Weight Loss Community

My Virtual Model has a grass roots community of people seeking to loose weight.  I am putting together a photo gallery of people's blogs to help us understand what this community is all about.

 

From my observations so far, it is clear that people in this community want to go shopping, and do go shopping using My Virtual Model's virtual dressing rooms.  Not only do they want to shop for plus size garments, but they also want to start shopping for smaller sizes based on progress towards their goal figure.  This quote is from a blog that illustrates how people distinguish between plus size VDRs that offer clothing for Plus sizes, and regular VDRs that only offer smaller size garments.  This shows how a "long term" relationship is valuable with these shoppers, and how MVM can develop a relationship and even help people return to shop as they approach their goal weight!

 

From blog http://blog.designedlykristi.com/?p=166

"The pics I pasted together from a site call My Virtual Model. These images came from the Prevention Magazine one, though I have played with all three of the "All Sizes" variety. I'm not quite [clear if all] of them would work for me, though once I hit my goal weight I'm home free and can use any of them. Thanks for all the kudos too! I really helps keep yourself motivated!"

In the quote above, the "All Sizes" reffers to how we categorize our VDR sites on our home site.  Today, most of the VDRs are not under "All Sizes" but under "Regular sizes".  The quote above illustrates the excitement about returning some time in the future to shop of all of the "Regular sizes" stores.  If MVM could help people track their goal weight and remind them to return to MVM for shopping by developing a personal relationship with them, a significant and loyal community could be built.  On the other hand, it looks like this community is so motivated that they will come back to go shopping even without any reminders from MVM! 

Visual Search - using a camera and Google?

Here is a quote from the "Cool Hunter":

 

"Designed by a young UK designer, Pei Kang Ng, Google3D is meant as a viable business proposal for Google, five to ten years from now. With Google3D, the idea is literally, to bring the conveniences of the search engine to your fingertips.  Now, you can find out things on the move - wherever and whenever you want to - just by taking a picture. You don't even have to type!"

 

This is Pei Kang Ng site.

http://www.ngpeikang.com/

 

In my opinion, this device will first appear in the notoriously popular iPod equiped with a camera and wireless link.

 

Note that this concept of visual search is not the same approach as our MVM Visual Search.  Our notion is that you build a model (in 3D or 2D) of what you are looking for to drive your search.  Your model is then translated based on the model's attributes and specific domain knowledge enabling products that don't even have a photo to be found.   The trouble with a photo is that the software has no idea what is important to the user.  Unless you are looking for an exact match.  The other difference is that our approach in feasible today, and not only in 5 to 10 years from now!

 

Day of the Longtail

Excellent and comical look that puts the hype around the Long Tail into perspective! This is really worth 5 minutes of your time.

Articles on the MVM-Higgins-BestBuy Demo

Artices on the MVM-Higgins-BestBuy demo at the Identity Mash-up Conference in June. This conference was organised by the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at the Harvard Law School in Boston. Also a good explanation of Parity Inc.

The prompt of doom (or is that despair?) by ZDNet's David Berlind -- Having recently switched computers because of a hard drive failure, I can completely relate to Tim Bray's angst over what I'll call the prompt of despair (he calls it the prompt of doom): the one where your browser asks you if you want it to remember the password your putting into some site for you. [...]

Passion, common vision drove Higgins to success. Not big vendor agendas. by ZDNet's David Berlind -- There's something special about witnessing innovation as it happens right in front of you. To a large extent, that's what this week's Identity Mashup Conference at Harvard University was about. Sure, there were a lot of interesting panel discussions that dove deep into all sorts of thought-provoking issues that were relevant to identity. But, [...]

MVM's new game - create your dorm room at Sears

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Will Wright's new game - Spore

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Second Tense: Googlezilla vs. Linden Labjira

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