Hoot.me is a Facebook app that leverages the social network to help students better collaborate on projects, classes, assignments and more. According to the founders: “We switch your Facebook into study mode by connecting you with friends to collaborate on homework and projects.”
Facebook is a great platform for Hoot.me since Facebook began with targeting the student demographic and the company’s target market spends a great deal of time on the site. Also, since a typical student’s network will almost certainly be 100% on Facebook, the social interactions and collaboration potential is huge. Continue reading ‘Startup Showcase: Hoot.me Helps Students Collaborate On Facebook #startupfest’
Unhaggle is a cool startup that aims to make the car purchasing process much easier. The traditional way of buying a car involved figuring out what car you want, researching typical costs of said car, and then physically going to dealerships to find a good deal. The process took a long time and if you’re approached by some pushy car salesmen, you could walk off the lot with a different car than the one you wanted. Unhaggle.com flips the marketplace around and aims to make the dealers compete for your business. According to the site:
Unhaggle was built to empower car buyers. We take the mystery out of getting the best deal while you enjoy exceptional customer service (satisfaction guaranteed). We work with progressive and reputable dealers who share the same beliefs. Your identity and information is always protected throughout our secured online process.
Anyone who has traveled a lot knows that the developing world is a fascinating place to discover art. Each culture has a unique style and since developing countries don’t have the same media infrastructure, you probably will never hear about some of the incredible artists coming out of places like India. Art Sumo aims to help connect potential art buyers with works of art from both the developed and developing world via a newsletter. According to the founder:
At Art Sumo, we give you the opportunity to virtually travel the world just by checking your email each day. We scour the globe to provide you with access to one handcrafted, one-of-a-kind painting from an undiscovered artist daily, at exclusive, members-only pricing. Think of us as a daily round-trip ticket to the art bazaars of Thailand, India, or even Southern France..
We’re here at the International Startup Festival in Montreal and we’re going to be posting about some of the startups and cool companies. The first on our list is Urban Orca based in Toronto, Canada. The idea behind Urban Orca is pretty simple: “UrbanOrca helps you meet people with shared interests and do more of the things you love. Finally, the virtual world supports the real world.” Continue reading ‘Startup Showcase: Urban Orca Connects People Around Activities #startupfest’
If you’ve been following me on Twitter, you know that I’m in Montreal to get some BlackBerrys unlocked. The city is only 2 hours away from BBCool headquarters in Ottawa, so I took the bus to meet some unlocking companies I found online. The first company I went to was run by a guy called Chin and what seemed to be his cousins. The place was located on the 3rd floor of a nondescript building near some strip clubs.
If you’re looking for good wireless industry news, I’m sorry to report that it’s looking somewhat grim today. Adding to a long list of companies that have been going through massive layoffs, Bell has slashed 250 clerical jobs in Hamilton, Ont., Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada are outraged over the layoffs and believe they are tied to outsourcing.
