We’ve been teasing about something exciting is around the corner with CSINext. A favorite quote from Futurama “Good news everyone!” we have turned the corner. Available from the Apple App store is a native app of CSINext. This was almost a year in the works but was worth the wait (in my opinion). Almost everything you could do on the website is available from the app. The best part of this is the price… FREE! To download the app, simply go to the apple store and search for CSINext. 

I wanted to highlight the features of the app. If you are familiar with Facebook, then you know just about everything to get started running. For those who are new (or newish) to social media, here is the crash course. After you download it, just tap it to open it on your iPhone.

• You will see a splash screen followed by the login/register screen. If you already have an account with CSINext on the web, just use that for your login and password. If you are new to CSINext, you can register from the app. This is a basic registration; the website does offer a deeper and more detailed registration. Such as adding your picture.
• The main part of the app is The Wall. This is where we can interact with each other. If want to post something new, simply tap in the top edit box “Share what’s new…” and start typing. You can also use this to post a web link of another article (using the little icon of the chain the bottom) or post a photo from your phone.
• Want to see what is happening, simply scroll through The Wall. If you see a bubble with a number, that lets you indicate the other have been talking about the post. Tap the bubble to see the conversation.
• On the Home Page (Dashboard) of the app in the blue bar at the top you will see 4 horizontal bars, us this for quick navigation into CSINext, such as Photos or Events. You can use the navigation to return home by clicking the Dashboard at the top of the list.
• The search (magnifying glass) will dig through the entire site, not just the area you are in. Looking for meeting or a discussion you saw, simply type a word you remember and then click that word in the choices below.
• If you have not updated your picture (by default, it is your initials). Simply tap on your initials and this will take you to your profile. From there you can post a photo and claim your virtual presence for everyone to see.
• From the navigation we are going to start posting the chapter meetings in the Events Area. We are still working out the best format for getting to the registration link. But for now, once you are in an event tap ‘About’ and you should see the link at the bottom.
• Finally, next to a post or if you go to the people page, you will see 3 dots in a circle. This is where you can voice your concerns about inappropriate behavior. We take this seriously, because CSINext should be a comfortable place to share your opinions without be disrespectful.

This may look simple, but it was along road for CSINext to get here. Hopefully you will see the benefit of building your virtual network with your phone in hand. While version 1.0 is only available on the iPhone, we are working to get Android version up and running very soon. Next week, I want to share the fun of getting this working and posted to the Apple App store. Until then, back to my day job and doing some code review.

…and now for something completely different.
Japanese police use interesting tactics to deal with rowdy citizens. Drunks or violent individuals are rolled into burritos with futons by the police, immobilizing them.