Avoid Long Lines with New iPhone App, GiftCards

InternetRetailer reported today that GiftCertificates.com has developed an iPhone application, thus entering the emerging realm of mobile e-commerce.  The application allows users to buy gift certificates without accessing a website. Consumes who download the application versus accessing a mobile website benefit from better performance, because the application resides on the smartphone.  The advantage for the developer, in this case GiftCertificates.com, is the ability to increase brand loyalty since the application is displayed on the smartphone’s desktop. Download the application here.

Customers can use GiftCertificates.com’s mobile application to browse a variety of gift cards from clothing retailers to restaurants chains.  Once the user selects the gift card they can then send either a physical or e-gift card to a recipient from their iPhone address book, along with a personalized message.

Capitalizing on the iPhone’s GPS capabilities the GiftCertificate.com mobile application allows users to also locate retailers that are located near the intended recipient, and map directions to the store.

Are you an iPhone owner who doesn’t like to shop?  Would you use this application for your Christmas Shopping?

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Darn! Zhiing only for Smartphones

Zhiing

This weekend I planned to try out Zhiing, a new iPhone application, that uses GPS to text your location direction to someone you have Zhiinged.  Normally my weekends are spent hanging out with my friends, and shopping in the St. John’s Town Center (follow me on BrightKite for a tour of the Town Center). The Town Center is an outdoor mall in Jacksonville, FL.  I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to try out this app.  I shop with my sister and a few friends and were usually in and out of stores, and at least one person always wanders off.  I intended to use Zhiing to reconnect anyone who has strayed from the group.

When I Zhiinged my sis, she received a text that indicated that she received a Zhiing from me, and for her to text her address to the number shown, then she would receive directions to my location!   The reason being – she doesn’t have a smartphone.  Zhiing is built for smartphones, although non-smartphone users can receive Zhiings from their friends who own an iPhone or Blackberry -there are additional steps the non-smartphone user has to take to receive the directions.  I’ve been after her for months to upgrade her phone – she’s still hanging on to Betsy  – her old Verizon flip phone. Had she had a smartphone, she would have received a link in her email that would have taken her to web-based directions to my location.  In the end she called to find out where I was…it was easier!  The idea behind Zhiing is very smart unfortunately I haven’t been able to see it at work.

I haven’t given up…there is a group of us (some with smartphones) going shopping on Black Friday…surely I will have to send a Zhiing!

Have you used Zhiing?

Zhiing on Mashable:

Zhiing Challenges Loopt on iPhone

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