Tag Archives: boston

Taskrabbit Gives You An Extra Set of Hands to Help

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Taskrabbit
Taskrabbit will run errands if you need it

While I was in San Francisco a few weeks back, I learned about Taskrabbit. It’s a great way to get the help you need for certain projects. My friend, Adria was using this service to get shirts wrapped so she could hand them out at an event.

What is TaskRabbit

I talked with Jamie Viggiano, head of corporate Marketing for TaskRabbit – where I learned how the company came to be.

Task Rabbit was founded 2008 in Boston. Lea Buske – our founder and CEO – ran out of dog food one night for her hundred pound yellow lab. If you know Boston, it was cold, it was snowy in February. She needed to get dog food and she was actually on her way to dinner. She thought to herself, wouldn’t it be nice if there was a place online where you can go, say you need dog food – she was sure there was someone in her local area (maybe even at the store at that moment) that could help her out. That’s when the concept started.

At TaskRabbit, you can outsource anything. From picking up items in the store to running your company (OK, an exaggerated stretch – but you could do it). Simply go to the site and enter the task you wanted to have accomplished. Set the price and wait for a rabbit to be assigned. When they complete the task you sign off on the work and they get paid.

About the TaskRabbits

Who Are Taskrabbits
Who Are Taskrabbits

Taskrabbits are people who have some extra time on their hands. Rabbits have to go through an employment application process to be hired. When you get accepted and complete the training program, you start doing tasks. When you are ranked on Taskrabbit, you get ranked on the Leaderboard. With this process you know your rabbit will work hard for you.

You Might Not Need to Be in a Taskrabbit Location to Get Certain Tasks Done

TaskRabbit is currently only in Boston, San Francisco, San Antonio, Austin, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles and New York City. However if you have a task that is not dependent on the city, you can use the service.

I have run a couple tasks already posting to websites. I had my rabbit do a specific article for four weeks – which she did without lots of direction. It was great to actually have some help when you need it.

So if you need to have someone run an errand, clean your house, write a blog post, make food, help with a party or whatever – Check out Taskrabbit for help!

Typographic Maps

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Boston Typography MapI love maps.  You look at an Ordnance Survey Landranger map and you see a thousand years of history, of exploration, of society, of geography all in single sheet of paper that you can fold up and put in your pocket.  GPS gives you directions but a map gives you a world.

Consequently, I was fascinated and delighted to see these typographic maps from Axis Maps.  Currently only available for Boston and Chicago, every feature that you’d expect to see has been created using just type.  So for roads and highways, you have a ribbon of text made from the street’s name.   The names of neighbourhoods fill in the blocks as subtle shading.  Trains and subways are picked out in the name of the line.

ChicagoIt’s taken the team at Axis Maps over two years to create the city maps – the idea started with a University of Wisconsin party invite – and the whole process is covered on their blog, along with lots more images.  They started with OpenStreetMap images and then carefully added text over the feature areas.  There was also great deal of copy’n’paste but the end result is worth it.

If you do go over to their website, click on some of the thumbnails – you’ll get a pop-up that expands and zooms the detail.

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The maps are available to purchase – $30 gets you a 2ft-ish x 3ft-ish print.  UK dwellers can purchase from zazzle.co.uk – just search for Axis Maps.  I’ll be ordering Chicago shortly.

All images copyright of Axis Maps LLC.