Savvy Money Saving

Screen Shot 2014-11-17 at 3.54.48 PMIt’s often said a penny saved is a penny earned. And if you’re looking to save a few dollars, there’s a quick trick right at your fingertips, ShopSavvy.

ShopSavvy is a mobile app that scans products and finds both online and local stores who carry it. Once you scan the bar code, either at home or in-store, ShopSavvy makes a price comparison on the fly, displays user reviews, and searches for discounts. The app has updated SKUs so you’re sure to find the item in all stores listed. The brilliant app was developed by Rylan Barnes, who won “Google’s Android Developer Challenge”.

ShopSavvy can be downloaded on iOs, Android and Windows phones. There is also a website available for simple searches.

What Sparks Our fire: An app that will save us time and money.

Are you ready to give ShopSavvy a try and live a more frugal lifestyle?

The Ultimate Homework Helper

App that solves math equationsOf all the school subjects to hate, most tend to gravitate towards math. Simply because not everyone gets the necessary help when solving a math problem. So, to make math less painful, the team at MicroBlink created Photomath, the world’s first camera calculator, available for free in the app Store. In addition to solving your problems, PhotoMath will show you all the steps it took to get to the answer. The app is designed for middle-school kids.

Photomath is easy to use. All you have to do is scan a printed equation (no handwritten ones, yet) with your smartphone and watch the app solve the problem in real-time. Next, click through the problem solving option if you wish to see the steps involved. The app serves as a homework helper rather than homework doer.

What Sparks Our Fire: A helpful app that has the potential to make kids love math.

Is PhotoMath a great app for kids or do you think it will lead to cheating?

Yes, Take Advantage.

AppsEverywhere

We all remember the 2012 study that revealed making a phone call is only the fifth most popular use for mobile phones, right?

We are living in an incredibly exciting time where mobile phones are no longer being used to just make calls and send text messages. There are becoming devices with endless possibilities. The popularity of smartphones has established a flourishing market for mobile apps and we talk a lot about them here on #HowToStartAFire. For instance, Hitlist, HuminTraces, Mootch, etc. But, as more adults are increasingly turning to mobile apps, so are their children. According to a 2013 mobile study, children under the age of 2, 38% had used mobile devices like iPhones, tablets or Kindles for educational apps. So far, the U.S. has been the fastest to adopt mobile apps. According to some experts, the app revolution rivals the industrial revolution; there is even a Kickstarter project aimed to raise money to make a documentary about the human side of the app revolution.

The catalyst for this revolution is clear: simplicity, convenience and added-value. With these alone, apps are changing the way we live our lives in a big way. They are replacing books, maps, MP3 players, etc. The world just can’t get enough of mobile apps. According to some research, the average user has 41 apps on their device, and as of October 2014, Apple has a total download of 85 billion apps from games, and music to productivity and health-related apps. People are spending more and more of their time on apps and favor social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter,  and Whatsapp.

This new habit is a golden opportunity for businesses. A successful mobile application can readily provide another revenue channel, boost productivity, efficiency, competitive edge and user experience aside from your website and/or brick and mortar store. So, what are the ways you can use the power of mobiles apps to your business advantage:

  1. Reshape customers’ engagement: Engage with your customers in real-time, by location and profile information. If done right, you can turn them into revenue generators. For example, grocery stores apps can offer recipes and link ingredients to purchase in-store.
  2. Add value to customers: Making it simpler for your customers to get in touch with your company by offering them tools that make their life easier. For instance, many phones carriers like Verizon offer the option to pay and monitor bills via apps.
  3. A marketing and promotion opportunity: One way is to offer redeemable coupons and location-based push notifications. H&M is great at doing this, by sending push notification discounts when you walk pass a store. This increases the likelihood of having people visit you when they had no plan in doing so.
  4. A retail opportunity:  If you sell products or services online, a mobile app may be an option worth considering as it gives your customers the opportunity to make a decision on the go. 84% of shoppers are now using their mobile phone while they shop in the physical world.
  5. Maintain your brand image: Use social media like Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook, etc., to enhance your brand message and boost recognition. It allows you to share the brand tone, company culture, etc. Or monitor what people say about your brand and adjust.

What Sparks Our Fire: Apps have become powerful tools in our everyday lives, but more importantly have redefined the way businesses and marketers can approach consumers.

Have you already joined the revolution or are you left behind?

Taco Bell Has Been Cookin Something In The Oven For Nearly Two Years…

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… and it’s not a new taco or burrito but an App for iOs and Androids that allows users to order and make payment via their smartphone. They’ve eliminated the need to get out of the car and make the line; they’ve mostly eliminated the need to speak to anyone. In a nutshell, this is how it works:

  1. Browse the menu
  2. Select an item, or customize your order ingredient-by-ingredient, or re-order a meal from the past
  3. Submit and pay through the app using debit, credit, or Taco Bell gift cards
  4. Go to your nearest Taco Bell and skip the line to get your order

As part of the new app launch, Taco Bell Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and even its website have all gone dark, with only one message available for users to see “The new way to Taco Bell isn’t on [insert social media name] it’s #onlyintheapp”

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The idea was to play up the announcement and attract attention to the new release. In addition, they invite you to join the conversation with its Twitter hashtag #onlyintheapp.

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“Today as food culture changes and generations grow up with smartphones, our customers seek restaurant experiences that fit their lifestyle,” said Taco Bell Presiden, Brian Niccol, in a statement. Taco Bell assures the process is safe and secure. Two startups: Cardfree and Tillster help handle the paymenst.

This year has proven to be the year of mobile payment and ordering in fast food and is undoubtedly going to be the norm at fast-food chains within the next years. Wendy’s in March introduced a payment-by-app nationally; Burger King this year also said it was expanding its mobile-payment offering and lately McDonald’s has announced its collaboration with Apple Pay.

Sadly, you still need to drag yourself off the couch to get your food since Taco Bell doesn’t deliver…yet.

What Sparks Our Fire: An innovative app that makes it easy and simple to order food even faster.

Are you ready to satisfy your Taco Bell craving in a new fashion way? Download the app here for iOS or here for Androids

Add An Extra Button To Your Android Phone

pressy-button

It is undeniable that touch screens are popular in today’s world but, something people tend to forget is the importance of physical buttons which can sometimes make your life easier. For instance, a single click on a button could automatically launch and turn on your flashlight app without having to even unlock your phone.

Meet Pressy, a tiny button that sits in your headphone jack and allows quick access to frequently-used functions and built only for Android devices (sorry iOS users). When using headphones, a user can plug Pressy into the included keychain and if the headphone features a volume control button, the app allows that button to get access to all the Pressy features. How cool!

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Pressy also allows users to set up multiple functions with different combinations of presses and works along with an app. The Pressy app allows users to choose from a variety of different functions such as turning on the flashlight, instantly taking pictures, calling a number in your contacts, and so on. For instance, two short presses could tell it to call “Mom” and two long presses could cause it to play your favorite music.

Another major part of this project is the API which allows third party developers to build their own functions and features. And if you have multiple devises, you can use Pressy for all devises.  The project was Kickstarter funded and received more than 17 times its initial pledge of $40,000. You can now, order the device on Pressy’s official website.

What Sparks Our Fire: An innovative little button that brings back simplicity to Android phones for quick access to frequently-used functions.

Are you ready to make better use of your headphone jack?