Tag: smartphone app

Mobile apps now give smartphone users an anti social media advantage

| April 9, 2014

This will help people to be able to avoid people when they are aiming not to have a chance encounter.

For people who are looking to make sure that they won’t accidentally run into their exes while they’re out, there are now mobile apps coming out that have the exact opposite goal of many of the social media options that are currently available.

There are two applications that have been released within the past few weeks for this reason.

Both Split and Cloak are mobile apps that use geolocation technology to map the position of individuals that users don’t want to run into someone they used to date. Anyone who doesn’t want to be seen can be avoided through the use of this location based tech application. It utilizes updates on location in combination with check-ins that are made on other social networks.

The founders of both mobile apps claim that avoiding exes was the primary inspiration.

According to Split’s founder, Udi Dagan, there was one “bad night” in which he ran into two of his ex-girlfriends and. This caused him to come up with an app in which check-ins are used from Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, and Instagram, so that people can be tracked and avoided when they are located nearby.Mobile Apps - Anti-Social

From the Cloak side, a co-founder, Chris Baker, explained that “My co-founder Brian ran into his ex four times in one month.” He went on to say that this let them know that they “had to do something.” That application uses Foursquare and Instagram to help a user to be able to find both friends and not-so friends. Baker explained that Twitter and Facebook would be added very shortly.

The founders of both products were not completely unaware of the issue of privacy concerns that potential users would bring forward. They also both responded to claims that they would be contributing to potential stalking and other location privacy issues by saying that all of the information that would be made available through the applications would already be posted over social media. These mobile apps simply aggregate the information that is already being posted by the individuals to be avoided.

Mobile commerce app benefits Walmart shoppers

| April 13, 2013

Walmart mobile commerceMobile Consumers can now enjoy a fast shopping experience with mobile scanning technology.

Retail giant Walmart is widening its mobile commerce footprint with its new Scan & Go mobile app that allows iPhone users the ability to scan the items they want to buy, which they can then purchase at a self-checkout with quick convenience.

New smartphone scanning technology provides shoppers with independence.

According to information from Walmart’s Scan & Go promotional material, “Scan & Go is a new way to shop in Walmart stores that allows YOU to take control of your shopping experience.” The new scanning technology transforms iPhone devices into mini mobile shopping helpers that allow consumers to browse the store, scan what they want, place the selected scanned products in their basket or cart, and head to a self-checkout where they pay for their scanned goods and leave. Customers can shop and go with no fuss and skip the long checkout line.

The new mobile commerce application is expected to reach 200 stores.

Currently, approximately 70 Walmart stores are Scan & Go compatible. Based on information from a published report, the total number of stores expected to offer this mobile commerce service is 200. When all is said and done, the company’s aim is to introduce the scan technology to 12 new markets in addition to the Atlanta market and the areas near Bentonville, Arkansas where the technology already exists.

iPhone users who would like to gain access to the Walmart application will find it available for download at Apple’s App Store. When the user accesses the app in a compatible Walmart store, a message will be displayed giving the consumer the option to choose “Store Mode”. From this point, they can begin scanning product barcodes with their smartphone. When the customer is done shopping, they take their items to the self-checkout where they will able to pay for these pre-scanned products by transferring the data from their phone to the register by scanning a QR code displayed on the resister screen.

An Android version of Scan & Go is not yet available but will be released in the near future. Currently, the mobile commerce app is only available for Apple iPhone devices that run iOS 5 or higher.