Bump

Bump seems like it could be a fun app for trading information between phones, but unfortunately it suffers from some technical difficulties. Pardon the pun, but it has a few bumps to smooth out.

So what is Bump? It's an app that promises to transform the entire contact-information exchange. Instead of two people meeting up and then exchanging details by dutifully entering names and phone numbers on a keypad, Bump would have both individuals select the contact info in question and then give each other a fist bump with their phones clenched in hand. The phones sense the contact and establish a linked connection, and then the information swaps between the phones.

That's how it's supposed to work, anyway. And when it does work, you do have to admit that it's awesome. Unfortunately, half the time I attempted to use Bump, it lost the connection, and I would have to try a few times to get it to work. That significantly reduces the "cool factor" of the app. It reminds me of two people struggling with a fancy high five, trying three or four times to get it right and looking completely uncool in the process.

In addition to contact information, Bump allows you to exchange pictures taken with your camera phone, as well as apps you have downloaded. Those people who are worried about rampant piracy in the digital era, however, can rest easy knowing that Bump doesn't allow you to trade MP3s. Also, although you may share purchased apps via Bump, the recipient still has to pay for their copy of the app.

It is really unfortunate that Bump doesn't work better than it does, because if it did work it would be totally sweet.