Alfred App Enhances Local Recommendations with iPad Support and Facebook Integration

Local Recommendations App Alfred Hits iPad, Plans To Add Deal Curation Soon

This article from TechCrunch, published on September 19, 2011, details the significant updates to the local recommendations mobile app, Alfred, developed by Clever Sense. The app has been optimized for iPad and includes deeper integration with Facebook, aiming to provide more personalized recommendations through data mining.

Key Updates and Features:

• iPad Optimization: Alfred is now available in an iPad-optimized format, enhancing the user experience on larger screens.
• Facebook Integration: The app allows optional Facebook Connect sign-in, enabling Alfred to learn user preferences by analyzing Facebook likes and check-ins. This data is used to refine recommendations.
• Algorithm-Driven Recommendations: Alfred differentiates itself by heavily relying on algorithms to surface recommendations, moving beyond simple user-inputted taste profiles.
• Enhanced Recommendation Details: Previously, Alfred provided recommendations based on a user's taste profile created through a quiz. Now, it offers more detailed insights, such as "91% of people out of 650 like this place," explaining the reasoning behind each suggestion.
• Unlimited Recommendations: Users can now scroll through all available recommendations for a given area, sorted by their interests, removing the previous limit of 10 recommendations.
• Optimized Google Maps View: A new feature plots all recommendations on a map for easier access, a significant improvement from the previous one-by-one map view.
• Facebook Data Mining: The app leverages Facebook status updates (check-ins) to gather data, prompting users to rate places with simple thumbs up/down buttons. Future updates will include Facebook Likes and Foursquare integration, followed by Twitter integration via geotags and mentions.
• Deal Curation: Alfred plans to expand its capabilities by using its AI and machine-learning algorithms to recommend local deals based on user interests. This move aims to capitalize on the growing daily deals market.
• User Engagement: While exact download numbers are not disclosed, the app has surpassed 100,000 downloads, with active users interacting with the app three times per week on average.
• Future Releases: An Android version of the app is planned for future launch.

Article Images:

• An image showcasing Alfred's personalized map view.
• A screenshot of Alfred's interface showing Facebook integration for likes.
• A screenshot of Alfred's home screen.

Related Topics:

The article touches upon several key areas in the tech industry:

• Apps: The core of the article is about a mobile application.
• Local Recommendations: Alfred's primary function is to provide local recommendations.
• Media & Entertainment: The app's focus on local venues and experiences falls under this category.
• Mobile: The article discusses the app's availability and features on mobile devices (iPad and iPhone).
• Startups: Alfred is presented as a product of a startup, Clever Sense.

Social Sharing and Related Content:

The article includes prominent social sharing buttons for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Reddit, as well as an option to share via email. It also features links to related articles and a TechCrunch event promotion.

Author Information:

Sarah Perez, the author, is a Consumer News Editor at TechCrunch with extensive experience in technology reporting. Her background includes work in IT across various industries.