Duolingo

I am often using language learning apps on my phone. When I was studying Spanish a couple years ago, I used Duolingo to supplement my studies. It is the best language learning app I have encountered. As great as Duolingo is, what is remarkable about it is unseen by the user. Basically, while the users are interacting with the app, they are also helping to translate content on the internet into other languages.

duolingo-screengrab
Recently, there was a TED Radio Hour story about Luis von Ahn, the creator of Duolingo. He also created reCAPTCHAs. CAPTCHAs are fuzzy words that you have to type in on a website so it knows you are not a robot. Von Ahn created a new version of CAPTCHAs that helps to digitize printed books each time someone has to type one in.
public-enter-captcha
I had never heard of using crowdsourcing in this way before I listened to this interview. It is inspiring to think about not only what apps can provide the user but also what the user could contribute by using an app. Imagine if there was crowdsourcing project integrated into Candy Crush!
Here is the link for the conversation with Luis von Ahn:
http://www.npr.org/2013/10/04/191620023/can-you-crowdsource-without-even-knowing-it

The whole episode is worth listening to if you have time:
Why We Collaborate: In this hour, TED speakers unravel ideas behind the mystery of mass collaborations that build a better world.
http://www.npr.org/programs/ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2015-07-10