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IRL: Mint.com and Incipio's Feather case for the Retina MBP
Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment. It's about time you know what a Type-A person our managing editor Dana Wollman is (though a tendency to copy edit other people and benchmark laptops should have already been hints). In this edition, Dana makes a case for the personal finance app Mint.com, while Edgar (maybe a little Type-A himself) deals with a snap-on case for the sake of keeping his MacBook Pro scratch-free.
iOS-only OnTrees hopes to be the Mint.com of the UK
I've been attending a lot of meetings with various London-based startups in the last few months to learn their stories on what it takes to launch a successful new product. I'm particularly interested in ones that have a heavy slant towards mobile -- and iOS. This interest is magnified when I find a startup that is making a product that truly makes my life easier. One such startup is OnTrees and I think the process of bringing their idea to market is one other iOS developers can learn from. OnTrees wants to be the Mint.com of the UK. Financial data aggregation can be big business. Just ask Aaron Patzer who sold his Mint.com startup to Intuit in 2009 for $170 million. And while the Intuit deal did lend an air of legitimacy to financial aggregation services in the United States, in other parts of the world -- particularly the United Kingdom -- financial data aggregation services are still looked upon with apprehension. After all, who wants to give their sensitive financial account usernames and passwords to some faceless entity out on the interwebs? But that's just what UK startup OnTrees is trying to achieve -- and they're doing it on iOS-only for now. It wants to create a one-stop offering that allows users to get a complete financial overview of all their accounts. One login; all your data and spending tracked and graphed. And though generating awareness of what financial aggregation and building trust around it is one challenge, there are others: namely security, bank participation, and making a UX good enough so people will want to spend time with your service. And though OnTrees is still in beta, the company had made great progress in the six months since it had its soft launch in November 2012. Here's what OnTrees founder and Managing Director Charlie Mortimer told me about the experience so far. Fill a void. "More than 20 million people in the UK use online banking, of which around 50% have accounts with multiple providers," Mortimer tells me. "Our proprietary research has shown that people using online banking want to keep track of their finances, but the methods they use are typically time-consuming: 32% rely on keeping receipts and cross checking with statements, 20% use Microsoft Excel to keep budgets, 14% keep written notes and 4% use a software package e.g. the now defunct Microsoft Money." The above could be said to be boring product marketing statics, but they illustrate a point every developer should keep in mind: your product needs to fill a void or why will anyone use it? And it's that void -- potentially fillable by 20 million UK online bankers -- that makes OnTrees so attractive. After all, financial aggregation giant Mint isn't in the UK. And while there have been other UK financial aggregation services, none have seemed to have caught on even though Mortimer recognizes the need for aggregation to allow people to see their complete financial picture. But what about just using your bank's web services? "It's great that some banks (most notably Lloyds) are launching their own 'money managers' that try to help people see what they are spending," Mortimer says. "However, OnTrees' offering is unique because it is 'provider agnostic' and enables users to see their spending across their Lloyds account as well as their Halifax, Barclaycard, and Amex accounts." And matter of fact, OnTrees works with over 200 financial institutions in the UK, some of which don't even have dedicated apps -- another void increasingly tech savvy, smartphone using consumers are itching to have filled. "For people with these accounts," Mortimer tells me, "OnTrees provides a way of seeing transactions and spending on the move." Build partnerships. But surely if OnTrees works with over 200 financial institutions (and counting) it must be a development nightmare -- especially when OnTrees web services and iOS app are only coded by six developers, which seems like something of a skeleton crew for a company that has a goal of providing users with easy-to-understand financial data of all their accounts. But that's where Mortimer tells me choosing good partnerships is critical. From day one, OnTrees choose a number of partners carefully. And not just technology partners. Before it's soft launch in November, the company ran a closed beta with users of Mumsnet and the National Union of Students to work out what features were wanted. And make no mistake about it, these were not just "testers." OnTrees thought of them as partners to get valuable feedback from in designing their services. Mumsnet is a popular UK parenting site (and as any parent knows, tracking finances are always a priority) and the NUS gave OnTrees access to another important group of people -- younger ones who like checking their financial situation from the comfort of their smartphone. The circle of feedback from these partner helped guide OnTrees on its path. "We've maintained this focus on our users since beta and have recruited a panel of 'SuperUsers' who provide us with really helpful feedback about the site and app which is proving really useful. By doing this, we think we stand a better chance of creating a product that is as useful as possible and truly satisfies consumer demand," Mortimer says. But partnering presents challenges of its own. "We use quite a broad range of different services, so we do have a challenge in 'knitting' them all together. For example, we use plug-ins for some of our charts, we let users sign in with Facebook and Gmail, and, in bringing this together on the Microsoft Azure platform, we use a range of their off the shelf solutions. Integrating this range of services into a smooth process for users can be a challenge, but this approach does allow us to leverage 'best in class' modules." And of course there is that small matter of interfacing with over 200 financial institution in the UK. For a team of only six developers, a challenge like that might seem almost insurmountable. But again, this is where partnering matters. "When we first decided to build a personal finance manager we thought that aggregating from dozens of banks would be a real challenge and would require a significant amount of development work," Mortimer tells me. "That's when we found out more about Yodlee and learnt that they could take care of a lot of these issues, and that, as the leaders in this type of technology, may be able to offer a better service. By using Yodlee to take away these headaches, we are able to concentrate on building the consumer proposition and taking that out to users." Yodlee is a company that most consumers have probably never heard of, but one of whose services they probably use regularly without ever knowing. The company offers scalable personal financial management solutions for banks and companies, which allows them to work with user's existing financial data. Before Mint was acquire by Intuit in 2009, Yodlee powered its entire backend. "Yodlee interfaces with the banks and allows us to offer a truly global service. This is quite important in the UK, where a relatively large number of people have accounts in different countries. Yodlee have built 'data agents' which connect to each of the banks' websites and provide us with a user's recent transactions as an xml feed once they have added an account," explains Mortimer. "As the data we get from Yodlee is in a simple (xml) format, it is a good starting point for us to build up data for our users. They also provide a 'best guess' at the categories a user's transactions fall into (e.g. Tesco – groceries) which is useful, but definitely needs improving. The Yodlee system 'learns' over time as more and more users re-categorize their transactions, so this will improve the accuracy." But even though Yodlee allows OnTrees to offload a majority of the backend work, that doesn't mean relying on partners is all smooth-sailing. "There are challenges involved, as we have to develop on top of a framework and APIs that they have developed, which are not always ideal for us," Mortimer admits. "As a new brand, it can be hard for us to push for new features which we would like them to offer. However, the pros definitely outweigh the cons, as their platform allows us to offer aggregation of 14,000+ accounts around the world, and focus on how OnTrees can actually help people manage their money." Choose your platforms. Creating dual-solution web/app platform is time consuming -- especially for a startup when financial considerations bear more heavily on what you can get accomplished in a set about of time. With that in mind, I asked Mortimer why OnTrees decided to launch with an app and a web service? "We were keen to do both web and mobile because we think that people use different devices in different ways," Mortimer explains. "Users want to 'manage their money' via the web (e.g. set budgets, open new savings accounts, analyze their spending over time), but they also want to quickly see how much they have in their account, or what they spent last night via the app." Thus a dual-solution was necessary. And the data that have on their user's usage patterns prove it: one-third of their users are only using mobile, one-third are only using the web, and one-third use both. "From a development perspective, it's actually probably helped us to launch with a dual-solution, as it has ensured that we separate out our service layer from our web / app layer. This probably meant it took us longer to get everything ready, but means that we're in a better place for launching new versions, as we have a very distinct 'service' layer in our architecture." As for mobile, OnTrees initially choose only to support iOS upon its soft launch last year. Mortimer explains why: "We actually started building for both Android and iPhone, but realized that as we only have a small team, we could only really support one format. We chose iPhone as it has the largest number of users on a single device." However, Android users can expect a native app in the near future. Build trust in your product. Though OnTress is technically out of beta, the company is still working on refining the service so its hard launch won't be for another several months (though new users can start using the service today). One it's developmental journey the company seems to have successfully used partnerships and good-ol-fashioned developer know-how to bring together a pretty slick service. But one last major hurdle is left to be overcome: convincing a critical mass of users that their financial data is safe with OnTrees. Indeed, Mortimer admits that dealing with users' highly sensitive customer data was the most challenging part of launching OnTrees. "Our main priority when developing OnTrees has always been security. Throughout the development process, we have had to make sure that everything we do adheres to the highest levels of security. Whilst necessary, this has slowed down development, which can be frustrating at times as there are lots of new features we want to add, and it also increases the amount of testing we have to do." Part of that security involves Yodlee's security protocols (which, because of their time in the business, are virtually as strong as you can get -- a benefit from choosing the right partner), while other security involved externally-validated processes that are certified by TigerScheme. Having used their service with my own personal accounts for over a month now makes me believe they achieved their security goals. But I'm used to financial aggregation sites (I use Mint for my US accounts) and I've had a lot more contact with OnTrees about their security than most customers ever will. So how does the company go about proving to potential users that their data will be safe? Mortimer says that delivering a high level of customer service is key. "We have our number on the site so anyone can call and speak to us, we can explain more about what we do, and that we're a UK based site. We're also keen to make sure we get back to people really quickly whether they call, email, tweet, or Facebook message us, and try to resolve any issues or answer any questions they have." Another method OnTrees uses -- that's already a staple of most developer's relations -- is promoting the product to influential and well-respected journalists, bloggers, and media outlets. Independent scrutiny is key here. Another method OnTrees uses, which goes back to choosing the right partners, is that they work with already-trusted financial sites, like ThisIsMoney.co.uk who are one of the UK's leading personal finance sites with 4 million visitors per month. OnTrees uses their content and product tables to ensure that we have high quality, independent news content on the site. "In short, we believe that if we work to the highest levels of security, are very transparent in what we do, and try to convey that message, then we will build trust and credibility." Building a financial empire. Will OnTrees become the next Mint? Time will tell. But they certainly seem to be doing everything right from a developer's perspective: they've recognized a void that needs to be filled, sought out the right partners, chose their platforms, and are working to build user trust. But Mortimer says there's one more piece to the puzzle: a good UX. "Another challenge we face is in making users' data fun and easy to understand. How do you turn rows of financial transactions into something that helps users manage their money better? We're currently looking at lots of different ways to present this data, so that people can interact more with it. This seems to be a common challenge in the industry with lots of hype around 'big data' but few people able to make it meaningful and engaging." Can OnTrees do it? That's something Mortimer would bet his money on. OnTrees is a free download on the UK App Store.
Sony Xperia T for AT&T achieves FCC victory
We witnessed the Sony Xperia T make its way through the FCC approval process a few days ago, but there was still something drastically missing: compatibility with AT&T LTE. But as some images published by UK retailer Phones4U attested to, we figured it was only a matter of time. Now that time has come, as the FCC pushed through the Xperia Mint Amy LT30at (the global Xperia T is the Mint Rita LT30p, if you're keeping track) today. Not only does the Amy sport the requisite AT&T-friendly bands (4 and 17, with support for bands 2 and 5 as well), some of the docs specifically call this device out as the AT&T version. We've always admired Sony's bluntness around FCC docs when other manufacturers attempt to hide as much information as possible. To do some digging of your own, have a look-see at the source link.
iRobot buys rival Evolution Robotics for $74 million to expand hard-floor cleaning tech
iRobot celebrated Roomba's 10th birthday quietly teeing up a $74 million acquisition of rival Evolution Robotics Inc. The Pasadena-based company produces the Mint, a hard-floor 'bot that uses ordinary Swiffer pads to wet-wipe your wooden decks clean -- and comes with the more sophisticated "Northstar" GPS-style positioning tech. As part of the deal, Evolution CEO Paolo Pirjanian will become iRobot's new CTO and the Mint and Mint Plus will be folded into the company's stable of Roomba cleaners -- with the deal expected to be fully approved by the fourth quarter of the year.
Mint QuickView for OS X goes from free to $4.99
In July I told you about Mint.com's first foray into desktop apps called Mint QuickView. The app piggybacked off the success of Mint's iOS apps and quickly became a great way for Mint users to access their accounts from their desktop. Mint QuickView 1.0 was a free download, as was the update to Mint QuickView 2.0 in August, which added additional features such as budgets, loans and Notification Center support in OS X Mountain Lion. However, Mint has just reached out to make me aware that, as of today, Mint QuickView will be US$4.99 in the Mac App Store. Apparently until now, Mint QuickView was running as a test to see if the desktop app could be a success, a Mint representative told me. Intuit (parent company of Mint.com) has now decided that the app is worth developing on an ongoing basis and will charge for it. From the representative's statement: "QuickView is here to stay (was running as a test) and will now cost $4.99 in the App Store. Those who have already downloaded the app won't be charged. The cost will go to support further development for this platform and beyond. Wanted to reach out to you proactively, as I'm sure the change won't go unnoticed, and transparency is a key tenet of Mint.com." So there you have it folks. If you've already downloaded Mint QuickView you're safe. You own the app and will continue to receive free updates. There's no word on whether Mint will start charging for their iOS apps, but nothing I've heard makes me believe they have any plans to do so.
Sony Xperia T flagship unveiled at IFA 2012: offers 4.6-inch HD display, 13MP camera and NFC
The Xperia T, formerly codenamed Mint, rumor and leak victim since January, has officially broken cover. Revealing its 4.55-inch face to the crowds in Berlin, the Reality Display packs a 1,280 x 720 resolution and offers what Sony is calling the "best HD experience on a phone to date." The company claims you can view vids in full 1080p HD quality, though we're still waiting to receive additional clarification on this statement. (Update: Sony clarified that it was merely referring to the 1080p video recording capabilities of the phone.) The Xperia T runs on Ice Cream Sandwich, but we're told it will be upgraded to Jelly Bean shortly after launch. It also features a 13MP fast capture camera and boasts a feature Sony is calling Sleep to Snap, which means you can go from a black screen to taking photos in an instant. What else does this new flagship offer? A one-touch function with NFC which you can use to tap to connect to other Sony devices, a 60-day premium trial of Music Unlimited and a new tier called Access which will be available in Europe for 0.99 Euros per month and will deliver full access of the service to PCs and the PS3. The T -- which will be known as the TX in select markets, and should be launching globally over the next few weeks -- also sports a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm MSM8260A Snapdragon S4 CPU, pentaband UMTS / HSPA+ radios, a front-facing cam with 720p video capture, MHL connectivity, FM radio, 16GB onboard storage and an 1,850mAh battery. Dimension-wise, the T will weigh 4.9 ounces (139g) and come in at 9.35mm thick. Lastly, the new Xperia flagship will be available in black, silver and white hues (while the TX appears to come in pink as well). Pricing is still an unknown, but as we've seen before, it may largely depend on the market anyway. We'll keep you posted as more details come in. %Gallery-163659% %Gallery-163662% %Gallery-163658% Brad Molen contributed to this post.
Intel brings Medfield to Russia with the MegaFon Mint
The Intel-powered mobile machine has been slowly picking up pace this year. Now, the chip-maker has signed up a new partner in the form of Russian operator MegaFon. So, it looks like we might see another (and we must say familiar looking) network-branded Android Medfield phone in the form of the MegaFon Mint. The spec-sheet, again, poses no surprises, with the same 1.6GHz Z2460 chip 1GB of RAM, 4-inch screen and 8-megapixel camera only further enhancing the sense of deja vu. What will be unique, however, is the price, which looks set at 17,990 Rubles (about $565), available from today.
New Sony Xperia T photos bare all, show its 'Mint' condition
If we didn't know better, we'd say that Sony was playing some sort of protracted game of hang-man with its Xperia line. S... P... U... and now possibly T? It's the phone bearing that latest letter in the cryptic message that we see before us today. In fact -- thanks to nixanbal.com -- we can see it from pretty much every conceivable angle. The S4-powered droid -- complete with foldout memory card slot and protruding camera -- is tipped to be announced pre-IFA, so we'll no doubt have the full skinny then. In the meantime head past the break -- and then tap the source -- to see the minty-phone in all its glory.
Sony Xperia 'Mint' leaked and reviewed: 4.3-inch (?) HD screen, 13MP camera, 1.5GHz S4 processor
While we've been fussing over the Xperia GX (aka the LT29i), it seems Sony's been working on something one integer higher. Mobile-review has published a run-down of a device it claims is called the LT30p -- aka the Mint we first heard of back in January -- which also appears to possess many of the specs we'd want from a high-end phone. The front side hosts a 1280 x 720 4.3-inch LCD, while the rear boasts the same 13-megapixel camera as the GX, and there's a microSD slot on the side too. Internally, Mobile-review says ICS is running off a 1.5GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, which all sounds healthy enough -- but since the build quality looks a bit suspect and we don't know for sure that this is a final production handset, we'll wait for IFA fever to paint a fuller picture. Update: Although Mobile-review says it has a 4.3-inch screen, a side-by-side photo with the GS III after the break suggests the Mint's panel may be slightly larger than that.
Intuit releases Mint QuickView in the Mac App Store
Personal finance site Mint.com (owned by Intuit) has released its first OS X app in the Mac App Store. Called Mint QuickView, the app allows Mint.com users to quickly take a peek at their finances. The app isn't a full-fledged personal finance app like Quicken or iBank, rather it's a small window (read: mini browserish) to your Mint account. You access it from OS X's menu bar to see the balances on all your Mint accounts, recent transactions, and net income. The app also displays badged notifications when you have new transactions or one of your accounts needs tending to. Owners of the new MacBook Pro will also be pleased to find the app is Retina display ready. Mint QuickView is a free download and requires Mac OS X 10.6 or later.
CompuLab to serve fanless AMD PC-3's stuffed with minted penguin
With the Ubuntu variant Mint roaming free as one of the more attractive Linux breeds, why not lock it up in its own mini-case? That'll happen soon thanks to mintBox, a joint venture with CompuLab, which will put the OS in two of its fanless PC-3's -- the T40N and T56N -- priced at $476 and $518, respectively. That might seem steep for the tiny 6 x 6 x 1-inch AMD G-series boxes, but with a Radeon HD 6290 APU and USB 3.0 / eSata ports, power is above par for its class. CompuLab will give some of the proceeds to Mint's team, so if you maybe want to throw some cash at the so fresh, so clean Linux distro, hit the source for more details.
Mint adds split-transactions and budget adjustments to iOS app, 40% of users now mobile-only
Popular personal finance site Mint.com is launching an update to its iOS app today that adds the ability to split transactions and adjust budgets on the fly. Those two new features were the most requested from users and make an already excellent app even better. Intuit gave me a sneak peek of the updated app last week, and it's clear that the progression of their app demonstrates the company is keenly aware of how important mobile is becoming to the Mint platform. The company told me that Mint users are remarkably mobile-oriented. In fact, some 40% of the service's subscribers access their accounts only through their mobile devices - skipping the desktop browser entirely. And that number is rising thanks to the popularity of its iPad app. Intuit expects over half of Mint's users will only access the service via mobile very soon. The new split transaction and budget features apply to both the iPhone and iPad app. To adjust a budget, tap the budget category to reveal a 6-month spending bar chart for that category. The bar chart is helpful for you to see how much your actual spending for that budget changes month-to-month. Your current budget is displayed in a slider to the right of the bar chart. If you want to change your budget, simply drag the slider up or down. A nice feature of the budget slider is a variable speed scrubbing that readers will be familiar with from iOS's video apps. While adjusting the budget, users can slide their finger to the left or right to decrease or increase the budget in smaller or larger increments (say, $1, $10, or $25 at a time). Users can also select additional budget categories to display in addition to the currently shown ones. The other major new feature is the ability to split transactions. While viewing your transactions you'll now see a "split" button. Tap it to bring up the split transaction window. You can then divide a transaction into as many categories as you want. For example, a $2,500 transaction from Walmart, which by default would normally be labeled "Shopping," can now be split into multiple transaction categories –- i.e. $1,200 for "Electronics," $85 for "Food," $234 for "Clothing," etc. Best of all there's no arithmetic required. When you split a transaction, each category's sum is automatically deducted from the original category's total. You can check out the new features in the gallery below. Mint version 2.4 is a universal app and a free download. %Gallery-155427%
Royal Canadian Mint aims to kickstart digital currency with MintChip developer challenge
Bitcoin may not have yet grown much beyond a relatively small base of enthusiasts, but it looks like the Royal Canadian Mint is hoping that its backing will help its own new digital currency catch on in a bigger way. While less decentralized and different than BitCoin in a number of other respects, it is similarly an all-digital currency, and one that requires no personal data to be shared during transactions. Those transactions can be both large and very small (with an emphasis on the latter), and handled in a variety of ways, including over the web or directly between two devices with the necessary hardware (a MintChip-enabled microSD card is one proposed option). While a more formal unveiling is apparently coming later this month, the Mint has already kicked off a challenge where it's inviting developers to create applications that use MintChip technology -- something that, for the near future, will only be available to said developers. Complete details on it can be found at the link below.
Intuit shows off MicroMint concept app for the WIMM One smartwatch, we go hands-on
Given the amount of time we spent with the WIMM One smartwatch, you'd think we would have had enough fodder for a full-blown review. Alas, though, one critical piece was missing: apps. Not test apps, like a balance ball game, but honest to goodness apps from major third-party developers. Well, we got a chance to check out a concept app from Intuit, the company behind Mint.com (no TurboTax for this 1.41-inch display, sorry).What can we say? When a device has a screen this tiny, the elevator pitch is going to be mighty brief. Here's how MicroMint works: just swipe left to right to see your balances for different accounts. There's no limit to how many it can display, and when you reach the end of the list, the app will just start cycling through again. As you can see in the video demo below, the app's performance is limited by the watch's 667MHz ARM11 CPU and 256MB RAM, which is to say you'll notice some lag as you swipe from one bank balance to another. And that's it. This is all the app does; don't expect to take advantage of Mint's other features, like budget-planning and mapping out savings goals (not that you'd want any graphs or itemized lists crammed onto that 160x160 screen).For now, of course, this concept app is just that, a prototype. Intuit won't commit to releasing it, much less share any sort of timeline. Interestingly, though, David Siegel on Intuit's development team suggested to us that the app might be of more use when WIMM releases its next-gen watch with NFC. With that radio on board, he says, the app could potentially allow not just for balance-checking, but credit card payments as well. Additionally, the outfit is mulling a similar app for the Sony SmartWatch, which also runs Android and supports Java-based apps. The only development hiccup, he says, would be adapting the app for Sony-specific APIs. That's a whole lot of ifs for one paragraph, though, so for now we'll leave you with a super quick hands-on video, just past the break.Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.
Leaked Sony 2012 smartphone roadmap reveals potentially birdy, minty flagships
Grab a bowl of salt and start pinching, folks. A sales report for Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications India is floating around the internet that's purportedly packing a list of 2012's planned handsets along with suggested pricing. The 11-strong list is in Rupees, and whilst we've reproduced it in full above, it's worth bearing in mind that cellphones in the "developing world" (no offense intended) are often more expensive than the equivalent handset in the US (the 16GB iPhone 4S, for example costs $650 in the US but $882 in India). The "Pepper" codename seems to tie in with what we've been expecting, but the Nypon blurrycam images we've seen don't follow the company's 2012 design language -- so we doubt they're real. That said, it's clear that a pair of flagships will arrive in the second half of the year: the code-names don't shed too much light, since Hayabusa means "Peregrine Falcon" and Mint -- well, we can hardly expect Sony to produce a phone with a built-in breath freshener, can we?
Linux Mint 12 debuts 'Lisa' as belle of the ball
The Ubuntu variant famed for delivering a minty fresh taste to Linux has officially arrived at version 12. Code-named "Lisa," the distribution introduces a new desktop that's based on GNOME 3.2, yet offers extensive user customization courtesy of Mint Gnome Shell Extensions (MGSE). Open source fans will find the default search engine is now DuckDuckGo, which touts crowd-sourcing and a no-tracking privacy policy. Those concerned with aesthetics will certainly appreciate two new themes, Mint-Z and Mint-Z-Dark, and the distro also delivers upgrades to Firefox, Thunderbird and LibreOffice. Linux Mint currently rides in the pole position at DistroWatch, having supplanted Ubuntu as the alternative of choice for many Tux enthusiasts. Perhaps it's time to sample the freshness for yourself.
Mint.com iPad app finally hits the App Store
The wait for Mint.com's iPad app is finally over. Today Mint's parent company Intuit unveiled its iPad app, and while many of us would have preferred to have it sooner it proves the old adage "good things come to those who wait." Last week I got a exclusive sneak peek of the app and I can tell you that out of all the websites that have made the browser-to-iPad leap, Mint is the one that has done it most successfully. Founded in 2006, Mint.com was one of the first fiscal information sites that acknowledged a simple fact: most people just want one easy-to-view dashboard to see all their financial accounts at a glance. Mint.com achieved this through aggregating checking, credit card, and loan accounts and presenting them to users in a beautiful UI. Mint was so successful in achieving its goals, personal financial software powerhouse Intuit bought the company in 2009. Since the iPad launched, Mint users have been clamoring for for a native iPad app. While Mint.com is an excellent web-based service, the site is hard to use on the iPad since its high level of interactivity was designed for desktop web browsers rather than large touchscreens. With the release of the Mint iPad app today, the company has brought the full power of its service to the iPad. As a whole, the iPad app offers more engaging ways to view your finances than the browser-based service ever could. Launch the Mint app and you're presented with the Overview screen, composed of five modules that let you see your financial health at a glance. The charts module at the top of the screen shows you a quick overview of your finances using colorful graphs. These graphs allow you to easily see your spending overview, your spending over time, and your net income. The mini feed module is a Twitter-like feed of your financial history, including alerts and financial advice. The budget module tracks your monthly spending. The top spending module shows you the top categories you spend in. Finally, the accounts module shows you all your accounts at a glance. Tapping on any of the modules takes you to a more detailed screen breaking down your finances. For example, tapping on the Spending Overview graph in the charts module takes you to a new screen where that graph is fully interactive. On this screen you can scroll though the pie chart (much like you scroll an iPod's click wheel) to really dig in to see where your spending is going. When you've chosen a category in the interactive pie chart you can tap on the category to see all of its transactions and, even cooler, see all the details of that category laid out in an interactive pie chart. At the bottom of the individual category charts is the Time Navigator, which allows you to select a single month to view your spending in a specific category or select a range of months to see how you've been spending in that category. A nice feature about the app is that is really takes advantage of using multitouch gestures to navigate within it. For example, when viewing an individual transaction you don't need to tap a "back" button on a screen to return to the previous screen, you can simply swipe the current page out of the way to get back to it. It's little features like this that making using the Mint app such a joy. Other welcome features of the app include a search function that allows you to search transactions by merchant, categories, or tags; passcode lock with automatic wiping if the wrong passcode is entered too many times; every transaction can be edited right in the app; and users can enter manual transactions that let them track cash purchases on the go. The manual transaction feature integrates with Google Places, allowing users to see a list of nearby merchants that they can then select as the place they spent their cash. Manual transactions will automatically be categorized based on the type of merchant selected and they are also mapped and geotagged. Speed is also something you see in the iPad app. Users who have been with Mint for four or five years probably have a large amount of transaction histories for their accounts, and the Mint app navigates transaction histories quickly without any lag. When I interviewed Mint founder Aaron Patzer shortly after Apple unveiled the iPad, he told me that a Mint iPad app was something the company was planning on. So why did it take so long? According to the Mint developers who gave me an advance preview of the app, they didn't want to release a Mint iPad app just so they could say they had an iPad app. They wanted the Mint iPad app to have as high an impact as possible and they wanted to take the time to get it right, "putting the stress on quality" as one Mint engineer told me. Mint "wanted something that really did justice to the device. We didn't want to just port the iPhone app and just magnify everything. [We] wanted it to feel very immersive. The way people use the iPad is very different than the way they use the iPhone. People spend a lot more time on the iPad. The usage patterns are different. [We] wanted to really give people a mechanism [where] they could really dig deep into their finances." Given how well the app runs, it's a bit surprising that Mint's developers consider Mint for iPad as a "very 1.0" release; they are already planning to add more features to it, like additional trends charts (including Net Worth) and goals. My take: Mint has done a better job translating the site to the app than almost anyone else who's gone down this road, because their app captures the full functionality of the website without compromising any usability features. Indeed, because of its powerful interactivity and features I would say that the Mint for iPad app is even better than the Mint website at allowing users to view, track, and manage their personal finances. It's that good. Check out the gallery below to see what the app looks like and then download the free universal iOS app from the App Store. %Gallery-137509%
Mint.com iPad app "will be out very shortly"
A while ago I wrote about four websites that need iPad apps: Facebook, Mint, LinkedIn, and Google Docs. Facebook stepped up to the plate, and now an official Mint.com rep has confirmed publicly what two Mint employees had told me in private a while ago: the Mint.com iPad app is coming soon. In a tweet posted October 11th, Mint mobile designer Jaanus Kase said "the @mint iPad app is nearly done and will be out very shortly." He followed that up three days later with a posting on Mint's satisfaction forums which states that the next Mint app will be universal (both for iPhone and iPad) and that it will require iOS 5, which is one of the reasons the company could not release it before now. Also, for those of you with iPhone 3G units, the new Mint app will not work since the maximum iOS on that device is 4.2.1. However, Kase states that Mint will continue to support its current iOS app for those running iOS 4. LinkedIn and Google Docs? The spotlight's on you now. Hat tip to reader Tim B.
Four websites that need iPad apps
The iPad is an amazing device for surfing the web. Its large screen and multitouch gestures make it feel like you're actually holding a web page in your hands. Web browsing on the iPad is going to get even better with the release of iOS 5. That's when Safari on iPad gains Reading List and Reader functionality and the all-important tabbed browsing. However, as good as the iPad is at handling web browsing, some websites would clearly benefit from a dedicated iPad app. When viewed on an iPad, these sites lack key features that they show off to full effect when used with desktop browsers. Other websites have a high amount of interactivity that may work on an iPad, but that interactivity doesn't translate well to a touch interface. I realize that any website could be made into an iPad app. Most websites, however, don't need them. Here at TUAW, for example, there's not much interactivity that goes on when you visit beyond clicking on articles and posting comments. Both of those things are handled easily on an iPad. The same goes for other mainly news-driven sites where the main feature is reading -- dedicated apps really aren't needed. For more complex interactions, an app is a big help. Here's my list of four websites that need an iPad app... and also one service (or group of iPad apps, really) that needs a website. 1. Facebook.com Facebook is the biggest offender among websites missing an iPad app. Why? Well, the site does have 750 million users. By the beginning of next year there will be 50 million iPads on the market -- and most of those iPad owners use Facebook. However, the site's traffic doesn't alone dictate the need for an iPad app. No, Facebook.com needs an iPad app because its web functionality is cumbersome when viewed through Safari on the iPad and some features are missing entirely. The biggest missing feature while viewing Facebook's website on the iPad is Chat. There's just no way to chat with all your Facebook friends through Facebook.com on the iPad. There's also no way to upload photos or video to your wall, as tapping on "Upload" won't access your Camera Roll or Photos libraries on your iPad. Furthermore, Facebook relies on a lot of pop-up windows that you need to scroll through. These windows normally appear when you click on "X number of people like this" links below a wall post. If the list of number of people who "like" that post is long, you have to scroll through it to see everyone on the list. This is doable on the iPad by using two-finger scrolling, but many iPad users don't know about multitouch scrolling of a window within a web page; this contributes to the overall poor user experience for Facebook.com on the iPad. Thankfully we know that Facebook is working on an iPad app, which looks to be both cool and very functional Now all we have to do is hope Facebook actually decides to release its iPad app to the public. Soon. 2. Mint.com I'm a Mint junkie. It's the perfect solution for keeping track of multiple financial accounts. What's more, after Intuit bought the company, fears of Mint getting fouled up turned out to be largely unfounded; the site has actually only gotten better. However, Mint.com needs an iPad app. Why? Primarily because Mint features a huge amount of user interactivity. Not only can you see a complete overview of your financial accounts on the website, you can edit transactions, set budgets, create goals, and view trends -- from a desktop browser, at least. None of those features work well (most, not at all) on Mint.com on the iPad. Mint fans have been waiting (mostly patiently) for an iPad app for some time. When I interviewed Mint's founder Aaron Patzer, he told me that the company was working on an iPad app. That was over 18 months ago. More recently Mint has asked its users to hold on a little longer as the developer teams are "busy developing an iPad app." The iPad app won't be a simple rework of the iPhone version, but it will be "a brand new experience." Let's hope so. 3. LinkedIn.com If you're looking for the Facebook equivalent for business relationships, it's LinkedIn. The site allows users to keep connected with their colleagues and business contacts; it's a great alternative to Facebook or other more casual 'friend' networks, especially when you don't want to risk your boss seeing those pictures of you in compromising situations. While LinkedIn.com is mostly functional through Safari on the iPad, the site offers a high amount of interactivity via searching for contacts or jobs, updating your profile, creating status updates, etc, that could benefit immensely from a dedicated iPad app. It's worth mentioning that LinkedIn deserves credit for being the company that took what was one of the most horrendously designed UI's of any iPhone app (they originally let users change the color scheme of the app, allowing them to choose from over a dozen colors -- including hot pink) and completely reimagined it, turning it into one of the slickest -- both in design and navigation -- iPhone apps on the market. That gives me a lot of confidence that LinkedIn will be able to pull off a killer iPad app. Thankfully on the day LinkedIn announced its overhauled iPhone app, I learned from a source familiar with their mobile plans that the company is indeed working on a dedicated iPad app. However, like Facebook and Mint, there's no set time frame for a release. 4. Google Docs Google Docs is great. The suite of web apps from the search, email and advertising giant allows you to create and share documents, spreadsheets, presentations and more all through your desktop web browser. While Google does offer limited functionality for Docs on the iPad through a mobile version of the site, the mobile version lacks the rich editing capabilities of the desktop web-based version. That's due in part to some limitations in the iPad's mobile Webkit implementation. You can switch to the desktop view in Docs on your iPad, but don't expect it to behave quite like the original. It's true that there are iPad office application suites that work well with Google Docs. QuickOffice Pro HD and Documents to Go both allow you to download and edit documents from your Google account (see our head-to-head review here). Less-expensive, and correspondingly less functional apps for editing include Office2 HD and GoDocs. None of these truly delivers the simplicity and functionality of Google's cloud offering. When looking at the iPad as a serious productivity device, Apple's leading the with its iWork suite -- but Pages, Numbers and Keynote don't interoperate with Google Docs in any meaningful way, forcing users to go through hoops to get at their files. It's a frustrating hiccup in what should be a really easy and graceful workflow. That's why Google could transform the tablet document-editing space by creating a best-in-class dedicated iPad app for its suite. Go all the way or don't go at all. Apple's showed it can be done and I'm sure there are many users who would prefer an alternative to shelling out $10 an app for the iWork suite for rich text, presentation, and spreadsheet editing. Then again, it's not necessarily clear that Google has a strong motivation to make the iPad even more of a world-beater, so we may be stuck with third-party solutions on this one... or Apple could add the Docs API to iWork and turn everything upside-down. And three apps (or one service) that needs an iPad-compatible website... iCloud.com Yes, like MobileMe's website (www.me.com) before it, navigating to www.icloud.com on an iPad brings you to an iPad-specific web page that informs you that if you want to check your iCloud emails, contacts, or calendars on an iPad you have to do so through the Mail, Contacts, and Calendars apps that ship on the device. That's well and good, and the iPad apps function better than any web apps ever could -- but if it's not your iPad you want to check your email on and you are using an iCloud email account, you're out of luck. There is simply no easy way to check your iCloud (or MobileMe) email on an iOS device unless you enable your account to be used with the built-in apps on the device. (You may be able to get around this by using a third-party browser like iCab that allows you to spoof the user agent, but it's clumsy.) As far as iPhones go, I get the limitation. How often do we use someone else's phone to check our email, right? But on an iPad, which is more of a multi-user device (think sharing with the family or traveling in a group with one iPad, as you might do on a long trip across Europe), there's no way for multiple people to check their iCloud emails without all adding their accounts in the Mail, Contacts, and Calendars settings on the iPad. Doing so will of course enable all email accounts to show up in Mail, potentially causing confusion, privacy concerns, or emails being sent from the wrong account. Apple, if you are listening, I implore you to allow access to iCloud email accounts through Safari on the iPad -- even as a 'pro' option enabled in the account settings. It's an unnecessary barrier. So that's my list of the biggest iPad app-less offenders. I'd love to hear from you which websites you think really need an iPad app. Let me know in the comments!
Michael's Best of Tech 2010 list
It's time for that honored tradition that's inescapable at the end of every year: the annual best/worst lists. But I'm generally a positive kind of guy, so I'm just going to share my "best of" part of the list. Below you'll find my selections for the best of tech that I used in 2010. Some of the items on the list may have originated before 2010, but this is the year I really put the tech to use. So, without further ado, here is the Best of Tech 2010 as I see it. Best Mac App: 2010 wasn't kind to the Mac app platform. The wild success of iOS and mobile apps in general seems to have taken a toll on innovative desktop apps. Hopefully the Mac App Store will reverse the trend. Until then, if you are looking for a cool new Mac app, try OmmWriter Dāna. It's a word processor designed from the ground up to lend itself to the user's creative flow. You can read my review of it here. Try it out (there are both free and paid versions), and you'll find out just how much a little thing like a horizontal cursor can increase your creativity. You can download OmmWriter here.
