The Check-out of the Future: Fewer Humans, More Phones [video]

Older 'future video' and article from NCR via Fast Company. Even thought it's nearly a year old, i still love signs to a future of RFID/NFC, internet of things...

National Cash Register is one of those grand old American companies that, come the digital revolution, might have gone the way of the rotary phone. Instead, with a trimmed down name (now NCR), and a ramped up R&D operation, the company is transforming the way we handle our money--or its digital equivalent.
We visited NCR’s "Innovation Center," an expansive high-rise display space filled with next-gen ATMs, kiosks, and self-service systems that will let you do everything from check into a hotel (and find your way to your room), to burn a movie (and redeem the old ones you no longer want.)

We were most taken with the possibilities of using our cellphones to conduct business in all sorts of intriguing new ways. We got the company to demonstrate a few cutting edge applications that may soon appear in a bank or hotel near you.

Bloggers Create Social Network Via Snail Mail

New skool gets old skool... thanks psfk
March 17, 2010

Social networks present a paradox; we utilize them as a utility to keep in touch with everyone, and yet people spend hours everyday interacting on them. It’s clear from this that the commodity being played with is time. Moreover, we are accustomed to immediate and self-gratifying communication. In reaction though, many of us still lament older forms of human interactions. Because in a world where birthday wishes are symbolized by animated gifs and two second decisions about whether to post a comment on Facebook, the sincerity can sometimes feel a little lacking.

This is where the Package Project takes it starting point. The goal is to build a network of interactions by sending creative and colorful packages to other bloggers. They write:

The Package Project is an exchange aimed to connect bloggers around the world and to grow the blogging community even further. It is all about swopping pretty packages and handmade delights. The packaging only makes the exchange more fun so get creative…strings, manila tags and ribbons galore. Each package must be a joy to receive and each time you do receive one…pop out your camera and snap away. This way we all get to share in a bit of your excitement.

By participating, you get to learn about your blogging partner through their creativity as much as their contents. More importantly though, the sense of anticipation between each blogger builds a more meaningful interaction because of the time needed to create the project as well as send/receive. Time, here, is still a commodity, but is it possible to feel a little bit of sincerity reinstated when you know the other person has spent just as much time as you have thinking of them?

Pizza Hut on the go

Pizza Hut has launched an Australian iPhone app to enable mobile ordering of products.

The app features an augmented reality function or ‘GPS Store Finder’, giving iPhone 3Gs users with the ability to find their nearest Pizza Hut store. Users can hold up their iPhone 3Gs, the camera opens and the screen shows what is in front of the user, as well as small tabs highlighting the direction and distance of Pizza Hut locations nearby.


All iPhone users will have fun with the exclusive racing game – a great way to be entertained while waiting for their orders to be delivered.

The app gives customers the ability to order a selection of food including pizza, tuscani pasta, sides, and drinks. Orders can be saved as an ‘ifav’, making it quicker to order in the future.

Pizza Hut’s iPhone app has been specially created for the local market and is based on the popular US version.

The app can be viewed at http://www.pizzahut.com.au/iphone and downloaded from the iTunes store.

Pizza Hut will also launch a new ordering service for a variety of other 3G mobile phones in the near future.

To see a demonstration of the app, go to www.pizzahut.com.au/iphone.

From Inside Retailing March 17

Goldstar Beer: Park Fight Facebook App

Brands trying to generate large numbers of fans on Facebook know it generally involves some serious work over a decent period of time, or in this case (and the much preferred method!), just a very clever idea that has a platform to go viral! This is a new Facebook app for Gold Star Beer (Israel’s #1 Beer), created by McCann Israel where they have created a man vs woman car parking challenge for players recruit friends to help win the battle of supremacy!

You’ve got to park a car perfectly in the fastest possible time to help your genders average parking score! The app has been a massive hit over in Israel, with 200,000 people becoming fans, generating 2.5 million + games in under a week! Check out the Facebook app here! (thanks Nir!)

Oh, women are currently parking in about 53 secs while men are averaging a speedy 42 secs!

Posted from Digital Buzz

Google opens online store

Google will sell the online services of other business software makers in an effort to fill its own product gaps and persuade more companies to rely on applications piped over the Internet.

The online store unveiled late on Tuesday in the US marks another step in Google's crusade to convert the world to "cloud computing".

The term refers to applications that run in Web browsers instead of individual hard drives.


More than 50 software makers have agreed to sell their Internet programs through Google, which will keep 20 per cent of the sales. The prices are expected to range from $US50 ($A54.73) to several hundred dollars per user annually.

Intuit and Concur Technologies are among the best-known software makers in Google's store.

From Insider Retail 11/03/2010

Technology, Game Mechanics And Bridging The Virtual-Actual Divide

Thanks again PSFK for this interesting talk from Jesse Schell of schellgames.com on the intersections of gaming and the real world... the stuff on much real money social games generate, and the insights behind them, is fascinating.

At our New York Conference last year, Kevin Slavin of Area/Code delivered a talk on gaming in everyday life entitled “This Platform called Everyday Life”. Recently we stumbled upon a talk Jesse Schell of schellgames.com (game developer, previously of the Disney Imagineering division) delivered for this year’s DICE summit (Design, Innovate, Communicate Entertain) that elaborates on this concept.

During the talk, Schell talks about how the explosion of the virtual in our lives has driven us to crave more reality in every facet of life; think the continuing proliferation of “reality” TV programming and “authentic” offerings from major brands and corporations (like Starbuck’s London Conduit Street and Seattle 15th Ave. locations). This trend has had an incredible impact on gaming across the last few years, and has allowed for the continuing success of “real”-ish gaming (the Nintendo Wii which translating real activity into interactivity, Guitar Hero and Rock Band which simulates a rock-stardom with “real” instruments), as well as games driven by very real social mechanics (eg. Mafia Wars). Schell concludes his talk with an elaborate example of how foursquare-like game mechanics complete with rewards points and achievements could impact our everyday lives as world the virtual and actual collide; Imagine getting “achievement points” for taking public transit which result in a government tax credit to further incentivize you.

The particulars of Schell’s talk are debatable, but with the explosion of augmented geolocated technology (SPIMEs) such as Dennis Crowley’s Foursquare, Nike’s Plus, and the prolific use of social networking to interface real life interaction, this continued collision of virtual and actual is inevitable. We were particularly struck by the bizarre economics that bridge the virtual/actual divide. Did you know that Farmville earns more money from lead generation (allowing credit card companies to get players to fill in applications) than micro-payments from users?

Watch a video of Schell’s talk below:

Wii Games - E3 2010 - Guitar Hero 5

An App for That, Too: How Mobile Is Changing Shopping

Thanks Ali for sharing this on 'Shapping' (hey i just made up a new word)

Via Adage: These Six Products Give Retailers a Reason to Be Excited About the Platform

by Natalie Zmuda
Published: March 01, 2010

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Mobile phones are fast becoming the way consumers find coupons, research products, compare prices and make purchases. It makes shopping easier for consumers, but that doesn't mean retailers are thrilled at the prospect of consumers consulting mobile phones from their aisles -- after all, does Best Buy want you to know that the item in your cart can be had cheaper at Amazon -- and purchased right now on your phone?

"There is fear, but it is the new reality," said Dan Butcher, a reporter at Mobile Marketer. "Retailers are becoming aware that consumers are using their phones in the store to make decisions. They're realizing that they need to support that platform."

Indeed, retailers who don't embrace the technology now will be left to play catch-up in the years to come. But there is reason for retailers to be excited about the shifting mobile landscape. Many of the mobile applications coming onto the market actually benefit bricks-and-mortar retail by improving the in-store experience or driving traffic to stores that are either nearby or boast the best deals.

There are dozens of retail-related mobile applications on the market today, making it impossible to highlight them all. Here are half a dozen that stand out for the impact they're having on the way consumers shop.

SHOPSAVVY
Launched: November 2008 by Big in Japan

WHAT IT DOES: With this app, users can comparison shop by scanning a product's bar code with a camera phone. ShopSavvy finds the lowest prices online and at nearby brick-and-mortar retailers, as well as coupons, and lets users make transactions. Last month, ShopSavvy reported more than 42 million scans. Available on the iPhone, iPod Touch, Android and Nokia phones.

WORTH WATCHING: Walmart is slated to soon open up its grocery pricing , meaning consumers will be able to quickly see if it has cheaper cereal than their local grocery chain. Retailers are realizing it can be advantageous to embrace apps. Said Big in Japan co-founder Alexander Muse: "They realize, sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. But if I stay out of the conversation, I never win."


YOWZA
Launched: June 2009 by Greg Grunberg, an actor on "Heroes," and August Trometer, CEO- Thunderstone Media

WHAT IT DOES: Using GPS to determine shoppers' locations, Yowza delivers coupons to nearby stores. Users can set the parameters between 1 mile and 50 miles. The app boasts more than 1 million unique users on the iPhone and iPod Touch and an additional 4 million users through a syndication deal for BlackBerry, Android and Palm.

WORTH WATCHING: Some retailers fear easy access to coupons means full-price shoppers may become discount hunters. But Messrs. Grunberg and Trometer say it attracts a younger consumer base willing to spend more. Retailers using Yowza can also make near-instant updates to their offers, so items that aren't selling can be promoted and offers can be deleted when items are sold out.


RETREVOQ
Launched: December 2009 by Retrevo.com

WHAT IT DOES: More of a mobile advisor than an application, RetrevoQ uses texts and tweets to dispense info. Shoppers can text 41411 or tweet @retrevoq including the make and model of the electronics product they're considering, and RetrevoQ will respond with advice on whether it's a good buy, a fair price, the price range available online for that product and a link to reviews at Retrevo.com, a consumer-electronics shopping and review site.

WORTH WATCHING: Few retailers have the bandwidth or expertise to answer each and every consumer query on-premise, making this a welcome service. However, for those retailers like Best Buy or HHGregg that pride themselves on in-store expertise and count it as a differentiator, RetrevoQ levels the playing field.


FASTMALL
Launched: December 2009 by MindSmack

WHAT IT DOES: This iPhone and iPod Touch app provides interactive maps of malls, highlighting elevators and the quickest route to stores, as well as helping shoppers find food vendors and remember where their cars are parked. A shake of the phone turns up the nearest restroom location. Shoppers can also make lists and access coupons.

WORTH WATCHING: The death of the mall has been touted over and over during the last decade. And while it's true that shoppers are turning to new formats or going online, all many of them want is a simpler shopping experience. Making mall shopping easier and more interactive through mobile apps has the potential to win over some consumers.


THEFIND: WHERE TO SHOP
Launched: December 2009 by TheFind

WHAT IT DOES: Shoppers can find which stores carry the products they're looking for and where those stores are located, as well as compare prices with nearby retailers and online retailers. The app will even calculate the driving cost to each store. It is available on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

WORTH WATCHING: Mobile price comparison is going to become a bigger and bigger issue for retailers. While having the shopper in-store used to mean a better chance of clinching the sale, retailers now need to find creative ways to ensure they're not regularly bypassed for cheaper options.


GROCERYIQ
Launched: September 2008 by Free State Labs

WHAT IT DOES: Coupons.com acquired the popular grocery app in January 2009 and released version 2.0 in December. The iPhone and iPod Touch app allows consumers to create grocery lists, organize them, access coupons and share lists with others. Shoppers can also take photos of bar codes to add items to their lists and create lists of frequently or previously purchased items.

WORTH WATCHING: The day of the paper list is gone, as is the paper coupon, at least as far as millennials are concerned. As this group ages, starting careers and families, consumer package goods players and grocery retailers will be paying close attention to the way they shop. Mobile apps like this one have the potential to make shopping more interactive, easy and fun for these tech-savvy consumers.