What it does
Do you often experience difficulties using your computer? Looking to make easy money by helping others with tech problems? Well now, you have WhizBridge.
WhizBridge is an integrated buyer centric marketplace for the safe purchase and distribution of IT services from local "Whizzes". This app connects people with technical problems with certified local tech support Whizzes. The service operates on a transaction-by-transaction basis, with no requirement for customer registration. Services can be requested through a web service, an iOS app, or via SMS. All payment is handled through the Braintree API.
The client can submit a request for a Whiz through our webpage, SMS or through the iOS app. After submitting the request, we will extract the cost of the job from the client's account - acting as the middleman of the transaction. Each Whiz will receive a list of jobs, including a price and the technical problem, and can choose to accept a job. After accepting the job, the Whiz will travel to the location of the client, and assist the client in solving the the problem. When both parties are agreed that the service has been provided, payment will be transferred to the Whiz.
How we built it
WhizBridge was built using a PHP and MySQL backend connected to an HTML/Javascript based front-end. Twilio was integrated to provide support for text messaging, and Braintree was used to process payments. Google Maps API was used to locate the clients through their addresses, and to provide a map UI for the Whizzes when they choose to take on a job.
Challenges we ran into
iOS is difficult to design in. Swift is difficult to use. Apache servers are spawns of satan. Many members of the team were new to PHP.
Braintree API was the primary method of transferring funds for WhizBridge, but it proved too difficult to use.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
The website's backend is functional, including its capability in locating a client through the address provided. Furthermore, the team was able to effectively use Twilio to give users more flexibility in how they post jobs, accept jobs, and complete jobs.
What we learned
We learned that it is possible to learn PHP in the span of 36 hours, and to create a functional website from no experience that works decently. We also learned that not all webservers are made equal.
What's next for WhizBridge
- Allow different types of payment, using APIs other than Braintree
- Implement an algorithm that matches Whizzes to problems that are best suited for them
- Display jobs that are close to Whizzes, not all jobs at once.
- Add a system of verification for Whiz certification
- Use an algorithm that determines the difficulty of a problem, to determine the suggested price that a client should pay for each job.
- Implement a rating system that allows clients to rate Whizzes on how effective they were at solving the problem.
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