First Assignment: Describe an SMS based application that would be helpful to have at ITP

Grad students are notorious for a few things : a) time-deprived b) being financially iffy and c) starved. So, what better text messaging based service that we, at ITP can cook up then (hear me out without laughing): Free Food SMS Alert System.  Think about it. The NYU area offers a slew of free  eating options whether its faculty meet-and-greets, study breaks, food marketing stunts, etc. Currently, students only know about these opportunities via word-of-mouth or through their friends network. You might be on Twitter, you might not be, but if you opt to receive the Free Food SMS Alert System, you’ll only be notified when FREE FOOD is present.

Implementation: The person providing the info would need to answer a few brief questions so the SMS service can output the Who, What, Where, How so students can seek out the food source. User interface to provide information is undecided but would optimally be either through the web browser or through SMS interface. Mmm…

Advantages: Timeliness: Faster to receive then a Twitter message, SMS messages can route to students in questionable cell-coverage areas (elevators). Accessibility: SMS is available for non-smartphone owning students. Only students who opt for the service get notified.

Love the Bolts-and-wrench crown. A play off the well-known British “Stay Calm and Carry On” poster, this poster is an homage to tinkerers, digital or analog, everywhere. Spotted a Microsoft Social Computing Symposium attendee wearing one and immediately went to Google to see what I could find out. Find the shirt here or print out the poster for yourself from moleitau’s Flickr page(it’s under Creative Commons!).

Visit the Chelsea Highline during Winter Break.

It’s quiet, chill, and gives you a fresh take on New York City away from the street chaos.

Even better, follow it up with English Afternoon Tea at Tea & Sympathy in the West Village.