Technologies Needed to Create This-

Recommender Systems;

A good recommender system helps users find items of interest on the web and can provide recommendations based on user preferences. (Sea Woo, Chin-Wan, Deon. 2008)

Recommender systems also known as; recommendation engines, recommendation frameworks, recommendation systems and recommendation platforms, are taken from an information filtering system that recommends items or information to the consumer. These contain things such as, information on the web such as web pages, literature or news, to things such as specific items for example clothing, or certain music albums. The information or items are most likely to be appealing to the consumer or the user, this is why items and information is recommended to them and are based on preferences they have stated, whether explicitly or implicitly.

  Some examples of Recommender Systems companies and organisations that use them are organisations such as Whrrl and Strands . One that stands out imparticular is a company called Avail, founded in 2000 and has sales offices across the World.  Its organisation is aimed at online retailers world wide to create online stores that are personalized to each consumer visiting the sites. It notices from previous visits what your likes and dislikes are from previous purchases and makes sure to recommend related products based on your demands and appeal. An example of this in practice is shown on Amazon, which recommends items daily depending on previous purchases or items placed into your basket. 

For this particular example you see that, On my Ragnhild Gilbert's account on Amazon she has previously bought cookery and travel books. 'Today's Recommendations' have created a list of cooking books and travel books she might be interested in based on the genre of books bought in the past. 

Advantages-

Advantages of Recommender Systems are that the consumer gains new information that is useful to them, as items or information can be recommended to you that you would not have noticed, and items you didn’t realise you needed.

Disadvantages-

A negative of Recommender Systems some consumers might consider are that in a way this technology is a scheme for the organisations using this to make a profit, and to influence you. You meaning you the consumer  are influenced to spend more money and to persuade you to buy things you don’t need.

Mobile Applications

Mobile Applications are fairly new technologies, which have been introduced with smart phones. One smart phone that is certainly recognizable is the I-Phone created by Apple and its famous ‘App Store’. Applications of every shape and kind have been created and are available on the App Store, from games to photography. A group that is certainly growing in popularity are the travel related applications there are a variety ranging from weather related applications to booking system applications however there is a lack of advanced applications to help travellers pack. This is also a consistent concept within the Android Market another site where mobile applications are purchased, by owners of smart phones other than I-Phones. The fact is that I believe the best way for my concept to work is through this technology as applications are now used in everyday life proof of this is indicated by Doughty, 2011. Doughty states;

‘Smart phones and their applications are capable of providing useful support to a range of vulnerable groups including people with sensory disabilities, diabetics and people suffering from mental health problems, epilepsy or communication issues.’

This proves that applications are so developed and so easy to use, as they are helping people with things so advanced they can help with day-to-day issues such as physical difficulties.

Advantages;

 Advantages of Mobile Applications are that they are user friendly, easy to use and very adaptable. Some have shown to be useful in everyday life and they perform tasks people dread to do. These applications do it for them, through their Mobile Phones. Some consumers believe also that an advantage is that they are not expensive, so consumers can have many different types on their Mobile Phones. Applications are the fasted technologies around, downloaded in seconds and handy not just on a smart phone but now on tablets, laptops and computers.

Disadvantages;

Some consumers might say that they have many negatives such as they are only available on smart phones (not on all mobile phones), and that you must buy an expensive smart phone initially then the applications. This adds up to be very expensive. If applications run your everyday life and your phone breaks or you have technology difficulties, you will have problems functioning. People are becoming too dependent on them. Two negatives have also been explained by Martins, Chave, Primez and Rust da Costa Carmo 2011.

The authors state two main points;

‘The difference between the electronic marketplace and the real-world marketplace is that you visit the store electronically instead of physically. ‘

‘The recursive growth of the network has made this process increasingly time consuming and less rewarding.’