The first week of Austin’s film, music, and interactive festival South By Southwest (SXSW) has officially started and the two-week event is already trending. The festival’s music and film components may catch your attention, but for myself, I’m keeping a watchful eye on the SXSW Accelerator award ceremony. Running from March 11th to March 13th, the competition will bring together the best new work in social media, mobile applications, web entertainment, and more. The awards will also highlight the upcoming innovations that are hailed to make major contributions to the way we communicate and interact. Finalists for this year’s competition include 48 innovative companies with big ideas. One of the 48 that immediately caught my attention is The Charlie App.
If you have a presentation or an interview and wish you could quickly receive meaningful information about the person you are going to meet then The Charlie App is for you. Better known as Charlie, the mobile app was designed to help you become better prepared for meetings and interviews. Instead of spending hours visiting multiple sites Charlie utilizes your calendar, identifies who you will be meeting, and provides you with available information on the individual. Thanks to the application’s ability to filter the web for information, Charlie pulls news and updates from all over the net. Instead of bombarding you with trivial material, the application’s algorithms filter through information from a contact or company providing you with what is useful.
The competitive advantage in this app is that it will update you on breaking news and alert you if you and a contact have anything in common. No more wondering if your Salt Lake City-based contact loves the Utah Jazz as much as you, now you know. An added benefit is it can help you develop quality relationships when building your business. Ultimately, the goal of the app is to help prepare you for meetings and make you unforgettable. As a result you won’t only make an impression, you can make a connection. Who wouldn’t want that?
The application has the potential to be great for your professional life, but let’s be honest, you’re going to use it for personal reasons as well. With Charlie at your disposal you can use the app to get a better idea of the girl you’re about to go on a date with or to check up on the ex-boyfriend who isn’t returning your calls. Regardless of what you do, Charlie has the ability to assist you whether it’s for social preparation or social tracking. Not that you would be interested in doing the latter, right…
Already featured on CNBC, Mashable, and The Huffington Post, the application is acclaimed to be one of “the world’s most promising new companies”. Although it is still in beta and privacy concerns are in question, it is expected to go public Q2 of 2013. Currently you can sign up for the updates on the app and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.
Charlie App
