Apps of the Week – Starbucks and Medium
This week, several great apps have been launched and updated. Check out the following apps to download for your Apple device.
Starbucks Releases Improved App for iOS 7
Image Credit Starbucks
Starbucks has just released an iOS 7-friendly app for iPhone. The redesigned app boasts new features, a smoother interface, digital tipping, and a more personal dashboard experience. Compared to the previous Starbucks app that sported different tabs on the lower navigation bar, this new updated version is rather simplified and easier to navigate with its three primary sections: Pay, Stores, and Gift.
You’ll also find a cleaner view of your reward profile and messages as well as the Pick of the Week and Leave a Tip features. You can now access your entire account history too. A new icon represents the app’s refreshed design. The redesigned Dashboard centralises your rewards, levels, messages, and account history.
If you’ve previously used the Starbucks app, you’ll notice that the update has removed customised drink saving within the app. Starbucks recommends that you make a screenshot of your customised drink if you’d like to save it when using the feature.
With the Starbucks app, you’ll stay connected to your card so you can simply pay using your iPhone or iPod Touch, and you’ll earn Stars in the rewards program. For added convenience, Starbucks has introduced the Shake-to-Pay feature that allows you to shake your phone to pay for your purchase at the register. This is a particularly interesting feature that makes the purchase process faster and easier. By shaking your device, the barcode of your in-store purchase will be displayed before paying at the register. You’ll receive a push notification once you make a Starbucks card transaction.
Aside from paying using your smartphone, it’s also possible to leave a digital tip. You can now electronically tip your barista within two hours after buying your coffee drink. Whenever you’re eligible for digital tipping, the app will notify you about it. However, digital tipping is only available in Starbucks stores in the U.S.
Another interesting feature is the Store Locator which enables you to find nearby Starbucks stores. And with the social media integration, you can easily share your rewards milestones on Twitter and Facebook.
If you love going to Starbucks for your daily dose of coffee, then this app will make everything much more convenient for you. The app is available free of charge on the App Store. It’s compatible with iOS 6 or later. Go get a drink and try it out!
Medium Read-only iOS App
Image Credit Medium
Publishing platform Medium has recently launched a read-only app for Apple devices. It’s the first mobile iOS app introduced by the company. You can sign in with your Twitter account to access a wide selection of published articles. Interestingly, Twitter is a main component of Medium’s web platform. Sign-in via Twitter comes as unsurprising considering that Medium founder Ev Williams is the developer of Twitter as well as Blogger.
Medium has a simple yet stunning interface that’s easy to navigate. Once you sign in, the app “hand-picks” a personalised reading list based on the Medium collections and popular stories that you’ve subscribed to on the web platform and also the people you’re following on Twitter. Like the desktop website, stories are grouped in different themes such as “We Live in the Future,” “Better Humans,” and “This Happened to Me.” According to its founder, the app was intended to have a streamlined and simple design because the company’s major focus is on content.
To navigate the app, all you need to do is swipe left and you can read stories anytime you want. You can also share, recommend, and bookmark your stories. Hundreds of new authors publish their ideas, views, reflections, and experiences that create a largely diverse collection. You’ll find seasoned authors, world-famous writers, and also first-time contributors. When someone recommends a new story to you, you’ll find their profile picture beside the recommended story which helps you recognise friends much easier.
If you love to read various stories, Medium is definitely a must-download app.
