Doccaster an Orlando Based Startup Plans to Disrupt Document Sharing

Doccaster, an Orlando-based startup spun out of a previous effort called Gotootie, which was an early player in the location-based chat scene launched back in 2010. Co-founders Kyle Steele (CEO) and Himanshu Pagey (CTO), who met while at the University of Central Florida, have now narrowed their focus to document sharing based on lcoation, with a specific emphasis on the convention space.

Doccaster wants to disrupt document-sharing, but it’s attacking the space from a different angle: it’s not just about storing files in the “cloud,” it’s about tying files to a particular location. Launching a beta version of its web-based utility this week that lets users upload then broadcast any number of files. Those files immediately become available to anyone within a 15-mile radius and can be searched for either by proximity or by a Doccaster ID (similar to a username).

Orlando is a great location for this startup, due to the popularity of Orlando among conventions. Orlando, Florida host 25 of the top 250 shows and usually ranks 3rd place behind Chicago and Las Vegas.

“Our goal is to become the preferred tool which the 205M attendees use to publically share and discuss documents at the 1.8M conferences, business meeting and trade shows taking place annually.” Kyle Steele CEO Doccaster

Doccaster found a solution to many of the problems with printed literature, including not just the cost of printing documents, their distribution, the environmental impact, and the lack of analytics for documents around things like views, shares, and comments. Doccaster tracks all those metrics, enabling companies to see the views, demographics and conversations around their files uploaded to the platform.

Interestingly, the document discussion aspect is tied to the location, too. Only those in or near the venue can join in, which makes the product different than an online office suite or cloud storage company. “As we move forward, our challenge will be to continue providing features which enhance our users experience and reduce friction during the sharing and discussing of files. Key to that effort are the development of mobile apps, offering strong analytics and integrating with private file sharing services like Dropbox, Amazon, Google Drive and Box are critical,” stated Kyle.

The introduction of the Doccaster ID is another element that conference participants can use to make their files more easily available. Instead of having to search through all the files at that location, you can put in a company’s ID to pull up just their shared files.

During its beta, Doccaster will remain free, but at some point in the future, the plan is to transition to a freemium model built around document activity. Also in the works are mobile apps for iPhone, iPad and Android but will currently work on the mobile web.

Interested users can sign up now, here, from web or mobile.

Central Florida has started to develop it’s tech community in the last few years. Kyle states, “The Central Florida technology and creative community has been instrumental in our development and journey as a young startup. When I look at this product and our company, Florida’s finger prints are all over it.”

Check out what Orlando digital leaders are saying about talent, culture, capital investment, entrepreneurship, and the impact of the Creative Village development in Downtown Orlando at this upcoming FTJ Live Event.

Panelists:

• Daryl Holt, Chief Operating Officer, EA Sports
• Ben Noel, Executive Director, Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy
• Carlos Carbonell, Co-Founder & CEO, Echo Interaction Group
• Pete McAlindon, Co-Founder, Gazelle Lab Orlando
• Craig Ustler, Real Estate Developer, Creative Village Downtown Orlando
• Gregg Pollack, Founder, Envy Labs and Code School

Moderated By: Kyle Christian Steele, Co-Founder & CEO, Doccaster

Join technology professionals, entrepreneurs and investors from across Florida at the new Envy Labs headquarters in Downtown Orlando’s high-tech district. Networking opportunities, cash bar and light appetizers served.

When: Tuesday, June 12, 5:30pm – 8:00pm

Where: Envy Labs, 189 S. Orange Avenue, 20th Floor, Orlando, 32801, View Map

Registration Fee: Free with Online Registration

Adobe Design Achievement Awards (#ADAA12)

Adobe has a lot of big things happening in education. Recently, Adobe announced the immediate availability of the Adobe Creative Suite 6 Software and the Creative Cloud is expected to be available on Friday, May 11th. Students and Teachers can down the free, 30-day trial (or purchase) on Adobe.com, here: http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?product=master_collection.

The Adobe Design Achievement Awards celebrate student and faculty achievement reflecting the powerful convergence of technology and the creative arts since 2001. The competition – which showcases individual and group projectscreated with industry-leadingAdobe creative software – honors the most talented and promising student graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, animators, digital filmmakers, developers and computer artists from the world’s top institutions of highereducation.

A board of Educator and industry luminaries advises over the awards. There are 9 board members, 6 educators and 3 luminaries. To learn more about thisyear judges visit the ADAA microsite (http://www.adobeawards.com/us/about/judges/).

The 2012 Adobe Design Achievement Awards give higher education students and faculty from around the world theshortcut to brilliance to propel their careers in the future. Higher education students and faculty can submit entries created with Adobe software to earn a chance at winning recognition, travel, Adobe software, and cash prizes. Both individuals and groups may enter up to three unique projects in the following categories during the entire duration of the contest. ·

• Interactive Media: Browser-Based Design, Non-Browser Based Design, Application Development, Mobile Design, Game Design, Installation Design, Innovation in Interactive Media in Education
• Video and Motion: Animation, Live Action, Motion Graphics, Innovation in Video and Motion in Education
• Traditional Media: Illustration, Packaging, Photography, Print Communications, Innovation in Traditional Media in Education

Finalists will receive Adobe software and a trip to Los Angeles, California where they will be honored in an awards ceremony during Adobe MAX, October 20-24, 2012. Category winners will also receive a cash award of US $3,000. For a complete list of prizes for both individual and group visit the ADAA microsite (http://www.adobeawards.com/us/about/prizes/). The competition is FREE to enter and open to all students, faculty, and staff of higher education institutions around the world. Participants may submit up to 3 times in 13 different student categories and 3 faculty categories. Students are advised to submit their projects forevery academic term from May 2011 through June 2012.

Submission Deadlines: We are in the third and final submission period that closes on June 22, 2012 with the semifinalists being announced in July 2012. Submit Now: www.adobeawards.com

App of the Week: Official Klout App Hits the iPhone

In February, Klout acquired the startup, Blockboard. Blockboard brought in talent that would allow Klout to quickly bring a on board a mobile app. Klout just announced today it’s first official iPhone app!

Klout for iPhone v1.0 helps you keep track of your influence wherever you go. Want to know your Klout Score without even opening the app? Just look at the Klout icon on your home screen. Your Score is right there, always up-to-date. And when your Score changes or someone gives you +K, they’ll send you a push notification to keep you in the loop (if you allow it).

Inside the app, you’ll find it’s easy to get a snapshot of your influence. You can view your own Klout Score and your influential topics. You can also discover and browse the people who influence you online.

What is missing?

Missing an Andriod app! It’s planned for the future but looks like iPhone is first on board.

NO  GIVING +K! You still can’t give out a +K (Here is a tip on giving a +K online)

You can find it in the iTunes App Store here.

Why not hook me up with a +K on my 20 topics of influence? http://klout.com/#/professorjosh

(Information gathered from The Official Klout Blog)

Apps of the Week: Eventbrite, At The Door, and Entry Manager

Event management is always an important topic, whether you are selling tickets or just needing to get RSVPs. Eventbrite has been a great system for me to utilize, even just as a free way to get RSVPs without someone needing to be on a particular social system, like Facebook.

Eventbrite has developed three great apps for both the attendees and the event organizer.

One of the apps recently added by Eventbrite to their toolbox was an app for both iPhone and Android geared toward attendees. This allows attendees quickly access their Eventbrite tickets and event information, and go paperless.

With the Eventbrite app, you can:

• View your upcoming events and information
• Pull up your ticket barcode or registration info
• Easily share events with your friends
• See a map and get directions to the event
• Contact event organizer with last-minute questions

Download the Eventbrite App

The second app is called “At The Door”, which Eventbrite created to help streamline the check-in process for the organizer using your iOS device. This allows you to sell tickets, merchandise, food and beverage, and anything else you’d like. Let your customers easily pay by credit card or cash, and process transactions in seconds. Collect customer names and emails, and get a complete view of your event sales in real-time with Eventbrite’s extensive reporting. All transactions are fully encrypted and processed securely.

If you add the “At The Door” Credit Card Reader you could process credit card payments quickly and easily swipe your customer’s credit card to send secure, encrypted credit card payments to your Eventbrite account. I’m a fan of Square mobile credit card reader myself.

With Eventbrite’s At The Door you can:

- Process all major credit cards and cash transactions with your iPad
- Collect customer names and emails
- Email receipts on the spot
- View real-time reporting of the day’s sales for cash reconciliation
- Track your on-site sales data alongside online sales on Eventbrite.com

For a special *Limited Time Offer* Eventbrite will not charge service fees on any At The Door transactions. Standard credit card processing cost (3%) will be charged and included on all
credit card orders.

Print tickets and customer receipts on the spot with the Star TSP143 printer. Buy it here: http://bit.ly/AtTheDoorPrinter

Both these apps help make Eventbrite a great system for organizing your event with lots of extra features for a small charge per ticket. If you don’t charge for the event, it’s free to use Eventbrite too.

Download At The Door

The third app is prefect for those who don’t charge for events or have only pre-sale tickets but want to maintain who has checked. Event organizers can keep their lines moving and check in attendees faster with Eventbrite’s Entry Manager app on both iOS and Android devices. All check-ins are synced with our servers, so you can use multiple devices at different points of entry and not worry about the same ticket being used twice.

With the Entry Manager app you can:
- Look up and check in attendees off a list
- Easily scan ticket barcodes to check in attendees
- Check in attendees using multiple devices at the same time
- View live sales and attendance stats
- Analyze your attendance data online after the event

Download Entry Manager app

Two New Awesome Kickstarters: Slingshot and Pebble E-Paper Watch

If you haven’t checked out Kickstarter lately you are missing out on some great new gadgets. The two I have recently backed are the Slingshot and Pebble E-Paper Watch.

Slingshot: Smartphone Stabilizer and more!

The SlingShot allows you to shoot one-handed, turns into an instant table-top tripod, and allows you to mount your phone on any tripod. It’s the perfect accessory for anyone that is a smartphone photographer or blogger.

The SlingShot’s phone cradle fits ANY smartphone, with or without a case and allows charging cables to be plugged in during use.

It’s the perfect Android accessory and iPhone accessory. I couldn’t pass up getting one for only $14. Many times you pay more for just a tripod mount for your smartphone. This Kickstarter has already meet it’s funding level, so you are guaranteed to get this at a great price before it hits retailers in the future.

Find out more and back the Slingshot: KICKSTARTER SLINGSHOT

Pebble: E-Paper Watch

The next gadget that I recently backed has surpassed any other Kickstarter to date! It hit a backing of $1 million in only 28 hours. It’s currently over $5 million with lots of support. The Pebble E-Paper Watch is a device that not only is a electronic watch that will connect to your Android and iPhone but a new developer platform.

Pebble is truly a watch built for the 21st century. It’s infinitely customizable, with beautiful downloadable watchfaces and useful internet-connected apps. Pebble connects to iPhone and Android smartphones using Bluetooth, alerting you with a silent vibration to incoming calls, emails and messages. While designing Pebble, we strove to create a minimalist yet fashionable product that seamlessly blends into everyday life.

The current price for a basic black Pebble watch is $115 backing on Kickstater with lots of other options for backing this project to get other watches or different colors. At this point they don’t need to worry about funding but you might want to get your hands one of these quick.

Find out more about the Pebble: KICKSTARTER PEBBLE

BarCamp Orlando Presentation: Networking in the 21st Century

I decided to throw together a last minute presentation for BarCamp Orlando to discuss ways to network better in the 21st century. I have given this presentation before for educators and other organization around the nation. Here is my presentation if you missed it.

Why I want to be a VIP BbWorld Blogger #BbW12

It’s almost that time of year. Blackboard World is right around the corner and it will be hosted in New Orleans this year. This year Blackboard is hosting a contest to become a VIP BbWorld Blogger!

Let BB the Robot tell you why I should be a VIP Blogger for Bb World!

Who wouldn’t want Professor Josh to be their VIP Blogger, especially on anything Ed-tech related! I’ve worked in higher education for over 14 years with over 8 years experience teaching educational technology to future K12 teachers. I have a Master of Arts degree in both Educational Leadership and Instructional Technology with a graduate certificate in e-learning. I currently work at the #1 community college in the nation (says the Aspen Institute) Valencia College as an instructional designer helping faculty navigate the world of Blackboard every day. I’m also an associate faculty member for the Educator Prep Institute teaching the technology for educators course.

Josh Murdock (photo by amandakern.com)

Want to know more? Check out my awesome infographic resume! http://vizualize.me/ny6I7gBtMm?r=ny6I7gBtMm

If you are reading this, you already know my blog http://professorjosh.com, which focuses on a variety of educational and technology related topics.

I also blog for our department at Valencia – Moving to Blackboard & Valencia – Learning Technology.

Many other schools have referred to the resources and blogs we have developed as they make the transition to Blackboard.

I’m on the planning team for a number of technology related events in Orlando: Central Florida Bloggers Conference, iSummit, TechVenture,  and Startup Weekend Orlando.

I have been a speaker at numerous conferences on social media, multimedia tools, universal design, networking in the 21st century, and many other topics.

Why do I want to be a BbWorld Blogger?

I’m a blogger at heart! It would be a great experience to actually get a VIP treatment as bloggers at an event like Blackboard World. Many companies are just now understanding the influence of bloggers and social media to propel their company to new heights and be advocates. This opportunity would give me a chance to have access to a variety of keynote speakers and other privileges that would help me create a number of unique blogs on the Blackboard World experience. We have been with Blackboard since the start of Blackboard Learn 9.1, through SP1 to SP8. I’ve been through the ups and downs of a new software that is ever evolving. Blackboard always has some big announcements for BbWorld. It would be great to cover them in person.

Please share this post with @Blackboard on Twitter and tell them why you think Professor Josh should be a VIP BbWorld Blogger!