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29 Comments

Royal Canadian Mint opens public voting for the MintChip Developer Challenge

By Bla1ze on 15 Aug 2012 03:57 pm
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*Only 3 days left, make sure you get your vote in!*

A little while back, The Royal Canadian Mint started up the MintChip Challenge and invited developers to re-think and share ideas for how a digital currency can be used. Developers were encouraged to create applications that showcase digital payment applications using MintChip, which is currently in development. With 500 of the developer kits issued, developers created those apps and now, it's time to vote for the winners.

Winners will receive approximately $50,000 in gold from the Mint as well as promotional exposure. The video you see above comes from the folks at taab, who as you can tell, created their app using the BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha as well as providing offerings for Android. If you interested in reading why the Dev Alpha was chosen or their thoughts on QNX and BlackBerry 10, they've got a great post written up explaining it all.

There is plenty of applications listed in the gallery, so if you're looking to vote on them you can head over to the official website to get started. If nothing else, it's a great showcase of how developers are envisioning the future of payment processing including the use of such things like NFC.

Place your votes on the MintChip Challenge Website

Topics: MintChip Developer Challenge News & Rumors

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29 comments

NamelessStar

This is very cool a year and some ago before bb7 really was known as bb7 RIM trained me to know how it worked and said it was supposed to have this functionality. Sadly the backlash of bb7 caused them to drop any enhancements that where planned for it but this is kinda cool specially since its been designed using the bb10 alpha.

BBPandy

BTW Taab's submision is here
http://mintchipchallenge.com/submissions/9458-taab

(Direct link to vote Taab page)

chm985

I voted for Taab.

Torch 9860, Playbook

Earl_3

Man!!! Stuff like this makes me feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas Day to come. Soon!!!

bryanve

And it's coming twice.
Dec. 25 and BB10 launch!!

bluetroll

better start saving my pennies! xmas twice!

q649

Anyone else think that the video demonstrates a complicated (and time consuming) way for introverts to spend even less time talking to strangers?

HorizonXP

Well, if it does, that wasn't our intent! We were trying to show how two strangers could meet using taab, and go on a couple of dates at common places, making it easier for them to fall in love.

I love talking and interacting with people, but I hate queues. I don't see the point of them. They're a waste of my time, and a waste of the merchant's time. And of course, time == money.

If taab can save each person who uses it a few minutes a day, that can add up to a huge savings for society overall.

That said, we're still refining things for when we eventually deploy this. We're trying to showcase the concept in the video.

Founder of Pulsecode Engineering and taab

Desktop Bridge for the BlackBerry Playbook
twitter: #DesktopBridge

BBPandy

Great Job I hope you win.

I'm guessing taab will work like an application launchers where you run taab & then find the store your looking for

I just have one suggestion. Looking at the video I didn't see any location based software (maybe it's there but I didn't see it) Once you get a dozen or so cafés ect. It would be a bit monotonous to scroll through them to find the place your at. Maybe it could auto detect when you enter the establishment & when you load the app it automatically goes to that place. For those security consciousness customers (like me) who would never want to be tracked, maybe the place can have NFC tags on the table, by the bar ect. That you can tap to grab the data needed for that particular establishment, or if you already have it on your phone, to load it. This could also be used to update menus items & prices ect.

BruvvaPete

Wrong... WRONG!!

q649

How exactly am I wrong?

I'm not saying that MintChip or taab are bad ideas. What I am looking for with this technology was not conveyed by the video. What I am looking for are ways to save time, not consume it. What is faster for me, to open an app and configure a coffee purchase, or walk up and order the coffee verbally and use my phone to pay for the purchase?

I like the bar app, and being able to browse a drink catalog. But what happens in a crowded bar when I walk up and purchase a drink without the bartender even seeing who I am? How does the bartender know who to bring the drink to? And if it's not crowded, am I using a phone just for the "fun" of it?

I understand it's a proof of concept, I just didn't find the examples compelling or realistic.

green_ember

Whether or not payment is included, I'd love to be able to order my food or coffee like that so that it doesn't get f'd up. Would also be really handy if you're the one in the office who takes orders for the coffee run...

HorizonXP

That's actually one of the use cases we're trying to target, and was an idea for the video that got scrapped.

Founder of Pulsecode Engineering and taab

Desktop Bridge for the BlackBerry Playbook
twitter: #DesktopBridge

TheBlackberryUser33

This is just another example of how a Blackberry smartphone can be put to serious use, instead of for wasting time in the way people with iOS do...

Proudly a member of TeamBlackberry, and in it for the long haul.

mikeo007

You do realize the app is designed for platforms including iOS, right? Keep the comments useful, stuff the fanboy dribble.

North-Face

The app is designed for platforms Android and BlackBerry not including ios, Keep the comments useful ;)

z1nsane

I don't think this is the case since the app uses NFC, and it seems that the next iPhone won't have NFC technology (if the rumours are true about the metal backing of the next iPhone, thus unlikely to have NFC).

twstd.reality

It doesnt say here, but this is a daily vote. You are allowed to cast a vote once a day! You can either sign up or login with your Facebook account - so spread the word! :)

thecsman

This is a great way to start. Voted from my PB. =)

Nice to see the alpha in action.

martinjdub

http://mintchipchallenge.com/submissions/9458-taab

Vote there!!!!

North-Face

HorizonXP, my vote is in. Well done!

z1nsane

Going to help with reminders: Votes can be submitted daily!!!!

BruvvaPete

This is gonna pimp slap a lot of apps. Well done. The fewer things in my wallet the better.

xenrobia

Let's face it, the creators of Taab will port to WP and iOS if the opportunity exists to get their app on those devices. They'd be stupid not to. The fact that they used BlackBerry to begin with is good enough to get my vote. SO EVERYONE VOTE FOR TAAB EVERYDAY FOR THE NEXT THREE DAYS. They only lead by 29 votes as I write this.

BBPandy

If Taab wins it will be good press for BB10.

I have already read news articles that mentioned the competition. If a Pro BB10 App were to win it would definitly help get BB10 good press

Rootbrian

This is so awesome!! I can't wait to be able to use my blackberry for paying for food and all that. :) GO GO TAAB!

belfastdispatcher

While it's a cool idea I fear a cashless society. First it's an option then becomes mandatory, same as everything else in this world. I will hold on to my cash as long as I can.

fanatical

I've said this a few times, but once again...... Great job horizon!! Love the concept, love the app, love the professional presentation.

Get out there and vote people.