Google is notorious for buying and killing.  First it acquires a company, a startup perhaps, for either its talent or impressive technology, then they kill it.  It doesn’t always happen right away, but eventually the acquired company will get knocked off.

And that’s exactly what’s happening to Bump and Flock.

Last September, Google acquired Bump Technologies, the company responsible for Bump and Flock.  Bump is an app that allows iOS users to share data by bumping their devices, something similar to what NFC-enabled devices can do.  As for Flock, it’s an app that aggregates photos of you and your friends based on the location.

It was rumored that Google was interested in Bump Technologies not because of Bump, but because of Flock, as the search giant wants to gain data points on users based on the photos they have taken.  Now, it appears the acquisition was simply a talent buy, as Google will soon be killing Bump and Flock on January 31, 2014.

By the end of January, both apps will be deleted from the App Store and Google Play. Those who have the apps installed on their devices will no longer be able to use them, and all data stored in the apps will be deleted.

Bumped off Bump? Here’s how to save your data

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To get all your data from either app, just run the apps and you will be provided with instructions on how to get all your data.  You will then receive an email containing a link with all your Bump and/or Flock data.

According to Bump’s blog post, the team is now “deeply focused on our new projects within Google,” thus the decision to discontinue the apps.

There’s a huge chance that the apps will be integrated in other Google products and services. Bump could really play well with Google Drive for easy file sharing, and Flock will probably be integrated in Google+.

But with the apps going offline, what other apps offer an NFC-like file sharing experience to iOS and Android users?  Or a photo aggregator based on location?

First off, iOS already has AirDrop, which uses WiFi and Bluetooth to wirelessly transfer files to nearby devices.  But if you feel like AirDrop isn’t enough for you, here are some other alternatives:

5 alternatives to Bump and Flock

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image via Airlike

Airlike

Airlike uses cloud-powered algorithms and geolocation to determine with which device you can share files.  You can send photos, videos, and contacts with other iPhones near yours.  But instead of bumping fists with the recipient, you just flick the content you want to share towards the recipient.

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SimpleDrop

A bit more complicated way for sharing data from one iPhone to another, or an iPhone to a computer but once you get the hang of using SimpleDrop, everything goes smoothly.  The app uses WiFi to connect the devices, fostering content sharing.  From there, you can use SimpleDrop to share music, photos, videos, contacts and documents.

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Chirp

Chirp is a new way for people to share files – through sound.  Unlike Bluetooth that requires device pairing, or email that requires extra typing of addresses, or social media that requires log-ins and friend connections, all you need are devices running the Chirp app to share data.  Just press on the yellow button, and any device running Chirp will be able to hear the sound and receive what you are sending.

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As for Flock alternatives, here are a few suggestions:

Kicksend

This service allows you to share photos and videos, as many as you want, in one go.  Also, Kicksend allows you to share only to the people you want to share them with privately, and organizes them by location and date so items are easy to find.

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Instagram

Yep, the photo-editing and sharing app is a good way to aggregate photos based on location.  So if you have an Instagram account, as well as your friends, it will be a great way to organize all the photos you took on the same trip.

photo credit: MattHurst via photopin cc