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GoBank is bringing an online-only bank to your iPhone
Prepaid debit card company Green Dot is making the next (logical?) step in its business with the launch of GoBank, a bank that exists only on the web... and on your iPhone. As reported by AllThingsD, a key component of the new bank is a mobile app developed by the team responsible for Loopt, a check-in based social network purchased by Green Dot last year. Via the app and a website, GoBank will let customers maintain a checking account and conduct the usual assortment of transactions free of fees for things like in-network ATM use (otherwise US$2.50 per transaction) and overdrafts. As for a monthly fee, the bank is taking the unusual approach of letting customers decide how much they want to pay per month, from nothing up to $9. GoBank is obviously hoping that customers will opt to pay something, but will supplement revenue by offering the option to create custom debit cards that contain photos and other artwork uploaded by account holders. Standard debit cards will be free, but the personalized plastic will run $9. Back on the app side of things, customers will be able to use it to snap photos of checks for making deposits and send money to others using their email addresses, a la PayPal. The bank is currently in beta (how's that for a weird thing to hear?) and is accepting new customers on an invite-only basis (ditto).
Siri is the iPhone 4S' most enticing feature
I could have probably told you this without doing all of the research, but Loopt asked around anyway, and found out that Siri was the iPhone 4S' most exciting new feature for consumers. Sure, that camera is really impressive, and that processor will come in handy when running new games and apps. But 45% of those polled say Siri is the killer app for the new iPhone. And that makes sense -- not only is Siri flashy and new (and available only on the iPhone 4S, for now), but it's pretty much the marquee feature for the device according to Apple's marketing. And since that feature was only available on the iPhone 4S, then who, do you think, were the most frequent buyers of that new device? Turns out, according to Loopt's fairly informal data, that it was actually iPhone 4 owners. Personally, I usually go for a "leapfrog" system of hardware upgrades (and since I already have an iPhone 4, that leaves me out of this round), but that's probably not the case with most iPhone 4S buyers -- some people just need to have the latest and greatest, so according to this data, most day-one iPhone 4S buyers were standing in line with their iPhone 4s already. Interesting. This information is all based on "Loopt Qs," which are apparently social questionnaires put on by the mobile social network, so it seems like these answers are self-selected and probably not really representative of anyone but the folks who use Loopt. But nevertheless, the insight that Siri is driving iPhone 4S adoption seems legit enough.
Loopt app updated for persistent networking, includes texting service and rewards
I remember Loopt being one of the first apps out on the App Store, back when the iPhone's platform was first released. A couple of years ago, location-based social networking was still pretty new (most cell phones didn't yet know exactly where they were, after all), and Loopt was one of the most advanced ways to do it at the time. Now, while services like Twitter and Facebook work on their own location sharing features, Loopt is updating to version 4.0 and aiming to, once again, try and take the vanguard. The app has been redesigned, and it seems to be set up around persistent social location sharing -- you can not only share your location constantly, but you can also instantly see where friends and family are. You can also use the "Ping" feature (unrelated, of course) to send texts, and you'll get a message back from your friend about where they are when those are opened. And Loopt continues to offer local "rewards," which are free offers and deals based on where you happen to be. It's all very interesting -- while, of course, there are the usual privacy concerns as with any location-based app (one of the reasons I don't really use any services like this regularly), the new Loopt seems to really take advantage of mobile platforms like iOS to keep an almost constant connection with your social circle. The app's been around and updated since the App Store first opened, so we'll have to see how this new direction works out. Look for version 4.0 sometime later on today.
Loopt teams with Mobile Spinach for check-in discounts, Booyah talks about MyTown
If the iPhone has a leading app genre, aside from gaming, I'd say the current surge of "check-in" apps is probably it. Sure, back when the App Store first opened up, Twitter apps were everywhere (and they're still being made daily, it seems), but in terms of a genre that can only exist on a location-aware device like the iPhone, "check-in" apps like Foursquare, Gowalla, and so on, are making their mark right now. Here's news on two such apps continuing to grow on the App Store skyline. First up, Loopt [iTunes link] has announced a partnership with a company called Mobile Spinach to start trying to monetize this kind of app usage. Mobile Spinach delivers local ads, and Loopt says that it'll be using their location-based social networking service to bring specials and deals to users from wherever they check-in from. Note that while Apple doesn't necessarily want location-based advertising as the sole purpose of an app, it seems to be all right with location-based advertising as an extra feature like this. Loopt tells us at TUAW that it's a great deal for the company, as it is "an easier and cost-effective way to do online/mobile advertising," and that it means "Loopt users can get great free offers on everyday things they want in need just by walking around in the neighborhood." It'll be interesting to see just how useful this extra advertising can be. After the link below, read about how MyTown finally got the success they'd been hoping for.
Loopt strikes deal with AT&T for background monitoring on iPhone
Well, it's not quite the sort of background application that most folks have been hoping for on the iPhone, but Loopt has nonetheless scored something of a first for its location-based iPhone app. As Silicon Alley Insider reports, the company has struck a deal directly with AT&T that'll let it monitor your location whenever you have a network connection, regardless of whether you have the Loopt app open or not. That, as you might have surmised, is done entirely on a server-to-server basis, and it'll initially be made available as a part of free 14-trial program limited to 5,000 users, after which it'll run them and everyone else $3.99 a month (added to your AT&T bill). Feeling lucky (or quick)? You can put your name and number into the hat by hitting up the appropriate read link below.Read - Loopt Always-On Location Trial Sign-upRead - Silicon Alley Insider, "Loopt Location To Update In The Background On iPhone"[Via MacRumors]
Changes in Apple attitudes force changes in Google Latitude
We didn't want to let the week slip into the weekend without mention of the long-awaited release, on Thursday afternoon, of Google's Latitude client for iPhone, allowing users to update their locations to the social service and keep track of friends and family on the move (otherwise known as "iStalkU" -- no, sorry, that was Loopt, my mistake). You can access the service by browsing to http://google.com/latitude on Mobile Safari on your iPhone or iPod touch. Yes, that's right, browsing. Latitude, believe it or not, is a web app -- which means that you can't get push notifications about your contact's movements, or keep constant tabs on folks without leaving Safari running. Intriguing. As Google's Mat Balez notes in his blog post announcing the Latitude release, Google actually developed a native app for Latitude... only to have Apple, uh, suggest that the big G redo the concept as a web app to avoid user confusion with the Maps app. Really? Must have been an interesting phone call. David Coursey at PC World is frustrated with the limitation, and it's hard to fault him. Meanwhile, location-centric apps like Brightkite are already on the store -- of course, they are also kneecapped by the lack of a backgrounding mode to send updated position fixes. If you're a Latitude fan, give us your feedback on the new web app below. Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
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Sprint set to launch 'Friend Finder' location service
Sprint seems to be a huge fan of rolling out handset-based tracking and location services. It's latest, dubbed "Friend Finder," uses Loopt's technology to allow Sprint subscribers to get that social networking on while wireless. Like other LBS applications, the GPS chip inside that handset is used to update a customer's location every 15 minutes. Of course, all your friends must have Sprint phones as well as being Loopt customers, and friends have to grant access for you to track them. This is similar to Helio's Buddy Beacon service which launched in 2006. Cost? Sprint will make ya pony up $2.99 a month, and the service will initially work on 25 handset models from the carrier.[via mocoNews]
Stalking simplified: Loopt's Mobile Friend Finder for Boost
It seems there will likely come a day when everyone knows the latitude and longitude of everyone else in real time, we were just secretly hoping that we wouldn't see that day in our lifetime. Alas, Loopt's gone ahead and found a customer -- Boost Mobile -- for its friend-tracking system, which maps the location of buddies on a Google Local-like display. Happily, users must opt in before they can be tracked; once they do, the system will show current location, a settable status, and messages sent from other, uh, trackees. Of course, unless all your friends are on Boost, the system is of limited value, but we're pleased to know someone's out there keeping the Big Brother dream alive.[Via Phone Scoop]Update: Loopt would like us to let you know that their service is entirely opt-in, and that only approved users can track your whereabouts.
