[ANN] Introducing LoveBitcoins.org – Driving 1 MILLION Bitcoin Users in 2012

[Meni Rosenfeld]

It was my impression that Bitcoin, the software, technology, or network had a capital B, while bitcoins, the units of exchange, had a lowercase B just like dollars or euros.

Yes, that is correct. Tony, is there a reason you're using "Bitcoins" everywhere instead of "Bitcoin"?

[deepceleron]

Why use Bitcoin: "for Satoshi". Wait Wut?

Where is expert level 5, "comfortable with optimizing cryptographic hashing algorithms in 3D vector space in highly parallel ASIC design"....?

Sounds similar to http://we.lovebitco.in/, a natural choice for a xxxx.lovebitco.in name, available on afraid.org for your own subdomain. I think I know who created that domain now...

[BitPay Business Solutions]

Tony, is there a reason you're using "Bitcoins" everywhere instead of "Bitcoin"?

No reason, just force of habit of typing it B I guess.  I can update the site to how it should be used.

[Meni Rosenfeld]

Tony, is there a reason you're using "Bitcoins" everywhere instead of "Bitcoin"?

No reason, just force of habit of typing it B I guess.  I can update the site to how it should be used.

Note that in most places in the site the more appropriate term is "Bitcoin", the system, rather than "bitcoins", the unit.

[gnar1ta$]

I sent a donation in and have been sending people to the site. The responses have been good. Would you consider adding Flexcoin (w/ fee disclaimer) and Multibit to the wallet chart?

[BitPay Business Solutions]

I sent a donation in and have been sending people to the site. The responses have been good. Would you consider adding Flexcoin (w/ fee disclaimer) and Multibit to the wallet chart?

Yes I have Multibit already on my list to investigate.  Flexcoin is a little different because its more for cold storage and not a wallet, at least that's my impression?  If either one of those guys builds a mobile client I would be much more inclined to feature them.

[fornit]

If either one of those guys builds a mobile client I would be much more inclined to feature them.

why?

[BitPay Business Solutions]

why?

Because your leather wallet is a portable item you carry everywhere in your pocket.  Your digital wallet should offer the same convenience. 

[gnar1ta$]

Because your leather wallet is a portable item you carry everywhere in your pocket.  Your digital wallet should offer the same convenience. 

Agreed.

Q: Does this work on an iPhone or Android or other smartphone?

A: Yes!  it’s completely tested with mobile   do this.. bookmark the https://bank.flexcoin.com as a homepage icon…  you’ll see the flexcoin icon there for iPhones!

It's not a native client, but the webpage is cleaner than Instawallet (though I do like not having to login with Instawallet).  You have the option of sending all or some of your BTC to cold storage, the rest is available for transactions like any other e-wallet.

[fornit]

Because your leather wallet is a portable item you carry everywhere in your pocket.  Your digital wallet should offer the same convenience. 

i had hoped for an argument, not a bad analogy 
imho focusing on mobile devices and especially local sales with QR-codes is pretty much a guarantee for failure. you need something like a dozen globally available, popular shops or services for bitcoin to really catch on or alternatively thousands or maybe even millions of local businesses. plus PCs and laptops are still extremly popular and will remain so, especially among the more tech-savvy crowd. you cant play games, program or do any other serious computer-related work on a phone. for the short and medium term, this will be your audience. i hope you dont try step 5 before step 3 and 4.

besides that, mobile phones are currently a security nightmare. bitcoin is a security nightmare by design. i think both have to improve before this explosive combination can really work.

[SgtSpike]

Because your leather wallet is a portable item you carry everywhere in your pocket.  Your digital wallet should offer the same convenience. 

i had hoped for an argument, not a bad analogy 
imho focusing on mobile devices and especially local sales with QR-codes is pretty much a guarantee for failure. you need something like a dozen globally available, popular shops or services for bitcoin to really catch on or alternatively thousands or maybe even millions of local businesses. plus PCs and laptops are still extremly popular and will remain so, especially among the more tech-savvy crowd. you cant play games, program or do any other serious computer-related work on a phone. for the short and medium term, this will be your audience. i hope you dont try step 5 before step 3 and 4.

besides that, mobile phones are currently a security nightmare. bitcoin is a security nightmare by design. i think both have to improve before this explosive combination can really work.

I respectfully, and completely, disagree.  Mobile phones, and getting a smoothly working client running on them, should be a huge priority.  Smartphones are being carried around more and more, and not having a Bitcoin client available for them to use is cutting off a large crowd of people from using it.

[gnar1ta$]

Because your leather wallet is a portable item you carry everywhere in your pocket.  Your digital wallet should offer the same convenience. 

i had hoped for an argument, not a bad analogy 
imho focusing on mobile devices and especially local sales with QR-codes is pretty much a guarantee for failure. you need something like a dozen globally available, popular shops or services for bitcoin to really catch on or alternatively thousands or maybe even millions of local businesses. plus PCs and laptops are still extremly popular and will remain so, especially among the more tech-savvy crowd. you cant play games, program or do any other serious computer-related work on a phone. for the short and medium term, this will be your audience. i hope you dont try step 5 before step 3 and 4.

besides that, mobile phones are currently a security nightmare. bitcoin is a security nightmare by design. i think both have to improve before this explosive combination can really work.

I respectfully, and completely, disagree.  Mobile phones, and getting a smoothly working client running on them, should be a huge priority.  Smartphones are being carried around more and more, and not having a Bitcoin client available for them to use is cutting off a large crowd of people from using it.

I would have to respectfully disagree as well.  NFC payment systems like google wallet are not going away, why should Bitcoin not jump in.  And the more I see stories like this http://arstechnica.com/business/news/2011/12/hackers-hit-supermarket-self-checkout-lanes-steal-money-from-shoppers.ars the more I wish I could just pay with bitcoins at the store with my phone and never reveal account or identity information.  The current system is a security nightmare, Bitcoin offers some advantages and should promote that fact.

[fornit]

I respectfully, and completely, disagree.  Mobile phones, and getting a smoothly working client running on them, should be a huge priority.  Smartphones are being carried around more and more, and not having a Bitcoin client available for them to use is cutting off a large crowd of people from using it.

regular computers are still the majority. how many people in western countries have smartphones but no computer? how many use their phone instead of their computer for online shopping? how many buy digital goods and services on phones? file download services, movies, porn, gambling, gametime, all of these make more sense for the big, clunky devices.
i dont say ignore the smartphone market completely. but bitcoins (first) breakthough wont happen there.

[BitPay Business Solutions]

Apple, Google, and Facebook are not spending millions of dollars on mobile wallets for no reason. we have a product today and they do not. Read my OP.  let's build ourselves as much of a lead in the "digital wallet" space while we have no competition.  If I had a team of developers at my disposal right now I would put all hands on deck for mobile wallets and nothing else.

[finway]

A big rise of Bitcoin price is needed.

[gnar1ta$]

fornit I think you just described the complete opposite of me and the people I introduce to Bitcoin.  I shop, download, and spend much more time on my phone than on my computer - and people like me are the ones I send to the site.  Having a resource like LoveBitcoins.org focused on mobile payment solutions is perfect.  People stuck in a chair staring at a monitor can be directed to bitcoin.org.  I would like to see the Apple and Android rows filled with options on that chart.

BTW where is Blackberry in all this?  If their apps aren't open to developers, don't the ewallets still work?  Can something be added for them?

EDIT: I don't actually send people there....

[BitPay Business Solutions]

I don't think blackberry or windows mobile are worth spending development time on. But I wouldn't stop someone who wants to.  It's a bad ROI.

I think you and I are on the same page. I spend 1-3 hours a day at a computer. And about 10-12 hours a day with my phone.  I download music and games straight to my iPhone. The only thing I really use a computer for is Photoshop editing and some HTML design.  when I shop online, it's much easier to grab my phone and scan a QR code on the screen than it is to open up a program, wait for a blockchain update, and copy and paste. that's just painful.

[fornit]

Apple, Google, and Facebook are not spending millions of dollars on mobile wallets for no reason. we have a product today and they do not. Read my OP.  let's build ourselves as much of a lead in the "digital wallet" space while we have no competition.  If I had a team of developers at my disposal right now I would put all hands on deck for mobile wallets and nothing else.

your strategy seems surprisingly sound - for a company with several hundert million customers + infinite money supply...
a currency needs an ecosystem. google etc. have half of that and has the money to create the other half from scratch. they can create applications, products and demand all at the same time. you have to pick a niche where at least some of that already exists and expand from there.

I shop, download, and spend much more time on my phone than on my computer - and people like me are the ones I send to the site.

I think you and I are on the same page. I spend 1-3 hours a day at a computer. And about 10-12 hours a day with my phone.  I download music and games straight to my iPhone.

the flaw in your logic is that you are already here.
sell to potential customers, not to yourself.

Read my OP.

i did. there are 1 billion iphone users and 1 million windows users, all of which have the computer knowledge of a visual c programmer and would use bitcoin solely for the technology.
obviously, you live in a parallel universe.

[echowhiskey]

Apple, Google, and Facebook are not spending millions of dollars on mobile wallets for no reason. we have a product today and they do not. Read my OP.  let's build ourselves as much of a lead in the "digital wallet" space while we have no competition.  If I had a team of developers at my disposal right now I would put all hands on deck for mobile wallets and nothing else.

An alternative would be a standardized method to trade private keys.

For instance, if I don't have a smart-phone, I may print off a few bitcoin notes on my home printer.  They will have an exposed public and private key.  When I go to a store, I simply hand the cashier a bitcoin note with enough coin on it to cover my purchase.  The cashier asks me how I want my change, and I would ask for a printed key.  The receipt would print up a pub/priv keypair with the change loaded on it.  I could then take this and use it at the next place I shop.

Along the same line would be a small device that stores public/private key pairs.  You press a button and a public key is displayed.  Press another button, enter a pin, and the corresponding private key is displayed.  Hit the clear button, enter pin, and a new keypair is generated.  You could then simply have this small device that holds keypairs, and expose the private key for the cashier to scan when you make a purchase.

The downside to this is that it would not allow the individual to send bitcoin.  It would just be a dumb device that displays public/private key pairs, so it would be useless at bitcoin vending machines, parking meters, gas pumps, etc...

edit:  I guess it wouldn't be useless if those devices allowed the users the option to enter a private key.

[cunicula]

Apple, Google, and Facebook are not spending millions of dollars on mobile wallets for no reason. we have a product today and they do not. Read my OP.  let's build ourselves as much of a lead in the "digital wallet" space while we have no competition.  If I had a team of developers at my disposal right now I would put all hands on deck for mobile wallets and nothing else.

your strategy seems surprisingly sound - for a company with several hundert million customers + infinite money supply...
a currency needs an ecosystem. google etc. have half of that and has the money to create the other half from scratch. they can create applications, products and demand all at the same time. you have to pick a niche where at least some of that already exists and expand from there.

Way to go fornit.

+1