Monthly Archives: November 2010

Agloves Becomes a Noun

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A look into how Agloves is emerging as an everyday word

By Jean Spencer
Agloves are iPhone gloves, iPad gloves, Android gloves, winter touchscreen gloves.

Could Agloves become a noun?

As a small business, Agloves made a decision early on to adapt a clever company name instead of an easy one to pronounce.

Indeed, one of our most frequently asked questions is “how do you pronounce Agloves?”

The easy answer? With a long “A” sound followed by “gloves.”

Agloves derived its name, in part, from the periodic table of the elements. As silver is the key ingredient in the gloves, it was convenient that “Ag” is also the symbol for silver on the period table of the elements. We just merged the words, and thought it was so clever, we had to go with it.

Unfortunately, not everyone pronounces it right, the first time. Thus, part of the Agloves marketing strategy is simply getting people to say the word correctly. (“No, it’s actually pronounced Ay-gloves.”) Much of our product explanation, marketing, and customer outreach strategies have been dedicated to simply describing how we came up with our name and brand.

In recent weeks, though, Agloves pronunciation seems to have leaped beyond the Agloves team’s product development inner circles.  Indeed, several news outlets are now pronouncing Agloves correctly on their own.

This is important in two big ways.

  1. One, this means that our product has reached circles larger than family, friends and friends-of-friends in a major way. Even news outlets have had a personal connection that has allowed them to hear or discover our product name.
  2. Two, this is a tiny bit of evidence that suggests that Agloves is no longer just a new word or jargon, but a noun.

NBC recently wrote an article about the new touch screens that promise you don’t have to have special gloves to use them. The article totally mentioned Agloves, as if everybody already knew about them. This is big.

Do you really think folks knew what a “Google” or “Yahoo” was right off the bat? No.

We didn’t expect them to know what an “Agloves” is either. But this new article leads the Agloves team to think that Agloves are becoming a real noun.

Noun: a content word that can be used to refer to a person, place, thing, quality, or action

Mom blogger video demos Agloves

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What do you get when you cross a glove with a touch screen? A swipe.

 
By Angela Barbosa

Thank you much to Tina Kelley and her recent (glowing) review of Agloves.

Here she is demonstrating how these gloves work on a touch screen device.

For more from Tina’s blog visit: www.madhattermom.com

Great Snow Is Almost Here!

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By Quinn Johnson

Late fall in Colorado usually means temperature drops and snow falls. All of us skiers and snowboarders pray for a massive snowstorm everyday. We religiously hover around the weather forecast waiting for the day a huge storm rolls in and then blankets the mountains with enough snow to allow all of us access to more runs on the partially open ski mountains.

Even though the temperature drops and the snow will fall, my daily activities stay the same. My cold busy hands stay focused on the email and text messages continually popping up on my iPhone. With this world being ever demanding I know I will be checking email or answering my phone while I’m riding the chair lift. Agloves as glove liners will allow me to stay connected to my work even while I’m enjoying myself shredding the white gnar, also known as snow! Thank goodness for snow and Agloves!

Agloves let you stay connected to your iphone on the mountain.

Checking my email on the mountain

Uniting Runners with Touch Screen Gloves: Agloves

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Staying fit through winter

By Jean Spencer

It’s tough to stay fit during winter.

It’s cold and dark outside. The holidays are full of sweet snacks that make put you into a food coma.  Getting to the gym regularly can definitely feel like a chore, let alone trying to run outside.  But gadgets and technology have improved the runner’s experience outside.

Take MapMyRun.com for example.  MapMyRun is an internet Web site and mobile app that allows runners to track workouts and keep information such as mileage, GPS location, speed and pace. You can also log your workouts to keep track of long-term progress.

But accessing MapMyRun when its cold on can be tricky, if you wear running gloves.  That’s because normal gloves don’t work to access touch screen devices.

It’s a part of the reason, Boulder’s Jennifer Spencer invented Agloves.

Agloves inventor Jennifer Spencer runs on a trail in Boulder.

Jennifer Spencer runs on a trail in Boulder

“I carry my iPhone and my iPod,” Jennifer told me today.  ” I use my iPhone to MapMyRun and when I am trying to increase my miles and find new routes, in Boulder… I love it and use it all the time.”

And runners are finally finding Agloves put their touch screen woes to behind.

Coffee, Sunshine, Boulder & MapMyRun

Today Agloves met with MapMyRun.  Well really — I, Jean Spencer, of Agloves met with Todd Straka, of MapMyRun.com. We met over coffee in Boulder at The Cup, and the meeting represents a milestone between Agloves and the running community.

Todd Straka is the founder of boulderrunning.com is “the running resource for the Front Range” including articles about upcoming races, running form and different running events along the Northern Colorado Front Range communities: Boulder, Fort Collins, Greeley, Denver and more.

Straka found Agloves through Brad Feld’s Amazing Deals, a special the Agloves team ran for 72 hours only, offering Agloves at the bargain rate of $9.  (The sale only lasted actually one-and-a-half days before Agloves ran out, 500 pairs in one day…the deal was hot :) )  He requested to meet the makers of Agloves, which we (well, I) happily did.

It turns out we had a lot in common.  As an avid trail runner and running enthusiast, Straka mentioned how touch screen gloves that are compatible with iPhones, Droids and Blackberry phones with touch screens are especially useful for people who use the MapMyRun phone application.

He said he’s tried other gloves in the past, and cutting the tops of his own gloves, but still hasn’t found exactly what he’s looking for.

A friend recommended Agloves to Straka and I gave him a pair of Agloves to try out.

We can’t wait to see his thoughts and opinons.

Agloves founders Jean and Jennifer Spencer.

Want more from Straka?  Follow him on Twitter @boulderrunner

About OTD and How To Avoid It

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Tips on how to treat OTD:

Don't fall victim to Outdoor Touchscreen Dilemma.I searched that thing called the interweb. That internet thing. In my quest, I stumbled upon a bunch of interesting things of or relating to a very serious disorder: OTD, or, the Outdoor Touchscreen Dilemma.

Not familiar with OTD? It’s a syndrome that inflicts smart-phone users each winter. It’s related to the fact that “normal” gloves don’t work to operate touch screen devices: iPhones, iPads, Droids, etc.

If you happen to have a touch screen device – (and it’s likely that you do, according to a recent New York Times article, “the research firm Gartner expects global sales of touch-screen devices to
reach 326.7 million in 2010, an increase of 97 percent from last year”) – you already know this.

Thankfully(!!)…….we have a solution for people suffering from OTD…………..Agloves, duh.

Agloves are iPhone gloves, iPad gloves, Android gloves, winter touchscreen gloves.

>>>>>>>>   Note: We are not a medicinal company.

To help smart phone users around the world, the Agloves Team has compiled a 10-step program to avoiding the dreaded OTD:

10-Step Plan to Avoid or Treat OTD:

  1. Remove your normal gloves.
  2. Try using your normal hand.  If that doesn’t work, I’m sorry — your phone is broken.  If it did work, continue to step three.
  3. Research touch screen gloves.  There are several on the market besides Agloves, like: Dots Gloves or Etips.
  4. Confirm which glove suits your needs best.
  5. Purchase the gloves.
  6. Put your brand new pair of (hopefully) Agloves on your hands.
  7. Try texting or typing with these gloves on.
  8. You’ll find they work.
  9. Be rest assured.
  10. Your OTD has been treated.

Here are some things I’ve picked up from other InterWeb users who have come in contact with OTD:

Gigaom says:

“Winter has definitely arrived here in the UK, with temperatures dropping over the past week or so, prompting me to break out my winter coat and gloves. I actually quite enjoy the changing seasons, but gloves are awkward because they don’t work with devices with capacitive touchscreens (like my iPhone, and also the trackpad on my MacBook), and constantly removing and replacing gloves when fiddling with my phone quickly becomes annoying.”

David Polinchock of the NY Tech Meetup mailinglist:

“You can tell that the iPhone was developed by people who live in California! I guess they never thought that people in cold climates would buy it and then they would have to take off their gloves to make it work. Even finding a phone number is that much more difficult with gloves on. Anyone else having this problem? Has anyone seen any solutions?”

Blodic says:

“Winter’s coming, and with it comes OTD, the Outdoor Touchscreen Dilemma—is it worth taking your gloves off to send a text message?”

Tips to Keep Warm in Cold Weather Running

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Agloves help trap 30% of your body’s heat in your hands.

By Jean Spencer

According to running blogger Christine Luff, you can lose as much as 30% of your body heat through your hands.

Taking a iphone photo while wearing Agloves touchscreen gloves.

me, Jean Spencer, taking a picture of me on a bike ride Oct. 2010

As an active runner I know this is true. Even if I’m wearing shorts for a morning jog, I’m constantly tucking my hands up my sleeves to keep them warm.

But as the winter months get colder – folks are looking for gloves. We, obviously, love Agloves.

Nearly every runner these days is plugged into some music-playing device, and most frequently an iPod.

Personally, though it’s bulky, I run with my entire iPhone. I like to listen to Pandora Radio and take pictures on some of the beautiful trails here in Boulder, Colorado. With my Agloves on, I can change my Pandora station and take pictures without having to stop running. I don’t have to take off my gloves. I don’t have to tuck my gloves into my sports bra. I just keep running.

I mean, I guess you could go inside and run on a treadmill. But seriously, who thinks that’s fun?

So if you are hoping to stay outside this winter, here are a few more of Christine Luff’s tricks to stay warm as seen on her blog, How to Dress for Cold Weather Running:

Head and Neck

On cold days, you’ll lose a reported 40% of your heat from your head, so it’s important to keep it covered. You also want to protect your skin from the cold and wind, and also prevent frostbite and chapping. Here’s what you’ll need for your head and neck:

 

Agloves touchscreen gloves keep runners warm and connected to their iPhones or iPods.

An image from Google images of a winter runner

Thermal hat: A fleece or wool hat is perfect for keeping your head warm during winter runs. You can easily tuck it into your pants if you feel like you’re starting to overheat.

Neck Gaiter: Often worn by skiers, a neck gaiter can be extremely valuable on a frigid, windy day to protect your neck and face. You can pull it up over your mouth to warm the air you’re breathing in, which is especially helpful when you first start your run.

Balaclava: Also known as a ski mask, a balaclava is a type of headgear that covers your whole head, exposing only your face or part of it, and sometimes only your eyes. They’re usually made of fleece or wool and are only necessary if the temperature or wind chill is below 10 degrees F.

Chapstick/Vaseline: Protect your lips from chapping with some Chapstick or Vaseline. You can also use the Vaseline on your nose and cheeks (or anywhere else on your face) to prevent windburn and chapping.

Upper Body

The key to winter running dressing, especially with your upper body, is layering. Not only do layers trap body heat, they allow sweat to move through the layers of clothing. The moisture is wicked away from your first layer to your outer layers, and then evaporates. Here’s a guide to how you should layer on your
upper body:

Wicking Base Layer: The layer closest to your body should be made from a synthetic wicking material, such as DryFit, Thinsulate, Thermax, CoolMax, polypropolene, or silk. This will wick the sweat away from your body, keeping you dry and warm. It’s very important to make sure you don’t wear cotton for this layer because once it gets wet, you’ll stay wet. When it’s above 40 degrees F, you can usually wear just a long-sleeve base layer.

Insulating Layer: Your second or middle layer, which is needed for very cold weather (below 10 degrees F), should be an insulating material, such as fleece. This layer must continue wicking moisture away from the skin. It should have the perfect balance of trapping some air to keep your warm, yet release enough vapor or heat to avoid overheating. Some fabrics suggested for your second layer: Akwatek, Dryline, Polartec, polyester fleece, Microfleece, Thermafleece and Thermax.

Wind- and Water-proof Outer Layer: This layer should protect you against wind and moisture (rain, sleet, snow), but at the same time allow both heat and moisture to escape to prevent both overheating and chilling. It’s a good idea to wear a jacket with a zipper for this layer, so that you can regulate your temperature by zipping it up and down. Suggested outer layers: ClimaFit, Gore-Tex, Microsuplex, nylon, Supplex, and Windstopper. If it’s between 10 and 40 degrees F, you can usually get away with a wicking base layer and an outer layer.

Ski and Snowboard Expo: Denver: Agloves

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So…..Agloves did their first trade show.

It was a major success.

The BEWI Ski and Snowboard and Snowboard Expo, hosted at the Denver Convention Center, was a successful and exhausting riot for the Agloves team.

The lovely Quinn Johnson, Jennifer Spencer and Jean Spencer manned the booth which featured iPad and iPhone displays, 5 pairs of demo gloves, two big screen TVs and a whole lot of energy.

Agloves touchscreen gloves booth at the Denver Ski and Snowboard.

The Agloves booth all done up!

Setting up the booth was tough. As a start-up, Agloves didn’t have the fancy banners, display cases or showrooms that many of Colorado’s leading ski resorts — Aspen, Copper, Vail — did. We even had an old fashioned, knuckle-busting credit card machine to run folks’ orders.

But hell, it was fun.

In all, the Agloves team thinks:

  • We spoke to more than 3,000 people
  • demoed Agloves out nearly 2,000 times
  • Handed out stickers and “share cards” (our friendly way of sharing our Web site) to thousands of skiers and snowboarders
  • Also, we sold nearly 200 pairs of Agloves!
ack Aylward, Quinn Johnson and Jean Spencer hug at the BEWI Ski and Snowboard Expo

Jack Aylward, Quinn Johnson and Jean Spencer hug at the BEWI Ski and Snowboard Expo

We definitely learned a lot from the expo. First off, Agloves are truly a “feel it to believe it” sort of product. Several people told us that they didn’t really believe that Agloves would work on iPhones, iPads, and touch screen devices until they actually put on the glove and swiped the iPhone on. Droid users were extremely doubtful. But alas, everyone tried on the glove….and to most people’s amazement…AGLOVES WORKED!

The event was so successful that the Agloves team almost did it again. We were announced as one of the best products as the show by MC “Uncle E” We were just about to pack our bags and head to the show in Boston next weekend — but we weren’t sure if we could pull it off.

A big shout out to Nathan Minatta, video producer, for our wonderful video. We’d highly recommend him. Find more of his stuff here and (ATTN Coloradoans:) look out for his videos showing at the University of Colorado Atlas building December 2 from 7 to 9 p.m.

The Insanity of Sanity

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With it now a couple days behind me, I finally feel like I can wrap my head around the insanity of the Rally to Restore Sanity. I have lived in the District of Columbia for a little over two years. In that time I have seen three truly remarkable events. The first was Election Night 2008, when the entire city took to the streets in celebration until the sun rose. The second was a couple months later at the Presidential Inauguration, when two million people descended upon the National Mall to watch a truly historic event. The third was last Saturday, when two hundred thousand people filled the National Mall for a reason nobody was quite sure of.

I attended the Rally to Restore Sanity for myself and as part of Agloves #100Free giveaway. I had a very simple goal, find 100 cold touch screen users and warm them up. I stayed up late the night before making signs. I filled my backpack up with gloves. I had a friend on a computer at home ready to relay any information I gave to the Agloves twitter feed. I had a plan. I was going to tweet to our followers on where to find me and meet some new people on the way. I planned on arriving early, expecting a mass of people, but nothing near what we saw at the inauguration. After all, two hundred thousand is one-tenth of two million. This event should be one-tenth as crazy as the inauguration. Boy was I wrong.

By the time I got out of my subway station my phone was useless. Two hundred thousand cell phone users tend to overload cell towers. I had no way of tweeting, no way of telling anybody where to find us. So, I decided to just meet some people. I wandered away from my group of friends and held my sign high. Friendly people flocked over to me and I became a bit of an instant celebrity. Took some pictures on my phone of happy glove-wearers. All that stopped about an hour in, when my iPhone died. The battery was fine, but I needed to restore its OS. Bad luck.

Can’t take pictures, can’t text, not the end of the world. I soldiered on, I had given away about sixty pairs when I realized a mistake in my planning. I turned around to try and head to a new area and found no way out. A sea of people were now standing in the road I had taken to the spot I stood upon and I was trapped. The 15 people around me got just about the most detailed hands-on demo of Agloves imaginable. I was trapped with them. “May as well keep talking,” I thought.

About an hour later I saw someone being escorted out via security and seized the opportunity to head somewhere else. I ducked in behind them and made my way to the outskirts of the event. From there, the rest of the gloves were handed out. Lots of happy faces. Through the chaos, Agloves managed to make a hundred people just that tiny bit happier on a very happy day. I was proud of that.

My giant backpack now empty, I headed back towards the spot I figured my friends were standing. Jon Stewart had just taken the stage. My work was done. The story of that adventure is for another post, in another blog. This was simply the story of one hundred gloves, a sea of people, and an overloaded cell network.