Instagram inspires new app’s launch
We often rely on our network of friends to supply the entertainment when we have no clue what to do during our free time. This method can be pretty effective, except when your peers are tapped for ideas. As an alternative you can go on city events’ websites to view listings of what’s going on a particular day or you can just test your luck and randomly choose somewhere to go , but there’s no way to really know if you’ll have a great time or what the atmosphere is like before you get there.
The “Now” app solves that problem by utilizing Instagram’s API to aggregate pictures uploaded into the app, analyze them to see which pictures are coming in from the same place and time, group them and enlist super users to tag those pictures and create event titles. If pictures from users at the same event begin to flow in with similar tags, the user pool can create an official event title and it shows up on the map with the exact location.
Instagram photos show what’s going on nearby
It widens the network of fun activities to take part in by taking the unknown and making it known. So if you and your friends are sitting at home bored one night, you can log into the app, see what events are going on nearby and instantly tap into the pictures coming from the event in order to see what the atmosphere is like in real time. If everyone looks to be having a good time, round up your friends and head out!
The app was launched in May of 2012 by French developer Ben Broca. It’s described as a “free live city guide” and serves as a form of experiential marketing. Rather than relying solely on promotional information posted on a website, users can connect to the experiences of people already in attendance at these events and decide if they want to attend.
The app gives residents a bird’s eye view to everything happening in the surrounding area and provides fun options for those who need ideas on something to do. And for those who want to see what life is like in other countries, users of the app can tap into event pictures in those locations and live vicariously through foreign partygoers until they have the chance to make it their themselves. The app is currently available for iPhones only.
Now app screenshots:
Destiny Bennett is a journalist who has earned double communications' degrees in Journalism and Public Relations, as well as a certification in Business from The University of Texas at Austin. She has written stories for AustinWoman Magazine as well as various University of Texas publications and enjoys the art of telling a story. Her interests include finance, technology, social media...and watching HGTV religiously.
