AUSTIN, TX — (Marketwire) — 09/12/11 — Consumers who increasingly rely on online ratings and reviews for buying decisions could soon have a simple method of sorting out those reviews which do not provide relevant advice. A technology demonstration by the team from Whit.li at this week-s TechCrunch -Disrupt- event will show a sophisticated, yet simple-to-use online tool which examines a user-s Facebook presence to determine their values, attitudes, likes, dislikes, and psycho-social profile. That profile is used to surface only those reviews written by like-minded people.
“Yelp, Hotels.com, and others- reputations are suffering because of the poor quality of reviews on their sites,” explained Jack Holt, Whit.li CEO. “Personally, I want to see reviews from people who buy like I do, whether it-s a restaurant, hotel, or rental home. I see one-star reviews of my favorite sushi restaurants from people who think California rolls are real sushi, or on rental homes which just don-t work for how my family travels.”
Andrea Gillentine, COO and Head of Algorithms development, explains further, “At the TechCrunch demonstration, visitors will be able to see for themselves how the Whit.li pattern-matching algorithms work. By simply logging in with their Facebook credentials, users will be matched into -Colonies- of like-minded individuals for discussions on topics such as New Technology or Cool Applications they-ve discovered. Our objective is to provide our users with a portable psycho-social identity that they can take to review sites like Yelp, HomeAway, TripAdvisor and the like so that they can be sure to get information from people who buy like them. It-ll be as easy as flipping the switch on noise-canceling headphones.”
Currently in beta, a general-release version of the Whit.li app for iPad is expected in early October — those interested can visit and register for updates.
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About TechCrunch Disrupt
TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2011() is TechCrunch-s second annual conference in San Francisco attracting over 2,500 leading technology innovators and investors and over 150 new startups. The main conference is preceded by the popular Hackathon — a 24-hour competition where over 500 top developers present new innovations. TechCrunch Disrupt follows with a format that combines top thought-leader discussions with new product and company launches. Morning executive discussions debate the most timely disruptions in the technology industry. Afternoons host the Startup Battlefield where 30 plus new companies will launch for the first time on stage, selected to present from more than 1,000 applications received from around the world. Another 100 early-stage startups will exhibit in Startup Alley. TechCrunch will award a $50,000 grand prize along with other award recognitions at the conclusion of the conference. The Hackathon is Sept 10-11; the main conference is Sept 12-14, 2011 at San Francisco Design Center Concourse, 635 8th Street (at Brannan), San Francisco, CA 94107.
TechCrunch () is a leading technology media network dedicated to obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies. Founded by Michael Arrington in 2005, TechCrunch and its network of websites reach over 13 million unique visitors and more than 30 million page views per month. TechCrunch was acquired by AOL in 2011 and operates a global network of websites including dedicated properties in Europe and Japan, as well as specialized industry websites including MobileCrunch, CrunchGear, GreenTech, TechCrunchIT, and CrunchBase. TechCrunch-s CrunchBase is the leading open database about startup companies, people, and investors. In addition to TechCrunch Disrupt, TechCrunch hosts other conferences and events, including the Crunchies Awards () and various meet-ups worldwide, serving as community platforms for industry conversation and collaboration.
Carol Scott
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