News and Views from the Regator Team

Team Regator is thrilled to announce that the Regator Premium iPhone application has been selected by Apple for inclusion on the App Store’s “What’s Hot” list. Eight weeks after its release, Regator Premium has once again shot into the Top 20 Paid News Applications in the US and is climbing. See it on the App Store’s homepage.

Regator Premium, priced at $2.99, includes all the features our free app but also gives users the ability to personalize their experience by saving their favorite blogs, topics, and posts for fast, easy access. In addition, this premium version supports in-app video viewing and adds popular Regator.com features such as the Blog Monitor and Related Posts.

Both the light and premium versions allow users to:

• Browse posts from more than 500 topics as diverse as beekeeping, geology, indie music, pop culture, job hunting, or basketball.
• Search Regator’s archive of over four million high-quality posts.
• See real-time trends to get an up-to-the-minute, spam-free look at exactly what bloggers in any niche are writing about right now.
• View the most popular blog posts on your favorite topic.
• Keep up with the newest blog posts, updated every few seconds.
• Read the full text of posts on the original source blog.
• Share posts via email, Facebook, or Twitter.

After BlogWorld Expo in October, we were approached by Zane Aveton from  TurnHere to be the subject of a short mini-documentary about Regator and what we do. We had a TurnHere videographer come out to Regator World Headquarters for a hour or two and after a week of edits we now have the final product. The minute-long video gives an quick introduction to Regator and what we do. Bug thanks go out to Zane and TurnHere for doing such a great job. You can check out the new video below:

Regator Premium for iPhone has hit the App Store! This is ridiculously exciting news. We hope you’ll agree and help us spread the word.

We released the free, lite version of Regator for iPhone three months ago. It received rave reviews for giving users easy mobile access to the web’s best blogs and demand was high for a premium version that would sync with the website and do other fancypants things, such as allowing users to personalize their experience by saving their favorite blogs, topics, and posts for fast, easy access. We listened to your requests and got to work. Today, we’re pleased to announce that Regator Premium does all that and also supports in-app video viewing and adds popular Regator.com features such as Blog Monitor and Related Posts.

In addition to the new personalization features, Regator Premium includes all the features you enjoyed in the original app. You can:

• Browse posts from more than 500 topics as diverse as beekeeping, geology, indie music, pop culture, job hunting, or basketball.
• Search Regator’s archive of more than four million high-quality posts.
• See real-time trends to get an up-to-the-minute, spam-free look at exactly what bloggers in any niche are writing about right now.
• View the most popular blog posts on your favorite topic.
• Keep up with the newest blog posts, updated every few seconds.
• Read the full text of posts on the original source blog.
• Share posts via email, Facebook, or Twitter.
  

The app is priced at $2.99, but for the first five 11 days, it can be yours for the bargain basement price of $1.99. It’s like a Black Friday Sale without the chance of being trampled to death. As they’d say in curling, hurry hard!
NOVEMBER 30 UPDATE: Because we made the li’l error of doing a major launch during the week when everyone was sleeping off their turkey coma (oopsie), we have decided to extend our sale price until Friday, December 4! In our first week, we sustained a solid five-star rating in the App Store and were listed as one of 2009’s best mobile apps by Marshall Kirkpatrick, lead ReadWriteWeb.com blogger/VP of content development. Go see what all the hoopla’s about, whydontcha?

Please help us spread the word. If you enjoy Regator, please tell a friend or blog about it. Thanks!

Team Regator just returned from Blogworld Expo 2009 in Las Vegas, where we had our very first conference exhibit. While we had some doubts about making such a big investment in one event (keep an eye on TechDrawl.com for my upcoming blog post on the costs associated with exhibiting at a conference of this kind), we could not have been happier with our experience. We were able to get valuable face-to-face feedback from our users and bloggers, hone our pitch like never before (nothing sharpens you more than explaining your product to hundreds and hundreds of people for fifteen hours), increase general awareness of Regator, do multiple interviews about Regator and the Atlanta startup scene, and spread the word about Regator’s iPhone app and upcoming premium app. And that was just while we were working the booth.

At night, we caught up with old friends, made new ones, and networked like mad at events like the TechSet nightclub throwdown, the official Opening Night Party (held on day two, go figure), the Lavo event, and our favorite: TechKaraoke (#shenanigans!). Scott does a mean version of Toto’s “Hold the Line.”

It sounds cliché, but we honestly could not have done it without the help of several people from our community who believed in us enough to help send us to represent Atlanta at Blogworld. We tried to do you proud, and you’ll never know how grateful we are for your support. Here they are:

Thanks firstly to Ben and Celia Dyer of TechDrawl who very generously provided us with Airtran tickets to and from Las Vegas. Ben and Celia are under-appreciated heroes of the Atlanta startup community and are consistently supportive of our work.

Thanks also to our good friend Preston Craig of kissatlanta.com, who let us borrow a much-needed laptop from him. We don’t even mind that he threatened us with bodily harm if we lost the laptop with his brother’s unreleased album on it. We guarded that thing with our lives.

Thanks to Andrea Zimmerman, Tim Dorr of A Small Orange, and Richard LeBer, who were extremely generous and will be rewarded with Regator stickers, buttons, t-shirts, entry for two into Regator’s next event (Andrea, you may have to travel a bit), and their choice of one of our special gifts (see previous post).

Thanks to Robert Dyson of Wizkid Sound, who was the very first to step up and support us in our fundraising endeavor. He’ll get Regator stickers, buttons, and a shirt for showing his love.

Thanks to Leigh Sanders, Rob Prince, Susan Maksimuk, Ernie Johnston, and Ryan McNally, who will receive Regator stickers and buttons for their kind contributions.

Here, too, is the graphy thing y’all were promised. We appreciate every one of you. If you’re on this list and haven’t sent us your address and t-shirt size (where applicable), please let us know where to send your swag.

Best,

Team Regator

How would you like to buy some stickers, buttons, shirts, consulting, or other fun Regator paraphernalia in order to support three hard-working bootstrapped Atlanta entrepreneurs? Have we got a deal for you…just chip in what you can to help Team Regator exhibit at Blogworld and New Media Expo and you will not only get the Regator merch and/or consulting services listed below but will also be the recipient of our eternal gratitude. We know what you’re asking…

Why do you need to exhibit?
Regator is about blogs. Blogworld is the only industry-wide trade show for the blogging and new media communities, so it’s an important event for us. Last year, we attended. This year, we plan to exhibit. We have a new iPhone app to promote, and our web traffic is growing 40 percent month-on-month. Continuing our current momentum is absolutely vital in order to stay competitive and reach the tipping point that will make Regator THE go-to place to find quality blog content. We will use our Blogworld booth to spread the word and demonstrate the usefulness of Regator to all who pass by. Hurrah!

Why do you need money?
Regator is, as many of you know, a bootstrapped company. And trade shows are, as many of you know, not cheap. The Blogworld booth itself costs $2,700 and that’s without Internet, electricity, mandatory insurance, mandatory floor coverings, mandatory labor costs, session passes, A/V equipment, furnishings, signage, merchandise, etc. This adds up quickly.

How are you going to spend my money?
We want to be clear on this. The funds you provide here will be used ONLY to fund Regator’s Blogworld and New Media Expo exhibit space and the contents of said exhibit space (listed above). It will NOT be used to buy drinks for Team Regator. It will NOT be used for lavish dinners—or any kind of dinners for that matter. It will NOT (sadly) be used to make bets on whether Team Mashable can swim across the fountains of the Bellagio. It will NOT be used for our hotel or other personal expenses. It will NOT be used for slot machines, prostitutes, sequined white-tiger-print jackets a la Siegfried and Roy (see above), Cher tickets, or any other Vegas accoutrement. Airline tickets were very generously donated by Ben and Celia Dyer of TechDrawl, so your pledge/purchase will not go toward airfare either.

What do I get when I donate?
You will be acknowledged on this blog in some graphy type of format that will indicate how much you gave and that you are a good person worthy of acknowledgement and envy. We know people like that sort of thing. You will also receive the following:

Pledge $1 to $19 to get Regator stickers, our eternal gratitude and a place on our graphy thing.
Pledge $20 to $49 to get a set of three different Regator buttons (plus aforementioned eternal gratitude). We can even customize them for you.
Pledge $50 to $99 to get a Regator t-shirt, a set of Regator buttons, and aforementioned eternal gratitude.
Pledge $100 to $199 to get aforementioned t-shirt, buttons, and gratitude PLUS free entry for two into Regator’s next event (note: we don’t know when/what this event will be yet)
Pledge $200 and above to get everything listed above plus your choice of one of the following:

1. Full written review of your blog by Kimberly Turner, Regator’s editorial director and experienced journalist. The review will cover content, design, usability, and more and will provide you with tips on improving your blog as well as her thoughts on your blog’s strong points.
2. One-hour session with a member of Team Regator (again, probably Kimberly) to discuss strategies for getting your product covered by bloggers, effective press releases, etc.
3. Something made especially for you by Team Regator. This could be cupcakes, homebrewed beer, a pom-pom model of our gator mascot, or something else (reasonable) of your choosing.
4. A DVD of “The Wrestler” and/or “Mama Mia.” Yeah, we’ve just got those sitting around. We’ve got one of each. Call dibs if that’s what you want.

Convinced? (Man, I hope so ’cause that’s about all we’ve got.)
Please contribute now!

A big thank you to everyone who downloaded the Regator iPhone App, especially those of you who took the time to rate it or give us feedback. If you don’t have it, give it a try. It’s free! We listened carefully to what you wanted and implemented a number of your suggestions in the brand-new update. Keep rating the app and sending us feedback. It’ll only get better with your help. In the meantime, update your app now to get:

1. Adjustable font sizes
This was, by far, the most common request we heard. The iPhone has a tiny screen, so we put tiny letters on it. That didn’t work out so well for some of you. To save yourself some squinting, hit the button in the upper right corner to toggle the font size.

The wee font size is great when you want to maximize your screen space. The larger size is perfect when you want to read at a more comfortable distance.

2. Ability to open posts in Safari
You can read entire blog posts without leaving the app and even click on links to continue browsing, but many of you specifically asked to open them in Safari instead. Your wish is our command.

3. Tweets sans promotional text
Creating a service like Regator is a time-consuming endeavor, and the app costs you nothing, so we figured we might as well get a bit of publicity. That’s why sharing via Twitter included a “Found on Regator” tag. Turns out, a lot of you were deleting that part, so we thought we’d save you the trouble. It’s gone. We are continuing to use our Regator URL shortener for sharing (yes, we know bit.ly is shorter, but we’ve got to get SOMEthing out of this, yeah?), but from now on, you won’t have to bother with deleting that pesky promotional text. We want you guys to be happy. Since we won’t be peppering Twitter with our brand, please tell your friends about the app and rate it if you’re enjoying it. If you’re not enjoying it, please tell us why.

4. Usability and aesthetic improvements
We’re serving up some bigger buttons, more vibrant colors, and subtle usability changes throughout. And no, our little gator (Reg!) is no longer peering over every page. Will you miss him? We had to make room for the adjustable font size button, but you’ll still find him on the icon.

5. Bug fixes
Didn’t find any bugs? Good. That’s just the way we like it. They were small and they’re gone now. If you find others, for goodness sake, let us know!

We hope you’re enjoying Regator for iPhone and that you’ve also tried Regator.com, where you can listen to audio from posts, watch video, save your favorite blogs and topics, and set up custom feeds and streams to get the latest on all of your interests. Future versions of the iPhone app will include more of your suggestions, and a premium version with many of the personalization options (saving favorites, etc.) will be in the works soon.

Best,
Team Regator
(Scott, Chris & Kimberly)

On September 25, the first New Media Atlanta one-day conference will be held at GTRI on the campus of Georgia Tech. They are coming out of the gate strong, with an impressive caliber of speakers and panelists. The headliner is “the nicest guy on the internet” (my declaration), Mr. Chris Brogan. Not only is Chris a nice guy, he is incredibly smart and has an impressive understanding of the nuances of social media’s evolution and the impact of social media on the real world. Chris is the real deal.

In addition to Senõr Brogan, New Media Atlanta will feature locals such as Toby Bloomberg and Carol Flammer as well as other less-recognizable but equally knowledgeable experts (not gurus or mavens) who bring a lot of value to the table. Many of the out-of-town speakers come from the real estate blogosphere. I know that, for some, the thought of REALTORS speaking sends up red flags, but don’t worry, these folks are worth it. You might not know it, but the real estate industry is at the forefront of using social media to dramatically increase business and make money. At the end of the day, organizer Matt Fagioli has assembled a great group of smart people to learn from.

Based on what we’ve seen, this promises to be a great event that’s worth the investment for those who want to get real world advice and insights on how to  maximize the use of social media for both life and business. Plus, you can get 10% off by using “regator” as your discount code. Even better!

See you there!

REGISTER HERE

Disclosure: Regator is a “logo level sponsor” of the event

Howdy! Want to see your favorite blog on Regator and Regator for iPhone? We are opening nominations through Monday. Just email Editorial Director Kimberly Turner at kimberly(atsymbol)regator(dot)com with the name and URL of the blog, the blog’s subject matter, and the reason you think it should be featured on Regator. Please note that we are NOT currently accepting nominations for our marketing category. This isn’t a permanent restriction, but because marketers are so good at…well, marketing themselves, we are often overwhelmed by marketing blogs during the nomination periods and we’re looking for diversity this time around.

Remember, if it’s spammy, unfocused, infrequently updated, or poorly written, it doesn’t stand a chance. Our rejection rate is upwards of 85 percent, which is why you find only good stuff when you do a search or visit your favorite topic. I’m looking forward to hearing about your favorite blog!

If you’d like more info on our selection process, here’s the section of our FAQ that describes what our editors want:

We are creating the leading collection of high-quality blog content on the web, which means we have to be extremely selective. We will not add a blog to Regator’s database of the blogosphere’s best unless it meets all of the following criteria:

1. The blog is updated regularly. Generally, we like to see updates at least once a week, but we’re a bit more flexible on niche categories.
2. The blog is topical. It stays on point (for the most part). Most blogs digress occasionally. That’s fine and expected. But if the commentary is so wide-reaching that we can’t determine a central theme, the blog isn’t right for our site.
3. The blog is well written. Good grammar is good for you.
4. The blog has an RSS feed. This seems obvious, but you’d be surprised.
5. The blog has original content. Linking to stories, video, or photos is expected occasionally, but if the majority of a blog’s content was not created for that blog by that blog’s author(s), it will not be accepted.
6. The blog is not spammy. We’re looking for quality. If the blog is spammy, it’s probably not getting much love from anyone.
7. The blog is awesome. Yes, this is vague, and that’s just the way we like it. We aren’t just putting any old blog on Regator. That’s a big deal because it’s one of the things that makes us very different from other sites. The fact that our editorial review team spends time reviewing every blog is also a big deal. Think of them like the St. Peter of Regator, only with less piety and better taste in music.

As of Friday, Regator is now a member of Atlanta’s Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC), one of the nation’s top startup accelerators. The ATDC is, in their words…

The Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) is a startup accelerator that helps Georgia technology entrepreneurs launch and build successful companies. Founded in 1980, ATDC has helped create millions of dollars in tax revenues by graduating more than 120 companies, which together have raised more than a billion dollars in outside financing. ATDC has provided business incubation and acceleration services to hundreds of Georgia startups—most of which are not based on Georgia Tech research, but which benefit from the close proximity to the university.

Recently ATDC expanded its mission by merging with Georgia Tech’s VentureLab and with the Georiga SBIR Assistance Program.  The change will enble ATDC to greatly extend its reach to serve more technology companies along multiple growth paths and at all stages of development.  ATDC has opened its membership to all technology entrepreneurs in Georgia, from those at the earliest conception stage to the well-established, venture-fundable companies.

ATDC is part of the Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2) at Georgia Tech, which helps Georgia enterprises improve their competitiveness through the application of science, technology and innovation.  ATDC currently has three facilities; two at Georgia Tech’s main campus in Atlanta, and one at Georgia Tech’s satellite campus in Savannah. (source – ATDC.org)

We are excited and interested in what the revamped ATDC can do for Regator and the startup community in Atlanta as a whole. We attended a forum last Thursday night where they explained their focus and new direction.  We’re fired up to make Regator succeed and we could always use extra help and advice. We also look forward to contributing as much as we can, for what it’s worth, to the other  Atlanta startups in the community, whether they are in the ATDC or not. Only through people doing exciting things and having each other’s back’s will the Atlanta startup community truly reach its full potential. We’re happy to be a part of it!