Dear Santa,
I am writing my annual letter to you asking for a few things. I know I’ll be lucky and grateful to receive even one item on this list. There are those who are less fortunate, so please take care of those in need first. Regardless, in case you’re struggling with what to give me this year, here are a few ideas:
An iPhone6 without a power button on the side of the phone. How can Apple let this happen? Do they expect us to hold the phone with two fingers to avoid pressing the button during a conversation thus ending said conversation? Do they expect us to use the uncomfortable provided earbuds? Move back to the top of the phone, please.
iPhone training classes for Grandpa App. My Dad, recently retired after mis-delivering mail for the past 35 years with the USPS, now has an iPhone. He doesn’t own a computer and thought wifi on the door of a restaurant was a food special. I’m now teaching him how to use the phone. It’s as if I added a third kiddo to the house. Oh, and FaceTime. He loves it. Uses it all the time and gets mad if I cannot communicate in like fashion. Welcome to the 2000s Dad!
Giving our readers some neat apps and tech gifts, such as: Venmo | Mobile payment. Now your friends can’t duck out of repaying you. Think of it. You buy lunch (again) because your friend forgot their wallet. I bet they didn’t forget their phone. Send them a link to Venmo for payment on the spot. MapQuest Roadside Assistance | Using the Denver-based MapQuest app, roadside assistance can be requested without the need of a traditional, expensive membership. Refuel Smart Propane Tank Gauge | Device attaches to your propane tank to deliver on demand propane levels via wifi or by pressing a button on the gauge. App shows the level of propane in the tank. The button gives a green or red indicator light. JBL Clip | Wearable Bluetooth speaker. Flux Capacitor USB Car Charger | Yes. The flux capacitor theme from Back to the Future. Worth the Google to check out the image.
Ask our stores to honor one holiday at a time. I believe I witnessed a first, but definitely not last (unfortunate) trend in October. Target had an aisle for Christmas next to the Halloween aisle. In fact, on November 1, the Halloween decorations were down, Christmas decorations were up, and above the soda machine was a sad little sign that said, “Happy Thanksgiving.” The Pilgrims must be so disappointed.
Michael Buble’s voice. You can ask, right?
Touchscreen Gloves. November was frigid! Touchscreen gloves allow you to interact with your device’s screen without removing your gloves. Check out Amazon.
A free year of Amazon Prime. Streaming videos, free two day shipping and now unlimited cloud photo storage. Did you hear that? Unlimited photo storage. When your device is connected to wifi (no Dad, not the restaurant lunch special), photos sync automatically. You had me at hello!
Lots of gift cards. I never know what I want so gift cards are always the gift that keeps on giving. Try cashcard.com to buy or sell gift cards. The site lists cards from 1-35% off face value at most major retailers. A $75 card will cost only $52.50. They’ll also buy your gift cards up to 92% of face value. Gyft is an app that will manage all of the gift cards for you. No need to haul the cards back to the mall.
A parking spot in Cherry Creek. With a purchase from a restaurant or store in Cherry Creek North, you can use the complimentary valet. Check out cherrycreek north.com for valet locations. If you are lucky enough to find a parking spot at the mall, use FindMyCar to set the location, add a note and take a picture.
Less time in line to see you. We need to take the annual, awkward family Santa Claus photo, but I dread the thought of waiting in line. Can someone tell me why there is not one Santa location in Denver with an app allowing us to sign up for the line in advance? The Santa photo business must be profitable based on the absurd amount of money I’ll pay for a goofy photo. Let’s see, 500 families in line at $50 per family. You get the picture. Bass Pro Shops offer a Bass Pass, which gives you a 30 minute window for the line. If you’re looking for a listing of Santas, check out milehigh onthecheap.com/see-santa/. This site is fabulous. Each Thursday, they list things to do for that weekend for free or at a nominal cost. The YMCA at Infinity Park will have Santa visit on December 11.
In all honesty Santa, I’m blessed with a great App Family. You can pass along our gifts to others in need. Cheers to you and yours!
Do you have a favorite app you’d like to share? Contact Brian at brian@brianzabro ski.com, on Twitter @BrianZab or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/brianzab.
Brian, a Corporate Account Executive with NetSuite, has spent nearly 20 years in the telecommunications and software industry. Businesses use NetSuite software to run and manage all of their business applications. It’s web-based, so businesses can access their information from anywhere. It’s flexible, which allows the software to be customized for their business; and, it is built on a single platform, which businesses appreciate since they can often eliminate multiple software solutions. Trending companies, such as Box, GoPro, FitBit and Dropbox use this software to run their business. Reach out to Brian to learn how your business can benefit with this software.