Passbook: Just Another Thing That Makes An iPhone, An iPhone

July 30, 2012
 
Dan Katcher

At the recent WWDC Conference, Apple introduced a new feature for iOS 6, Passbook. Instead of having an app for your Starbucks card, an app for your movie tickets, and so on, Passbook will organize all of your coupons, loyalty cards, and tickets in one app. What does Passbook mean for the market? In the short term, Passbook is focusing on user-friendliness and small business owners. Its full effect may not materialize immediately, but Passbook has the potential to replace almost everything in your wallet and to create a more efficient marketplace.

Passbook will live up to Apple’s reputation for user-friendly products because of its integration into already-existing iPhone features: the lock screen, notifications, calendars, and reminders. When you enter the proximity of a Passbook-friendly store, Passbook will send you a notification on your lock screen, informing you of nearby deals. This ensures you can’t miss out on a discount. Passbook will also sync with calendar and reminders, pulling up your tickets when you have a movie or flight. Interweaving Passbook with preexisting iPhone features will make it easier for iPhone carriers to grow accustomed to Passbook.
On Quora.com, a recent article suggested that Passbook’s first targets will be the loyalty of small businesses and startups. These businesses can use Passbook as an advertising conduit. By enabling Passbook for their stores, payments will be easier, and customers will receive coupons and deal notifications on their devices. For those willing to incorporate it into their business plans, Passbook will provide the extra boost small companies need to compete with larger companies. Apple continues to put loyalty as a high priority. Passbook will make small businesses loyal to Apple as iOS has made developers loyal to Apple.
A recent article on Gizmodo details some of the changes Passbook will make to the marketplace. When you go to a theater, you no longer need to worry about losing your small ticket stub or picking up tickets. Passbook will hold your ticket for you and will send you a notification when you are close to the theater so you can scan the ticket easily. The article also talks about Passbook as your boarding pass for your flights with real-time updates on delays and gate changes. Passbook’s ability to bring up coupons and rewards cards in close proximity to stores is another feature not mentioned in the article. You’ll never forget your CVS, Starbucks, Dunkin’ Rewards, or any other card again because Passbook organizes them all and activates them when necessary.

These features will all arrive with iOS 6, which is scheduled to come out this fall. While these features will undoubtedly change the way we purchase goods, what are the limits of this new technology? Could it eventually replace wallets altogether? Instead of carrying around a wallet, filled to the brim with cards and cash, we may eventually just have an iPhone equipped with Passbook. Keep in mind that Apple has 400 million credit cards on file in iTunes, meaning Apple’s exclusion of a payment system in the release is a conscious decision to focus more on user experience rather than an all-encompassing payments system. Just another thing that makes an iPhone, an iPhone.

So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.

Mobile Dependency: Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop

July 19, 2012
 
Dan Katcher

Mobile is changing the world in which we live, speeding up our lives to lightspeed. Because we are caught in the rapidly changing world, we sometimes miss how much mobile has changed the way we operate over the course of a day. The increasing speed of news updates and our permanent attachment on our phones demonstrate our growing dependence on mobile.
The rise of smartphones is pushing the media to be up to the minute with their news updates, to the point of careless mistakes. When the Supreme Court ruled on Obamacare a few days ago, CNN broadcasted that the individual mandate had been struck down for fifteen minutes because they felt the need to be lightning-fast on the draw with their coverage of the landmark decision. In the past, news seekers would need to wait for the evening news broadcast or for the morning paper to get the news of Obamacare, but mobile has pushed the media to the point at which they are making mistakes in an effort to stay up-to-date.
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While we could fill a book with ways mobile has changed individual tasks throughout the day, a recent Lookout Security Survey provides the most telling stats on mobile dependency. According to the study, 58% of Americans cannot go an hour without checking their phone. That stat is not drawn from the younger part of the population, but rather from every age group. In addition, 54% of Americans check their phones in bed, 40% check them while in the restroom, and 24% check them while driving. We are so connected to these devices that we have to check them no matter what we are doing.
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Why is it so important for us to incessantly check these devices? Why can’t we put down the mobile ducky? The mobile world requires us to check our devices to keep up with the news and keep the world running at breakneck speed. On Monday the 9th, the New York Times website had over 100 news updates by 1:30 PM. Developing countries that had limited access to such data in the past can now join the global community in sharing this information. The amount of data that can circulate thanks to mobile’s connectivity is staggering, and seemingly unlimited.

So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.

Mobile Global: Are You Ready For The Next Ride

July 18, 2012
 
Dan Katcher

As Americans continue to assimilate mobile into their lives, mobile is also transmitting its signal to countries across the globe. According to a recent Distimo survey, mobile growth is widespread across the globe, ranging from 47% in Canada to a whopping 560% in Japan. By contrast, the United States mobile market grew 44% in the past year. Looking at the growth of foreign mobile markets gives us insight into what drives mobile markets: affordability and opportunity.

India constitutes an interesting emerging market because of the overpowering effect affordable mobile is having on data consumption in India. As of May 2012, mobile internet traffic surpassed desktop internet traffic in India, shocking considering the sheer size of the country. The main reason for mobile’s success in India is its affordability in contrast to broadband devices. From January to September 2011, Indians bought 113 million mobile subscriptions as opposed to 1.8 million broadband subscriptions. Affordability is driving people in developing countries to mobile.
In China, massive profit opportunities drive the mobile market. The largest mobile provider in the world, China Mobile, has 670 million customers, but only about 15% of those phones have 3G capabilities, and smartphone companies are pushing to seize control of China’s market. While iPhones are already available in China through some carriers, Apple is working on a deal to introduce their phones to China Mobile. In addition, Qualcomm is working on a chip to promote compatibility between foreign phones and China’s mobile market. The fact that these giants are pushing to enter China’s market indicates that mobile is about to make another quantum leap in importance on the global scale.

The opportunities these developments present for developers are virtually limitless. Consider China and India are the world’s two largest internet markets, and that China Mobile has more than 6 times the U.S. subscriptions of AT&T or Verizon. Mobile’s already skyrocketing trajectory will get a tremendous boost with the development of China, India, and other foreign markets.

So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.

Scratching The Surface Of Microsoft’s New Tablet

July 3, 2012
 
Dan Katcher

Leading up to their June 18th conference, Microsoft described the event as major, promising to unveil a new technology. Microsoft kept mum on the product details until the conference, when Microsoft announced its new tablet, Surface 2. This announcement came just months after Microsoft invested $300 million dollars in Nook tablets from Barnes & Noble. It appears that Microsoft wants to be a prominent player in the tablet market, and they are willing to buy their way into the discussion. How does Microsoft plan on carving their way into the market? Why is Microsoft investing so much money in tablets when they already have the lion’s share of the PC market?
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While Microsoft may be willing to invest big dollars in the current market, they also understand that they must innovate tablets to find their niche in the market. With Surface 2, Microsoft is introducing a new technology called PixelSense. On old tablets, screens used underlying cameras to read touches on the screen. Microsoft’s PixelSense makes each pixel into a camera, and the screen can read not only touches, but also objects. These tablet eyes open up new possibilities for the tablet, adding intrigue to Microsoft’s competition for the iPad. Microsoft’s new tablet technology is sure to get them a slice of an important emerging market.
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Microsoft’s eagerness to control part of the tablet market makes sense, considering the increasing importance of mobile and tablets in the marketplace. According to a recent study by NPD, tablet sales will overtake notebook sales by 2016. Microsoft recognizes that the competition for market share is not predicated on desktop or notebook sales anymore, but rather on tablet sales and mobile ability.
In our experience on the Farm, the iPad rules the tablet world. When clients ask for a tablet app, the iPad is the main platform. While PixelSense is a fascinating, potentially revolutionary technology, Surface will still need to overcome the barrier of app developers. Developers are loyal to Apple, and any potential challenger to the iPad will have to earn developers’ ears to grab a significant share of the tablet market from Apple. Time will tell if Microsoft’s product can make a dent in iPad’s sales.

So, if you don’t know where to get started with a blueprint for your app, Rocket Farm Studios can take the pressure off.