Tabs on Tabs
Kean Ferin
Tabs on tabs is a real-time SMS service for use in bars and venues. Its system originates from concerns and curiosity with respect to security as well as efficiency in light of human error, fallacy, and techno-culture. This project is the result of a long thought process, prodding the ever-evolving (at times problematic) fusion of tech-based communication, with analog human interactions. Developments in mobile technology are birthing endless social apps. Texting is no longer one of two options for communicating through our phones, but one of dozens. Studies show that texting has 100% penetration in the US and nearly anywhere else in the world with a mobile market. The same can’t be said for smartphones and wireless access. The service is initiated upon the purchase of the first drink. The tender’s side of the software will generate an ID for a patron’s tab which they’ll receive immediately, along with the return of their credit card Patrons can text the service with the bar name and ID, checking up on their tab throughout the evening via simple text commands. Why should someone download another app? Why save their financial information in it? Why leave a credit card in a rapid-paced environment like a bar, hoping the information is safe? Existing bar and restaurant apps are gamified and attention hungry with too many options. An SMS based service, allows tabs on tabs to operate minimally, and efficiently while supporting the user through their social interactions, not intruding on them.