Samsung introduces new mobile commerce application

Samsung has begun showing off its new Wallet mobile application for its line of smartphones. The company has adopted a strong interest mobile commerce recently, and this interest has helped the company dethrone Apple as the leading provider of mobile devices in the world. Consumers share the enthusiasm for mobile commerce that Samsung has been displaying, demanding new applications that can facilitate mobile payments and make it easier to manage bank accounts and shop online.

Wallet to provide digital storage to consumers

Samsung’s Wallet will act in much the same way that other mobile wallets do. The Wallet will be able to store a wide variety of digital information and content, such as financial data and tickets for concerts or public transport. In this way, the Wallet is very similar to Apple’s Passbook. Unlike the Passbook, the Wallet will allow users to participate in mobile commerce in some way, thanks to the NFC capabilities of Samsung’s latest smartphones.

Wallet to make use of QR codes

While the Wallet will leverage NFC to some degree to open up mobile commerce to consumers, the other aspects of the application will be based on barcodes, specifically QR codes. The Wallet can store mobile coupons, airline tickets, and special offers from loyalty programs that can all be accessed through scanning a QR code. Samsung believes that these codes are a simpler way of providing services to consumers rather than having the Wallet rely entirely on NFC technology.

Wallet may be included in new Galaxy S4

Samsung has already lined up an array of partners that will support the Wallet when it is launched. The company is currently preparing for the launch of the new Galaxy S4, which is expected to be released in spring this year. The Wallet may be made available before the launch of the S4, with current speculation suggesting that the application will be available in a matter of weeks rather than months.

Stuffed animals with barcodes can bring an entirely different experience to children.

A new line of plush toys has just been released with a QR code printed on their tummies, and are about to hit the market shelves in the hopes of attracting consumers with smartphones.

These stuffed animals are designed for both boys and girls and are meant for ages 5 and older.

They have been called “Scanimalz” and are created to combine three different things that children love, in order to attempt to provide the ideal toy. These three features are: snuggly toys, playing games on devices such as smartphones, and collecting. The manufacturers feel that this is a truly winning combination. It aligns with the current trends of bringing mobile devices and toys together, as is the case in the increasing number of augmented reality toy experiences.

Using the QR code toys is very easy through a free app that can be downloaded onto a mobile device.

The Scanimalz app can be downloaded into a smartphone or tablet, where an account can be created to register the toys. The QR code on the belly of each toy that has been collected can then be scanned to add to the digital collection and make it quick and easy to play games. There are a number of different games that can be played, to help to keep the experience new and interesting.

The games through the Scanimalz app allows the user to collect points as well as to win prizes. A player’s odds for winning increase with each additional animal QR code that is added to the collection. Parents should likely be cautioned that there are more than thirty different animal toys, so there may be some challenges ahead in terms of a child’s desire to continue collecting.

After the account has been created, it takes only a QR code scan in order to automatically launch the games. An added feature allows the user to post scores online and compete for top ranking with the points that have been collected. Animal options include pandas, dogs, pigs, bears, penguins and many others. The app is available for both iOS and Android devices.