Zoompass Tag: My Impression + Field Test

Usually on a Friday, I’d have a Featured Album Friday blog post up, but because I’m apparently hitting the books hard, I haven’t had a minute to really check out new songs – regularly scheduled posts will be back soon time, I promise.

Anyway, while in the middle of studying today, I received a registered letter that I had to sign for and everything, and lo and behold, it was a letter from Zoompass, informing me that I was lucky enough to be one of the first in Canada to experience the Zoompass Tag! I immediately applied my sticker to my iPhone, and ta daaaaa.

I make it rain with my phone.

I am not fond of what it does to my iPhone aesthetically – it creates a really big bump on the back of an otherwise smooth surface, and turns it into a walking advertisement for Zoompass and Mastercard. Aesthetics aside, the utility of the Zoompass Tag currently outweighs the way the phone looks, so I will have to let it slide.

Of course, being a huge dork, I wanted to try it out right away. Here was the real test: I was going to leave my wallet at home, and just get out there equipped with just my phone and my keys. My target of the day was the nearby Tim Horton’s.

I walked inside, waited for my turn and ordered a double double. The woman told me how much I owed – $1.58, and I told her that I was going to be trying out a fast pass that was attached to my phone, and I showed it to her. She smiled and mentioned that she had never seen that before, but I should just hold it in front of the fast pass hub.

Well... that was quick.

I wish I were joking here, but it literally took two seconds for the payment to go through, I was mightily impressed. With my large double double in hand and phone in the other, I thanked the cashier and was on my way.

Conclusion: Zoompass is shaking up mobile payments in a big way, and the Zoompass Tag evidence of just that. I’m getting VERY excited (or that may be the large double double I ordered) about the future in the mobile space, and I can’t wait to see what else is in store! Huge thank you to the people behind Zoompass for letting me try out the Zoompass Tag! :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Posted on March 5th, 2010 by Jon Lim
Filed under: Mobile, Technology | 4 Comments »

Cheering on the Villains

Preface: for years, I have been saying that when I watch a movie, I cheer on the villains. I mean it, I have always cheered for the villains and I expect most movies to end in the worst way possible. Unless a movie is a romance or a comedy, or a romantic comedy, I absolutely hate typical Hollywood happy endings. I’m just a ray of sunshine, right?

That brings us to tonight, because I just came back from watching Shutter Island. I will not spoil it for you, but let me tell you: it was depressing. There are no heroes or villains per se, but I got my terrible ending. Of course, I don’t mean terrible in the sense that it was bad, not at all. It was a very well executed movie and I loved every minute of it, but it was genuinely depressing.

So, am I happy that I finally got my depressing ending? Well, yes and no. Yes, because it feels amazing to finally see a not-so-happy ending done so well. And no, because obviously, it’s hard to be happy when you’ve seen something so depressing.

In conclusion, let me just say: Martin Scorsese, you are a genius. Your movie was somewhat predictable, but you pulled it off magnificently. Well done, you’ve managed to realize what I have always wanted from a movie.

Thank you for making me depressed.

Posted on February 21st, 2010 by Jon Lim
Filed under: Life | No Comments »

Featured Album Fridays / Field Music – Measure (2010)

This week on Featured Album Fridays, the 2010 album from Field Music – Measure.

Here is the description of Field Music from their Last.FM:

Field Music is an experimental pop band from Sunderland, UK, formed by brothers Peter and David Brewis and their schoolfriend, pianist Andrew Moore. They have recently reconvened after an extended hiatus with a new line-up featuring guitarist/keyboardist Kev Dosdale and bass player Ian Black (Andrew having taken time out to train as a chef). A new double album is due to be released in February 2010.

The band’s first album, the eponymous “Field Music”, was released in 2005, followed in 2006 by a collection of b-sides and early tracks entitled ‘Write Your Own History’. During this time they toured with fellow bands from the North East England, such as Maximo Park and The Futureheads, as well as sonic adventurers from further afield, including Melbourne’s Architecture in Helsinki and Portland’s Menomena.

In 2007, they released ‘Tones of Town’, a critically acclaimed song cycle, which captured a particularly English variety of post-industrial frustration. However, sensing that a quick follow-up could lead to a dilution of ideas and purpose, the band announced a hiatus shortly after the album was released. In this time Peter and David each released solo albums as The Week That Was and School of Language respectively.

All of their albums were self-produced at their own ‘8Music’ studio in Sunderland.

As usual, the stream is below. Enjoy!

Posted on February 19th, 2010 by Jon Lim
Filed under: Featured Album Fridays, Music | No Comments »

Featured Album Fridays / Holly Miranda – The Magician’s Private Library (2010)

This week on Featured Album Fridays, the 2010 album from Holly Miranda – The Magician’s Private Library.

Here is the description of Holly Miranda from her Last.FM:

Holly Miranda is a Detroit born musician, raised between Michigan and Tennessee. Besides being trained in piano, Holly is a self-taught guitar and trumpet player. In 2001, She recorded “High Above The City”, a 20-track solo album available only at shows. In the fall of 2003, Holly met and teamed up with Alex Lipsen, producer and keys player. The project evolved into The Jealous Girlfriends, a four piece band based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She also recorded and performed as Raven Mayhem.

Holly has recently released an EP and has a solo album coming out some time in 2009 . It was produced by TV on the Radio’s Dave Sitek and Celebration’s Katrina Ford.

Very different from what I’m used to, but very chill music. The stream is below, hope you enjoy!

Posted on February 12th, 2010 by Jon Lim
Filed under: Featured Album Fridays, Music | No Comments »

Soulful Sundays / Kenichiro Nishihara – Humming Jazz (2009)

This week on Soulful Sundays, the 2009 album from Kenichiro Nishihara – Humming Jazz.

Wonderful album, very relaxing, along the same lines as I have been posting as of late (Nujabes, Woodblue, Smooth J, etc) and I really hope I can keep finding these kind of albums. The stream is below, enjoy!

Posted on February 7th, 2010 by Jon Lim
Filed under: Music, Soulful Sundays | No Comments »

Featured Album Fridays / Built By Snow – Mega (2009)

This week on Featured Album Fridays, the 2009 album from Built By Snow – Mega.

Here is the description of Built By Snow from their Last.FM:

Catchy keyboard rock with an explosion of velcro melodies and magnetic pop hooks that hit your brain like an Atari blasting out of a bazooka.

Short and sweet! This album is very poppy and I love that, give it a listen with the stream below. Enjoy!

Posted on February 5th, 2010 by Jon Lim
Filed under: Featured Album Fridays, Music | No Comments »

Soulful Sundays / Woodblue – North Source (2007)

This week on Soulful Sundays, the 2007 album from Woodblue – North Source.

Terrific second part to the album I posted last week, the stream is below, enjoy!

Posted on January 31st, 2010 by Jon Lim
Filed under: Music, Soulful Sundays | No Comments »

Featured Album Fridays / Generationals – Con Law (2009)

This week on Featured Album Fridays, the 2009 album from the Generationals – Con Law.

Indie pop with distorted vocals, very happy music. Enjoy!

Posted on January 29th, 2010 by Jon Lim
Filed under: Featured Album Fridays, Music | No Comments »

Soulful Sundays / Woodblue – North Letter (2007)

This week on Soulful Sundays, the 2007 album from Woodblue – North Letter.

Wonderful downtempo album, along the vein of the same kind of people I’ve been posting as of late – DJ Okawari, Nujabes, Michita, and the rest of them. Take a listen, and I’ll probably be posting North Source next week, which is the other half of this album. The stream is below, enjoy!

Posted on January 24th, 2010 by Jon Lim
Filed under: Music, Soulful Sundays | 2 Comments »

Featured Album Fridays / Electric President – The Violent Blue (2010)

This week on Featured Album Fridays, the 2010 album from Electric President – The Violent Blue.

Here is the description of Electric President from their Last.FM:

Electric President is made up of Ben Cooper and Alex Kane, both natives of Jacksonville, Florida. Ben is pretty awesome, but Alex is a piece of shit. He’s good at bass, though, so Ben puts up with him for that and that alone. Both of them are very fond of pizza, but Ben’s stomach is easily twice the size of Alex’s and he can eat much more of it per sitting. Alex also drinks Diet Coke due to having diabetes since he was a little kid, which is embarrassing (the Diet Coke … not the having diabetes part). Ben must have the patience of a Saint to put up with that guy.

They’ve recorded two albums and one EP under the Electric President moniker, all released under the German imprint Morr Music, with a third to be released this in early 2010, set to be released by Fake Four Inc. They’ve had songs on television (two on the OC, which was canceled shortly after – coincidence?) and in various short films. They both came from pretty DIY ideas of making music, and as such record all their music in a tool shed and a bedroom with a handful of recording gear. Apparently, this gives them cred.
They hope to one day be incredibly rich from their music so they can buy an airplane and set it on fire without ever using it. To burn that sucker simply because they can, and to stand by and drink expensive wine and laugh manically until it explodes.

This is a really chill album – I played it this morning while I was getting some work done and the CD finished before I even noticed. Check it out, the stream is below, enjoy!

Posted on January 22nd, 2010 by Jon Lim
Filed under: Featured Album Fridays, Music | No Comments »

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