The best way to monitor our food intake is to start at the source: the grocery store. In order to pick healthy snacks and cook hearty meals, one has to know all the details about the ingredients they plan on using.

Having an cloud-based application that gave people detailed information about foods they are planning on purchasing would help with deciding on healthy food options. The cloud-based application would be available in three formats; mobile web based, SMS-based, and native OS based.

Currently the required data is provided by Data.gov, titled MyPyramid Food Raw Data as three XML files. A REST-ful API interface can be developed to allow interaction via mobile and SMS-based. For mobile web, a visual interface is designed that contains autocomplete and suggestion section. Once they click send, the request is sent via RESTful to the server, which scrapes the XML files for the appropriate data and returns it to the user. The mobile web interface would display the results in a visually pleasing manner.

For the SMS-based method, the user texts the ingredient to a 4 digit number. The 4 digit number re-routes the text message to the server where the XML files are scrapped and the results are texted back to the user.

Lastly ,the OS-based application would contain all the data within the app, and would only require a local scrape of the XML files to display the appropriate results.

Overall, the user should be able to either type in directly the ingredient they want to use, or make advance searches by selection of specified fields (calories, etc)

CLICK HERE TO SEE ADMIN PANEL
CLICK HERE TO SEE EVENT MOBILE PAGE

Original Planning Post
Pillars of Support, Layers of a Pillar, Loyalty-Pie, Persona & User Stories Post

About SMSBroadcast: Targeting the upper-middle class female population, who likely have SmartPhones, I designed and developed an app to remind them of events happening at the Yolo Basin Foundation. The users send an “opt-in” message to a predefined number, where they receive an automated message back from the server. This registers the users’ number to the mailing list.

When the administrator wants to send a message to the mailing list, he/she types visits the admin page, fills out the form, and submits the message. The content of the form is saved onto a database, while the title & a generated url shortner is sent to all members of the mailing list.

The user receives an SMS message from the Yolo Basin, along with a link to a page with more info. When they click the link, they are taken to a mobile page that contains all the information needed.

The Idea: The idea is based that people still like to receive SMS messages. There is something distinct about having one’s phone vibrate/ring when we receive a message. It is also more socially acceptable to check an SMS message than to check email, and also faster. By making it more socially acceptable, there is a better chance the receiver will tell their friends about it, and in return bring more people to the event. At the event, it is up to the foundation folks to ask for donations.

• Local Residents
• Local Businesses
• Local Education System
• Local Media
• Local Bureaucracy

Layers of a Pillar: Local Residents

• Well-Off
• Farmer & Wine
• Blue-Collar
• Gold-Collar
• Elderly
• Temporary

Loyalty-Pie: Well-Off Families

• 30% – Family
• 05% – Security
• 05% – Environment
• 05% – Job
• 20% – Health
• 20% – Education
• 05% – Friends
• 10% – Happiness

Persona: Well-Off Family Member

• Name: Harmony
• Married for quite some time.
• Mother of two daughters, both recent college graduates who visit frequently
• Like doing community service
• Take classes offered by the University to the community
• Educated, attended a big university, majored in Geology
• Retired, but used to work in environment-related jobs.
• Like going camping with family and friends
• Likes her smartphone for easy SMS with daughters
• Lives in a college-town
• Likes to go for walks
• Enjoys the farmer market
• Financially stabled and considers her family well.

User Stories: Based on persona

• I care about the area  & neighborhood
• I want my family to be healthy
• I want my children to learn about their surroundings
• I want my children to have a well-rounded education
• I am hesitant to learn new technology.
• I like playing with gadgets
• I want a safe & clean place to live
• I do not worry about my income
• I do not let my job dictate my life
• I am financially secured
• I strive for a healthy & active lifestyle
• Education is important for me.
• I like being involved with the community.
• I take classes offered by the university to the community.
• I like to know what’s happening in the community.
• I like to fund causes that will better the environment.
• I consider myself a well-educated person.
• I like to show my friends my latest gadget.
• I like to do activities with my friends.
• I like partaking in the outdoors.
• I like receiving SMS instead of checking email.

Images:

General Notes:

• Promote events to get the word out
• Both coordinator & community will use it
• Community has the option to opt-in, opt-out
• Coordinator will ‘blast’ community with SMS.

The App:

• Users opts-in (bootstrap)
• Coordinator blasts of events, with url for more-info
• Ease of use: Coordinator fills out form via computer, script generates mobile-specific page, SMS, and url.

Reason:

• Keep community informed and educated about the wetlands and wildlife near their homes
• Allow donators to see how their money is being spent

In 60 Secs:

• Community member can read SMS

In 60 Mins:

• Community member can read the link associated to the SMS
• Coordinator can compose content for webpage & SMS

User Stories:

• (Community) I want to be updated with reminders of events happening
• (Community) I want to read more about the event if I have time.
• (Community) I want to opt-in and opt-out easily
• (Community) I want to receive reminders where I don’t have to look for them.
• (Coordinator) I wan to easily compose message

Think About Where & When:

• (Community) Anywhere, anytime I can get reception
• (Community) Should not be too intrusive with my lifestyle
• (Coordinator) Sitting at computer to compose

Devices To Aim:

• For SMS, any mobile device
• For mobile web-based community content, Android devices

Hand-Written Notes:

WATCH VIDEO: VIDEO0004_2

Explanation: I personally see walking against the foot traffic in an inclosed public space a contentious event. In the food traffic’s perspective, they are leaving the track and heading towards their destination. The only way to reach the exit is by leaving the track and walking through the corridor. Given that its NYC, most pedestrians want to get from point A to point B as fast as possible. By walking against the traffic, one causing a contentious moment because one is interfering with the accepted way of walking through the corridor. It causes some to get annoyed, and others to wonder why one would be walking against the crowds when there are no subterranean vehicles in that corridor loading at that time.  By going against the foot traffic an element of unpredictability is introduced.

• The technology exists, and is used, but it has to be labeled properly.
• Make human rights options more accessible
• Improve visual privacy & anonymity
• Dedicated digital human rights spaces
• Engage with technologists
• Create a human rights tech network
• Make tools easy to use

Photo from: http://www.zimbio.com/pictures/PX_JCS4YWHb/Ondine+Portraits+2009+Toronto+International/fl2zoy9KGKa/Colin+Farrell

Dear Great Nation of (–Enter country/org of choice–),

We live in troubled times. Gone are the days when we could easily control the masses with a simple order. Gone are the days where people feared and respected us. Gone are the days people depended on us. Why are these days gone, you ask? Some blame the youth, while others blame themselves. The answer, my friends, is that we are falling back in technology.

It seems today’s opposition have a good sense of technology. Who could blame them? Give them something that is free and they will hold it close and dear to their hearts. They trust their technology, and I propose we should exploit their trust.

Some of my competitors today said we should attack the OSI model. I agree with them, but to an extent. Attacking the Physical Layer is not the way to go. Attacking this layer will just stoke the oppositions fire, plus its too blunt. We are men of elegance & complexity, and as so we must attack with elegance and complexity.

My company and I will conduct a technical and psychological attack on mobile technology and its users. The technical attack will be spread across three layers of the OSI Model: Application, Transport, and Network.

In the Application Layer, we modify the browser to visually hide any tampering we might do with their data. The opposition typed a https address, we make the application made a http request instead, and visually hide that by making sure https is shown instead.

The psychological attack is also in the Application Layer. By modifying their view to look as what they requested, the opposition will have a false sense of confidence that they are winning and their data not being track. They will begin to lower their guard, which will lead them to be more bold and provide evidence of all their wrongdoing right in front of our noses.

In the Transport Layer, we sniff their data. Now that we’ve switched from https to http, we can easily capture and tamper with the data packets. The opposition will never know because the application layer shows that they are still on what they believed they typed into the address bar.

In the Network Layer, we dynamically switch all https requests with http. So, for example, the opposition goes to check their email, we send them to a non-secure version of their email. This will allow the Transport layer to sniff every single packet going to and from.

Using this technique, not only will your organization be able to know all opposition knowledge, but also have the knowledge that they have no clue they are under constant surveillance.

A toast, my friends, to a future where we control the opposition.

• Feelings Support – Sometimes folks want to tell someone how they are feeling, but don’t have a support group nearby. They want to communicate with a real person, but are afraid of striking conversation with a stranger. With sms, folks get the knowledge of a real person responding with complete privacy. Sometimes one expresses themselves better via text than voice.

How It Works:

• User sends a text with their emotions to a specified number (the server).
• The server finds an available volunteer and relays the message to them.
• The volunteer responds back to a specified number (the server).
• The server relays the message back to the original recipient.

From the top-most layer, it looks as if its Human <—> Human. In reality, its Human <—> Machine <—> Human. The machine in this case plays the role of the phone operator.

In the ideal situation, users would send the keyword “Omen” plus their message to a shortcode. Given the monetary restrictions on getting a shortcode via Twilio, I am using the sandbox number as the ‘shortcode’, and the sandbox id as the keyword in this prototype.

Code : On GitHub

Notes: Omen Design Notes (image on new page)

• Find a mobile app that you think is a good representation of Social Activism.
  • Seafood Watch
    • Developed by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
    • Bring attention the issue of bad fishing practices and its effects.
• Design your first Cause-based mobile app, promoting a cause of your choice.
  • Cause: Protect the Central California Wetlands, more specifically, the Yolo Basin.
  • About App: Allow user to read up on living species (animal & plants) in the area, events being sponsored, donate button, the importance of wetlands.
  • Closely Resembles: Seafood Watch app; educate the user with knowledge and steps they can take.
  • How: Educate selected groups: Youth, Local Community, Businesses, Hunters, “Crunchy Type”
    • Mock via pencil drawing