Pocket Apps

We review iOS and Android apps, to uncover gems from App Store and Play Store :D

[pocketapps]

Personal Mobile Wallet - DBS PayLah! (iOS/Android)

If you ever once felt that funds transfer through iBanking is a downright hassle, DBS PayLah is the app for you.

I mean, look at it, What are the steps you would need to take to perform funds transfer to a friend? 

1. Get the person's bank account number (which most likely has around 10-12 digits). Technically that is easy, assuming the person has their bank account number at the back of their heads, which I'm sure thats what EVERYONE does.

2. Open the iBanking app

3. Login, which encompasses of having to go through the OTP process (which doesn't make it less painful)

4. Add a new payee (HECK, I didnt bring my iBanking token out) 

5. Carefully type the person's bank account number in, fearing that he/she might have given you that wrong number, or what's worse, YOU have keyed in the wrong account number.

6. FINALLY get to funds transfer. 

Of course, once you have your friend as a payee it will simplify the process, but in the first place it takes so much effort just to add a payee. 

Hassle-free Fund Transfer

But for DBS PayLah, it can just take you 3 steps :

1. Link your DBS account to the app, and at the same time, your mobile number (Which is only a one time thing)

2. Enter the person's contact number you want to send it to

3. Send the money!

By using DBS PayLah, it's like having a personal mobile wallet with you. You can keep a balance in your mobile wallet for sending and receiving money. And if you feel that you need more cash in your bank account? Just transfer the money from the mobile wallet back to your bank account! *** The only problem is that it requires the recipient to also have a DBS/POSB account, which is alright because most people in Singapore do have at least 1 DBS/POSB account.

It is really useful because with DBS PayLah, I can send money to other DBS customers, and I only require their mobile number! (Assuming they have download and linked the app to their bank account, of course)

It makes it so much easier than having to go through the hassle of keying in bank account numbers and iBanking tokens every single time I need to transfer money to someone new. Now I just need their mobile number. (and for them to download the app. But of course they will download the app, else how would they get their money back? >:D muahahaha.)

The only hassle you will need to go through is at the start when you link your DBS PayLah with your mobile number and your bank account. This is a one time thing, so it's something I can live with.  

Security Passcode

The App also allows you to set a password so that the app is safe from anyone from opening it and sending everyone else money.

Transaction History

And what's more, the app and the service is completely FREE!

So what's stopping you from downloading the app now?

Here's the link for iOS - DBS PayLah iOS, and for Android  - DBS PayLah Android

Post is in collaboration with ChewOnTech.com (: Check them out for the great Tech news!

[pocketapps]

Smart Calendar - Calendars 5 by Readdle (iOS)

Ever wish you had a calendar app that can show you everything at once, and yet still have the ability to view what’s important right now?

Calendars 5 by Readdle might be the one for you.

As a calendar user, I could never understand why many of the calendar apps I tried and tested feature day to day events as dots on a monthly calendar. Dots. I cannot fathom how visually informative dots can mean to me. It can mean that I have 1 event that day, or I could have 999 events for that day, and yet both situations it will feature a dot below the date on the calendar.

Different Viewing Mode

Calendars 5, for that matter, can show you a Monthly view, which conveniently provides a short description of the event title (as much as it can show, within the limits of space constraint); and even allows you to guess that the event is an all-day event or a time-based event at a quick glance. An all-day event will be completely highlighted in the calendar’s default color (as shown in the screenshot as the orange event), and the time-based one will show a white highlight instead.

  If you find this too much information to absorb at one go, Calendars 5 can also allow you to view your calendar as a List view, a Day view, and also a Week View. Using the other views will allow you to see what’s important in the next few days or within the week, as compared to the Month view which is more convenient for planning events possibly of a larger scale.

Smart Event prediction!

What’s also impressive about this app, is not just how it has made the user interface beautiful and intuitive. The app, having a Natural Language Input feature, also allows you to create an event by typing in plain English. Calendars 5 will recognize date and time and fill out the event fields for you automatically!

Trying out the Natural Language Input was pretty entertaining as it can figure out your event location, your event time, and if you allow the app to access your contacts, it can even invite your contact to your event; just by typing in plain English. How awesome can it even get?

Customizing recurring events

To add to the awesomeness, Calendars 5 also allows you to add recurring events. How impressive can that be, you may ask? It is precisely impressive because it not can set recurring events for the typical ones in the iOS Calendar like “Every Day”, “Every Week”, it can even set precise recurring dates like “Every 1 week on Tue”, or “Every 1 week on Weekends”. Or even more precise dates like “Every 1 month on Weekends on 3rd week”, or “Every 3 months by 18” - which means to recur once on the 18th of the 3rd month. This feature is completely customizable for the individual and solves the problem of not being able to customize precise recurring events. And this is something most calendar apps do not offer.

Copy and Paste, Drag and Drop

It seems like the app is already packed with awesome features. But there's more! Another amazing thing the app can perform is that it can allow you to drag and drop events, if your event date and time has changed; or even to copy and paste events! This is useful for events that are not recurring on a regular pattern, but being able to repeat events also means you do not have to copy all the event information manually from one event to another. 

Syncing Tasks and Reminders

The calendar also can sync from your Google Tasks and iOS Reminders if you are a frequent user of those features, but personally I do not use those, so I cannot comment much on that feature. I use another app called Trello for my task management, but that review will be for another time. (:

The only thing that might prove to be slightly annoying for the app is the confusing Time picker, which I find slightly confusing, and it took me awhile to understand how it actually works. However, I must admit the Time picker for Calendars 5 is an innovative user interface, it tries to make a difference in the user experience for selecting your event time, and it might be useful for some, but personally it confuses me at times.

Other than that tiny nagging thought, Calendars 5 by Readdle is an awesome smart calendar app you would want to add to your app collection. It effectively helps you to minimize the time taken to manage your calendar.

Anddddddd even though you just missed getting all this awesomeness for free, which is somewhat upsetting, admit-ably, Calendars 5 is on offer at 50% off for a limited time. Hurry and go grab the app fast! (:

Calendars 5 by Readdle from Readdle Inc. on Vimeo.

Calendars 5 by Readdle is in the App Store for $3.98 (50%).

Calendars 5 - Checkout their website here.

Post is in collaboration with ChewOnTech.com (: Check them out for the great Tech news!