Blurring the lines between the physical and the digital, Bump, by Bump Technologies, which is available for free in the iTunes App Store, has released their new, amped-up version of the free iPhone app. Transfer pictures, contacts, calendar events, and even connect through social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn, as easily as bumping fists with your friends. This app clocks in at around 15 million downloads, and the only downside that I can see is that every person on the planet does not own an iPhone.
The new presentation layer of this app is extremely Web 2.0. It looks great, moves great, and is about five times faster than the previous version of Bump. This app is about as simple as they come, complete with a visual demonstration of how to “bump” with your iPhone-toting counterpart. Launch the app, select the media that you would like to transfer, and simply mimic the digital hands at the top of the screen. While clutching your iPhone, bump your fist with your friend and using the Wi-Fi or 3G connection, your media will be transferred to the adjacent device. Nothing could be easier, eh?
This app is even branching out to the Android market. Despite the fact that the vast majority of Bump traffic is still predominantly via iPhone devices, it is great to see this type of physical world rule-bending technology begin to spread. I love the idea of being able to easily pass my contact information to someone with something as easy as a bump. I don’t want to keep track of business cards. They are heading to my address book anyway. This app skips that step and puts the info at it’s destination from the initial conversation.
I’m looking forward to the day when everyone will have “Bump”-capable devices on hand (ideally iPhones). Happy bumping — download and check it out.
