intends to accomplish this by helping the user switch off breakers for unused rooms, by helping them pick food that is better packaged and less likely to be wasted, and by helping them find more sustainable ways to travel, such as by carpool or bike.

This app will incentivize people to live sustainably in two ways: the first way is by showing the person the exact amount of time they've helped to extend the life of the Earth. This number is likely so extremely small that measuring it would be nearly impossible, so the developers are attempting to find a more compelling way to present this number. The second way is by offering rewards to users once they reach certain milestones of earth preservation time. These rewards, such as free Uber rides, breaker home installation, and free purchases to make at organic grocery stores, are intended to be environmentally friendly and to further the preservation of the earth.

This app is great for people who want to live eco-friendly, as it makes it easy to keep track of the progress you're making, while giving out rewards. A major problem with this app, though, is that it needs some way to convince the average person to download it. The average person, I feel, although they see conservation as a good thing, will not go out of their way to accomplish it. The average person still would not go out of their way to preserve the Earth using this app despite its simplicity, unless the rewards system was somehow designed to give substantial rewards. If the app's rewards are worth at least 25 cents of every dollar (of money or of effort) contributed, the average person, rather than just those who are heavily concerned with preservation, will be more likely to use the app.

Dream Catcher Bracelet Review

       The Dream Catcher Bracelet was a concept that I enjoyed and thought would be really useful in our society. It aims to help those who suffer from traumatic disorders such as PTSD or night terrors. The bracelet is meant to monitor stress levels and sleep patterns. It also monitors and records your heart rate. If something unusual is happening to your body the bracelet is designed to either vibrate, call an emergency contact, or sound on alarm using the app it is built in to. They also have it to where if you have a dog they could wear their specially designed dog collar that would allow your companion to wake you up if in distress. They also have the option where parents can link up their bracelets to their children who are suffering from night terrors. It does not have to be parent and child either, it can also be spouses or roommates.

       Even though the app could use a couple improvements, I think they got a lot of useful things included. For instance you can disable emergency contacts, adjust the vibrations on the bracelet and set an alarm. I admire how it is able to send your information it recorded to your doctor so they can know what been really going on with you. I like the facts that they included because it provided me information on things I would have never believed. I thought it was cool that they included a dog collar into their concepts since a lot of people actually do have dogs that could help them out. I believe that many people would use this if they were limited on resources that could really help benefit their loved ones lives.

H20 for everyone

The HelpH2O project was a very good project but a little confusing. It had many great aspects and tackled the issue of not having clean water readily available to everyone in need. The need is first shown, by giving statistics of all the people that do not have access to clean water and the statistics of those that have a water related disease and even examples of a few diseases, such as the Guinea worm.
Their method of getting clean water is to use things called methanogens which are anaerobic. These organisms would eat the bacteria that are what causes all the diseases and give off methane as a waste product. So they have tanks in which the dirty water starts in and the clean water is then transferred into the clean tank. The Methane that is produced is also put into a separate container in which the methane can be transported for use elsewhere. Although, the methane is dangerous, I think this is a good clean way to solve the issue of water scarcity.

Review: Help Memphis

During our classes final projects, we were introduced to an app called Help Memphis. The app essentially was a reference to everything people who are less fortunate needs. It featured homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and I believe it even had a feature that showed various health clinic around town. The purpose of this app was to get the less fortunate the resources they will and would need to possibly get out of the slumps. If I can remember correctly, I also believe that the app featured various mentoring groups as well. The app seemed pretty useful, however I felt that the type of users would be pretty limited. The app had a lot of useful adult facilities, however they didnt have anything for teens or adolescents who were going through tough times. There are a lot of teens who seek help with abusive parents and unstable living situations, but feel that they dont know where to turn. I feel that the app should have accommodations for those type of users. Also, a fellow classmate mentioned how the app didn't have a feature for women who might be in domestic relationships. I feel that this would be helpful to. I dont think that the app or group mentioned the support for the LGBT community as well. This is extremely important with the growing number of supporters. This app was interesting, but I didn't personally peak my interest. However, the presentation itself was very informational.

Making Welcome Home Even Better

I thought the Welcome Home group project's idea was very useful to society. When most people think of homelessness, I know they often think of individuals with mental illness, drug abuse, or laziness.

Many of the stereotypes that come with homelessness are incorrect because a large majority of homeless people are families and people who are just down on their luck. According to Doorways for women and families, roughly 600,000 families in the United States experience homelessness every year. Also, according to Doorways for women and families, the leading cause of homelessness is a lack of affordable housing. This means that people can be working hard, but not be able to feed their families, provide medical care, pay for school enrollment, cars, and pay for housing at the same time.

I feel like Welcome Home is a good idea because it gives homeless individuals and homeless families the chance to get back on their feet. One of the most important changes I think Welcome Home needs to make is to increase the time they can stay in the housing to 3 months. I feel like this change would give people the chance to find a job, if they do not have one already, and receive a few pay checks so they can start saving money. Another change they could make is to make a few slightly larger houses that could fit more people in them. I feel like this is important because it can give homeless people some company and it would let them take in more people at a time. 

Another addition I think they could make is to offer free medical care for the people who live in their housing. They could provide preventative health care and address other current medical needs. For example, they could offer free immunizations for common preventable illnesses and physical exams. Offering preventative healthcare is important because it is easier to prevent people from getting sick than have to pay a lot of medical bills later. It is very easy for medical bills to deplete savings and to cost more than insurance will cover, so the Welcome Home organization would want the people they help to continue to be financial stable and not be hit hard by unexpected medical bills. 

Overall, I thought the Welcome Home group's project was very well thought out and an important addition to society. I feel like housing like this would be very useful in large cities, such as Memphis, which have a lot of poverty and homelessness rates. I think with a few small changes they could make Welcome Home even better!

SOS Review

The SOS group was one of my favorite presentations. It was interesting and kept my interest throughout. Also, all of the members contributed very well and they all seemed knowledgeable about their project which shows their group effort. The topic they picked holds high significance because it is an area that is often forgotten, but is essential for the sake of our beloved Earth who sustains billions of people. This app has the ability to spread awareness and about smart choices such as the light bulbs, smart system, and gardening. I am proud to say that in my home we use eco-light bulbs and do a little bit of gardening. My sister and dad are the ones mostly involved in our gardening and they have done an amazing job this past few months. I can picture my little sister viewing your app to make a garden bed. She did her research and showed my dad a lot of examples so that we could build her one. He did, and I'm sure this feature would have really come in handy during the process.

Everyone affects the ecosystem in one way or the other and I think that this app can help people make better choices. Little things such as recycling and riding with someone can definitely make an impact in the long run. The app could possibly become addictive, which is a good thing, with its rewards section and milestone tracker of Earth life being saved.

The smart system that they were promoting sounded very realistic with the thorough explanation of how it would function and how the it would be installed within the brakes system of your home. It is quit the invention because it can certainly save Earth life by conserving energy that is not being used. Wasting unnecessary energy and resources is sad because we take for granted something that is very limited.

Overall, the SOS presentation is certainly an app that I would visit if it were to exist in the future. I'm sure that their funds would be covered by many eco-friendly activists because its mission is extremely beneficial to our planet. If I had money, I would more than likely invest in this. They presented their topic well and it is sure to get many helpful followers. The earth deserves to be taken care of by everyday users such as the ones that this app can encourage.

DreamCatcher Bracelet

The Dreamcatcher product was a very clever idea. It was a small bracelet that would track and alert you when you are having a night terror or nightmare. It would also alert the parents, if they had a child with these issues. A really interesting part of this items is you could buy a collar for your dog. When you were having a night terror your rest would be vibrated and so would the dogs collar. If trained, the dog would bark or lick the victims face. I found that part of the presentation to be very interesting and cool. Through the presentation I learned that victims of PTSD get these nightmares or night terrors. For trauma survivors, though, nightmares are a common problem. Along with flashbacks and unwanted memories, nightmares are one of the ways in which a trauma survivor may relive the trauma for months or years after the event. Through the bracelet it could alert you when pulse and blood pressure would be raised. Not all nightmares that occur after trauma are a direct replay of the event. About half of those who have nightmares after trauma have dreams that replay the trauma. People with PTSD are more likely to have dreams that are exact replays of the event than are survivors without PTSD. Also during these dreams, people seem to have more movement and walking around. This product appealed to me because my brother would always have night terrors as a kid. He never had any form of PTSD, but would have the same effects as a victim. My parents would always try and find a way to prevent them because they were at the same time every night. If they were to have this product they could be alerted before it happened. I thought this invention was extremely clever and a topic that most people don't think of.

Improving Our City

              Restating what Dr.J said, “I can’t believe this app does not already exist.” The idea was well thought of and it hit the topic for our presentations right on the target. The issue that was presented is so big and it’s a shame that so little is done. Sadly, many of the issues the App addresses are faced by minorities and maybe that is why they have so little help. People need access to all the programs that are offered; some of which many do not know of. Lack of information only makes things worse and for those who do not face these issues they are ignorant to these facts. Contrary to what some like to believe, ignorance is NOT bliss, especially if there is people out there that need help. Personally, half of the information that was presented I did not know about. It was surprising to see how high up Tennessee was in the “Suicide Rates” chart and yet we do not hear about it. I thought it was a good idea how all the hotlines were compiled into one section for easy access. Having the non-emergency number to the MPD was a good idea as well. Personally, I did not know that number even though I’ve lived in Memphis for the past 16 years. Overall, the concept was great and I could see myself using this app for myself or someone else.

What to expect when you're expecting

Some information can be forgotten when it is presented in the beginning, but the main idea stays the same. I might not remember all the details of Expecting 101, but I do remember how great of an idea it was. Many people fail to realize that there are many mothers whom are not aware of what to expect for the first time. Society puts labels and gives women a compressive notion that mothers are expected to be perfect and know everything. Social media makes it harder, because women only post the beautiful parts of motherhood. This set an unrealistic standard that they are expected to uphold. However, that is not the case and many women are ashamed of asking for help. Which brings me to Expecting 101…

              The presentation itself was well presented and all the group members were well informed. The layout was visually appealing (or that could be me being biased because it had my favorite color) and it made since why the slides were in a certain order. Adding the video in the beginning was a nice touch as it drew our attention in. It was a good idea considering that it can getting boring when all you do is talk about an issue for minutes at time. The app was easy to look at and comprehend. While taking a picture of your baby bump and having an ultrasound appear on your phone is not realistic, the concept is a good one. Who knows? Maybe 10 years from now it could happen. As pointed out by another classmate, it would be nice to have a chat box. It would allow mothers to give their stories and any advice they might have. As far as how the app was shown, it looked good and you knew what you were getting when you clicked on an icon. The logo? One word for it. Amazing. It looked great and it was creative. The idea has room for improvement, but I can honestly say that I can see this being an actual app. While it is targeted for women, men could use a lesson or two as well.

Review: Expecting 101

During our final class presentations, I fell in love with the app Expecting 101. The app was basically a guide that explain how to be pregnant. Not only did it explain how to be pregnant, but it explains how to be the best mother possible. I went to Germantown High School, and it was a great deal of girls there who either were pregnant, thought they were pregnant, or had an abortion. I feel that this could definitely be helpfu; to the average teenager who may or may not have the proper guidance and advice at home. The app featured many different categories for people who didnt have the slightest clue about the female anatomy. The app also had an imaginary feature that allowed a pregnant woman to see an ultrasound with simply taking a picture on her cellular device. This would definitely be cool if it was possible to include it in reality. After hearing of this feature, I realized that the group could have actually made that very thing their actually project. Just imagine the presentation actually being on this new technology that allowed mothers to actually use their phones for pictures other than selfies. These pictures could be shared on the user profile and viewed by those also using the app. However, before you can utilize all of these features within the app, you have to make a user profile like I mentioned before. This seemed to spark some concern for the audience when they realized that the users' social security number had to be a part of the user registration. I too was one of the audience members who was concerned. In Memphis we hear of peoples' identities getting stolen from card readers at gas pumps. So, imagine what would happen if there was an app that wasn't managed by the government housing all of these social security numbers. I believe that this is the main feature that henders this app from being all out perfect.

SOS Review

I will be reviewing the app Sustain Our Society aka SOS. This app was definitely one of my favorites because its very eco-friendly. I love how they turned a simple idea into a project that will benefit the earth that benefits us. Features in this app include: tracking and controlling the use of electricity and water in our home, benefits of carpooling/ using fuel efficient cars, the knowledge to create and maintain our very own garden, and the ability to track foods expiration dates, their total health benefits, if any, and/or other healthier food options. I like how a breaker box can be installed in order to control the use of electricity. Electricity is let alone wasting by simply forgetting to turn of a light. It was interesting to know how even though the switches are off, currents are still running. To me, this basically means that turning off a light is pointless if energy is still being consumed, so, being able to just shut everything down is definitely beneficial to our pockets and the environment. Another feature I like was the fact that they can help us create and maintain a garden. I, for one, have always wanted to have my own garden but I feel like it would be hard for me to actually maintain it. Having this app tell you what and when to do things, like watering it, is beneficial. This will definitely help people eat more organically fresh food instead of hybrid, GMO infested "food". Which goes into the next topic, knowing the better options. A lot of people want to eat healthy but they simply just don't know where to start. This app can help at least pick healthier options over their typical go to's. I also like the fact the it can let us know when our food is going to expire with just a simple scan. This is definitely a huge problem in the States, lots of food is wasted. We tend to often forget when our food will no longer good, and that's if we even care to check. With the app keeping track of our food, it will at least encourage us to make the most use of our goods. Overall this is was an innovative  app that really put a lot of things together. The way this app was presented and the way they reached out to the audience definitely encourages people to want to make a difference. This is also an app I see myself using!

Politigo

 This group presented a very helpful and useful app on Friday. The name of the app was Politico. This app would help the common person in giving unbiased information on different politicians. In today's society, there is tons of misleading information on politics. Social media plays a huge role on the way the world sees our politics as well. I have even read many articles that had forms of "alternative facts" speaking about the soon to be leaders. I really liked this app. During our most recent election, I had trouble finding post or article that were actually true statements. It made the whole voting process difficult and hard to pick a candidate. This app would give you information of specific candidates and different types of issues they believe in. An example of this is when the app featured each politic view point on gun rights, death penalty, marijuana, abortion, and etc. Also, it shares information about third parties that people don't really know about. Another feature I liked a lot is the scanning of bias articles. There is a lot of news broadcasting stations where they are either leaning to one side or the other. In todays world its hard to get the truth about the candidates. This app will allow the public to see the real truth about their politicians. The app will make it much easier when the public goes out in vote to limit their options. I would with out a doubt use this app. When it came time to vote this year, I was confused on where the politicians stood. I really couldn't tell if information about each one was true or not. I decided that I wasn't knowledgeable them, so I decided not to vote. If I would have had this app, I could of made a decision on reliable facts. This app works well with everyone, but I think it looks more at young people. Young adults are always on their cellphones and using applications. The majority usually do not keep up with all the news and posts. An application on your phone works perfectly for these young adults.

Helping Memphis, one person at a time

I really like the idea of Help Memphis because it is a kind of cover-all solution to several major problems. It was interesting that, instead of focusing on one problem like the rest of the groups did, you guys spread out. Rehabilitation for drug misuse, mental illnesses, home-aid, suicide, and sexual assault, as well as legal aid, are all something that we need access to, as a society. On top of many people needing help in these areas, oftentimes the problems are not even being recognized by others. This can make the problems even worse for those who are suffering. When you manage to bring a lot of information together about these problems, not only are you bringing help to those who suffer, but you are also informing others who could possibly be in a situation to help.

I was actually very surprised by the graph that showed the suicide rates by state. I had no idea that Tennessee was so high, even above the national average. I was also not expecting such low rates of people receiving treatment. It’s very sad to think about how only 10% of people get treatment for such debilitating conditions.

However, with this being limited to an information center, it misses one very important aspect of alcohol and drug abuse. The first step to getting better is admitting there is a problem. As someone who grew up with a severely alcoholic father, I know how there are many programs there for him. The problem wasn’t finding, or even getting him accepted into them, it was getting him to go. He didn’t think he had a problem. As an app, this problem can’t really be fixed, other than to reach out to those close to the ones who have the problems, which it can. There is nothing limiting it to just those with the problems.

I also like how you included homelessness on the app. It is a big problem in Memphis, as can be seen just by driving around. Having a place to go that will provide them with food and shelter could be all someone needs to get back on their feet. Only addition I could think of for here is perhaps a job board for the homeless that lists jobs that are easy to get into, like not requiring a place of residence on the application, to provide some sort of income.

expecting Expecting 101 to be a success

I thought the Expecting 101 project was fantastic. Knowledge about pregnancy is always important in order to make sure a baby is carried safely and is born healthy. The app has so many interesting and useful features. I liked the sort of fact of the day feature of the app, even though there were some pretty shocking and weird facts. I also liked the selection of  informative and positive videos, as well as the video in the introduction of the presentation. I can imagine that learning you are pregnant and being pregnant is a scary thing because there's so many things to know about pregnancy. The Expecting 101 app really provides some comfort and realistic facts about pregnancy. This app truly lets you know what to expect when you're expecting. I liked the idea of being able to connect viewers of the app with nearby doctors or pharmacies. The app seems very easy to navigate, but it full of great and useful content. It was an overall enjoyable presentation to watch. Well done.