This week the RJI Futures Lab takes a peek at a new social platform centered around users’ passions, and we explore a new tool that can monitor public records.
PART 1: Hello
A new social platform called Hello, created by a group of former Google engineers and supported by the company, centers its user experience around specific interests or passions and also integrates gaming elements into the social space. Founder and Chief Executive Officer Orkut Buyukkokten and Community Manager Ashley Pengilly give us a peek at how it works.
Reporting by Daniel Shapiro.
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Additional information:
Hello’s founder previously launched Orkut, Google’s first social platform, which was shut down in 2014.
More details about Hello can be found on the company’s website.
PART 2: Sqoop
A service called Sqoop, currently in beta testing, provides another way technology can automatically keep watch and alert journalists when there’s something to report on. In this case, the tool assembles and monitors several types of public records. Bill Hankes, founder and chief executive officer, explains how reporters are already using it.
Reporting by Haley Reed.
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Examples:
- The Seattle-based tech site Geekwire reported that Boeing was already using 3-D-printed aircraft parts after getting an alert from Squoop about one of the airplane maker’s patent filings.
- The Portland Oregonian was able to break news about the grocery chain Haggen filing for bankruptcy after finding out about the filing via Sqoop.
The Reynolds Journalism Institute’s Futures Lab video update features a roundup of fresh ideas, techniques and developments to help spark innovation and change in newsrooms across all media platforms. Visit the RJI website for the full archive of Futures Lab videos, or download the iPad app to watch the show wherever you go. You can also sign up to receive email notification of each new episode.
