Blog | News & Information on Wireless Services & Telecommunications
Posted: 09/02/10 by Mobile Future Team
We're well-versed in the origins of the name, but these days ‘Labor Day’ seems like a bit of a misnomer. After all, isn’t the point of Labor Day to relax? To wallow in the final days of summer labor-free?
While in today’s world of to-do lists and outstanding appointments, slapping an extra day onto the weekend doesn’t guarantee a rejuvenated new you come Tuesday, mobile applications can promise to reduce your man labor this weekend.
To find out how, check out appolicious’ picks for iPhone and Android, and a safe, happy Labor(-less) Day to all!
Posted: 09/01/10 by Mobile Future Team
Rise and shine sports fans. With September officially upon us, now is the time to change out your summer whites for your football finest.
That’s right, September 4th marks the commencement of a new calendar year, where weeks revolve around Saturdays and the difference between triumph and heartbreak can boil down to a matter of inches.
Because if it’s September, it’s time for college football. And whether you’re watching your team live between the hedges (shameless plug) or nestled between fellow enthusiasts on your couch, mobile applications are here to make sure you never miss a down.
From apps geared toward specific teams and conferences to Gameday bundles and live game streaming, mobile promises to give you the full college football experience this fall. So before your team kicks-off this Saturday, be sure to pay a visit to your app store so you can be armed and ready all season long.
Posted: 08/27/10 by Mobile Future Team
Picture this: It’s Labor Day weekend, and your family has piled into the car to make the four-hour drive to the beach. On your right, your little brother immediately monopolizes the backseat DVD player watching Austin Powers, while on your left, your big sis unabashedly belts out the lyrics to Lady Gaga’s latest hit. Behind you, Rover joins in for harmony. In the front seat, Mom won’t stop talking to Dad about just how badly Uncle Pete burned the burgers at last year’s cookout.
In the middle seat, it’s just you and your smartphone, and you’re yearning for a sweet release. Well, road-trippers rejoice, because Netflix has just made its way to the iPhone and iPod Touch. Simply flick over to the App Store, download the application (which is free for Netflix subscribers), and immerse yourself in a video oasis with hundreds of titles that download and stream directly to your smartphone.
So while mobile can’t help reconcile your siblings’ tastes with your own, it once again finds a way to cater specifically to yours. Now if only your phone really could pop corn (seriously though, how did they fake that?). Oh well, maybe one day.
Posted: 08/25/10
It’s like clockwork. Each year as summer winds down, students across the country bid adieu to leisurely days and late nights to once again populate the hallowed halls of their various educational institutions. Only this year, some students are nixing the traditional textbooks and trading up for a more dynamic alternative: the iPad.
New technology—developed by Inkling to turn textbooks digital—is more interactive than platforms offered by traditional screen readers to date, allowing educators to highlight and leave notes for students in the text, administer pop quizzes, and even utilize 3D figures to better explain complex concepts in areas like science and math. Similarly, students can leave commentary for their professors and share notes with peers. And with the iPad maxing out at mere 1.5lbs, a full day of classes is no longer an exercise in manual labor.
While some question the cost of requiring iPads for class—the most basic model still starts around $500—proponents of the technology note the cost of physical texts is surging past $1,100 annually at many U.S. colleges and universities. Additionally, Inkling’s technology allows students to download single chapters at a time (which is extremely cost-effective, especially if teachers want to pull certain chapters from various textbooks to offer the best possible curriculum).
If the price of going digital is comparable to that of paper texts, adopting the iPad for school seems like a logical step. Happy learning!
Posted: 08/20/10 by Mobile Future Team
The trend toward using your mobile phone in place of a credit card continues to accelerate. Next month, Bank of America, the nation’s largest consumer bank, will begin a test program that lets customers use smartphones to pay for store purchases.
The program, which will run in the New York region through December, is the latest step in giving consumers a "digital wallet" smartphone option. Here’s how it works: A small radio chip is installed in your phone and coded with your bank account and password. You then “bump” the phone with a scanner at checkout and the sale amount is transferred from your account.
BoA’s move is the latest in the race to develop smartphone payment systems. The banks are moving quickly in this area, but so are companies outside the banking industry. As Reuters notes, “Competition is increasing from outside the banking world.”
Mobile phones have already replaced the wristwatch for many college students and it seems only a matter of time – and not much at that – before it replaces the wallet too.
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: 08/12/10 by Mobile Future Team
This week marks the beginning of Ramadan, and this year mobile is making it easier than ever for Muslims to nativgate this important observance.
From yesterday's Washington Post article by Samantha Henry:
The most ancient traditions of Islam are going high-tech, with a slew of modern offerings for those observing the holy month of Ramadan, which begins this week. Cell phone applications such as "iPray" or "iQuran" offer a beeping reminder of requisite prayer times, while the "Find Mecca" and "mosque finder" programs help the Muslim traveler in an unfamiliar city find the nearest place to pray.
Posted: 08/09/10
It was once believed the eyes were the window to the soul. But in today’s increasingly connected world, it seems smartphones have relieved a person's blinkers from their tell-all duties. Thanks to the thousands of available mobile applications, one look at a person’s wireless device can offer up countless personality insights that the eyes alone are powerless to bestow.
In fact, in the whirlwind world of wireless technology, one of the greatest metrics of the industry’s unbridled innovation is that of the booming applications landscape. These days, there’s seemingly an app for everything, which makes it all the more remarkable that developers continue to roll out new applications daily that leave consumers wondering how they ever did without.
As a nod to apps’ importance and popularity, PC Mag has just released its Top 100 Free Apps of 2010, which profiles this year’s top downloads across six different smartphone operating platforms.
Interestingly, six short months ago, PC Mag released a similar list for 2009 primarily focusing on iPhone applications. But given the mass proliferation of smartphones across multiple platforms, PC Mag has shifted its content to reflect the diversity of the mobile marketplace.
So be sure to check out what apps are hot for you and your mobile device, and happy downloading!
Posted: 08/05/10 by Mobile Future Team
Gone are the days when forgetting your cell phone was an insurmountable crisis. This faux-problem has been reduced to the now ubiquitous phrase, “There’s an app for that”. The app du-jour is from Vonage and allows users to call their facebook friends for free using the iPhone, Android devices, iPod touch and, in a few weeks, even the iPad. Users can contact any of their Facebook friends provided that both people have downloaded the app.
Concerned about getting a call from facebook “friends” you don’t actually know? A call-block feature is set to be added in future updates. Also in the future, Vonage plans to bring the app to Blackberry users and to add an SMS (texting) service!
Posted: 07/29/10 by Mobile Future Team
Young Latinos utilize mobile technology as their primary means of remote socialization according to a Pew Hispanic Center report released yesterday. The report’s findings show half of Latinos ages 16-25 send text messages and 45% use their cell phones to call their friends on a daily basis. In contrast, only 18% talk daily with their friends using a home phone or landline.
Additionally, the report digs further into the discrepancies between native born and foreign born Latinos and examines how young Hispanics—the nation’s largest and youngest minority ethnic group—stack up against their counterparts.
With such a sizable portion of America’s young population showing a decided preference for mobile technology, and with no projected end to growth in sight, it’s clear mobile truly is the present and future of communication.
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Tags: Applications, Consumer Benefits, Mobile Applications, Smartphone