ZDNet App Wrap: 19 December 2011
(Credit: Commonwealth Bank)
Commbank Kaching
Price: Free
Platform: iOS (iPhone)
There are two exciting things about Commbank's new payment app: it allows you to make payments to people via Facebook; and you can buy a case with an NFC chip in it, which will allow you to make contactless, PIN-less payments with the app anywhere that there's a contactless MasterCard PayPass terminal. It'll be interesting to see if this sort of mobile payment takes off.
You can also make payments via text and email through the app, as well as get a quick balance, transfer money and use BPAY for bills.
(Credit: Google)
Google Currents
Price: Free
Platform: Android
There's no Flipboard for Android, but stop your tears; Google has stepped up to the plate with its Currents RSS reader. You can pull all of your Google Reader subscriptions and favourite blogs in, as well as read what's trending, and content from a variety of publishers. Each edition is made available for offline reading. It's also gorgeously designed, so you still get that personalised glossy-mag experience.
(Credit: Microsoft)
SkyDrive
Price: Free
Platform: Windows Phone 7
The Microsoft cloud server has finally been made accessible for Windows 7 phones. Now you can access all of your SkyDrive files from your phone. You can view recently opened documents, upload images, share links and create and delete files and folders.
(Credit: AppQ)
HangApp
Price: Free
Platform: Android
With HangApp, you can hang up your phone by simply placing it face down, on a flat surface — helpful if you don't have time to search for the end-call button. There will be a disconnection sound, so you don't have to look at the screen to make sure it works. It's unclear how this would work with handsets that already have a function programmed for placing the phone face down, such as the latest HTC handsets (which actually puts the phone on speaker).
(Credit: HP)
HP Mobile Release
Price: Free
Platform: BlackBerry, Android
The HP Mobile Release app, intended for business and not home use, enables those who have purchased the HP Secure Pull Print solution to securely release a print job on the go.
(Credit: Waze)
Waze
Price: Free
Platform: iOS (iPhone and iPad), BlackBerry, Android
Waze is a traffic-aware nav app. Give it the same start and destination every day of the work week, and you might end up with five different routes, based on traffic. Waze gets most of its traffic data by using other "Wazers" as traffic sensors. It knows how fast every user's phone is moving, and where, and it maps around the slowpokes. If you're driving more slowly than you should be for the road you're on, you might get a chime and a pop-up note from the app asking, "Are you in traffic?" Waze uses this data to help other users avoid you. If there aren't many users near you, the experience might not be great, but if you can encourage users to join in, the world's your oyster.