Coin leads the way to the all-in-one world

Fumbling for keys, credit cards, cables and passwords is so 2000′s. We’re moving to an all-in-one world where devices create convenience, hide complexity and most of all, fit our lives with little adjustment or learning curve. San Francisco-based Coin introduced a device last week that is the epitome of this trend — a small card that combines many credit/debit/gift/loyalty cards (essentially anything with a magnetic strip) into a single card.

If that sounds insecure, it certainly means losing a Coin has a bigger impact on the consumer. But from a true security standpoint, it works only when within a short distance of a consumer’s iPhone using Bluetooth low-energy technology (BLE). It even reminds the consumer if Coin is left behind at a restaurant (see video, below).

These aren’t physical changes as much as changes brought on mobility, apps and data integration.

Thinking big by thinking small

So many startups are rethinking technology in ways that the consumer needs to learn new gadgets that change the form factor we’re used to. Coin uses an app on the iPhone and looks like a plastic card, making adoption fast and simple (never mind that it is a skeuomorph, sometimes that’s a necessary thing).

This is where things are going. We no longer have house keys…we have an app on our phones that unlocks our home and turns on or off the alarm. Our system even reminds us when we get beyond one mile from home without arming. Coming back from Santa Monica yesterday, we took turns sharing our music over the car’s system using Bluetooth from our iPhones, each person streaming their favorites without cables and complexity.

This is exactly why Apple has the valuation it has…they’ve been leading the all-in-one charge more successfully and longer than most everyone else. If you want to disrupt the status quo or just find a great Christmas present for a loved one, think seriously about finding ways to join the all-in-one trend. For some good examples of all-in-one, check out Tom Pearson’s piece on Lifesize.