Mobile Apps Are Main Focus of Innovators at DEMO Fall 2014 Showcase

By Chris Preimesberger

Ghostery, which won one of the five top awards—the DEMO God award—at DEMO Fall 2014, is a useful add-on for every major browser. It is available as an iPad and iPhone app that helps people around the world understand and control more than 1,900 trackers that are tracking them when they browse.

Atmmos innovates in virtual reality and interactivity. A pioneer in R&D virtual interactive technologies in Brazil, it has launched solutions to revolutionize the way people communicate and understand concepts and projects. The company provides services and virtual reality interaction and makes use of the latest technology that allows maximum immersion and engagement of users. Unlike the electronic models, 3D photos and videos available in the market, Atmmos uses the RealTime 3D rendering IT that allows the user to explore and navigate the virtual environment in real time.

Celect’s Choice Engine is the world’s first fully data-driven customer choice modeling suite. Celect, which won one of the five top awards—the DEMO God award—optimizes allocations and buying plans, personalizing them to choice patterns at the individual store. The technology builds on a fundamental advance in machine learning. MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory called this one of the 50 greatest innovations it has produced.

This service enables users to buy airtime from any network service provider in Kenya irrespective of their mobile money transfer service from the comfort of their home anytime. For example, you can buy Orange airtime or YU airtime using Safaricom’s M-pesa. Users also can send airtime to multiple phone numbers in any network in Kenya at once.

Formerly called Taxi Magic, Curb — which won one of the five top awards, the DEMO God award — is a transportation application that bridges ride-sharing services such as Uber with conventional cab services. It connects people to safe, reliable rides from professional taxi and other for-hire drivers in cities nationwide. By bringing IT to the taxi and sedan experience, Curb is offering riders choice, reliability and convenience whenever they ride.

Nerve is a convergence mobile communication/computing and productivity enhancement smartphone device. It allows people to do more by providing enhanced relevance and access to the information age for the mobile first generation of Africa.

PathSense, which makes a software developer kit for any iOS or Android app, won one of the five top awards—the DEMO God award. It uses sensor fusion and inertial navigation to provide location accuracy comparable to, and often better than, GPS, with 90 percent less battery drain. Customers are developers who need location in their apps without battery drain. The company estimates that there are more than 500,000 of them.

PaySail is a mobile payroll app that offers fast online setup, free online support and payroll reminders; automatic calculation of payroll taxes; and easily managed employee records. Users simply pick a date and schedule payroll to be run on this day monthly. They also can manage deductions and taxable benefits though the employee self-service portal.

Templafy is the world’s first platform- and device-independent template management system. It’s fast to onboard, easy to use and simple to manage. Templafy simplifies the process of managing and sharing business templates in organizations by making it easy for employees to create on-brand, legally compliant and personalized business documents—regardless of location, office platform and device.

Thomas DeBass, deputy special representative for global partnerships at the U.S. State Department, addressed attendees Nov. 20 at the event, held at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center. Event host and emcee Neil Silverman is at right.

The DEMO God award is the one everybody shoots for, signifying Best in Show. Ghostery goes down in the books as the winner in fall 2014.