Mobile app innovation is at an all-time high and there are dozens of apps that might soon claim the title of necessary. Here are a few you may want to have.
Real-time group communication is an up and coming avenue for application developers. GroupMe may be the next application that you find more and more of your friends using in the next coming year. This free app allows a group of friends private text messaging and instant group conference calls. Here’s how it works: a user types in a name and telephone number to start a group. GroupMe generates a unique phone number for that group to call to set up a conference call. With photo sharing capability it allows users to send pictures during phone calls and as many as 25 people can be included in one group. GroupMe does not require a smartphone, only a phone with text message capability.
Another technology that may be coming to a smartphone near you is Facecash. This is a California startup that is currently being tested in subway chains across California. The concept is that once setting up and funding an account a user can use a unique bar code generated on their smartphone or a self printed card to pay for purchases. When the bar code is scanned the merchant automatically is presented with the users picture for verification. Upon verification the funds are transferred automatically and both the consumer and merchant gets a record of the transaction.
Last but not least on the list of fantastic new applications coming to phones is Globalstar’s SPOT Connect. This is a is a satellite communicator that is capable of using satellite networks from a smartphone operating system. After downloading the app users can sent texts, emails and most importantly SOS messages when they are out of cell phone range. On more trivial notes they would also be able to update their Facebook statuses and tweet.