Blog | News & Information on Wireless Services & Telecommunications
Posted: 01/14/11 by Mobile Future Team
As this past Wednesday marked the first anniversary of the Haiti earthquake, the impact mobile donations made to aid the millions of recovering victims was remarkable.
Yesterday, President of the American Red Cross Gail McGovern announced:
“The American Red Cross received about $479 million in donations for Haiti, more than $32 million of which was raised from text messaging at $10 a text.”
Charitable giving via text message is perhaps one of the easiest ways to make a donation, and the Mobile Giving Foundation reminds us that there are numerous charities that now accept mobile donations, including a long list of organizations that continue to support the relief efforts in Haiti.
For a full list of charities that accept mobile donations, click here.
Posted: 08/17/10
Shopping. It seems to be one of those things people either love or hate. But regardless of whether the words “shopping mall” send your heart racing with anticipation or anxiety, everyone loves finding a deal. And as of today, you can actually be directed to and awarded for thriftiness all from the comfort of your smartphone.
Shopkick—which just launched for iPhone with Android capabilities not far behind—rewards users simply for walking into participating stores by awarding “kickbacks”, or points, for certain behaviors. Once inside, Shopkick offers a customized shopping experience, directing you to specific bargains and rewarding you for handling items, trying pieces on, and of course, for purchasing. Amass enough points, and you earn store credits, gift cards, and redeemable coupons.
By simply switching on Shopkick and “checking-in,” users can locate deals in their area and even earn points just for their own curiosity without ever even entering a store. And if you’re feeling charitable, the app allows users to opt out of personal benefits to donate to one of 30 participating charities.
Shopkick is currently available in the wider New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco regions, with more locations promised shortly.
For more information, check out the NYT profile of Shopkick here.
Posted: 06/15/10 by Mobile Future Team
Fifty-seven days in, it seems like we are all constantly checking for the latest updates in the on-going Gulf Oil Spill crisis. With so much news to digest, it’s easy to feel out of the loop on the outcome of the last top-kill maneuver or the latest sound-byte from a Gulf Coast Fisherman. While some of us may be feeling out of touch, mobile-savvy aficionados are staying on top of the spill armed with nothing more than their wireless device.
Several apps have surfaced, providing mobile users with the most recent information regarding the leak including an interactive timeline and historical context from previous spills. For the ad-hoc journalist, users can post their own images of the spill and provide their own reports of “spill related damage”.
If you don’t have time to provide free reporting, you can still help out by making $10 donations to the National Wildlife Fund (NWF) by texting WILDLIFE to 20222.
Posted: 03/01/10 by Mobile Future Team
Earlier this year, mobile users donated more than $40 million via text messages to help Haiti's earthquake victims. Now our friends at the Mobile Giving Foundation, who spearheaded the texts-for-Haiti effort, are doing the same for the Chileans. All you need to do is text "Chile" to a five-digit number and you can make a donation of $5 or $10 to Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army or World Vision.
For more information, click here.
comments | Permalink
Tags: Consumer Awareness, Mobile Giving, Text message