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Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Daniel Vasquez column: New phone apps tap into South Florida lifestyle, consumer issues
Mar 12, 2010 (Sun Sentinel - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
What's app-ening, South Florida?
Quite a lot, it turns out. There's a lot to celebrate when it comes to cell phone applications developed by South Floridians for South Floridians.
South Florida might be known mostly for beaches, celebrities and hurricanes, but it is also home to a growing number of people who are finding ways to make apps more useful and appealing to locals.
"Apps are simply tools that make us more productive and efficient and make our lives easier," said Jon Krutchik, president of Cables Media, a Southwest Ranches mobile marketing company. His company recently developed and released the Culture Shock Miami iPhone app for the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs program, which links young people to discount tickets for local plays, events and more.
What are apps?
Apps, short for applications, provide cell phones and mobile devices with additional functionality. You can use apps to surf the Internet, securely store passwords, blog, tweet, shop and play games.
You can download iPhone apps -- some free, many for up to $2 -- from the Apple App Store, Android apps from the Android Market and Blackberry apps from Blackberry App World.
Here are some of the newest free iPhone and iPod Touch Apps developed in South Florida. All are available on iTunes.
Culture Shock Miami App
This deal-finder application aims to draw younger crowds to cultural arts events throughout South Florida, offering students from 13 to 22 deeply discounted $5 tickets per event. As Krutchik puts it, "It's not going to Miley Cyrus, it's something more culturally enriching."
Examples of recent deals on the CSM app:
The Empire Brass, hailed as one of the finest brass ensembles in the world, at Gusman Concert Hall in Coral Gables on May 16, tickets regularly priced at $72.
Miami Metro Zoo. Tickets regularly priced $11.72 to $16. With CSM app, anyone aged 13 to 22 can buy two tickets for the price of one (or $5 for two).
Card King App
CardKing allows you to use your phone to scan bar code numbers from any number of personal cards. Created by Stan Eyler, a Fort Lauderdale resident who formerly worked at inventing, patenting and making products for the credit card and computer industries, the app allows you to store information for about 1,100 merchants, from CVS to PetCo, PetSmart and Winn-Dixie. Your library card should be scannable too.
It clears wallets and purses crammed with plastic cards, including grocery store rewards cards, health insurance cards and gym IDs. After scanning, you just flash the bar code when and where needed to get a discounted price at the store or to enter your gym without setting off alarms.
"Most of the time people see what I am doing and follow me over to the racquetball courts and ask me how I got into the gym with my telephone," Eyler said. "I show them CardKing, and now more people are using it."
My Attorney App
Fort Lauderdale attorney Jason Turchin saw a marketing opportunity and jumped on it. Now, if you need an attorney fast, you can have his app for that.
My Attorney App contains, among several features, information about his firm and background (yep, self-serving, but hey, it's free, checklists of what to do when involved in an accident and even offers the public the opportunity to submit free questions or case inquiries by telephone or email. "We do try to respond to all inquiries and to give free guidance to those who we cannot help," Turchin said.
Turchin claims to be the first attorney in Florida to launch an iPhone app, although Apple cannot confirm that. "I thought this was the perfect new marketing medium for attorneys and other professionals and businesses," he said. He plans to develop similar apps for other local attorneys soon.
Congratulations, South Florida, on your growing presence on the technology front. This coming from a columnist born in a little place called Silicon Valley who is proud to call South Florida home.
Daniel Vasquez can be reached at dvasquez@SunSentinel.com, 954-356-4219 or 561-243-6600, extension 4219. For more columns, see SunSentinel.com/vasquez.
For his tips on ways to spend your money wisely, use technology to make life easier and keep your family safe and healthy, see SunSentinel.com/consumerblog.
To see more of the Sun Sentinel or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/. Copyright (c) 2010, Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale,
Fla. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email
tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax
to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave.,
Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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