Springwise - Telecom & Mobile

Paperless mobile ticketing, no scanners required

2010-07-26T13:43:57Z

Mobile ticketing may offer myriad benefits for both event managers and consumers, but most options still require specialized scanning hardware to read the ticket from the user's device. Not so Twicketer, a new service that delivers event tickets that can be verified and validated right on the smartphone.

Now in beta, Wisconsin-based Twicketer is powered by technology from its Danish parent company, ScreenTicket, that uses a patent-pending system called On Device Verification. How it works: Event managers can send out links with a shortened URL to their events through social media including Twitter, Facebook and MySpace. From there, attendees can buy their mobile tickets online by simply following the included link. Once it's time for the event, the mobile ticket can be scanned and verified onsite without any scanning hardware. Twicketer charges a service fee of USD 0.99 for every ticket sold; it can also be used to distribute mobile coupons and vouchers.

Currently, Twicketer can deliver mobile tickets to more than 200 countries via more than 800 mobile carriers. Custom branding is available, as is a comprehensive API. One to try out for your next event, coupon or other paperless promotion...? (Related: Ticketing marketplace makes prices negotiable.)

Website: www.twicketer.com
Contact: info@twicketer.com

Spotted by: Stas Zlobinski

App lets consumers open and pay a bar tab by phone

2010-07-23T14:00:41Z

The ability to pay for purchases by mobile phone may be common in some parts of the world, but it's by no means ubiquitous. Similar to the way RideCharge lets consumers book a taxi and pay their fare by phone, TabbedOut lets them open a tab at their favourite bar and then close it out by phone when they're ready to go.

The brainchild of Texas-based ATX Innovation, TabbedOut is available as a free app for both iPhone and Android; Blackberry support is coming soon, the company says. Currently, consumers in Austin and Dallas as well as Chico, Calif., can use the app to manage their bar tabs at participating venues. They begin by downloading and setting up the application, including entering account information for one or more credit or debit cards; once stored, those accounts are displayed only via the last four digits. Next, when they're ready to visit a bar, they can use the app to see which ones near them are linked with TabbedOut. The software is integrated directly with participating restaurants and bars so as to allow consumers to open and view a tab directly from the point-of-sale system. Opening a tab with TabbedOut essentially provides the bar with the consumer's stored payment information up front; in return, he or she is given a code that the bartender uses to keep track of each drink. When it's time to go, the consumer simply opens the app, enters a tip and selects “pay.” TabbedOut can send a copy of the receipt via email; it also archives the information for later use in expense reports, for example. ATX charges consumers 99 cents for each tab paid using TabbedOut.

Aiming for a nationwide expansion, ATX is currently seeking strategic partnerships with POS providers, resellers and hospitality vendors; one to get in on early...?

Website: www.tabbedout.com
Contact: info@tabbedout.com

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

Internet service by the day for mobile warriors

2010-07-20T11:55:16Z

Both mobile warriors and casual travellers are all too familiar with the difficulty and expense that can be associated with getting an internet connection while travelling. A couple of years ago we covered RovAir's day-pass wireless mobile broadband service, and last month Finnish Zonga launched a like-minded alternative.

Zonga's mobile wifi rental service uses a 3G wifi modem that's compatible with any wifi-enabled device. There's no need to install anything, and the battery-powered device allows up to 5 simultaneous connections to the mobile broadband data network. Pricing is EUR 9 per day including unlimited data and all costs. Zonga's “All You Can Internet” service is currently available only in Helsinki, with pick-up and drop-off locations at the airport and downtown hotels.

Zonga aims to expand to other international airports over the course of next year, according to a report in Arctic Startup; one to partner with toward that end?

Website: www.zonga.fi
Contact: www.zonga.fi/contact

Spotted by: John Greene

Location-based classifieds in 140 characters or less

2010-07-15T14:21:36Z

Thanks to GPS-enabled mobile technologies, neighbours are communicating as never before. Where BlockChalk facilitates geo-tagged messaging in general, Anttenna focuses on creating a new, location-aware alternative to the traditional classifieds.

Using a free iPhone application, Anttenna enables real-time, location-based, person-to-person exchanges by turning traditional classified listings into geo-tagged, Twitter-sized “microlistings,” as it calls them. With a platform that's actually built on top of Twitter, Anttenna lets users quickly connect with people nearby to buy things, sell things or just reach out. Things for sale get posted to the site's “supply chain,” while wanted goods go to its demand side; either way, posting takes less than a minute, the company says. Listings can be sorted by keyword, category, location and proximity; examples might include finding a concert ticket on location at a music festival, helping a lost pet reunite with her owner, or finding a free sofa right down the street. Following pilot tests in San Diego, Seattle and Austin, Anttenna is now available in most major metropolitan areas across the United States and Canada.

Marcus Wandell, Anttenna's cofounder and CEO, explains: “With the exception of posting ads online and making them searchable, classified ads really haven't evolved all that much since they were introduced 300 years ago. Anttenna fully leverages the smartphone platforms and new communications standards to give people a whole new way to use classified advertising. Anttenna delivers a constant stream of hyperlocal, real-time listings, always relevant given the moment and location in which they are seen.”

For businesses, of course, the advertising potential is at least as compelling. Mobile-minded entrepreneurs: time to grease the location-based buying-and-selling wheels near you...?

Website: www.anttenna.com
Contact: info@anttenna.com

Spotted by: Cecilia Biemann

Television ad for muesli, shot and edited on iPhone 4

2010-07-13T11:26:13Z

While we usually feature companies when they launch, we love seeing their creativity develop and grow after that initial period. And we just spotted a fun example: the made-to-order muesli mixers of mymuesli recently created the first TV commercial filmed and edited entirely on the iPhone 4.

In the three years since we first featured mymuesli, they've expanded to the UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands, and have been joined by similar concepts in other countries, including [Me]&Goji in the US. They've also forged smart alliances with established health, fitness and beauty brands, and developed a convenience product: mymuesli2go.

Which brings us back to the iPhone. mymuesli's founders were so impressed by the phone's video quality, that they decided to use it to shoot and edit an ad for their new product. Highlighting the convenience aspect of mymuesli2go, the ad features a skydiver eating cereal before jumping out of a plane. (The video below shows both the ad and 'the making of'.) The commercial aired on German and Austrian television over the weekend.

Whether or not you're an Apple fanboy, there's no denying the buzz surrounding their product launches. And latching on to that early fervor can be an inexpensive way for young brands to draw some attention their way. Watch and learn ;-) (Related: Fashion shoot uses iPhone 3GS.)

Website: www.mymuesli.com
Contact: www.mymuesli.com/kontakt

Solar smartphone comes with eco bragging rights

2010-07-05T14:05:29Z

Eco-minded products are all very well and good, but for many consumers the important thing is the green credentials that go with them. A new smartphone from German sports company Puma—launched just last week in Europe through a partnership with France's Sagem Wireless—promises to serve both purposes by featuring both an integrated solar cell and an eco-metering function that displays all the resulting energy savings.

With a tablet form factor, a 2.8-inch thumbable screen, a 3.2-megapixel camera and a VGA video call camera, the Puma Phone is available SIM-free for an estimated retail price of EUR 399; it's also available subsidised by local operators as part of a contract bundle. The sports-centric phone is shipped in eco-friendly packaging, and just one hour of sunshine provides enough power for one hour and 30 minutes of MP3 play or about 30 text messages, its makers say. Even more interesting is that users can easily see how much of their phone calls, music and messages have been powered by the sun—data that's eminently shareable for a quick boost in status. According to a report on Gizmodo, solar power usage also translates into points redeemable in the Puma store.

Of course, in addition to providing an eco-metering, status-conveying alternative to the rest of the cellphone pack, the Puma Phone is also a nice example of what our sister site would call a branded brand. Makers of other eco-minded goods: what are you doing to help your customers flaunt their green credentials...? (Related: Fitness-focused cell phone — Laundromat reaps solar rewards — Energy meters get tweeting — Thermoelectric wellies charge festival-goers' phones.)

Website: www.pumaphone.com
Contact: info-de@puma.com

Spotted by: Henry Mason

Five business ideas focused on babies & new parents

2010-07-02T18:41:01Z

Starting a family is such a fundamental part of human life that it's no surprise that babies are an inspiring subject for enterprise and innovation. There's a new idea born every minute ;-) Here are five we spotted recently:

1. EMBRACE — Premature or underweight newborns can have problems maintaining body temperature. Unfortunately, proper incubators aren't available or affordable everywhere. The Embrace is an infant warmer that costs less than 1 per cent of the price of a traditional incubator, according to the eponymous non-profit currently trialling it in India. It looks like a tiny sleeping bag, and is powered by a small electrical element or hot water.

2. TEXT4BABY — The result of a partnership between government agencies, corporations, academic bodies and non-profits, text4baby is a free SMS information service for expectant mothers in the United States. Messages cover health, childbirth and post-natal childcare, and are scheduled to accord with the mother-to-be's term.

3. BABYBLOOMS — Once birth has been given, friends and family will often send flowers to congratulate the new family. BabyBlooms offers a gift that looks similar, but turns out to be rather more practical: their 'bouquets' are assembled from baby clothes. There's a choice of pink, blue, natural and twin bouquets.

4. CITYSHADE — The hoods provided on strollers are sometimes too small to keep babies fully protected from the sun, and parents often find themselves augmenting the canopy with a blanket or some other improvised item. The CityShade is a purpose-built alternative. It comes in a choice of colours and styles, and can be attached neatly to many popular stroller models.

5. LE KNOCKOUT — With a medley of attendant legends, the shedding of a baby tooth is a rite of passage celebrated worldwide. Now parents can have their own memento of the occasion by getting their child's tooth cast in gold and fashioned into a piece of jewelery or a keepsake. Mawkish or charming? The sentimental imperative should not be underestimated!

Spotters: Judy McRae, Marie Sedefian, Julie Mancuso

Five online services for getting together offline

2010-06-25T13:02:20Z

Long gone are the days when "online" was synonymous with social isolation. In fact, we're now witnessing the opposite: technology is driving people to connect and meet up with others in the "real world". This mass mingling makes for an interesting trend, begging to be turned into new services for consumers. Here are five such services:

1. MEETUP EVERYWHERE — Meetup's new service, Meetup Everywhere, is an open and free platform that helps people build communities based on a common interest. Organisers can map offline gatherings and share announcements and updates through Facebook and Twitter accounts. One recent initiative: ReadyMade magazine partnering with Etsy.com to encourage DIY crafters to host local "craft-ups".

2. GATSBY — Gatsby is a mobile app that introduces people according to shared interests and locations, using Foursquare. Users tell Gatsby their Foursquare account details and describe their interests. Gatsby then searches for like-minded people locally and texts them with first names and what they have in common.

3. LOOPT MIX — Loopt Mix is a free iPhone app for finding and chatting to other users nearby. Users identify shared interests by means of tags and preferences on their personal profiles. There's also a set of search filters for ad hoc link-ups. Favoured contacts can be flagged to provide users with quick access to their core social circle.

4. STREETSPARK — Another iPhone app using location to get people in touch, StreetSpark has a specifically romantic intent. Users describe themselves and the kind of person they hope to meet. The app then informs them when a possible match is nearby. No contact information is divulged automatically; people can chat and choose whether or not to identify themselves.

5. LOVESTRUCK — Also in the match-making business, UK-based Lovestruck is aimed at single professionals. The website and mobile apps use work locations as a base to link potential lovers. Customers can display their availability through status updates, and iPhone owners can also see if other users are in their current vicinity when they're on the move.

For more examples of MASS MINGLING, read this month's trend briefing by trendwatching.com >>

Social networking from any phone in the developing world

2010-06-23T14:11:43Z

There's little doubt mobile phones can have an empowering effect on those in developing nations, and we've already seen efforts to use such technologies for improved income opportunities and healthcare, to name just two examples. Now Finnish Sibesonke—a spinoff from Nokia Siemens Networks—is doing something similar to give underprivileged consumers new access to classifieds, chat and social networking services.

Sibesonke's vision is to empower the 2.5 million or so disadvantaged mobile phone users in emerging and developing countries. Specifically, it has built a service that's accessible with even the simplest mobile phone using interactive telecommunication protocols. There's no need to upgrade a phone or establish an Internet data connection; rather, Sibesonke works using SMS and the USSD text-based browsing protocol, both of which are part of the GSM technical standard. With Sibesonke's proprietary service, even users of 10-year-old GSM phones can browse content and make posts online. In South Africa, for example—where Sibesonke has focused its first efforts—users need only dial *120*686# to establish a data call that gives them a text screen on their phone. From there, they can access job ads, buy-and-sell services, health information and social connections, among many other offerings.

Sibesonke is a for-profit company; its first commercial service is iBOP, a phone-based market research tool designed to gather consumer insight about products, services and advertising from less wealthy South Africans. Meanwhile the company has already won several awards, including the Red Herring 100 Europe 2010. After a pilot in South Africa last year, Sibesonke is now working towards expansion, and it seeks partners on both the technical and socially focused ends.

Website: www.sibesonke.com
Contact: info@sibesonke.com

Spotted by: John Greene

Tool for restaurants makes menus iPhone-ready

2010-06-09T11:33:35Z

Between five and 20 percent of the traffic visiting the average restaurant's website does so from a mobile phone, meaning that the PDF menus offered by so many establishments are typically not viewable. Whereas companies like Blue Shoe Mobile Solutions are tackling that problem with custom, branded iPhone apps for every restaurant, Ohio-based Mobile Hunger is taking a different approach by offering a web-based tool that simply converts a restaurant's menu into a mobile-ready site with native interaction.

Restaurateurs interested in using Mobile Hunger's free service begin by entering their menus, menu categories and individual items. Mobile Hunger then converts that information into a site that's viewable by iPhone and iPod. There's no need for customers to learn another web address, because Mobile Hunger automatically redirects mobile users to the new mobile site; there's also no need to convince users to download and use a custom app. Restaurateurs, meanwhile, can take advantage of analytics tools, photo galleries, social networking links, Google Maps and fully customizable colours to match their brand and logo. They also gain the ability to reach customers who use apps like Open Table, Urban Spoon, Four Square, Gowalla, Yelp and more. Once Mobile Hunger gains traction with its basic, free service for iPhone and iPod, it plans to offer a suite of paid upgrades such as support for other mobile devices—including Blackberry and Windows Mobile—as well as detailed analytics and dedicated hosting.

There's little doubt organizations large and small need to reach out to the growing masses of mobile users. The question now, it seems, is whether that should be via a custom app that must be downloaded or via a mobile-ready website--or both, targeting loyal and occasional customers, respectively. One to ponder for your own mobile-friendly brand?

Website: www.mobilehunger.com
Contact: www.mobilehunger.com/contact.php

iPhone app enables CAD on the go

2010-05-28T13:23:53Z

For architects, engineers, surveyors and others who depend on computer-aided design, working remotely typically means gathering data offsite by hand and then bringing it back to the office for input and use with the CAD software installed there. SitePAD is a new iPhone app that aims to change all that by allowing users to create, manage and exchange CAD files on the go.

Launched in March by UK-based Fresh Design Base, SitePAD bills itself as the first truly mobile CAD solution. Rather than having to re-draw hand sketches back at the office, for example, users can employ SitePAD offsite to capture information in a format that integrates directly into their desktop solution. Capabilities included in Release 1 of the software are line, arc, polyline, circle, rectangle, freehand, move, copy, rotate, mirror, offset, trim, extend, group, ungroup, snaps, orthos, numeric input, pan and zoom, among others, with many more coming soon. When accompanied by a SitePAD online account, meanwhile, users don't even have to wait to get back to the office themselves; rather, they can send their drawings ahead as soon as they've finished them, allowing colleagues to begin work on them instantaneously. Compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, SitePAD is priced at GBP 5.99 in the iTunes store. An online account ranges from GBP 7 to GBP 15 per month, depending on requirements, according to an interview on eggtea.com, but Fresh Design Base is currently offering a free 30-day trial.

For all those in design professions, this could be one to try out. For all others: how could you bring some new mobility to professionals in the industry closest to *your* heart...? (Related: iPad app delivers real-time trend forecasts.)

Website: www.sitepad.co.uk
Contact: www.sitepad.co.uk/company/contact-us.html

Spotted by: Liv Slack

iPhone app lets users earn cash for small tasks

2010-05-25T13:25:11Z

We've seen numerous efforts to let mobile phone users earn cash for performing small tasks, but it wasn't until recently that we had seen an iPhone app dedicated solely to that purpose. Now joining the ranks of CloudCrowd, Fiverr, Samasource and others, Field Agent is a free iPhone app that gives users of the mobile device a directed way to increase their pay.

iPhone users begin by downloading the Field Agent application from the iTunes App Store. They can then search for jobs in their geographical area, complete them and get paid. Most listed jobs are in everyday locations where agents live; examples include collecting retail pricing and display information, event images, photos of items for sale and consumer surveys that can be completed anywhere an iPhone can be used. The Field Agent software uses the iPhone's built-in tools to provide clients with information including agent history, GPS location, time and date stamps, and photo confirmations. Payments can range from USD 3 to USD 8, depending on the job’s degree of difficulty. Clients, in turn, can rate agents for their reliability and accuracy. Field Agent requires iPhone OS 3.1 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.

Field Agent is a joint venture between Arkansas-based Mill Creek Software and NorthStar Partnering Group. It's also another shining example of the recession-friendly crowdsourced labour trend. One more to emulate or try out for yourself!

Website: www.fieldagent.net
Contact: info@fieldagent.net

Spotted by: Andrew Toburen

In South Africa, concierge service via mobile phone rental

2010-05-18T19:14:38Z

The virtual ink had barely dried on our recent story about AtYourSide in Shanghai when word reached us of another personal guide service, again with an event-driven angle: Africa Talking, a South African concierge service that's ideally positioned to benefit from all the visitors to next month's World Cup.

Africa Talking is a 24/7 concierge service for visitors to South Africa with dedicated travel, entertainment and emergency assistance. Upon arrival at any South African international airport, members receive a free Nokia 1208 mobile phone, complete with an Africa Talking SIM card and talktime. They can then use that phone during the course of their stay for help planning and arranging travel and entertainment throughout the country. Directions, rentals, tickets, reservations and all kinds of attraction advice are available from Africa Talking via its phones, which can be used for personal calls as well; in fact, users can save up to 70 percent of their roaming costs when they use their Africa Talking phone, the company says. In emergencies, meanwhile, the Africa Talking mobile phone serves as a tracking device that lets the Cape Town-based company immediately recognize users and see where they are, enabling it to quickly provide directions, dispatch a taxi or arrange emergency assistance. Last but not least, at the conclusion of any trip, users can drop off their used handsets at the airport; from there, they will be resold, with 50 percent of the proceeds going to a local South Africa charity. Membership in Africa Talking ranges from GBP 29 for a single trip to GBP 169 for multiple trips over the course of a year.

Concierge and guide services can make good sense at any time of year, of course—particularly for business travellers—but large, international events increase the potential demand many times over. Those in major host countries around the globe: one to emulate for the masses of visitors coming soon to an event near you...?

Website: www.africatalking.co.uk
Contact: wearelistening@africatalking.co.uk

Spotted by: Raymond Kollau

More gifts by text message

2010-05-10T15:18:40Z

There's something undeniably appealing about the immediacy of giving and receiving gifts by text message, and we've already seen a few examples—most notably, Dutch cadeaucode.nl and Boston-focused KangoGift. Recently we came across one more: LA-based Giiv, which offers a similar service for U.S. users nationwide.

Now in beta, Giiv lets users surprise each other with real-time tokens of affection anywhere, anytime. Gift-givers simply browse through the site's gallery of gift options—currently, available selections include flowers, Amazon gift cards, movie tickets and spa services, among others. Once they find something suitable, they enter the recipient's mobile number along with a little note, fill out their payment information and then send. Giiv then sends that person a text message including a Giiv code that can be redeemed at a participating store or online retailer. Giiv adds a USD 0.99 processing fee for the service; a free iPhone app is also available.

Though Giiv doesn't currently accept international orders, it plans to do so in the future. Time to bring a little nowism to gift-giving in your part of the world...? (Related: Buy a (real) beer for a Facebook friend.)

Website: www.giiv.com
Contact: www.giiv.com/contact

Spotted by: Murray Orange

Dutch city launches iPhone app for lodging civic complaints

2010-04-27T08:08:00Z

Potholes, stray garbage, broken street lamps? Citizens of Eindhoven can now report local issues by iPhone, using the BuitenBeter app that was launched today. After spotting something that needs to be fixed, residents can use the app to take a picture, select an appropriate category and send their complaint directly through to the city council. A combination of GPS and maps lets users pinpoint the exact location of the problem, providing city workers with all the information they need to identify and resolve the problem.

The application covers a wide range of familiar nuisances, from broken sidewalks to loitering youth (who will hopefully respond favourably to having their picture taken by concerned citizens). Compared with lodging a complaint by phone or in writing, BuitenBeter creates a nearly frictionless experience and will no doubt prompt a wider group of people to become active reporters of issues that need the city's attention.

Besides giving people an easy way to send through detailed reports, city officials also believe the concept will create shorter lines of communication, and will facilitate quicker feedback from local government to citizens. Developed by mobile solutions provider Yucat, the BuitenBeter app will soon be available for Android and Windows Mobile phones, too. Eindhoven has signed on for a twelve-month trial, and Yucat hopes to roll out the system to other cities in the near future. (Related: In San Francisco, civic complaints via Twitter — NYC challenges developers to create apps using city data — Tagging repairs for local government.)

Website: www.buitenbeter.nl
Contact: info@buitenbeter.nl