Japan's decluttering guru Kondo now has an app for tidying up

AUSTIN, TEXAS - The newest tool for internationally acclaimed organizing guru Marie Kondo in her global battle against messy rooms is an app.

“My goal is to have as many people as possible who can get the job done in tidying up,” she said in an interview after speaking at the South by Southwest technology conference in Austin, Texas over the weekend.

“To achieve that, I’m implementing various measures, one of which is the app to support decluttering," said the woman whose name has been turned into a verb by followers who clean out clutter at home and say that have "Kondoed" their closets.

Kondo is known to global audiences for her best-selling books, including “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing,” which has been translated from Japanese to more than 40 languages, with more than 7 million copies sold worldwide.

The app called "KonMari," was launched a few months ago and gives out organizing tips, allows people to share before and after pictures, and provides a platform for her followers to socialize.

The followers of the woman who earned a spot on Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list in 2015 call themselves “Konverts."

But her critics see her as an irritating presence with a cult-like following, harping on the glaringly obvious need to be better organized.

Kondo has made an art of folding clothes into optimal shapes for storage and her KonMari disciples see her words as a philosophy about seeking a happier life by putting their homes in order.

Kondo spends 80 percent of her time outside of Japan, but with the help of technology, she wants to knock on the doors of more homes around the world.

"Tidying up is a broad theme that is relevant to anyone in any country," said Kondo, who has a knack for decluttering her quotes.

(Reporting by Sachi Jenkins; Editing by Jon Herskovitz and Nick Zieminski)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Google grabs Twitter app platform Fabric

SAN FRANCISCO - Google is acquiring Twitter's mobile application developer platform Fabric, a move which could give some breathing room for the social network after charting an independent path without a suitor.

Terms of the deal were not announced.

Twitter last year was in talks to sell itself with several firms including Google parent Alphabet, but without a deal decided to continue on an independent path, cutting jobs and refocusing on its core services.

The sale of Fabric will shift to Google the platform used by developers for mobile apps.

"When we launched Fabric in 2014, our goal was to provide the best tools to help developers create amazing apps," the Fabric team said in a blog post.

"Today we enter the next chapter for Fabric and are pleased to announce that we've signed an agreement for Fabric to be acquired by Google and for our team to join Google's Developer Products Group, working with the Firebase team."

Google Firebase product manager Francis Ma said buying Fabric will "continue the great work that Twitter put into the platform," adding that "our missions align closely: help developers build better apps and grow their business."

Twitter has been in a reorganization phase as it seeks to hit profitability for the first time, and to boost user growth which has been stagnating in comparison with other social networks.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Dining app gathers restaurateurs in PH

A mobile application that's gaining ground among foodies around the world seeks to gather Filipino restaurant owners.

Zomato, the world's fastest growing restaurant search and discovery service, has announced the first-ever gathering of restaurateurs in the Philippines.

And what's on the agenda? Find opportunities and issues that challenge restaurant owners in today's digital world.

The conference "Zomato Restaurant Summit 2015" will be on May 19 at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel.

To find out how you can get tips and tricks on how to grow and sustain your business in the digital age, log-on to: facebook.com/ZomatoSummit.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Taiwan fines Uber for illegal operations

Taiwan has slapped a string of fines on app-based taxi service Uber for operating illegally, the latest blow to the US company which is embroiled in a number of international disputes.

A spokesman for the island's highways department said popular but controversial Uber had registered with the government as a company, but had not declared that it was offering transport services.

The authorities have ramped up their investigation into the firm in response to anger from other taxi drivers who said their income had been hit unfairly by the app.

Uber said Tuesday it was in talks over the penalties.

"We have had many constructive conversations with the local authorities and hope to continue those engagements," Uber said in a statement to AFP.

"We are following all legal due processes with regards to the appeals."

The highways unit has handed down 30 fines to Uber totalling Tw$2.55 million ($81,200) since September for breaking transport laws against operating without a licence.

A total of 33 local drivers are also facing combined fines of Tw$1.65 million for the same offence.

"The company registered with the government as one whose business covers information services but not transportation services, which is required by law for a transportation company," Liang Guo-guo, spokesman for the directorate general of highways, told AFP Monday.

"In response to complaints from local taxi drivers, we've stepped up our investigation into the matter and levied fines on the company," he said, adding that taxi drivers had also alleged that Uber was not paying the proper tax.

Highway authorities have called on people not to take Uber cars, warning that they may not be fully protected by the law should they encounter disputes or have their personal information leaked.

Liang said meetings would be held between the transport and economics ministries to discuss whether to withdraw Uber's company licence, but gave no time frame.

The company is appealing to the transport ministry over the fines, Liang added.

San Francisco-based Uber links up drivers and passengers through a mobile phone application.

Founded in 2009, it is valued at around $40 billion and says it operates in 250 cities in 50 countries.

However, it is battling lawsuits for unfair competition and rising anger from taxi companies over its use of drivers who they say are not properly vetted and beholden to no one.

New Delhi this month banned Uber from operating in the Indian capital after a passenger accused one of its drivers of rape.

Thailand, the Netherlands and Spain have ruled it illegal and Denmark and Norway have filed complaints against the company.

Belgium last week said it would launch an investigation into Uber's tax affairs.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

New apps aim to make students more productive

TORONTO -- Students eager to keep on top of classes, assignments and extra-curricular activities can turn to new apps to keep them organized as the new school year ramps up.

With millions of high school and college students returning to classes this month new apps are designed to help them improve group collaboration, set and track deadlines and to keep lecture notes better organized.

Asana, a recently launched app for iPhone and iPad, lets students organize their course work and projects, track deadlines, and collaborate with their classmates to keep up with their workload.

"Students have a lot of things going on campus, and on top of that need to manage multiple notebooks and calendars. But with the app, they can put everything in one place to stay on track," said Kelsey Aroian, a marketing associate at the San Francisco-based Asana.

With the free app, available worldwide in English, students can create different workspaces for both course work and campus life. They can also plan projects for each course and tasks based on different assignments.

Deadlines, assignees and other content, such as lecture notes or research, can be added to each task to keep everything in one place, according to Aroian.

As deadlines approach, students receive reminders and can sync tasks with their electronic calendars. They can also invite classmates to collaborate on projects.

"It's a much more cohesive approach than the email you might be sending to accomplish the same thing, or other discombobulated attempts at keeping track of projects," said Aroian.

Another app called Notability lets students write their notes while recording a lecture, and syncs the notes with the audio. The app costs $2.99 and is available on iOS devices.

Talkboard, a free iPad app, allows students to invite classmates to share a virtual whiteboard to brainstorm ideas together and view each other's sketches in real-time.

Twoodo, free for iOS and Android devices, is promoted as a team collaboration tool for the hashtag generation. Students can organize discussions, to-do lists, notes and events using Twitter-style hashtags and mentions.

Others free apps such as Adobe Voice, for making videos, and Haiku Deck, for making presentations, provide simple ways of getting ideas across quickly.

Jason Womack, executive coach and founder of the coaching company Get Momentum, said students are increasingly using task management systems.

"The bright and shiny perception is that there must be an app that does it better," said Womack. "But it's not about the tool. Apps will only keep people on task as much as they put into it," he said.

Womack said the apps can be helpful, but advised students to be selective in choosing them.

"The more places I park reminders, the more time it takes. So if you minimize the places things can go, you will maximize the time you have when you're there," he said.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com