Security Threat To Your Phone – in a 7 Day Period

The US has one of the lowest mobile device threat rates in the world, but that is still a rather disturbing 1.7% chance in every 7 day period.  So, the risk is not inconsequential.  Android phones are probably more vulnerable than Apple phones.  The established virus security industry has been slow to react to protecting mobile devices.  But an upstart has come on the scene.  I have Blogged about this company before “Lookout”.  A new story about the company in Fortune Magazine alerts me to both the company as a potential investment and as an APP that is sensible and doesn’t scare you (in order to sell you more services).   See Oct 28 issue of Fortune. Story is not free to read on-line. 

https://www.lookout.com/   “For the Post-PC Era”  What a great tag line.

The risk in Germany to have your mobile device hacked is 4 X more than the US.  Thus Germany's government and corporations are very interested in this software.  The Lookout  website says their software (installed as an APP on your phone) has now scanned 4.8 million APP’s … to ensure they are clean, and won’t harm your device.  Company is not yet public, but is backed by hugely influential private investors.  The founder was playing in the stock market in the 4^th. grade. He is one of the most astute young entrepreneurs around – according to venture capital decision makers.  He is now 36 but founded the company when he was 30.   

With the potential demand, world wide, I would say this company could have a very big future, or will get acquired by a larger entity.  Unfortunately I don't see a way for outsiders to buy any stock. 

Yeti Cooler Revolution

http://www.yeticoolers.com/

Hunters, fishermen, campers, construction sites, and tail-gate fans, all now know about the Yeti Cooler.  The wonder is why it took so long for someone to invent a really long lasting, well insulated cooler, you can stand on, sit on, and expect ice to stay in decent shape for days and days.  Businessweek Magazine just ran a story on the founders of the product, a mom and pop kind of operation started by Roy Seiders in Texas.  He and his older brother created the company and it has advanced well beyond fishermen.  Made of the same materials as Igloo and Coleman, it has more insulation and is much stronger and more durable in sunlight. It is also “bear proof” and has amazing set of extra add-ons like tie-down straps and a well cushioned seat top that snaps on.  Nice videos on the website to instruct you on how to install the tie-down anchors in your boat (or truck).  All accessories are stainless steel, all user friendly.  Now even doctors are using them to transport organs.  This cooler is fast becoming a cult-item for hunters and fishermen, campers too.  Company sales should exceed $100 million this year. Prices range from $220 to $1,300.

A Walk In The Park? Walking and Running APP’s for Smart Phones

There are quite a few walking or running apps for your iPhone (or other brand).  A friend showed me hers last week, and I was fascinated.  We talked for 3.3 miles, it kept track of the distance using GPS.  And showed the route, and time, and calculated the “speed in miles per hour” I suppose. 

I searching for that exact app, I ran into some others worth a look   Walk Tracker Pro ($2.99 in the iTunes store) has a fabulous user rating.  265 reviews and still has 4.8 stars out of 5.  That’s heavy duty.  It appears to be a very complete APP, telling you, perhaps verbally, what landmarks you are passing – and allows you to listen to radio at the same time. 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/walk-tracker-pro/id423400390?mt=8

Walk with Map, My Walk appears to be another good one.  Free.  It pulls up a map of where you are walking and you can see it plot your walk in red, down the sidewalks or streets.  It says it is a GPS pedometer.  Nice touch.

Sports Tracker app has less reviews, but the quality rating is still 4.5 star, and it is free.  It certainly has a nice home screen, very informative and big numbers for those with poor eyesight. Appears to put a satellite map on the home screen – the exact place where you are walking -- of course. 

There are 130 APP’s in the iTunes store for walking or running.  So there is no shortage of choices.  Let me know which ones you are using (just hit the comment button below) and tell me if you like it (or the opposite). 

Innovation From Annoyance

A recent story in WSJ about how annoyance drives some household innovation was worth a read.  It re-describes the Nest Thermostat, which I have blogged about before.  And talks about other worthy items to remove stress from life (if you are a techie, and have spendable cash):

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304500404579125131894144044

The next annoyance remover product is a smoke detector, with museum good looks, innovative working ideas, and, sadly, a $129 price tag.  But here is what it does better:

1.      probably has a 10 year battery

2.      looks pretty good

3.      if you put 4 in your house, they can talk to one another and so if one goes off in one room, the other 3 will also go off.

4.      false alarm?  You wave your hand and it sees that, and stops the alarm sound.  No finding a ladder and so on.

5.      if the battery is low, it tells you, maybe in plain English

6.      if there is a fire in one room, perhaps the other 3 units will speak something like  “fire in bedroom” – I am not sure.

The article mentions paying for things with smart phones (see my post earlier today) and I see that coming rapidly.  Why?  Because for the first time ever, most everyone has a $600 (list price) phone-computer in their pocket and thus can communicate with their money and vice versa. Think about paying small bills, like a food-truck meal (no land line in the truck) or other vendor wirelessly.  Credit cards might someday look as obsolete as the “pagers” of the 1970’s and 80’s .  And to think I was impressed with my first pager and used it a good bit. Same with my first bag phone. 

Money In The (e) Mail

WSJ ‘s Walter Mossberg reviews "Square Cash" today.  A new and unique system to transfer cash from your bank account to a friend or family member (but not to a business).

http://allthingsd.com/20131015/the-money-is-in-the-email/

This could be the dreamed-about breakthrough because it hits all the buttons on the wish list.

1.      any debit card to any debit card, any bank

2.      no log in

3.      no password to remember

4.      no special hardware required

5.      no special software required

6.      just uses e-mail

7.      works on both ends, using any e-mail service

8.      any device, smart phone, tablet or a desktop computer

9.      did I mention it is FREE ?

Up to $2,500 per week can be moved.  In several transactions, or all at once.

Think of how easy this would make “splitting a check at a restaurant” ?  But, of course, just giving the server two or more credit cards does something similar (but with more risk of ID theft or card compromise).  This seems to trump the more complicated PayPal transfer solution, and the screens it uses are elegantly simple.  Walter Mossberg had it work rather flawlessly in his tests.  So I think this one is definitely worth looking into.  Think of transferring money as a graduation gift, or birthday gift?  

Tell The Waiter You Will Just Walk Out

Without paying.   

Yes, there is a new app on the way called “Cover”.  Cover lets you check in to a restaurant on arrival, and they will know your game plan, and so when the time comes to leave, you just walk out.   A few minutes after you leave you will get an email telling you that the restaurant was paid “$ X “ and the waitress was tipped 20 %. 

See details in link below.  Restaurants and others say that people who pay by charge card tip better than those tipping with cash.  Also 18% is the least Cover will let you tip, as the industry thinks that’s about the least the wait-staff can survive on. It also costs the restaurant less commission than charge card companies would have charged them to process the same payment.

http://thenextweb.com/apps/2013/10/01/cover-launches-its-dining-out-ios-app-to-eliminate-waiting-for-the-check/

Right now it is limited to NYC, and , after beta testing for a year, 200 restaurants have signed on.  But the hopes are it will spread.  Venture capitalists are circling. Is this the next Groupon? Or restaurant PayPal? You saw it here first !