BUNZ Community App

BUNZ: A Local Community Barter App

Community is what brings us together in electronic communications and applications and BUNZ is like that, but with a slight twist.  It's not about the money, it's about the community.

Community-centric Tool

There are many applications and sites available to us today, such as Craigslist, Nextdoor, LetGo, OfferUp, etc, but most of these centralize on one aspect from buying and selling to the sharing-economy.  But none of these applications focus on barter or trade in the local community as the core feature.  While it is certainly possible to use these apps to barter most likely the interaction will involve a fiat currency.

Background

BUNZ did start out about 6 years ago (c. 2013) as a private group on Facebook barter community. It grew in popularity in its home-town of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, so much that the founders of BUNZ decided to move outside of Facebook to their own website and app. This allowed that the world could re-discover and appreciate the ancient tradition of barter.  BUNZ makes trading items much easier now, so that rather than dealing with the local marketplace and it's financial woes, one can feel at home with a community.

New Feature: BTZ

While BUNZ began as a local community barter app, it has grown to include a currency, where the founders of BUNZ realized that sometimes it was impossible to trade a physical object for a service or vise versa.  Throughout time humans have tried to figure out how exchange goods and services for a fair price.  Usually this involves haggling, but lately prices have been more hard to negotiate.

In using the BTZ crypto-currency, BUNZ has been able to add value to the items that are given for trade, but stay outside of the fiat currencies of its own nation as well as others.

How does it work? 

Joining the BUNZ community is simple enough, anyone can find the site or app.  Joining can be done by visiting the website or downloading the app.  After that the app and site are fairly similar to other aforementioned services like Craigslist, LetGo, or OfferUp.  There is a section to view local posts, a section to create local posts, and a section to invite more friends to the service.

Of course the latest feature in the app, the BTZ cryptocurrency is being promoted at the moment because it is so new to the app, but the feature is a side note to the actual function of the app.  BUNZ is primarily a barter app. and although we may all agree that we barter in a sense for the money that we carry to pay for certain things; it is merely a social construct, a means to an end. 

Barter where Cash is King

As more people join, the value of the app improves, but this value isn't monetary, it's functional.  Our modern society seems to find more value in experiences than in things.  While a photo of one and one's friends atop Aconcagua may speak to thousands of the heroism and challenge, the experience of doing it cannot be captured in a single shot. Transactions in our society have lost their community and meaning. People try to find themselves in things rather than experiences and community.  BUNZ brings this back to us, recapturing the lost element of community in our lives.


Check out BUNZ on both the Google Play and Apple App stores for free now. 

Google Shopping Express

Google Shopping Express App

Google Shopping Express is a new idea for Google.  It only began in Spring of 2013 and appears to be direct competition for Amazon same-day delivery.  Utilizing local and participating stores, Google Shopping has expanded to offer express delivery of things from the stores in surrounding area.  For now, the idea is limited to San Francisco, the Peninsula, and the South Bay, but if the trial is a success, it will be rolled out to additional cities in the US.

Being a hardcore Google fan-boy, I felt that it was my duty to install and review the program.  And I am fortunate to live in the beta testing area. Admittedly, considering Google's Shopping experience, I was skeptical as to whether Express would be worth the while, but so far I am impressed.

Search

If anyone knows Search, it's Google.  This is the most comprehensive search I've had the please of using, while simultaneously not overwhelming the user.  Of course it's also possible to just filter down to what you're looking for.

I've been able to search for the product exactly, or by just one word, or by the concept.  I have yet to search by color or scent, but it seems that Google tried to make sure that I will find what I want, even if I don't know what I want.

Payment

Utilizing both the app and the web, Google requires that you register a credit or debit card, although if you have already signed up for Google Wallet you're probably set.

Delivery

It's an impressive feat, to be sure.  Although realistically, it's no different than asking a servant to retrieve something for you.  At least in the US where servants are paid for their services, Google is not for the first six months that you use Shopping Express. And you will have to live in the SF Peninsula or San Jose South Bay areas.

The primary difference, that I have noticed, in having a Google-paid courier service pickup your delivery and a servant is that courier doesn't have much to do with the rest of his / her day.  On a visit to the Sunnyvale downtown shopping center, I noticed hoards of Google Express Shopping couriers loitering about the garage.  Most of them are resting in their vehicles, but I can't imagine that it's a great use of time to just wait about for something to happen.

Conclusion

Alas, this is still just another Google Beta program.  The goal it would seem is to find the happy medium between same-day delivery and the analytics involved.  Google is all about analysis, although they are primarily an advertising company, the rest of the time (and money) goes to research.

I heard recently someone comparing Google to the IBM of yester-year.  It's a large company with mountains of money and a gross percentage of highly intelligent employees. Often it's not apparent what the most brilliant minds in the world are thinking about, but they occasionally come to some spectacular conclusions.  Here's to hoping that the Google think-tank can find that brilliant idea.

NextDoor: Your Neighborhood Watch on the Web

I am totally stoked about this idea.  NextDoor isn't new, but it may as well be new to many people.  The concept is as old as the idea of neighbors, but through the awesome power of the internet, we can now communicate with all our neighbors.  In a sense, it's like the idea of the Neighborhood Watch program but with the addition of a trade forum.

NextDoor is very exclusive in its idealism.  You cannot simply join like you can when creating an email account on Yahoo or Google email services.  The service requires that you have an address and that you verify yourself either via a personal phone number, Social Security, or credit card.  This almost guarantees that you will only ever seen communications between you and your closest local neighbors.

I've only been using NextDoor for a week and already I've communicated with more than 10 neighbors that I did not know before.  And I've found that I have more things in common with those who live near me than I had previously guessed.  In the past, let's say 30 years ago, the only way to get to know your neighbors was to walk down the street and talk to them (or lose a football over the fence). But today, it's quite possible, if not reasonable, to meet your neighbors online.

One of the things that I am most grateful for in the use of NextDoor is the profile space.  Everyone can fill out this section and give each other a small insight to themselves.  This includes a picture in their profile which will allow you to match name and face to an address.  I now know the people who walk their Siberian Husky dogs around the block because they're in my NextDoor neighborhood.

The app is nearly the same as the web interface with some minor tweaks for compactness. I've gone away from receiving updates notifications via email to only through the app.  And it is quite possible to get daily digests rather than momentary updates for each change.  It is fortunate that NextDoor thought to provide an app for both iOS and Android, but is has yet to release a Windows Phone app.  However, it is possible to view the site from any portable device browser if there is yet an app.

I highly recommend checking out NextDoor if you're interested in the happenings of your neighborhood.  It's quite the experience to keep up with the Schwadowskys, Wongs, Winsoms, Burnhardts, and Joneses, especially if you'd never had the time to meet them or were too shy.

Check out the NextDoor App for Android and iOS
And if you haven't been invited, come join me.

 

Get A Charge from EV Charging Station Locator

I've recently become one of the "Elite" users of electric car charger stations.  Depending on where you live, you may have a great many stations or almost none.  Where I live in the San Francisco South Bay area, there are literally thousands of charging stations.  As there are many tech companies in the area, and these companies want to foster the electric car ideal, they have installed many charge stations.  Apple and Google are have the most, nearly each building they have, has at least 4 charge stations.

But how would I know where these stations are?  I've been using the EV Charging Locator app by FleetCarma.  Although there are several apps available that compete with the EV Charging Locator app, none truly compare.

As far as I am currently aware, there are only two major vehicle charger networks available.  The ChargePoint network by Coulomb Technologies and the Blink network by the Car Charging Group.  Although the Blink network is certainly more recognized as it came out with guns blazing, it has not fared well.  The ChargePoint network however is practically ubiquitous with charger stations.  Although they are not flashy and large, they are nearly everywhere.

Both ChargePoint and Blink have their own apps and websites to lead users to local charge stations. But the EV Charging Locator has listings for both and unlike the other two apps, actually gives some idea of the state of the charger.

It's possible to search, find the nearest, and add a charging station with the app.  Each indicator isn't always up-to-date, but fortunately there still are not a huge number of EV's out there.  Although I can't imagine how messy this map screen will become once they are ubiquitous as home sockets. Still, it's nice to live in the SF Bay Area where I am sure that there is always a nearby and open station.

Check out the app on Google Play

SpeedTest Gets a Facelift

Nexus 7

SpeedTest got a face lift today with the most recent app update from the Google Play Store.  This whole new look doesn't just fit phone formats, but any format.  The image above was taken on a Nexus 7 Gen 1.

It's been a very long time coming for this update.  The prior look remained on the application for a very long time.  Interestingly enough, the website has not changed it's look to match the mobile application design (as of this post).  The new design is much cleaner with a flowing gradient background that can be seen on each page.

Galaxy Note 2

Check it out on the Google Play Store.

Google Wallet is Expanding

Google Wallet is expanding to include more features.  Soon Google Wallet will be able to send money from anywhere.  All loyalty features on any credit card can be utilized.  Even more offers than before are available through Google Wallet.  And all this is stored in one place.  It's your digital wallet.


One of the most interesting features competes directly with Paypal, by allowing users to send money to anyone email account.  You will first have to be verified via Google Wallet to use this feature, but it can take less than 5 seconds to accomplish that.  Initially all money transfers will be free during the promotional startup period.  Afterward you will need to push money into your wallet directly in order to not be fined (up to 2.9%).

When carrying Google Wallet in your phone (which you will likely be carrying all the time), you can keep all your credit cards.  Paying is simple with whichever card you desire.  No longer do you have to decide on the loyalty plan of just one card, when all cards are available.

All activity performed through Google wallet will show in one place on the app.  So no matter which card you use, or Google Wallet cash, you will see all the interactions together.  It doesn't matter if the purchases are made through your phone or through the web on your desktop or laptop computer, they're all listed in the same place.

Best of all, your data and all your cards are safe with Google's Wallet Purchase Protection.  And if you lose your phone you can remotely lock it down and disable the Wallet.  For additional protection, Google recommends the 2-step verification feature.  Through 2-step verification, it's almost impossible for someone to hack into your account.

For now Google Wallet only works on select phones and tablets, including all Nexus devices.  Here's a list of the eligible devices.

Google Wallet is still in the early stages of a one-stop-shop for all your purchasing power, but it's a good start.

Initial Review of Panel App

Through the updates for the Locket App for Android, I have found other interesting apps.  One of the apps that I found is called the Panel App.  In a nutshell, the app recognizes where you've been and then asks you questions about those places.  In answering the questions correctly, the app awards points to you and in turn these points can be exchanged for money or chances for prizes.

I've only been using the Panel App for about a week.  In that time I've mostly been asked questions about places I've been in the last 24 hours.  Occasionally, the app will ask questions about the sorts of places that I've been in the last set periods of time, generically.  These set periods of time are usually the last three months and the places are general locations that a person might go, like a grocery store or restaurant.

The app itself is fairly basic and clean, offering an almost neutral interface like that of a testing center.  I actually appreciate this UI by comparison to some of the more flowery or theme-based apps that offer similar services.  The Panel App keeps it simple.

There are three key screens in the Panel App.

• Your Panel
• Points Panel
• Redeem Your Points

The main screen that you will often open the app to is the "Your Panel" screen.  This gives the status of the app, and some explanation links.  At the top of every screen is the menu and settings buttons.  The menu will return you to the "Your Panel" screen if you're on any other screen. The settings button will give you several options to manage the app. The settings are fairly simple and straightforward, including notifications for surveys, types of surveys, and account info.

If you want to know the status of your points, press the large button on the right with the word "ON" in green.  This button directs you to the "Points Panel" where you will see your current balance, total in the last 30 days, and the projected total for the year (based on your current rate of acquisition). The "Points Panel" also includes the Share and Redeem buttons.  

Pressing the Redeem button leads to the "Redeem Your Points" screen where you can buy into sweepstakes for a chance to win money or a gift card.  Or if you've saved enough points up you can exchange for a set currency amount from Paypal or Amazon.  I have not yet tried any of the Redeem options as this is still my initial review of the app.  It is not yet apparent to me what the chances of winning are and once I have had time to consider it I will write an updated review. 

So far the app has been basic, spamless, and easy-to-use.  By comparison to the Locket app, that does not directly compete, it is muted    I like it and will write more once I have had more time with the app.

Check out the App on the Google Play store or the Apple App Store

Google Glass gets Mission Impossible III Tech

If you didn't see Mission Impossible 3, then I am sorry for spoiling the intro for you.  Google Glass is getting Facial Recognition through an app from Lambda Labs.  The app launched last year and is already in use by over 1000 developers. 

This sort of thing is, I believe, exactly what Google is looking for in development of Glass.  This is some next-level stuff that will not be available to the public, at least, until early in 2014.  

So far the tidal wave of enthusiasm for Lambda Labs idea may have its sticking points.  Since Google went before a Congressional inquiry for the privacy concerns in Glass, offering a facial recognition app may not be the best foot forward.   But for those of us who relish the thought of the next killer-app, it may just be around the corner.

Extortion App for Android

In the past a suited, anonymous, thug would come to your place of business and show you a picture of what happens when you don't pay him to not burn your building down. Now that thug comes wearing the labcoat of a doctor and will install malicious Trojan software on your smartphone, then charge you to get rid of it.  

Anti-virus is unnecessary for most smartphones (Android/ iOS), but playing on the ignorance of the average user this malware proclaims the need for anti-virus utility to the masses familiar with Windows.  

Is Android a breeding ground for extortionists?   Hit the comments section below with your experiences.

This past is brought to you by TheNextWeb