Lou MC Yelps a Lot

I got ousted as Barons of Chinatown and Sharpstown within a week in May. I really don't care. My position is never changed since my blog post in 2016. Considered it as a term limit like for politicians, I am happy with my 3-year baronship Why do I don't check-in in Chinatown any more? I got a little disgusted after reading Food Inspection Reports on EveryBlock. This is one of the reasons I don't eat out after reading those restaurants with serious health violations. I learned how to enjoy cooking at home. Huzzah! As the Duke of the most businesses in Chinatown, you've got serious 'Good cred. May 13, 2018 was my last day as of Baron of Chinatown. Here are screen shots on my phone. Panel 1 and 2 were mine. Panel 3 was Fox E's. I checked my Baronship page every week. At 5 pm as panel 1 shows above, I had Chinatown. But I received a notification at 7:15 pm, mine was gone and it went to Fox. I called this a game over. Sometimes I don't check-in j...

2017 was a thrilling year for me. I spent a lot of time on taking better photos and sharing more with the communities. Not just Yelp, I also Google a lot.  Funky YES! Here is my status on Yelp : Completed 111 reviews in 2017 Updated 14 reviews in 2017 Uploaded total of 8025 media files (7549 photos & 476 videos) since the day I started Yelping, March 2011.   As of December 30th, I had 6 Baronies. Somehow, it's no longer visible in 2018 (Android). I could never broke my record of 300 reviews from 2016. Due to reviews disappearance, I've included a counter at the end of each review. I also saved the direct link to each published review with my archive. This process was extremely time consuming. I completed my 111 reviews in 2017. You can only see 110 reviews because 13th review was removed. Here is my story .  As of January 2, 2018, before I added more stuff. As for Google, I joined Local Guides sometime last year. I am currently Level...

Yelp has this convenient feature on the website similar to Google Maps' Send to Phone feature. Just in case you are at a computer not your own, like in a library or public places, send a page to your phone to bookmark it. It is also convenient to share a location with a friend who is looking for places to eat. I discovered this feature early April 2017 From a biz page, look for "Send to your phone" link. sample Enter your cell phone number and hit "Text Link"

This is part of my Yelp Workshop during the Zoom Zoom 100 & Beyond UYE . We are going to talk about the features on the Yelp app (Android) and website. Houston Yelp Houston First of all, I have no affiliation with Yelp. Second of all, I am not getting paid by anyone to represent Yelp. Most of all, #iYELPaLOT. I love to share what I know about Yelp and help Yelpers to get the most out of this app. Once you know how things work, it will be more fun to Yelp about. Featured topics: Friend or Follow Missed You on Yelp Yelfie 101 Yelp Cash Back Yelp List on App Auto-Friending Feature (website) Where's my Badge Last 90 Days Stats Send to Phone (website) Yelp Talks The Local Yelp (fka The Weekly Yelp ) If you want to create a list for Yelp Challenge, please be sure to bring your user name and password to login to my laptop. Or, you can bring your laptop and you can use my mobile hotspot to connect to the internet.

To reply my Yelper friend's question from awhile back, "Why do I see some people on my feed but they are not my friends?" Answer: You marked to follow them. Doesn't matter if you are friends or not, anyone you follow will be showing on top of all feed, reviews and tips. It's good to follow someone on Yelp. It's completely anonymous until November 28, 2017. After that, any new follower will be visible ( updated per Yelp Blog 11/02/17 ). They don't know you are following them. Befriend with someone on Yelp will reveal each other's check-in messages. I don't see any harm to follow your friends. Except, the contents from people you follow will go to the top of everything. I like extremes. Porsche posted over 17k media. From what I know besides reviews, tips, photo post notifications, you'll receive notifications from your friends' interests in Events and posts on Talks on the feed. It's much easier to read them on the app because...

For those of you familiar with my #ChinatownCrawl UYE (Unofficial Yelp Event), there is a scenery change. You won't see my UYE on Yelp Event page at the beginning of my announcement. In a perfect world, my Yelper friends receive notification on the app when I create an event and interested in an event. But lately, I don't see any response after the UYE page sitting there for 2 weeks. I guess there are too many notifications on their app. You may not know this. It's very time consuming to use Yelp Event page to invite my Yelper Friends. On average, it takes about 2 to 3 hours to "share" my event to everyone lives in Houston from Event page. This share actually sends an email to their personal email address. But some people are invisible most of time or they don't check emails as often or get notified with incoming emails. Then, I have to use another method to get their attention - private message, compliments or check-in message. Other than that, they are ...

I'm addicted with #Yelfie. I wrote a blog last December about Take a Yelfie . Since then, there are so many good things happening. So, let's start with how to use it. First, you need Yelp app on iPhone or Android phone. Second, check in at a biz. Click on the rectangle on the upper left side. 4 easy steps on Android phone. Easy to use on iPhone as well. Third, point at an object what is a least 5 feet away and tap on the circle button on the bottom of screen. Fourth, take a selfie of you or something within 2 feet (flip the camera). Fifth, edit your Yelfie with the features available. see below. Feature  on  Android phone - move biz name & selfie photo Feature on iPhone - change font on biz name & move selfie photo. Finally, tap "check in" or the check mark. Your Yelfie will be shared to the destinations of your choice. Yelfie shared on Facebook from iPhone & Android phone. Yelfie shared on Twitter from iPhone (below) an...

How cool is that? Take a Yelfie to proof you were there. Read this blog on Yelp . Well, it's kind of annoying at first. But, okay. I admit. It's fun once I get used to it. Taking this Yelfie bumped my data usage. I noticed this on a recent Android release 9.0.1 in December. But  someone  in Canada received this feature in November. Huh. Nu Ice has free WiFi. Don't expect my Yelfie at all check-ins. The only time I can share Yelfie is when I find free WiFi to use. Sorry.

As much as I love Yelping with my app, I have to slow down on checking in everywhere. Because check-in slows me down with my daily routine. First, I have to take time to pull out my phone. Second, the moment I turn it on, it started to use cell phone data. Third, I don't mind using phone data much but some apps start to synchronize to their servers (such as Google Maps app), which slowing me down. Moreover, I'd rather spend time enjoying life than getting distracted with the apps. I can live without technology when I really don't have the time. This was captured a year ago.  As you may have seen I claimed so many baronies before. At one time, I had 8. Now, I only want to focus on Baron of Chinatown. It's the neighborhood I know best and the area I explore often on my days off. I want to be the go-to person or the Local Guide in Chinatown. If Yelp offered an ambassador position in Houston, I would apply. Starting 2017, I have a few projects lined up to help ...

After I upgraded my Samsung Note 4 to Android version 6.0 - Marshmallow, I noticed significant change on Yelp app. Whenever I want to get direction on Yelp, the only choice is to get to Google Maps. It used to have more choices. (See the image on  Send to car with Yelp  from last year.) Once I get there, Google Maps took the opportunity to capture my interest. The app kept hinting me to upload a photo or answer a few questions, because it knows I was there before. Eventually, it lured me to become a Local Guide. It was nice to know half million views on 9 photos I posted years ago. Just to be fair, I don't post same photo on Google Maps and Yelp. Since I don't know who is reading the reviews on Google Map, I don't share much details like on Yelp. I never find reviews are useful on Google Maps. Besides, it should stay as a map app.

I would love to nominate Belly G as Yelper of the Year in Houston, if there is a place for it. We've been to Indonesia, Peru, Bosnia, Poland, Ethiopia & Belgium. This brilliant man with plenty of ideas started the World Travel UYE since January 2016. Every month, the world travelers went from one country to another trying different cuisines without leaving Houston. Check out the chart below for the places we've been to so far. Event Page Reviews 01/16/16 UYE: Around The World @ Rice Bowl II - Indonesia 02/06/16 UYE: Around The World @ La Guitarra Con Sazon - Peru 03/09/16 UYE: Around The World @ Cafe Pita - Bosnian 04/20/16 UYE: Around The World @ Polonia Restaurant - Poland 05/18/16 UYE: Around The World @ Lucy Restaurant - Ethiopia 06/15/16 UYE: Around The World @ Cafe Brussels - Belgium 07/21/16 UYE: Around The World @ Emporio Brazilian Cafe Stay tuned w...

Really? I want some Poké. The raw fish kine from Hawai'i, right? Please tell me this is real. After I checked in at Church's Chicken, I saw this question on local knowledge. I busted out laughing. Few days ago, I clicked on a Google Map link just out of my curiosity on this Pokémon Talk thread . Look, my map is filled with weird stuff every time I search on Google. This is absurd.  Give me a moment. I don't know what to say. I need to regain my composure first.

I discovered this feature on my Android phone by accident. Since the role out of beta version 8.7.0, I posted a photo on the Yelp Android Beta Tester Community on March 28. It's pretty neat to see it on an Android app. Let's compare them: Go to the Talk with lots of links. Click on one of the links and watch it on your phone.  See? Android on the left; iPhone on the right.

Wait. What is this? Is it a math problem for me to solve? No way, who put this thing in the middle of my profile? This is a new feature for app users only - Last 90 Days. No worry. This is a new tool to show how your Yelp contribution being viewed. It's like a website counter for each element: reviews, photos and profile. So, I captured the images from iPhone and Android to share with you. It appears the website has same info. Woohoo! I captured some Q&A from my Beta App Group: It updates once a day. Only shows other users' views, none from me. Everyone can see it. Yes, everyone. Here is how the number crunches: Someone looked at your profile multiple times within the 90 day period counts. But someone looked at your content repeatedly in a short time won't count. HQ has a blog to share  http://officialblog.yelp.com/2016/01/how-many-views-do-your-reviews-get-find-out-now.html So far, I only find one news helpful. I think we are going to hear more about i...

I have been searching for a perfect combination of "send to car" convenience on a GPS - linking business location search to GPS. I learned about this during car shopping last year. I saw few car manufacturers had Google's Send to Car feature. But the cost of on-board GPS does not justify the feature. My recent GPS purchase from best buy and a phone upgrade got me interested to revisit this again. So I experimented with several ways to copy an address to GPS. This is only possible with Android. Here is how: On Yelp app, click on direction or the map.  Tap on MORE icon (...) and select on Garmin Smartphone Link app to complete the action.  When the location is shown, tap on NEXT icon (>) and select SAVE. turn on Bluetooth on both devices and begin to synchronize. On Garmin GPS, tap on Where to and select Saved. Voila! You're ready to take off. Garmin nüvi 2597LMT Portable GPS works well with Yelp If you hear me saying, "I bookmarked it on my...

I attended a very interesting and meaningful event - Dine Out Fight AIDS on Thursday, April 30, 2015. This is a synchronized event with 60 other cities around the country. On Yelp, there was no exception. Our Yelp Ambassador, Courtney S. created an " official UYE " to drum up Yelpers' support for the cause. I personally love UYE's, as well as love to support our community. I went to the website and sighed - there isn't any effective way to see where all the restaurants are. So, I created a list based on Yelp Biz page listing. This made my evening more convenient - just click and go on the Events feature of Yelp app. My goal was to hit 3 supporting restaurants in 3 hours:  Jenni's Noodle House in the Heights , Niko Niko Greek and American Cafe and  Cafe Piquet Cuban Cuisine . I used social media - Instagram & Yelp to document my experiences impromptu. I met some energetic volunteers and took some group photos with them. I also mingled with strangers...

Has this happened to anyone? I'm using iPhone 4 on iOS 7.1.2. Yelp app version 9.5.0. frustrating experience on iOS app Photo above showing the sequence: trying to upload a photo preview turned 90 degrees posting still 90 degrees posted shown 90 degrees if I modified it from an editing app, the photo shows ok. This issue started after I updated it on 3/17/15. I reported next day (ticket 3345385), after I uninstalled/reinstalled and restart iPhone. I reported another bug for version 9.3.0 on 3/17/15 (ticket 3337194), "After reading an external linked web page, I got a black screen as I clicked on Back." The resolution was to uninstall and reinstall it. Update: On 3/19/15, I received an email from Yelp Support, "Our engineers are aware of the issue and working to fix the problem soon."

I've got a niche. I chose to be The New Biz Seeker - targeting businesses ready to start. I watch them like a hawk. Constantly asking the staff for info and post tips about its opening day. Then, post a storefront photo. On the opening day, I take lots of photos with my experience and a review. It depended on how I felt, I may go back for more and write a review with accumulated experiences. Or, I may just grab the "FTR" badge (First to Review) on the fly. After the review, this biz page will be placed on the Yelp site as "New Business Openings" and on Yelp app as "Hot and New" (iOS) or "Hot New Business" (Android). This is very effective. These are the businesses I boosted in my Yelp years 2012 to 2014: Frenchy’s Chicken (Sharpstown) Eastern Foot Spa  (Chinatown) Party City (Northwest) Piquin Mexican Style Subs (Northwest) Dollar City (Westwood) King Dollar (Sharpstown) Pho Binh 59 South (Sharpstown) Lu Xiang Village ...

July 2014, San Antonio I drove from Houston to attend a reunion near Ft Sam Houston. Once I arrived at the city limit of San Antonio, I started to plot my route to the hotel. The location and address contradicted each other. I had no choice because I wanted to arrive during daylight to meet people I haven't seen for decades. I'm anal retentive when it comes to location accuracy. This could help Yelpers only depend on map apps.  As soon as I arrived at the address, the Apple Map app quickly changed the target to a 12-mile away location. So, I couldn't use Yelp app to check in. After the event, I decided to explore that mysterious location. Finally, I reported this error to HQ. I'm very fortunate to have GPS built into Yelp app. I use the GPS marker religiously. It's paramount to have accurate location on the map, hours and a storefront photo. Not just for the out-of-towners to find the business, but the locals need to identify the correct business in order ...

This is one of my favorite feature - Yelp Royalty but I call it "Check-in Meter". I had the opportunity to see both Android and iOS to choose my next Smartphone. As for Android, you can see when you last checked in, but you can't see the dukedom status. For iOS, you can see the dukedom crowns and regular icons. Uh... I like both versions. I know it's too much to ask to combine them. Android (left) vs iOS (right)  According to an article on TechCrunch in 2010, "iPhone app (4.2.1) includes a feature called Yelp Royalty. It rewards users with the most check-ins at a venue the title of 'Duke' or 'Duchess.' Those with the most titles in their neighborhood become the 'Baron.' Those with the most it the city become the 'King.'" To my understanding, check-in is a way to quantify how often you patronize a business. Yelp created a way to compete. Among the regulars, the most frequent visitor wins a duke or duchess badge. At...