Google is quickly developing products for presence in the Travel space, and with their existing scope and technology resources, I can see them making a significant impact if they want, giving emerging startups like BonVoyaging stiff competition. Here’s my rundown of some recent Google Travel projects…
Top five travel items that make me think Google may be trying to take over the travel industry:
Are you an expert on all the best places to eat, shop and play in your city? If so, then we want you to join the Google City Expert program and start receiving exclusive perks!
The Google City Expert program brings together the most active users on Google Maps who write reviews and upload photos of local places. As a City Expert you will receive: Access to fun, exclusive events in your local area, Free custom swag, Special online recognition
When Bitcoin starts being accepted at major real world brick and mortar stores, how are you going to ensure that your Bitcoins stay safe? Bitcoin is not like a physical currency – it exists only in the digital world, and your ownership of your digital store of Bitcoins is dependent on you keeping, and keeping secure your private keys to your walled. As Bitcoins become more mainstream, security will become more and more critical for this digital currency. To help lock it all down, new startup Trezor is making a physical Bitcoin security computer, shaped like a key fob. Here’s the details:
Coin is going to be incredibly cool when it launches. An electronic credit card that stores all of your credit cards, and let’s you swipe any card just like normal. It’s not pushing the actual physics of credit transactions in a new direction, but rather giving consumers a tool to keep using existing card-swiping transaction behavior with a new piece of gear that stores all of their cards. Now, if only V2 of coin could include a mag swiper, NFC chip, chip&pin chip, and e-ink QR code/barcode display, it could be used as the end all, be all card in your wallet.
No researching, no clicking all over the web collecing opinions – just The Wirecutter. This is by far my favorite new tech review site, because it doesn’t give options. You want the best bluetooth speaker? Here you go. It’s this one, not any others. Job, done. The Wirecutter.
With Apple’s eminent announcement of iOS 6 today, mobile payments will get yet another major boost. Now my barcode-scan based payment scheme won’t be restricted to only the beloved Starbucks app, but will open up to lots of other applications too. A few thoughts on Barcode Scan Payments vs NFC Payments. Certainly not fully fleshed out, but a few items that were on my mind as I watch the clock tick down to the big announcement.
Tricky tricky. In support of scanning a simple barcode to make a mobile paymentis first and foremost the reduction of need for new hardware. Virtually every retail outlet has a simple barcode scanner hooked up to the cash register, and every smartphone can display a barcode on its screen. Barcodes can be generated securely and dynamically, allowing a unique code to be generated for each transaction. The hardware is already out there, so why not use it?
Sure, NFC is a nifty contact-less radio-based technology, but the big detractor is its need for new hardware. Users must purchase new phones with new chips, and retail POS terminals must be equipped with new NFC sensors and radios. The one big advantage NFC has over Barcodes is device range. NFC chips can be built into not only mobile phones, but also into credit cards, key fobs, and all sorts of other form factors. They’re not reliant on the powerful workings of a smartphone (in RFID flavor), and so they can be rolled out into lots of different forms. With barcode payments, the phone must always be there to generate a dynamic barcode. It could be argued that static barcodes, like what’s used in my current Starbucks card app could be use, however I believe the ability to dynamically generate secure barcodes could be a sticking point.
Another big advantage that barcode-based payments has over NFC based payments is legacy device support. I already use my Starbucks Card app to display a barcode on my iPhone 4 – SO really it’s all about having software to display and manage the codes, and retailers supporting them with their existing (or slightly upgraded) hardware. Apple’s “Mobile Wallet” Passbook will come on the new iPhone5, and can also be a simple upgrade for legacy devices. Instantly, everyone has Passbook, everyone can start making payments – no annoying hardware upgrade necessary for the user.
But, device sales – is such an easy solution, such a flexible scheme, so backwards compatible really right for Apple? Aren’t they in the business of making money, and doesn’t adding a new chip to their phones and forcing users to buy new phones to get the latest functionality help sell more? Yes, absolutely. But I don’t think NFC is the right technology for make users pay for.I think there will be other enticing upgrades to the iPhone 5 that will still get users to upgrade.
An interesting concept from the least likely company. Ford’s “Key Free” concept uses your iPhone to unlock your computer. Just wait until both your iPhone AND Macbook both have NFC antennas built into them, and you can begin to see the extensive possibilities..
From Fastco Design:
Ford Keyfree is a Chrome extension that stores passwords for Facebook, Google, and Twitter. Then, whenever you’re near your Mac using a pre-approved smartphone, the app can “unlock” these sites automatically via Bluetooth. Your phone serves as your ID, thanks to the unique identifiers already in Bluetooth.
Very interesting roundup of all of the uses for the new iPhones NFC Antenna. If Apple does in fact include an NFC antenna in the new iPhone, and if implimented correctly, the implications are quite exciting..
Word just leaked that the next generation of iPhones will come with a special kind of antenna, designed for something called Near-Field Communication. Here are the coolest things you’ll be able to do with it.
Given that I buy new clothes maybe once or twice a year, mens clothing subscription service Bombfell sounds like a nifty concept..
Bombfell is a monthly subscription for clothes. Join now to get clothes picked just for you by a stylist, so you can spend your time doing awesome guy stuff.
At long last, Nike has updated their Nike+ site. Finally a bit more usability and customization, with the ability to name my runs, include what shoe I was wearing, etc. It’s still not as robust as it should be, but a nice update.
Notable Improvements:
Custom workout names
Shoe/equipment naming
Tighter social integration, with automatic sharing to social networks, Facebook, Twitter
Updated design and all new layout
Easy input of user biometrics to aid in workout tracking
New email report scheduling
Still to go:
No direct user control over 3rd party service integration – NIke instructs users to contact customer service directly for management. Fail.
Device-specific management screen is non-functional
Still can’t import/export activities, or integrate with any other 3rd party services!!! The first comprehensive sports and activity tracking website to offer full integration with all other sites and forms of data wins. Really. If Nike+ would work with my Garmin Forerunner watch, my Withings Bodyscale, and all the other devices I use to track workouts, I’d use it exclusively. If Garmin Connect would work with my Nike+ app (Because the Garmin app sucks), and my Withings Body Scale, I would use it for everything. But there’s still no service that tracks everything. In my opinion, the first company to make this happen will capture the market.
Ooomf helps you create a quick and simple email signup page to promote your iPhone App. Simple as that, no frills. Sign up, upload a few images, and you’re up and running in no time. Love it.
However, it looks like they may now be moving in a different direction.. we’ll be standing by for updates.
Looks awesome! A simple accessory allows endless possibilities of motion control photography. Would love to take this out on my next northern or southern latitude road trip… The Genie. Let’s fund this and make it happen!
The Genie is an all-in-one device used to combine image capture with motion control, capable of either panning or linear movement that’s commonly used in Time Lapse Photography. Simply attach your camera to the top of the Genie, plug it in, and program it to move and shoot to your desired needs.
This week, shortly after taking and tweeting a picture of the production of a Foursquare video shoot, a team member from startum Teleportd reached out to me to license my photo, for further distribution. By following the link, I was presented with a mobile optimized, very simple workflow that allowed me to specify the rights to license the photo under, how much I wanted to be paid, and how I wanted to be paid. The entire proces took 1 minute.
A bit more about Teleportd, from TechCrunch’s Crunchbase:
More and more public content is posted and shared through photo sharing apps. Nevertheless public photos are not easily searchable. teleportd is a realtime photo search engine that aggregates public content from most mobile photos apps, makes sense of it and allows you to search for – and see – what is going on all over the world at any time. Either from its iPhone application launched today or the website https://teleportd.com, users can instantaneously access the live stream of photos being taken at a location or event of their choosing. Use cases can vary: a fashion show in NYC, a riot in the Middle east or bars down the street on a Saturday night… But the experience is always the same: a smooth stream of live photos that would you might otherwise never have seen.
Every year at South By Southwest, hundreds of new mobile apps are launched. Some succeed, some fail. Here’s apps I’ve heard about so far…
Clik – “Clik is the amazing YouTube remote that allows you to walk up to any screen with a browser, point your phone at it, and instantly take control. It’s a magical experience that you need to see to believe.” – Clik unveils 3 new mobile-to-smart TV apps at SXSW 2012
Intro – “INTRO helps grow your business network by making the right introductions for you. It matches you to the people nearby that you need to meet. INTRO also matches Freelancers to projects they have the right skills for. It’s the fastest and easiest way to find work. No more online applications, recruitment agents or list searching. And for Small Businesses, you’re matched to the best people for your project.”
EchoEcho – “echoecho helps you FIND YOUR FRIENDS, in seconds.
In just two clicks, you can see where your friends are. Or tell them where you are. For free.”
Kismet – “Kismet is the best real-time, location-based social app for meeting new people. Whether you want friends or business contacts, Kismet tells you who you should be meeting and why, so you’ll never waste your time having another boring, dead-end conversation with the wrong person.”
GlassMap – “Glassmap is a simple, beautiful way to find out where your friends and family are. Use it to coordinate meetings and hangouts, keep track of loved ones, and serendipitously discover who’s around you. With elegant privacy controls, rock solid performance, free in-app chat messaging and more, Glassmap is the best location sharing app available today.”
Great, now I’m going to come off my next Delta flight both behind on work AND broke. Luckily I won’t pay for shipping thanks to my Amazon Prime Account. Delta and Gogo Wireless will now offer free access to Amazon Shopping while in the air. From the press release:
ATLANTA, March 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) today announced the addition of free access to shop Amazon.com and Amazonwireless.com onboard all Delta and Delta Connection flights with in-flight Wi-Fi service.
“Delta continues to offer new technology and innovation that delivers on our customer preferences while they travel with us,” said Bob Kupbens, Delta’s vice president – Marketing and Digital Commerce. “Our customers enjoy our free content options in-flight and free access to Amazon provides a convenient way to shop online at 30,000 feet for things they want on the ground.”
To access Amazon while in-flight, customers open their internet browser, access the Delta Connect Wi-Fi portal and click on one of the Amazon banners to begin shopping. Delta Connect also provides free access to real-time travel information, news content from The Wall Street Journal and People magazine, exclusive shopping deals and entertainment options by Delta and its on-board wireless provider Gogo.
Over the past few years I’ve been a user of iOS app Voxer. CEO Tom Katis is a friend of mine, and I’ve had a great time using the app through it’s successive generations and revisions. Lately, Voxer has been accelerating in its reach, and is now hitting the prime time, moving up the Apple App Store top 10 lists, and gaining a widespread global userbase.
From Voxer’s website:
“Voxer is a Walkie Talkie application for smartphones. Voxer lets you send instant audio, text and photo messages to your friends (one or more!). Messages stream live as you talk and your friends join you live or listen later.
Voxer is available for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android devices.”
Recently, CNN did a feature on Voxer, going over the product’s usage and business model.
I’ll be looking forward to using Voxer going forward, and to new versions of the app. Right now I think the actual conversation flow works well, but there’s a bit to be desired for the user list and friend discovery process.
After almost an entire week of not being able to backup to Crashplan because of “archive maintenance” on their part, I was informed today that instead of merely maintaining my backup archive, Crashplan LOST THE ENTIRE THING. That’s right, Crashplan lost all of my data, unrecoverably. It’s gone – my entire online backup archive of all of my data – my life’s work – 2.4 tb of everything – completely gone. And Crashplan doesn’t seem to have any remorse.
I’ve been using online backup for a number of years. Before I switched to Crashplan, I was using Backblaze for online backup. Backblaze was great – a lightweight, easy to use front end, fast backup speed, low system resources, good support response times, and most importantly, a reliable service. However, the one thing Backblaze didn’t do at the time was offer unlimited, or very long retention. Backblaze would delete data from my archive if it didn’t see that data connected to my computer for a month – so if I went on vacation for 2 months and stored away my external hard drives, my data would be automatically expunged at the end of the first month. Because of this little quirk of their service, I decided to switch backup providers to Crashplan. Note that nowadays, I believe that Backblaze retains data for 3-6 months, which is much much better. (more…)
Making waves this week is a new photo slideshow tool called Pummelvision. The simple tools automatically turns photos from a Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Dropbox, or Tumblr photo feed into a catchy music video slideshow, and uploads it for you to Vimeo or YouTube. The tool is still a bit rough, with very limited options, but it’s a good start, and seems to be catching on. Last week I was in Telluride, so here are the photos from that trip, in Pummelvision…
** Hello! If you’re finding this page in your research of Crashplan Vs Backblaze, or Crashplan Vs Mozy, or any other services, please be sure to read my ongoing saga with Crashplan losing my entire backup archive. Cheers! **
CrashPlan’s recent release of an iOS app solidifies my switch from Backblaze to Crashplan. Now, I can access all of my CrashPlan backed up files on my iPhone, making the service even more valuable.
At this point, I’m still running both Backblaze and Crashplan, but as soon as I use CrashPlan’s seeding service and get all my files transferred to CrashPlan’s servers, I’m ditching Backblaze.
Backblaze runs as a native osX app, and CrashPlan runs as a Java app – naturally i’d prefer a native app, but in using CrashPlan, I see no difference in performance. Backblaze is still better integrated into the system UI with the System Preferences and Menubar integration, but that’s not a dealbreaker for me.
Crashplan not only allows me to backup to their cloud service, but also to external hard drives, folders, and other friends computer. This functionality is great, and even allows them to provide a cloud storage seeding service, by way of the local hard drive backup feature, and efficient data de-duplication and cataloging systems.
CrashPlan offers me many more customization options – I can have it throttle down its bandwidth and CPU usage when I’m using the computer, and then throttle up when I step away. I can also set priorities and schedules.
The KILLER CrashPlan feature for me is unlimited data retention. If I backup an entire hard drive to CrashPlan, and then unplug it, the data will stay on CrashPlan’s servers indefinitely, provided I have it set to never erase data, and keep paid up on my account (which is inexpensive). This was the absolute most critical feature for me. No longer do I have to worry about going on the road with my laptop for months on end, and having the data backed up from my now unplugged external hard drives expunged from the backup service when the data presence timer times out after a month – which I believe happens with Backblaze.
CrashPlan is inexpensive – I paid for 4 years at a time, which makes it less than $3/month. Plus, if I cancel before those 4 years, they’ll give me a pro-rated refund. What more could I ask for?
Party Like a Culinista is your guide to throwing parties that balance health, fun, and mouthwatering dishes. The Culinista way to party means letting loose in the kitchen with unforgettable recipes that will wow your friends without weighing them down. Here’s to never ending laughter and impressive meals!
Lately I’ve been steadily using, and loving Occipital’s 360 Panorama iOS App, which I use on my iPhone 4. During the last few years, I’ve used a couple of different panorama and photo stitching apps including the excellent AutoStitch, and this one is by far the best so far.
The trick to its success is in its simplicity. The app uses the iPhones built in accelerometer and compass to track the cameras motion, automatically assembling a panorama registered perfectly with where the camera is facing. All a users must do it press the go button, and spin the camera around at the entire scene – looking up, down, and around. The app automatically takes the appropriate pictures, and processes the whole scene together into a panorama. No other post processing is necessary, other than a very brief automatic processing delay at the very end.
Once the panorama is captured, it’s easily viewable as an immersive panorama on the phone, a “polar” projection that makes the scene look like a little planet, or exported for email and sharing very easily. As an example, here are both the panorama and polar stereographic views of the Telluride, where I am right now.
One interesting note: If you veiw the full screen immersive on your iOS device and Safari, the page will use your devices built in gyro to auto pan the panorama. Great use of advanced device queries and hardware!
The one disadvantage of 360 panorama is the photo quality. Since the app does all of the capturing and compositing on the fly, the quality is not the full quality of the camera. For those full quality panoramas, I use the excellent, although not as easy to use AutoStitch from Cloudburst Research. With AutoStitch, the users simply captures a series of full resolution photos directly with the photo app on the phone, making sure to leave a little overlap between photos. Then, the photos are fed into the AutoStitch app, and the app automatically scans all of the images, picks up common elements, and blends them together into a full quality panorama. The app will render panoramas from full quality photos, which can take a little while to do – it breaks it all down into small blocks for rendering – but yields amazing quality results. Additionally, with Autostitch, photos can be processed to an extent before stitching – color effects, etc. It can even accept photos loaded onto the phone from other sources, like ones synced from iPhoto or Aperture. I use Autostitch when I want the highest quality – but lately, 360 Panorama has been getting more use, just because of its simplicity. Autostitch Panorama Rendering
As mobile phone screens get clearer and crisper, and cellular networks serve up data faster and faster, consumer are starting to watch more tv and movies on their phones.
While in the LGA airport shop, i found this nifty Human Toolz Moovee Stand. It’s a cut plastic card that folds into a stand for holding up your phone while watching a movie. Simple, portable and effective. But there’s one major downside, probably a condition of being sold in an airport news stand – the retail price for it is USD $7.99!!!
For a cheaper alternative, try cutting a metro card or business card the same way, like my friend Lev has done… Lev's Business Card iPhone Holder Second view (more…)
This past week, CNN reported that according to Ookla’s mobile speed test, the AT&T iPhone transfers data much faster than the Verizon iPhone. Of course it does – AT&T’s implementation of its 3G technology is much faster than Verizons. However the main thing that must be kept in mind here is that the AT&T iPhone is faster WHEN IT CAN GET A CONNECTION, which is intermittently at best. It seems like the Verizon iPhone, while it may be slightly slower in transferring data, is much much more reliable when it comes to being able to make that connection to transfer the dat. It’s unfortunate that AT&T’s network is so incredibly unreliable – I’d go for a more reliable Verizon iPhone anyday, but prefer to stick with the global standard GSM technology group, VS Verizon’s less widespread CDMA.
Since both AT&T and Verizon are using LTE technology for their “4G” service, and will likely offer the same model 4G iPhone, the choice for my next phone and provider may really come down to soley network reliability – and judging by this study, Verizon is far ahead.
This week I got to try out the new iOS Application “IntoNow“. Into now listens to what you’re watching on TV, and by fingerprinting and scanning a massive online database of TV show audio samples, manages to figure out what exactly you’re watching. While using it, I found it to be fairly accurate and response. Great Retina Display graphics too.
Earlier today I got an email asking for recommendations on a new pocket “point-and-shoot” camera, and fired back with a wrapup of the three that I too am considering for my next pocket camera.
My trusty Canon SD-500 has finally died after 4 years of hard use and abuse, and over 12,000 pictures taken. It’s been a great camera, and went all around the world with me, even scuba diving with me to 100 feet, in the Canon waterproof case. Recently the focus stopped working, and the two rechargeable batteries I have for it barely hold a charge – they’ve probably each been recharged close to 1000 times. Also, a little puff of smoke comes out of the top speaker grill every time the flash fires a full burst.
Buying a new piece of gear is always a major research effort, and weighing the options is important. I’m currently stuck on three cameras, each with their own good and bad features.
My brother Jason and I using the SD-500 to film our discovery of the crashed weather balloon in the backcountry of central Alaska, Summer 2008.
Canon SD780IS –
This is the smallest and thinnest pocket camera Canon has ever produced, and it really is super small – just checked it out at the store, and its rounded corners make it easy to slip in your pocket. It’s 12MP, but a very small sensor. From what I’ve read, it’s very solidly built for its size, and takes great pictures, however it’s picture quality is not as good as some other, larger pocket cameras. Also, it takes 720p HD video, with sound, and has a built in HD HDMI output for plugging directly into an HDTV. The lens is in the “normal” range for zoom, with the widest angle being 33mm (in film equivalent) The big questions for me on this is – I really love that it’s ultra super small, and takes 720p HD video, however, I’m not sure how much it’s worth it for ever so slightly reduced image quality. I suppose, though, given that this is a pocket cam, and ideally suited for going out with friends and taking fun snapshots, and not more intense photography, it would be acceptable. Also, it comes in flat black, which is sleek and low-key looking. This is currently my top pick.
Canon 880is –
This is the camera that I bought for my brother Jason recently, and researched quite a bit before I bought it for him. It’s a bit bigger and heavier than the 789is, and doesn’t have an optical viewfinder. Also, it’s lower resolution (10mp)(not an indicator of image quality), and only shoots “standard def” video. However, that being said, it is noted as having among the best image quality out of the current canon pocket cameras. Additionally, it has a wide angle lens, 28mm (in film equiv) being the widest. (Compared to 33mm for the 780is) This camera is def still pocketable, but nowhere near as sleek. My brother can pocket it easy because he wears baggy jeans, and it fits easily in a coat pocket, however it might be a little bulky to slip into the wallet pocket of a suit jacket, or dress pants, or tighter jeans. So, it’s a trade off of getting slightly better pictures and wider angle, but having a slightly bulkier camera with no HD video recording.
Canon D10 –
The one ultra standout feature for this camera, and the feature that majorly puts it on the radar is that it’s waterproof, shockproof, and freezeproof. You can submerge it to 33feet underwater. Although I have a dedicated scuba case for actual scuba diving, having a waterproof and shockproof pocket camera seems like an awesome feature for a traveler, especially for sailing trips, hiking in the jungle, and other potentially hazardous or dirty areas – no worrying about getting sand in the lens mechanism, or taking it out in the rain or snow. The main detractors for this camera are the lens focal length and the size. The lens’ widest is 35mm (in film equiv), which is not the widest at all. Also, it’s one of the bulkier “pocket cameras”, and I think it looks kind of bubbled out and stupid – def not as sleek as the 780is.
It does have the waterproof and shockproof going for it, though, which is a major factor…
Google is quickly developing products for presence in the Travel space, and with their existing scope and technology resources, I can see them making a significant impact if they want, giving emerging startups like BonVoyaging stiff competition. Here’s my rundown of some recent Google Travel projects…
