Take a second. Run down all of the things you have to do today, both personal and professional. Actually, take at least half a minute, because, if you’re like most of us, that list is pretty long. We all have a million different things that we’re juggling between family, work, and friends. Keeping track of everything can feel like a full-time job in and of itself.
But you know what’s even worse? Getting all of the people who are supposed to do those things with you on track, because, somehow, all of our ways of staying in touch have made staying in touch that much harder. You might have one person on text, another on email, another on Facebook Messenger. Sometimes, like with my boyfriend and I, you can’t even figure out which is the best one to use between only two people!
Cuckuu is a brand new social calendar app (and when I say “brand new” I really mean brand new, as they launched yesterday) that has a novel approach to not only keeping track of your own schedule but also making sure everyone else who’s involved is on track too.
The concept is pretty new, though, so bear with me while I explain how it all works.
Co-founder Joao Jesus describes the app as a “refreshing mix of alarms, reminders, and fun – all in one app.” You basically set an event that you want to remember and then invite other people to set that alarm on their phone too. You can add photos, videos, and any text you want – to make the “cuckuu” more interesting and therefore increase the likelihood that people will join in on it with you.
That’s what makes it a social calendar, after all.
The app also has a little gamification built in. The first person on any alarm to turn it off wins, earning points that accumulate and will be rewarded, according to the website.
Cuckuu also has a chat function, so once someone has accepted your invite to participate in an alarm, you’re free to chat in-app.
So when would you need a tool like Cuckuu?
The app’s video gives the example of a young man going out for a job interview. He and his girlfriend both get the same alarm – his as a combination “get up” and “get pumped” before his interview, hers so that they can feel like they’re sharing a moment together.
They also suggest that it could be used to, say, schedule things with your friends both near and far. It’s actually a great solution for something I’ve been trying to figure out for a solid month now – how to get my good friend and sister-in-law on a Skype call once a week. I’ll set an alarm and there’ll be no excuse!
So if you’re also tired of trying to get everyone to do something as simple as get on a group video chat, download Cuckuu for iOS or Android and start setting up your own social alarm clock.