:: CASH IN
Users setup goals to save up money for (like a new iPad). The purpose of the app is for users to get the same experience of spending their money when they're actually saving it. Instead of an impulse buy, they save impulsively. Users can use the app anytime they feel like saving some money (perhaps when they stop themselves from making an impulse purchase). The funds are transferred to a bank account with no fees and users can access that money whenever they'd like (although the common 2-3 business day wait for bank transfers apply). Money in the accounts even gather interest!
ImpulseSave was already established prior to the app at ImpulseSave.com. And non-iOS users can even use ImpulseSave on any other mobile phone through their SMS service.
It's no longer a matter of if you'll be taking care of all your financial transactions via smartphone, but when. And now that we've seen the Geode we're thinking that day might be arriving very soon. The smart wallet, which is also a phone case, may be the most sophisticated, useful smart wallet ever created, and we're awaiting its launch with baited breath.
First off, Geode isn't tied to just one credit card or online service, but rather allows users to scan all their credit cards, loyalty cards and more right into the case's companion app. The process is painless, using the included reader to swipe cards with magnetic strips or the iPhone's built-in camera to snap the barcode of loyalty cards. From there, using your cards is as simple as tapping on the one you want, the e-ink reader on the Geode displays the barcode for scanning by merchants, and if you need a physical card you can pull the Geode card out of the case, which is temporarily loaded with your chosen credit card's info.
Most important of all the Geode is secure, utilizing a biometric fingerprint scanner to ensure that you and you alone have access to your credit cards. So now, even if your virtual wallet is stolen there's no threat of the bad guys going on a shopping spree.
The Geode will go on sale soon at a somewhat steep price of $199. Those who want to get in early and get a discount though can head over to the product's Kickstarter page and pre-order a Geode, along with a few other goodies. So, who's up for grabbing what may be a potentially revolutionary device?
P2 Games' bread and butter has been largely based around children's brands, including Peppa Pig and Fireman Sam, and have sold just under 600 thousand apps in less than a year and a half. Somethin' Else, responsible for the indisputably different Papa Sangre, also did quite well with their $4.99 interactive experiment. The audio-only horror game sold a respectable 70K copies since its release back in 2010. Nosy Crow opted out of the numbers game at the event, but they did put out a couple of critically acclaimed book apps (Cinderella, The Three Little Pigs) so they're probably doing just fine.
The general consensus revolved around knowing one's audience. According to Sleeman, Preschoolers are a very different market than the typical demographic so it's important to bring in people who know what the young-uns like and what keeps them coming back. Bennun championed the Premium model; keeping prices high and letting the quality of the product do most of the selling. Bonnick echoed the sentiment of quality, and mentioned Nosy Crow's strict adherence to in-house development.
I'm curious to see if anyone agrees or disagrees with these ideas. They certainly seem sound to me. Especially the one about refusing to use in-app purchases in apps meant for children. Thoughts?
[Via: theguardian.com]
The latest app from JAS Appications allows users to track their mileage, their spending, etc... All manner of values can be adjusted to fit a user's region, including gallons/liters, and a number of different currencies. Of course, it just wouldn't be a JAS Applications app if it didn't also include a super-useful GPS feature. Which it does. Yup, as expected Gas Logs can do all this in addition to finding nearby gas stations by using the iOS device's built-in GPS.
Again, someone like myself who doesn't even own a car won't have much use for it but there are billions of people out there who drive, and at least millions who own an iPhone. Chances are good that there's a decent market for something like this.
:: IN TUNEThis week at 148Apps.com we delved into the latest from the developers of Hipstamatic, the "disposable" Hipstamatic D-Series app. 148Apps founder Jeff Scott says, "I got a chance to try out the new app and can report that Hipstamatic D-Series does indeed bring back the nostalgic memories of sharing a disposable camera and swapping double prints into the digital age. It’s a great idea and well executed. There’s even the anxious need to burn the last shot by taking a picture of your foot, just to get the roll developed quicker. It’s indeed very fun.
Delve further by reading the full run-down on 148Apps.com.
At GiggleApps.com, reviewer Amy Solomon took a close look at the first interactive book from The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library, There's No Place Like Space. Solomon says, "There’s No Place Like Space, although a creative, fun and educational book, is not written by Seuss himself, although it is written in a Seuss-like style. I enjoy this book, as does my son, but my husband and I did comment to ourselves that the text is not as well-written as the classic books by Seuss."
Read the full review at GiggleApps.
Intrigued? Read more on 148Apps.biz.
As your advent calendar continues to count towards December 25th, don't forget to vote for our 2011 Best App Ever, and keep track of the latest news, reviews and contests via our Facebook and Twitter streams.
Using information from users' credit card loyalty programs, services like Groupon, and the retailers themselves, ShopSmart scours the web looking for deals that may interest users. By using so many data sources ShopSmart is able to present the largest possible savings with the average being 10 percent saved per purchase. Facebook support allows friends to offer opinions on items before purchases are made and the eWallet feature fills in payment and shipping information making checkouts quick and easy.
Maybe Black Friday won't be so bad this year. ShopSmart is free and available now on the App Store.
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:: HANDY
:: QUICK AND EASY
:: BUDGET BUSTER
:: SUCCINCT
Well the Field Agent app might be able to help you do just that, claiming to be the first app that actually pays you, the user. By signing up to become an “Agent” you fit into a very simple ecosystem: A “Client” creates a job, the “Agent” (you) completes the job, the client and agent are happy.
What does this mean in the real word? Well, a client is a company or service that has signed up at FieldAgent.net and needs information on competitors, consumers or wants to check whether its products are being correctly sold. The agent is someone who has download the Field Agent app and receives notification that a client needs a job done, carries it out and is paid a small fee for their troubles.
While it sounds very James Bond meets Foursquare, the app and its assignments are for real as far as we can tell and actually do pay. While no explicit information is given as to the purpose or beneficiaries of these “assignments”, it’s a safe bet that most of them are market research for the Fortune 50 clients who back the app.
Fortunately, the agent jobs required by the clients don’t involve horses heads in beds or extortion either. Most of the assignments involve checking prices at stores or filling out surveys and pay between $3 and $12 if completed properly and within a set time limit. Jobs often require a verifiable GPS location and a photograph in order to keep the clients happy so an iPhone 3G or 3GS is recommend.
Once an agent has made their money it can be transferred to a PayPal account within 48 hours.
Agents also develop a Rep Score that shows how good a job you’re doing for your clients. Starting with 85 points, agents gain points up to a maximum of 100 for successful, accurate jobs with higher rep leading to more frequent jobs. Of course, if you fail at your task or submit inaccurate results you lose points and aren’t at the top of the pile when the next assignment comes in.
It seems that agent jobs are somewhat scarce at the moment with a number of iTunes reviewers giving some pretty harsh feedback that has prompted a response from the company. Apparently the number of agents has increased by 500% in a week and they are waiting for the client growth to catch up. This does sound like a cleverly worded way of saying “companies aren’t quite as interested in the service as consumers who stand to make money” but apparently more jobs are coming soon.
We’re keeping a close eye on this intriguing service that has the potential to be groundbreaking but could also end up wasting a lot of people’s time.
You're watching an old episode of Columbo on a lazy Sunday afternoon. An episode from 1976. He gets a haircut and it costs him $25. He is shocked with the cost. You open up DimeTravel and ask it how much $25 from 1976 would be today. (answer = almost $100 - NOW i can feel poor old Columbo's pain).
Pretty staggering, no? Of course, the app can calculate things the other way around, too. Here are a few samples for your amusement, with the numbers taken from this site:
Conversely, if you take modern numbers and change them:
Playing with numbers is always fun. Sadly, DimeTravel only goes back to 1948 for us Americans. I don't know why—Wolfram Alpha can handle prior centuries just fine—but even with the current data, it's still nifty to look at these numbers! And you can look at them, too, because DimeTravel displays the path of inflation as a nice graph. If you're a sucker for realizing how transient your money is, go ahead and give DimeTravel a look. And more importantly, invest your remaining money wisely, because if you leave it under your mattress, it's likely to vanish into grasp of good ol' inflation.
