Mobile Payments to Replace Credit Cards?

Studies have recently shown that the mobile phone may soon replace credit cards and cash by 2020. The study was conducted by a sample of 1,021 stakeholders and critics in the mobile industry, from executives and Google professors at universities nationwide. The use of smart device swiping (or mobile paying) will nearly eliminate the need for cash and credit cards. The study has shown that people trust and rely on personal hardware and software for transactions.

However, some are not too optimistic or would want this to happen. A respondent to the study included, “As much as I’d like to see a money-free world, I’m afraid the opportunities for the hackers and pirates are too great. I’m happy to buy my $2 Starbucks using my Android but I don’t know that we will ever feel secure enough to make much larger purchases that way.”

I think that it is great that we are advancing in payment methods and has made it possible to pay for coffee using our phones. However, I think that it might not be as safe to pay by phone especially for larger purchases.

Also, I don’t know if everyone would be inclined to do this and would give up their cash or credit cards.

Do you think that in the future that cash and credit cards will become a thing of the past?

Dine With a Stranger with GrubWithUs

GrubWithUs will open up its first mobile app this Wednesday. GrubWithUs is available in seven cities and helps people find people to dine with. In the app it provides a fixed menu and anybody who wants to attend can sign up and pay through the app. You then can just show up without splitting the check. You can also create your own meal where you can specify the location, theme and price point you are looking for.

Co Founder Daishin Sugano says, “You can pull up your reservation on the go. You can also chat with fellow diners, something that is kind of hidden on the website.”

You can also track all your favorite diners and meals. When a user bookmarks a profile the user gets an alert when that person signs up for a meal. You can then meet people similar to you and meet those people at the restaurant. You can actually then dine with them!

Would you check out GrubWithUs? Or do you think you shouldn’t meet strangers on a whim?

Wander: Connect through Photos

Wander is a new free app that connects people through Instagram.Through photo based conversation threads users can view and participate in the lives of people all around the world. This definitely makes the world smaller when you can talk with someone all the way over in China!

According to Darien Brown, CEO of Wander included, “We realized most social apps are only about saying hello. What Wander does is create impossible connections with people who you would never meet, allowing users to explore life in other countries in an interactive, meaningful way” (Mashable).

To start you can download the free app on your iPhone and create a simple profile that includes your age, gender, interests and profile images. You can also sign in with your Facebook app. Each date Wander shows you a person you can connect with in another part of the world. Once you accept that connection the two of you can get together to share photos for a week. The app will suggest photos of your daily routines, where you work and where you shop regularly. Once you share these pictures you can discuss the differences and similarities in your cultures. Also there is a translation in the app so you never have to worry about not being able to talk with that person.

So far there are 12,000 app downloads and nearly 1,000 photos shared each week. That is pretty impressive for being such a simple and new app!

This is a great way of learning other cultures and meeting new people. There are 6 billion people in this world, why not meet new people?

The only downside is that it is only available on the iPhone. Hopefully, it will be integrated on Android powered phones in the future.

Will you be checking out Wander if you have an iPhone?

Myxer: A Social Radio App

Myxer has launched a social radio app where you can listen and share you music on the go. Myxer also allows users to record 15-20 second videos of themselves recording songs and stories. These videos will appear on each song’s info page.

To sign up you connect with your Facebook account. Myxer than allows you to listen and chat with friends in real time, create and enter listening rooms and see what they are playing. People in these chat rooms can thumb up and thumb down songs that are playing. If the song gets too many negative responses Myxer will then skip that particular track and go onto the next song. Your friends’ responses will influence the apps recommendations and you will learn what your friends will like and what you should play. All your played songs and activity will be published on Facebook as well.

Myxer has 12 million songs available from well known singers and large indie labels. Having that many songs, will definitely keep you occupied. What is even best about the app is that it is completely free! No need to pay a certain amount each month to listen to music. This has created a positive result because 14 million people have already downloaded Myxer. That is pretty impressive for being a new app.

The Myxer app is available on all phone models such as the iPhone and Android powered phones.

Will you be downloading Myxer on your phone?

Aviary: Photo Editing SDK

There are many photo editing software companies out there such as Photoshop but who wants to pay a lot for photo editing? Now there is a new photo editing software called Aviary for free. What sets them apart? That you can edit the photos right after taking them on your phone. Aviary has developed an SDK that allows users to embed a photo editor directly onto their phone. You can make a lot of different effects such as vintage effects or negative effects. You can also manipulate colors, add stickers, text, adjust contrast, brighten/darken and crop your photos. There is also an auto correct filter, which adjusts the photo automatically. This all can be done in minutes.

Iz Derdik, Chief Technology Officer of Aviary included, “The market opportunity is huge. The phone is a ubiquitous part of every person’s life. They have cameras on them, and now that people have cameras in their pockets, they’re taking tons and tons of photos. [Our SDK] allows us to help them make their photos even better” (Building43).

Aviary will make photo editing and sharing a breeze when on the go. Often when you go to a party, wedding or an outing you have to take the photos, go home, upload them on your computer, edit them and then share them with friends and family. This can be a daunting chore but with Aviary you can edit the photos right there at the event and share them instantly. This will be great for businesses as well that would like to share their new inventory as soon as it comes in.

Right now Aviary is available on the iPhone and Android powered phones.

Will you be using Aviary on your phone?

 

JoyPad: Use your iPhone as a Remote Control!

Joypad brings you the opportunity to control your TV with your iPhone. It syncs directly with the iPad, Mac and PC games over WiFi so that the controller can play their favorite games on various control pads.

This launched earlier in July and it was confusing for customers to set up the app. However, now JoyPad is much more user friendly and available now  for the Mac, iOS, and Unity iOS. That means that gamers can play their iOS games on their AppleTV with their iPhone. It is a win, win for everybody!

This is a great innovation and tool for gamers. Gamers often have all sorts of controllers and keeping them all in line can be frustrating and time consuming. Having all the game controllers in one place will be more convenient and a time saver. Not only that, it will also a big money saver. Game controllers are about $30 dollars a piece and when you are a big gamer and have more than one gaming system, that can add up real quick! Why not cut down the clutter and have all in one controller?

Will you try JoyPad?