MyFab5 is exploring a monetization strategy that uses its data to help restaurants target diners and figure out what kind of promotions to offer.
With some UI help and a one-click-from-the-email rating system, the company could get people in the habit of quick reviews and build a library of your tastes, tailoring recommendations in other cities for you, or even sell that data back to restaurants.
In the main hall, a team of people from the Lebanon wowed the crowd with an app for people with diabetes which not only monitors blood-sugar levels, but uses location data to survey restaurant menus for appropriate food options, and sends push notifications at the points in the average day when diabetics too often forget their next insulin injection.
That's to say that, rather than just serving up deals, it uses algorithms and data to curate restaurant deals based on a user's location — and location history — and their cuisine preference.
Since May 2009, it has posted dozens of clips on YouTube, many featuring Pamela Liebman, the chief executive, on topics ranging from market data to favorite city restaurants and iPhone apps.
"We're excited to have Zagat be the first partner to leverage Foodspotting data to enhance their restaurant listings.
For mobile payments, it enables direct payments using either GPS location data or iBeacon to restaurants, retail stores and others with compatible systems, and you can even enter the amount with your finger by drawing on air to complete the transaction.
According to Fastbite co-founder (and now-Square/Caviar employee) Avlok Kohli, the team used Caviar data to determine the best restaurants for a variety of different cuisines in its local delivery area.
He's set free government data, inviting inventors and innovators to build brand new apps and businesses on city information spanning from MTA real-time data to information about parks, restaurants, even highly geeky trends in city demographics and education statistics.
Even familiar chains like Domino's Pizza have begun using personal data to increase sales: the restaurant now offers a rewards program where customers can earn free pizza by logging-in with each purchase.
