get things done in 60 seconds or less!

HeyCosmo wants you to have the "luck of the Irish"

2009-03-02T11:45:00.000-08:00

With St. Patrick's Day closing in (Tuesday, March 17, 2009) the teams at HeyCosmo are getting closer to the release of our newest application. The actual release date has not been given, but I can say that this new app is intended to help our users achieve the, "luck of the Irish." And with these economic times we could all use a little help.

How, you may ask, can HeyCosmo's current apps help the typical HeyCosmopolitan get things done for the coming St. Patrick's Day? I intend to use Concierge to find the perfect pub that carries my favorite ale. It isn't every day that I drink the hearty brew, but with Concierge I will find the Pubs that will allow me to get away from the typical Irish imports like Harp Lager, and enjoy the Irish experience folk music with a large Guinness Extra Stout or O'Hara's Irish Stout sitting in front of me.

I'm not Irish by birth, but one day out of the year I get to be Irish. With Concierge I intend on narrowing down the list to find that perfect place. I will organize my friends by using HeyCosmo Blaster so they have a say in which pub we go.

It is Mardi Gras, so don't forget to connect to your friends.

2009-02-24T14:39:00.000-08:00

Today is Fat Tuesday. Live it up as it is Mardi Gras and tomorrow is Ash Wednesday—fasting, abstinence from meat, and repentance—a day of contemplating one's transgressions. Through these days leading up to Easter don't forget your friends and relatives.

All the best from the teams at HeyCosmo (HeyCosmo Concierge and Blaster).

A Clue for What's Coming

2009-02-19T10:02:00.000-08:00

HeyCosmo is continuing to grow and develop more useful and fun applications. We are not ready to announce what is coming to our HeyCosmopolitans in the very near future, but have given you a clue.

HeyCosmo Concierge and Blaster are still proving to be a helpful, and for some users an invaluable, tool for communicating with friends and family, and improving the way they management their time. But as you use these HeyCosmo apps please remember to be courteous and have fun. Let HeyCosmo help you get things done in 60 seconds or less!

Happy President's Day from the HeyCosmo Teams

2009-02-16T11:31:00.000-08:00

To the early presidents who worked through adversity to help forge a country, we at HeyCosmo salute you. With the examples from the past we hope our current leaders will be visionaries and innovators in dealing with the current challenges we face as a country and as a global community.

The recession will only end when we are no longer afraid to spend. Spend wisely by doing your homework and locating the vendors. Take advantage of the sales offered this President's Day by contacting the retailers directly with HeyCosmo Concierge, so you will know exactly where to go and if they have what you want.

Happy President's Day!

Remember: If you have experienced any inappropriate or abusive usage of our applications please contact us through our website. We will need the specific time and date, the phone number you were contacted on and the message content. We investigate all reports of abuse and contact the originator if necessary. Calls you receive are probably coming from someone you know—HeyCosmo does not call you, nor do we keep a "list" of your phone numbers.

Happy Valentine's Day from HeyCosmo

2009-02-13T11:52:00.001-08:00

An interesting Valentine's Day trivia fact:
Charles, the Duke of Orleans sent his wife a love poem in 1415 while imprisoned in the Tower of London. The valentine is now in the British Museum and is considered the earliest know Valentine's Day card.

For our procrastinating HeyCosmopolitans who are at a loss as to what to do for their special someone tomorrow (Saturday,February 14th), might we suggest writing from your heart, then add a poem in case that first part sucks.

To help with your other procrastinations—HeyCosmo Concierge and Blaster can help!

Be My Valentine, for I:

Be my Valentine, for I
Each day have thought of you.
My whole life couldn't manage what
Your ready smile can do,
Vanquishing my loneliness
As though all light were new.
Let me be your Valentine
Even as you're mine,
Needing what I have to give
That each might each define
In friendship and in harmony,
Now you, now I the melody,
Each helping each to shine.

(copyright by Nicholas Gordon)

Happy Valentine's Day from the HeyCosmo teams.

Remember: If you have experienced any inappropriate or abusive usage of our applications please contact us through our website. We will need the specific time and date, the phone number you were contacted on and the message content. We investigate all reports of abuse and contact the originator if necessary. Calls you receive are probably coming from someone you know—HeyCosmo does not call you, nor do we keep a "list" of your phone numbers.

Getting ready to procrastinate for Valentine's Day

2009-02-10T11:31:00.000-08:00

HeyCosmo would like to remind the procrastinators, our favorite people, that Valentine's Day is this Saturday (February 14th). Are you are looking for that perfect Valentine's Day gift for your girlfriend, boyfriend or significant other?

Ask your friends for their input on what you should get.

Here's a fun idea for Valentine's Day Blast:

Message: I need to know what I should get my gal for Valentine's Day. I was thinking that maybe I shouldn't think in terms of traditional gifts, but I don't know. What do you think?
Option 1: Press 1, if you think I should stay with roses and chocolate.
Response 1: Okay. That is a bit traditional. I was thinking it was a bit stale. I will re-think this. Thank you.
Option 2: Press 2, if you think I should go with sleepware, if you know what I mean.
Response 2: Great! Now I'm blushing.
Option 3: or Press 3 if I should call you because you have a great idea for the perfect gift.
Response 3: I will call you. I was hoping this would be easy.

When you are looking for last minute reservations at that "just perfect" restaurant for Valentine's Day don't forget that HeyCosmo Concierge could be your best friend. Let HeyCosmo make the calls and get your answer in 60 seconds or less!

Remember: If you have experienced any inappropriate or abusive usage of our applications please contact us through our website. We will need the specific time and date, the phone number you were contacted on and the message content. We investigate all reports of abuse and contact the originator if necessary. Calls you receive are probably coming from someone you know—HeyCosmo does not call you, nor do we keep a "list" of your phone numbers.

Useful HeyCosmo Superbowl party scripts

2009-01-30T11:27:00.000-08:00

Most people in the United States are already aware that we have a notable little football game coming up this weekend. Superbowl XLIII, this year in Tampa, FL, will be watched by millions of football fans as well as the obsessed consumers wanting to see the cutting edge television commercials, eager Bruce Springsteen fans (he is the halftime show and has just released his new album), and those who just like a good party.

For the last minute hosts of these events HeyCosmo would like to suggest a couple scripts to help you organize your friends and family for your get-together. (cut-n-paste)

HeyCosmo Concierge:
Script: Are you planning to have any special Superbowl activities on Sunday? I have a small group of friends that are looking for a place to gather for the game.
Option 1: Press 1. if are planning on a Superbowl event this Sunday.
Response 1: Excellent. I will get my friends together.
Option 2: Press 2. if you are not planning on a Superbowl event.
Response 2: Thank you for your input.
Option 3: or press 3 if this call went to the wrong person.
Response 3: Thank you for the response.

HeyCosmo Blaster:
Script: The Superbowl is this Sunday and you already know that you are invited to my house to watch it on my big screen tv at 2:30. It will be a small group of our friends, but other than alcohol, I would like to know if you would like to bring one of the following. If you are not able to bring something, that is okay too.
Option 1: Press 1, if you would like to bring chips and a dip.
Response 1: That sounds great. If there is a problem with that I will call you.
Option 2: Press 2, if you want to bring a cheese or vegetable tray.
Response 2: That sounds great. If there is a problem with that I will call you.
Option 3: or press 3, if you have something else to bring.
Response 3: That sounds great. If there is a problem with that I will call you.

Feel free to use and alter the suggested script ideas all you want. Stay organized and make your life awesome! But, remember to drink responsibly.

Remember: If you have experienced any inappropriate or abusive usage of our applications please contact us through our website. We will need the specific time and date, the phone number you were contacted on and the message content. We investigate all reports of abuse and contact the originator if necessary. Calls you receive are probably coming from someone you know—HeyCosmo does not call you, nor do we keep a "list" of your phone numbers.

Important tip for new HeyCosmo Blogger users

2009-01-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

The topic of today's blog assumes that you are a new user to HeyCosmo apps, and in particular, to HeyCosmo Blaster. Seasoned HeyCosmopolitans that have been using HeyCosmo apps for a while might also find a moment of zen (insight) as well.

You're sending your first HeyCosmo Blast to your friends and family, but as you press the "Make Call" button and watch as your contacts respond, some are hanging up without responding. We have seen on occasion that some will not respond without hearing your distinctive voice, even though your name has been announced at the beginning of the call. Without hearing the whole message they may even think this is a marketing call—something we do not allow with our service. To help solve this try the following:

Make sure to set up your account using your recognizable name ("Mark" instead of "It's me"). If you are using a pseudonym you will not have as positive of a response.
Let your friends and family know, if possible, that you are using HeyCosmo to help manage your communications. When your friends know, they will answer.

It seems really simple, but it is suprising how often users don't consider this.

Giving your friends and family a little forewarning that you are using HeyCosmo will help you truely, "get things done in 60 seconds or less!"

Remember: If you have experienced any inappropriate or abusive usage of our applications please contact us through our website. We will need the specific time and date, the phone number you were contacted on and the message content. We investigate all reports of abuse and contact the originator if necessary. Calls you receive are probably coming from someone you know—HeyCosmo does not call you, nor do we keep a "list" of your phone numbers.

Quick Tips for Better Concierge Results

2009-01-21T11:33:00.000-08:00

We've received some email lately asking about how to tune-up search results for HeyCosmo Concierge. This application is for users who need to contact product vendors (stores) and providers of services (such as taxi, restaurants, etc.), but don't want to spend the afternoon driving from location to location, or searching and calling multiple businesses. Concierge saves you time and gas while giving vendors the opportunity of new clients who are looking for something specific.

We have had some really happy consumers of this free timesaving application, but I would like to give some points that may make your search results with Concierge even better.

Check the spelling of the city or town (if you aren't searching by zip code), and make sure the state is correct. If this information is not correct then the service will search your service type from all over the United States.
Don't assume that all the business that come up in your search results are the correct target for what you are looking for. If you are looking for a "carpenter" in Fargo, ND to do some remodeling in your kitchen, you may have "Johnathan Carpenter, CPA" (a fictitious example) included in the results. All items are checked by default. Make sure to go through the businesses and uncheck the ones that should not be called.

Additionally:

Be polite in your message.
Be clear in what you want to know.
Don't tell them, or imply, that if they select a positive option that you will buy or reserve from them.

We will be posting more tips from time-to-time as well as some scripts that have been used effectively or interestingly for HeyCosmo Concierge and Blaster.

Remember: If you have experienced any inappropriate or abusive usage of our applications please contact us through our website. We will need the specific time and date, the phone number you were contacted on and the message content. We investigate all reports of abuse and contact the originator if necessary. Calls you receive are probably coming from someone you know—HeyCosmo does not call you, nor do we keep a "list" of your phone numbers.

With a new President there is a new hope!

2009-01-20T11:01:00.000-08:00

Normally, we try to stay away from comments that might be perceived as political in nature—but the teams at HeyCosmo cannot pass up the opportunity to congratulate the 44th President of the United States of America, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, Jr.

President Obama has called all people to pursue a social good by volunteerism and sacrifice. Remember, HeyCosmo is here to help you organize your pursuits to this goal. Today we witnessed history. Send a HeyCosmo Blast to your friends and family and ask them if they will remember where they were when they saw monumental event unfold.

Remember: If you have experienced any inappropriate or abusive usage of our applications please contact us through our website. We will need the specific time and date, the phone number you were contacted on and the message content. We investigate all reports of abuse and contact the originator if necessary. Calls you receive are probably coming from someone you know—HeyCosmo does not call you, nor do we keep a "list" of your phone numbers.

Keeping your communications simple

2009-01-15T12:24:00.000-08:00

We have been seeing some really creative uses of our HeyCosmo Blaster app, which is great. But the strength is also in the simplicity of the application.

The average Blaster user is wanting to get a consensus from one or more of their friends in an immediate time frame. "Get things done in 60 seconds or less!" With this in mind consider the following scenarios:

1. You have a group meeting (club event, party, whatever) at your house and you need to get a last minute feel of how many people will be showing up. Blast them and ask them: Are you planning to be there? Are you unable to be there? Are you trying to go but haven't been able to commit to it?

2. You are bored and want to go out with friends at the last minute. Call them and see if that can be arranged: Are you able to get together with the gang in an hour? Are you not able to get together with us? You will need to see if it is possible, but will call me.

3. Your weekend potluck is this Saturday and the church has asked you to organize who brings the food. With Blaster you can call everybody and ask in real time: Are you able to bring an entry? Are you more comfortable bringing a salad? Or would you like to bring a dessert?

Thinking in the terms of simple solutions will help you find the value and strength of HeyCosmo Blaster that takes it beyond just being fun.

Let us know how you simplify your communications with HeyCosmo Blaster.

Remember: If you have experienced any inappropriate or abusive usage of our applications please contact us through our website. We will need the specific time and date, the phone number you were contacted on and the message content. We investigate all reports of abuse and contact the originator if necessary. Calls you receive are probably coming from someone you know—HeyCosmo does not call you, nor do we keep a "list" of your phone numbers.

The year of keeping in touch

2009-01-08T12:11:00.000-08:00

At the New Year's Eve party I attended last week I found myself, out of annual curiosity, asking other guests what their New Year's resolutions were for the coming year. There were many that went with the tried and true goals of weight loss and more exercise, but I was surprised at how many said they wanted to either keep in touch with friends family on a more regular basis, or reconnect with friends that they have overlooked for far too long.

I started thinking about this question last year when I don't recall hearing this as a significant goal or resolution. Last year it seemed to be more about getting and staying organized. Could the worries of this past year have brought about a stronger need to feel connected?

Most of the people at the party were not familiar with HeyCosmo applications, but when I explained what HeyCosmo Blaster and Concierge could do to help reach their goals of this year (connecting and reconnecting with friends and family) and last year's (getting and staying organized) they were excited. HeyCosmo is truely about getting and staying organized, and communicating and staying in touch.

In the following blogs I will continue to give ways other HeyCosmopolitans have been using these powerful applications to make their lives Awesome.

Please send us examples of how you use HeyCosmo apps in your everyday lives so we can share this with others looking for inspiration to reach their goals and resolutions. Let's make this the "Year of keeping in touch and getting organized."

Remember: If you have experienced any inappropriate or abusive usage of our applications please contact us through our website. We will need the specific time and date, the phone number you were contacted on and the message content. We investigate all reports of abuse and contact the originator if necessary. Calls you receive are probably coming from someone you know—HeyCosmo does not call you, nor do we keep a "list" of your phone numbers.

Happy Holidays from the HeyCosmo team

2008-12-29T14:23:00.000-08:00

The entire HeyCosmo team wants to wish our HeyCosmopolitans a very special holiday and prosperous New Year.

It is hard not to look back on 2008 with a reluctant sense of hope as the United States and the world became engulfed in so many negative events. We have truly started to see how interrelated people are from all over the world—we are not embroiled in a U.S. recession but in a world recession; we do not find that the U.S. is experiencing unprecedented unemployment singularly but on a global scale; and we find that the U.S. is not the only country to feel loss and pain of terrorism but it is the world that feels this. What one country experiences we all feel the effects.

When looking back on the year 2008 remember the good things along with the not so good. In 2008 we progressed efforts towards AIDS prevention and treatment around the world. Global ecological issues leaped forward and started to become recognized for what they are. We also started to seriously recognize the importance of alternative energies and their place in the survival of our planet.

This is an important time to remain in touch with your friends and loved ones. It is a time to tighten our belts and not needlessly spend, however to still keep the economy running by using our money wisely. We need to exercise our money, not sleep on it. Remember HeyCosmo for these tasks. HeyCosmo Blaster to communicate and organize; and HeyCosmo Concierge to find what you need quickly and without wasting your time.

Have a great New Year and party responsibly.

Sincerely,
The HeyCosmo teams...

Remember: If you have experienced any inappropriate or abusive usage of our applications please contact us through our website. We will need the specific time and date, the phone number you were contacted on and the message content. We investigate all reports of abuse and contact the originator if necessary.

A little edge for Billy?

2008-12-19T15:38:00.000-08:00

I guess we have to assume this Blast was made by child who wanted to use our HeyCosmo services to get a little edge on a possible dodgy record of his year’s indiscretions. …or possible it was done in good fun! Actually, this was sent by a user as a cute Santa message to several friends to boost holiday spirit.

Santa, you know I tried my best to be good, but sometimes I made mistakes. I already sent you my list but forgot to ask you what you wanted for your visit.
Option 1: Press 1, if you want cookies.
Response 1: I think we have two kinds. I’ll put them both out.
Option 2: Press 2, if you want cookies and milk.
Response 2: I will put some ice cubes in the milk so it doesn’t get too warm. Mom buys 2 percent.
Option 3: Press 3, if I should leave hay for the reindeer.
Response 3: I don’t think we have enough for all of them, but I guess they can share.

We know this didn’t go to Santa because we currently do not have HeyCosmo service in the North Pole, but our team is looking into it for next year.

Do you have some interesting and fun ways of Blasting your friends, family, or Santa? Post a comment so everyone can try it.

HeyCosmo Blaster is about getting your message out and receiving a response in 60 seconds—a great tool to organize and corral your communications; however it is also a fun application. Share your spirit with your friends using HeyCosmo Blaster.

—Remember to always Blast responsibly. HeyCosmo applications are not to be used to annoy or for telemarketing purposes. It is recommended you let your friends and family know that you are using this tool to communicate so they can expect the call.

HeyCosmo website design changes

2008-12-15T10:29:00.000-08:00

It is safe to say that the majority of readers of this blog came in through the HeyCosmo website, but specifically for those that didn’t, "Check out our new design changes!"

The new design addresses these areas:

Make it easier for new visitors to find descriptions of what we do and of our applications.
Give users a more direct location to login to their accounts.
Display ready links to top web 2.0 functionality, including: Facebook; Twitter; social bookmarking; and of course Block/Unblock functionality.

We do admit that our previous design appeared a little confusing, and based on your input and recommendations we hope this revision makes using our applications a lot more friendly and direct. We want HeyCosmo to be a fun experience for you as well as giving you the tools to help you organize your social and family circles.

We appreciate your constructive input.

Christmas is coming...are you ready?

2008-12-10T13:58:00.000-08:00

I know we don’t need to remind you that Christmas is quickly approaching. Do you know what the top selling consumer gift item was on Black Friday (the Friday following U.S. Thanksgiving Day)? That would be the Nintendo Wii, which is showing to be the hottest gift item this year. How many stores are you going to call to ask if they have the Nintendo Wii in stock before you either find it or give up and go to “plan B” for your child’s gift?

...10 toy stores?

...15 electronic boutiques?

HeyCosmo Concierge can make those calls for you! You have better things to do with your time this holiday than spending it on the telephone—we can do it all for you right now.

Misconceptions About HeyCosmo Service

2008-12-05T16:04:00.000-08:00

Although vast majority of HeyCosmo apps users and call recipients have reported great experiences and are devoutly loyal to our service, some blog critics recently misconceives HeyCosmo as a telemarketer and questions how we obtain phone numbers of the call recipients. To clarify our service:

Where does HeyCosmo get the phone numbers?

Call recipient phone numbers are input by the user. We do not obtain those numbers ourselves. Call recipients are getting call blasts from someone that they know. The only time we ask for a call recipient’s phone number is if they wish to have that number block or unblock from future calls.
There is always the possibility that a SPAM company could use HeyCosmo apps that are contrary to our usage policy. We watch for unusual bulk activity on our servers to try to spot this activity, however it is very important that our users report improper activity so we can contact the sender and stop the inappropriate action as quickly as possible.

Why does HeyCosmo Blast ask you to “press 1” at the beginning of the call?

When you receive a HeyCosmo Blast on your cell phone, pressing “1” opts you in to listen to the message—you are not purchasing anything from HeyCosmo.

What’s with the ad during the call?

A short ad is played at the end of the message while your selected option is being processed back to the originator of the call. This ad is how HeyCosmo provides the service free-of-charge to users. Some ads ask for the listener to interact if they are interested in receiving more information. You are never required to interact with the ads and will never falsely state this. This type of ad placement is becoming more important in our communications and multimedia future. Most have already accepted this reality. (see articles on The New York Times or Computerworld)

Block/Unblock calls

We’ve made it easy for a call recipient to block all HeyCosmo app calls by providing the Block/Unblock button on our new website. One blogger suggested that the function didn’t work for him when he tried to block his cell phone number. We periodically test to make sure this is working and have validated that the functionality in order.
For security we have a verification function that calls your number to validate and confirm that it is indeed your number that you wish to Block/Unblock. I will be releasing more information about this when it is readily available.

Your constructive comments are really important to us and to clear up any concerns about our service. Please post public facing comments to this blog, or send me an email.

Prankster and TelEmoticon on the HeyCosmo website

2008-10-03T19:27:00.000-07:00

We have been receiving a great deal of traffic on the HeyCosmo.com website, both by new users and those who have incorporated HeyCosmo Concierge and HeyCosmo Blaster into their daily lives. Both of these new apps have received a great deal of positive attention and use from visitors. But, we still get a fair amount of communication from people who want to use Prankster and TelEmoticon from our website.

New and veteran users of the applications from our website notice that after logging on and clicking the application buttons for Prankster and TelEmoticon they get a message that reports that the application is available and fully functioning on Facebook. “Why is it that we can't use Prankster and TelEmoticon on the website?”

Prankster and TelEmoticon were the first telephone related HeyCosmo apps developed for Facebook. Our engineering team has placed these two apps on the roadmap to be enabled for use on the website, but with the launch of HeyCosmo Concierge and HeyCosmo Blaster we have been a little sidetracked. These will be eventually included on our working website available apps, but for now we recommend using them from your Facebook account.

Remember that Halloween is quickly approaching. This is the perfect time to get your pranks ready to send to your friends. With HeyCosmo Prankster you only have to type your wicked custom message and shock the crap out of them. Good hunting!

If you haven't tried HeyCosmo Prankster or TelEmoticon, or it's been a while since you've last used them, you might want to spend a little time and revisit them. As users work through our apps and get comfortable with them, it is amazing and fun to see all the new and surprising ways our creative guests apply these apps.

As always, I encourage anyone with a comment to post it here on this blog, otherwise, you may send your suggestions and comments to support@HeyCosmo.com.

HeyCosmo…updates abound!

2008-07-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple weeks the team at HeyCosmo has been putting the shoulder to the grindstone to revamp and update the HeyCosmo website (www.HeyCosmo.com). We are really excited that the new changes will be:

more user friendly
provide information with fewer clicks
Visually enticing

We encourage you to let us know whether you find the changes helpful.

We’ve also posted four working apps for you to use. Each app has fun and exciting uses:

Prankster: “Tell them you love’em or hate’em! …we will do the calling.” Pranking your friends has never been more fun. Newly added: PrankBack! Just got pranked? Prank them back right now!

Blaster: “Instant planner at your finger tips! …with instant feedback.” This will help organize get-togethers for family, friends, your bowling league…the uses are endless.

TelEmoticon: “Show your emotions on the phone.” Add smileys to laugh,cry, bitch, burp, fart…

MyConcierge: “Don’t inquire, let them come to you with an answer.” No longer will you have to call restaurant after restaurant; store after store; plumber after plumber; just for a simple question—Do you have an available reservation at 8:00 tonight? Do you have a size 8 pump in blue? Can you come fix a broken pipe now? They will contact you with the answer!

Remember, these applications are free and ready to use—no download required! They are also available on Facebook (search for them in the app section by name).

We are also encouraging our users to post their stories and experiences about how they used the apps in new and clever ways (stories@heycosmo.com). With this type of input we hope to spark other user. Go to the “Stories” tab in each of the application pages.