Now dry-cleaning as well as restaurant booking can be done from your phone. Dirty laundry needn't be a nuisance with the ZipJet app, which aims to take the stress out of dry-cleaning.
With Uber – the taxi-ordering app – now valued at $40bn (£25.5bn), it is no surprise others are trying to take old-school, real-world services on to your mobile phone. ZipJet
(iOS, Android, free) attempts to move the dry-cleaners into your
pocket. Only in London at the moment, the interface is slick – finding
your location automatically and scanning your credit card number with
the iPhone’s camera, making it a breeze to order. Put in what it is you
need to be cleaned, then choose a half-hour collection and delivery
slot. The cost compares well with a service wash at a local launderette –
£12.50 for a bag of washing and £10 for a two-piece suit – and it works
fantastically, but while it is sure to be a big hit in New York, where
communal facilities are the norm, it seems unlikely it will ever be more
than a niche product in the UK. Equally, Zomato (iOS,
Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, free) is the latest restaurant
finder, but what makes it stands out is the breadth of its service.
Select to search for coffee-shops, a plethora of culinary genres, or
even somewhere specialising in hot chocolate, and the app locates them
on a map. From there you can browse the menu and book a table. Good for
the tastebuds, if not so beneficial to the waistband.
