Tested any new technology lately?

[XDCX]

It may not be new technology to most people, but it was new to me.

I used my Droid X to replace the need for a Boarding Pass on a recent United Airlines flight from Phoenix to Seattle. It was pretty cool, UAL has a website set up for smartphones and allows you to download a QR Code that's read by the scanner as you board the plane - no need for a paper Boarding Pass any more.

Here's a photo of what your phone looks like when you're ready to have the screen scanned:

If you were traveling with kids it would probably be easier to deal with paper Boarding Passes but as a single traveler I liked knowing that as long as I had my Droid X I had my Boarding Pass - one less thing to worry about losing.

[XDCX]

It may not be ready for prime time, but Google's using a classic re-enactment of a scene from Seinfeld to introduce Google Wallet.

Here's a link to AndroidCentral that has the Google Wallet YouTube video - click here

Google Wallet will be featured on phones that have NFC (Near Field Communication) which should become predominate on next year's top tier phones. While NFC will allow uses to complete transactions with a tap of their smartphone, the appeal of Google Wallet will be the elimination for the need to save receipts, rebate offers and coupons - it wall all be done with Google Wallet.

Concerning the Seinfeld clip, I remember that scene when it first aired. I think it's cool that the new version features a slightly older (and heavier) George Costanza, but all of the cars in the scene date back to the original clip.

[XDCX]

Originally Posted by XDCX

Concerning the Seinfeld clip, I remember that scene when it first aired. I think it's cool that the new version features a slightly older (and heavier) George Costanza, but all of the cars in the scene date back to the original clip.

Well, so much for my powers of observation.

There was a link to the original Seinfeld clip and now I'm convinced they're the same - the only difference is the original clip featured an ad for guitar lessons and the new version promotes Google Wallet.

[XDCX]

It was only a matter of time......

I've been waiting to use the Electronic Check Deposit App from Chase Bank as soon as I got my Droid X but I hardly ever get checks anymore.

Well, I finally got a check I needed to deposit and I used the Chase App and thought it was really cool. Essentially all you do is log into your account, enter the amount of the check, take a picture of the front and back of the check, verify the information's correct and that's it.

Once the check has been deposited to your account you destroy the check and you're done. One less trip to the bank or the ATM is a good thing.

[XDCX]

During my recent Road Trip to Lake Havasu I soon realized that I was going to miss my Sirius Satellite subscription and have two hours of silence/road noise as I made my way across the desert.

I have some music loaded on my Droid X but there's no way I'd ever be able to listen to the music from the phone's tiny speakers given the road noise I experience in my Wrangler. I was thinking about getting a Bluetooth to FM modulator but I've never had too much luck with FM modulation.

Then I saw this for $4.24 at Walmart:

It worked perfect. My Wrangler was probably one of the last vehicles built that still offered a factory cassette and I was amazed that the sound quality was pretty decent.

[XDCX]

My last post is essentially a set-up for this one.

Once I had my cassette adapter installed and was listening to the recorded music on my Droid X, I started to ponder - I wonder if I can listen to Pandora Radio via my 3G wireless signal as I make my way across the desert?

It worked awesome. The reception I received while I was driving 70 MPH was even better than the reception I get while I'm listening to Pandora at home. I was amazed - I really didn't think it would work since I was also using 3G data to update my Google Maps as I was driving back to Phoenix.

Anyone else listen to Pandora while driving down the highway?

[XDCX]

With the power of 12 volts, Bluetooth and a 3G wireless connection I've been surfing the Internet with my Dell laptop. Here's a picture of my laptop while I'm surfing the Internet on the hood of my Jeep:

The app, PDANet, is available via the Android Market and has been working flawlessly with my Droid X. Because the app uses a Bluetooth connection instead of wifi, the battery life on the phone lasts much longer. I was surfing the Internet for about an hour one evening and only lost about 10% of the Droid X's battery reserve.

The connection via 3G is pretty slow compared to most broadband connections but it's perfect when you want to check the Internet but you don't want to risk using a coffee shop's wifi network.

It may not be new technology to everyone, but it's the first time I've ever been able to surf the Internet on the hood of my Jeep.

[XDCX]

I just signed up for Chase Bank's QuickPay program - that's the new program that's being launched with the TV ads featuring Drew Brees paying off his neighbors for the damage his son does by kicking a football.

QuickPay appears to be just like PayPal with the added benefit that you only need an email address or a mobile phone number to send or receive cash. The biggest benefit, is unlike PayPal, the service is FREE and only one of the individuals in the transaction has to have an account with Chase.

I haven't used QuickPay yet but I love the concept. I hate to write checks and I think QuickPay might be a better way to pay for items I when the seller doesn't have a credit card terminal and I don't have enough cash in my wallet.

My only concern is I wonder if the service will always be free - I still remember when PayPal started out their services were free too.

[XDCX]

I noticed the USAA App on my Droid X needed to be updated the other day and when I viewed the changelog I read that one of the changes was required to support a new payment system.

It appears that USAA will offer a service like Chase's QuickPay that will allow their customers to either collect or send money to anyone by using their cell phone number or email address.

I haven't used the USAA program yet because I don't have a checking account with USAA but I think it's interesting that there's another bank jumping on the instant payment bandwagon.

How much longer can paper checks delivered through the U.S. Mail survive? The new processes are so much faster and easier.

[XDCX]

Well it's been rumored for months and today Google finally unveiled their Google Drive service. Google's offering 5GB of FREE storage on their servers - often refereed to as the "cloud" since it's always available to any computer or device.

I haven't signed up yet but I will later tonight or tomorrow. As I understand it the primary benefit of Google Drive is to have your important files in a secondary location to serve as a back-up in case your computer were to fail, be stolen, be destroyed, etc.

The additional benefit is once your files are in the "cloud" you can access them at anytime with any device - handy if you have a home computer, a laptop, a work computer and a smartphone.

The big downside, as I see it, is security. If someone hacks your Google Drive password you're exposed to losing a lot of important information.

[XDCX]

If you have an Android device Lookout Mobile Security has always been a great application to add to your smartphone or tablet. The application scans the phone/tablet for malware and allows the user to locate a lost phone. The premium version of the app allows users to remotely wipe their data in case their phone was lost or stolen.

Lookout's newest feature, Signal Flare, makes the application even more valuable:

Signal Flare sends the GPS position of your phone to your Lookout Account just before the battery dies. If you lose your phone/tablet or have it stolen Signal Flare provides one last chance to let you know where your device is before the battery is fully drained.

I've had my battery run below 15% one time since Lookout has added the Signal Flare feature and I received an email message showing me the location of my phone. I think it's a pretty cool feature and the base level of the application is FREE.

[XDCX]

If you have an Android device the developers at Lookout have added another cool feature to their Lookout App - the Lock Cam.

The Lock Cam will take a take a picture of anyone who fails to correctly enter your PIN number or swipe pattern after three attempts. Even better, the program sends an e-mail to the phone's owner with the picture of the person who was trying to gain access to the phone and the GPS location where the picture was taken.

For more information, here's a link to a CNET article - click here

The Lock Cam is part of Lookout's free application. Even if you're not worried about thieves, the Lock Cam might identify kids, spouses, co-workers, etc. who have let their curiosity get the best of them...

[XDCX]

I've been staying at the Avi Resort and Casino in Laughlin, NV for the past two nights as part of my Road Trip.

I had a chance to go to the pool yesterday afternoon and was impressed that they used an automated towel dispsensing system called Towel Tracker. Here's a picture of the system:

The system requires the guest to use their room key to open the door that allows access the towels and then uses RFID chips sewn into the towels to determine how many towels were taken. The system then uses the same RFID technology to determine which towels were returned. Guests who don't return a towel are charged $15.

I thought the system was really slick and is a great use of RFID technology.

I wonder if someone could delelop a similar system for dealerships to track their Special Tools in the Service Department? Or track keys for the New Car and Used Car Departments?

Here's a link to the Towel Tracker website - click here