Killer Apps Hit Ft. Wayne

Earlier this week, I had the privilege to speak at the developer's workshop at the Killer App Conference in Ft. Wayne. I was extremely impressed by the turnout, and I was even more impressed with the amount of resources that the city dedicated to the show.

Ft. Wayne is one area where Verizon's FiOS service is available, and the city is making a concerted effort to bring its citizens and the surrounding region into the forefront as a model "wired" city. The conference's expo hall was open to the general public for all to see, with a number of displays focusing on high-bandwidth networks and the applications they enable. There was even a community outreach area sponsored by the city – all around, it was a great effort to get local residents excited about the opportunities afforded by the digital lifestyle.

For the benefit of those in attendance at the workshop, I am posting a quick list of the popular applications that I mentioned during my talk, in the order that they were mentioned. Consider this a work in progress... I'll be adding to it as I find new ones and remember old favorites. You can also download the slides from my presentation here. (PDF)

I'd like to ask for your feedback as well. Do you have any useful applications or products for developers that aren't yet on this list? I fully realize this is only the tip of the iceberg... there are lots of great applications out there for developers... so c'mon, let's hear about some of your favorites!

Applications for Developers:

Resident portals:
Property Solutions – www.propertysolutions.com
Realpage Crossfire – www.realpage.com/crossfire

3D Renderings and virtual tours:
Renderings.com – www.renderings.com

Touch-screen virtual tours:
Computer Presentation Systems – www.cpsusa.com
Aareas Interactive – www.aareas.com

Virtual community:
Second Life – www.secondlife.com

Podcasts:
Garage Band – www.apple.com/ilife/garageband
Audacity – audacity.sourceforge.net
MyPodcast.com – www.mypodcast.com

Publish your podcasts at:
iTunes – www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcasts.html
Podcast.net – www.podcast.net
Yahoo – podcasts.yahoo.com

Web log software (commonly called blogs):
Blogger – www.blogger.com
TypePad – www.typepad.com
WordPress – www.wordpress.com
Movable Type – www.movabletype.com

RSS:
Feedburner – www.feedburner.com

Virtual leasing agent:
VaultWare – www.vaultware.com

Structured wiring systems:
On-Q Legrand – www.onqlegrand.com
Suttle SOHO – www.suttlesoho.com
Home Director – www.homedirector.com

Instant hot water (tankless water heaters):
Rinnai – www.foreverhotwater.com
Noritz – www.noritz.com

Web-enabled thermostat:
Proliphix – www.proliphix.com

Mapping tools:
My Maps at Google Maps – maps.google.com

Instant webpage editing (called wikis):
Wikia – www.wikia.com

Video intercom/concierge:
Elbex – www.elbex.com

Web-based concierge software:
Techcierge – simplikate.com/synth/

Digital signage:
Samsung MagicNet – www.samsung.com

Customizable Internet music stations:
Pandora – www.pandora.com. Use a Squeezebox from Slim Devices (www.slimdevices.com) to play your Pandora radio stations on any stereo system without the need for a PC.

Gaming:
Nintendo Wii – wii.nintendo.com
PlayStation 3 – www.us.playstation.com
Microsoft Xbox 360 – www.xbox.com

On-demand music/movie server:
Kaleidescape – www.kaleidescape.com

Networked fitness equipment:
FitLinxx – www.fitlinxx.com

Networked laundry centers:
Mac-Gray – www.macgray.com/mu2_over.html

Entertainment media serv ices:
Napster – www.napster.com
Ruckus Network – www.ruckusnetwork.com
Grooveshark – www.grooveshark.com
Netflix – www.netflix.com
TiVo – www.tivo.com
Joost – www.joost.com

Home control:
Control4 – www.control4.com
LifeWare – www.lifeware.com
Lagotek – www.lagotek.com
Superna – www.supernasystems.com

Building communications management:
BuildingLink – www.buildinglink.com

Wireless sync-to-PDA/Blackberry for maintenance staff:
Realpage OneSite – www.realpage.com/onesite

Mobile phone applications and reverse 9-1-1 alerts:
Rave Wireless – www.ravewireless.com
E2Campus – www.e2campus.com

Home awareness systems:
Eaton Home Heartbeat – www.homeheartbeat.com

Smart irrigation systems:
WeatherTRAK – www.weathertrak.com

Energy management:
GridPoint – www.gridpoint.com

Solar power:
Sunpower – www.sunpowercorp.com

Energy data displays:
Home Joule – www.consumerpowerline.com/homejoule

RFID products and systems:
Transcore – www.transcore.com
Saflok – www.saflok.com

Local music licensing:
Audiosuite – www.audiosuite.com

Resident technical support:
Support.com – www.support.com

More communications tools for your website:
Meebo – www.meebome.com
Google Talk – www.google.com/talk
Skype – www.skype.com

Multi-provider structured wiring modules:
Suttle – www.suttlesoho.com