Honestly, I have failed all too often at doing that.

Imagine planning that big weekend with friends and finding the perfect rental to crash at, only to have members of that once big party drop out due to the difficulty of paying people back. Nobody wants to go to the bank, and our generation does not carry a checkbook. Hell, I can’t remember the last time I wrote a check for anything.

You could head to the bank (gross). You could shake the couch cushions (sometimes). You could even resort to breaking that piggy bank (don’t even think about it).

Instead, turn to tech. There have been apps in the past, but many have failed to take into account user experience and security, both of which are all too important. And let’s be honest – in this day and age, security and trustworthiness is big deal. There needs to be a better way to get the weekend planned, or the meal paid for, and ultimately have everyone’s money going to the right place. A secure, trusting way,

And there is. Now there is no financial excuse to miss out on that big weekend, dinner out, or even just paying what you owe a friend. Square, Inc., the startup that disrupted the small business payment industry recently released an app to instantly and freely share money from person to person. And with the ability to connect Apple Pay to the Square Cash App, it’s just plain easy. Now that is something I can get behind, even if it does mean I actually have to pay my share of the bill.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Square, Inc. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Split Your Checks the Modern Way with Square Cash appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

I asked my roommates if they had any tricks, and one suggested I check out the application Forest to supplement my attention discipline. He even went so far as to state that the success he had achieved on his most recent O-Chem test he could largely attribute to the app instilling concentrated periods of studying in him. Obviously I was fascinated, and checked it out immediately.

Forest goes back to the basics – rather than organizing your tasks through some efficiency algorithm, or feeding you self help tips that you already know, Forest simply asks you to set a timer, with the button “Plant” to initiate the timer. A seed on your phone screen appears, and begins to grow into a a tree, its final size corresponding with how long you’ve set your timer for (between 0 & 120 minutes). If you exit the application before the tree has finished growing, and let yourself be distracted, your tree dies and you must begin growth anew. This makes for a simple and incredibly effective tool for when you really have to buckle down. A quick glance over at your phone and now the idea of killing the tree, and your progress, isn’t worth checking for that Snapchat update – you’re in it to win it and that means staying focused.

The number of trees, and types of trees (different trees corresponding with different periods of time) are tracked and presented in a calendar. Your successfully completed time periods can be viewed in the form of day, week, and month breakdowns, and show the forest you’ve grown. I sincerely recommend this application for anyone who lacks discipline when it comes to their mobile device and remaining connected. Whether you’ve got an O-Chem test or are running a hedge fund, this is a forest that helps you grow your productivity.

The post The Forest App Grows Your Productivity appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

Last week we tried out the Element Case Ducati line, so  I gave them a ring and did my best poor college student impression while begging to try out their motorcycle mount. Nailed it. Soon I had their Zip Mount in my hands and a desire to hit the open road – only without getting lost this time. I hunkered down in my garage and prepared for the dirty and painful task of installing this piece of kit onto my mount. And you know what? It couldn’t have been easier. Do you know how to effectively work a zip-tie? Then you know how to install the Zip Mount. My dreams of struggling away in my garage with wrenches and dirty gloves while listening to classic rock dashed, I decided to hit the road.

In theory, what a motorcycle mount needs to do is exceedingly simple. It needs to hold on to my phone. In practice though, at 100mph, this simple task has never been so important. You’ve got to be able to trust that the mount is going to hold on to your precious Facebook machine, and that gentle reader is why you have me. To test these things out on my phone first. You’re welcome.

A couple of notes: The Zip Mount only slides into the Element Case Fuse Dek, which itself only fits onto the Rogue case we tested last week (at least out of the two cases we tested. I’m sure it fits onto other cases of theirs as well). With that realization, I installed my phone into the chunky Rogue case, installed that into the Fuse Dek mounting system/belt clip, and slid the whole contraption onto my bike mount. It sounds clunky, and is clunky to hold, but once installed it looks pretty minimal.

Enough dillydallying, let’s get this mount on the road. My phone didn’t immediately fall when I set off, nor did it drop  when I picked up to 25mph. Still solid at 35 and 45mph. So far so good. 55 and 65 came and went with no issues as well. Now, 65mph is the legally-recognized top speed in the great state of California so I couldn’t possibly tell you how I ramped up to a heady 100mph on my local streets to test the Zip Mount. For science. Nope, couldn’t possibly tell you about that or at attacking intersection corners to test with some lateral G-forces. That would be irresponsible and downright dangerous of me. So I won’t tell you about any of that *alleged* activity. But you’ll be safe to assume that this mount will hold up to canyon carving and street fighting use.

If I’m honest, I’ve been trying to rely on turn-by-turn navigation less and less. I find I don’t remember how I got to places or how to get back if my little hand computer is telling me everything. But this motorcycle mount certainly made a case for itself and I have already found myself wishing it were there now that I’ve uninstalled the tester Element Case provided. If I continue being honest, it’s likely that I’m going to forget to send it back…

The post Mount Up! Let’s Test an iPhone at 100mph appeared first on FactoryTwoFour.

We’re gonna keep this brief, as the real juicy stuff will come next week when we test these cases with Element Case’s motorcycle mount up to 100mph on the FactoryTwoFour bike. It’s gonna be fun, but you’ll just have to wait for that. And you don’t need to be a speed demon to try out the cases themselves.

Element Case had us try out the two ends of the spectrum of their 3 Ducati iPhone case lineup. We got our grubby little hands on the sleek and minimalist Solace and also the big beefy Rogue. The full lineup of branded cases also includes the middle-child Ion5, which incorporates factors from both the tested cases.

The Solace is clearly the sports bike of this lineup. If you own a Panigale, this is the case for you. Lightweight, smooth high-end materials, and a mechanical beauty forged through necessity. How does it feel? Like a good complement to the iPhone’s sleekness and polish. I’ve never understood the common behavior of rushing out and paying full retail for a the newest i-device, only to slap a 3.99 plastic case of it’s beautiful exterior. The Solace case doesn’t convey that kind of “protection-first” mentality. It looks good, it feels good, and it functions as a good protective case. Total thumbs up from the FactoryTwoFour staff.

Next up, the Rogue. This case has Diavel written all over it. First of all, it’s big. It’s got presence. It is clearly not messing around. If you worry at all about dropping or scuffing your phone, the Rogue will allow you to sleep again at night. This is not a case for shrinking violets, but then, neither are Ducatis…

My pick was definitely the red and black Solace, but then I’ve always been a form over function guy. And while neither of these finer things come cheap, quality never does. If you’re a die-hard Ducati fan, these cases are a must have. If you’re not, they are still quality enough to tempt you, and sleek enough to convince you.

See you all next week when we see if these bad boys can stand the heat of actual motorcycle riding!

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