Planning Trips Just Got “Trippy”

So how many of you are planning your next trip? With all the different variables, this can sometimes be the most difficult type of planning. What hotel do you stay at? Where do you eat lunch? What are the must-see sights in the area? To get all this information, it probably takes a combination of Expedia, Yelp, and Google Search, which sometimes leads to an unwieldy 20 browser windows. And what online reviews can you actually trust? Does the Super 8 in Las Vegas really have bed bugs (answer is no, at least on my trip there earlier this year)? Well, now you have Trippy, a Facebook-connected site that plans your trips using your friends’ recommendations. Simply visit trippy.com, log-in with your Facebook account, and it takes less than 5 minutes before you can send recommendation requests to friends who have lived, visited, or worked at your desired location. From there you can book your trip and even share photos and stories with your friends once you embark on your journey, all through Trippy. YES&: I do feel the site has some drawbacks. The main one being that I think Trippy will only be successful for trips that are planned far in advance. Chances are your friends are going to need a few days to respond (if at all), so those last minute trips to Vegas or NY are out of the question. But that being said, I think the site will be great for learning about those unique details you can’t find easily on Expedia, Yelp, or Google Search, such as that awesome waterfall viewpoint or the name and number of a Jet Ski tour guide that will give you the best deal. Trippy is a refreshing, unique twist on the trip-planning experience and really shows the growing influence of social media. Let me know what you think of Trippy or about any of life’s great mysteries at matthew.chin@umww.com. Also, with companies like Spotify and Trippy launching, what do you think is the next thing that your friends will recommend for you more efficiently and engagingly through social media?

The Cure for Wallet-Neuropathy

So how many of you suffer from wallet-neuropathy? This is most broadly classified as lower back pain caused by sitting on your wallet. Well, Google is up to the task of trying to solve your symptoms (and much more). On Monday, the company officially announced Google Wallet, which is its mobile app that allows users to make payments by simply tapping or waving their phone at participating locations (even taxis!). Users can use their Citi Mastercard or purchase a Google Prepaid Card, using their other existing credit cards. Customer loyalty/rewards programs and Google Offers will also be incorporated into the app, which is currently available on the Sprint Nexus S 4G. YES&: This isn’t just the next step in mobile commerce. It’s the next step towards flying cars and those futuristic worlds you only see in I, Robot. The mobile phone has already replaced your phone book, your CD player, and your boarding pass. Now your wallet is next, perhaps followed by more simpler things (e.g. TV remote, garage opener, apartment key). In 3-5 years, what won’t you be able to do with your mobile device? Don’t you think the world will soon be run by that smart-phone in your pocket? Let me know your thoughts at matthew.chin@umww.com.

PC Usage Shrinking!

Today whilst perusing my usual sites and sipping on some morning JetFuel coffee, I came across a fact released by IDC. According to the report, mobile internet usage on smartphones and tablets will surpass internet usage on PCs by 2015. Probably not surprising as I am probably the only person in this agency without a BlackBerry or iPhone (smartphones sales to surpass feature phones by 2015 as well) and there have been a slew of Android tablets that have hit the market (check out the glowing review of the Sony S tablet here). YES&: This fact got me thinking a little off-tangent. What can you really do with a tablet that you can’t do with a smartphone? I mean, sure games look better and you can type without the constant and often embarrassing autocorrects (check: damnyouautocorrect.com), but by 2015, don’t you think a smartphone and a tablet will be combined into a synonymous device? Let me know your thoughts at matthew.chin@umww.com.