MobilityDigest Review: Field Trip

Android Field Trip:

Every now and again I have an urge to explore my city.

This  leads me further than anticipated normally when I encounter trees and open land; I feel compelled to explore.

Which is why I have an interest in Field Trip.

The applications is written by a group of  Android developers working at Google that go by the name Niantic Labs. Niantic Labs is a small team inside Google that has a focus on location-based and social mobile apps.

Field Trip is a guide to the many hidden, and unique things in the world around you.

The application runs in the background on the device.

When you get close to something interesting, a notification pops up with details about the location.

No click is required. If you have a headset or bluetooth connected, it can even read the info to you.

If Field Trip doesn’t provide you with cool information about your neighborhood, then that means you live in an area that isn’t too populated.

The Field Trip application in my use was very interesting. What it does is, it alerts your phone, using a ringtone of your choosing, ‘Wikipedia style’ of your surroundings. Also the future implications are pretty significant.

Think of an application that learns you and your surroundings, providing results of your commonly searched queries. Giving you relevant local information such as closest gas station or bus stop, stores of interest with deals and specials.

Or things like detailed information for local bars/clubs and attractions during the evening hours, information for local cabs and diners near you. Basically doing what Google Now does but gearing it more toward your intent and points of interest.

Field Trip fits right in to what some scientist are calling the IOT, or the Internet Of Things.

Highlights:

★ Discover thousands of interesting places/experiences that fall under the following categories: Architecture, Historic Places & Events, Lifestyle, Offers & Deals, Food Drinks & Fun, Movie Locations, Outdoor Art and Obscure Places of Interest around you.

★ Choose from three different modes to set frequency of Field Trip notifications. See “Field Trip” worthy places around you on a map, by tapping on cards in map view to pull up enthralling points of interest around you.

★ Go on a Field Trip while you drive. Field Trip can detect when you’re driving and automatically “talk” about interesting places and experience around you.

★ Capture the memory of a special place, by sharing a wondrous discovery through email and social networks such as Google+, Twitter and Facebook.

★ Wondering where the gem that you recently discovered is? Find your discovered field trip cards in the “recent’ section.

★ Field trip learns what you love. Thumbs up or down to tune the information discovery engine.

The connected experience you have with local and contextual search is what the IOT proclaims to be, applications such as Field Trip given us a glimpse of what that future looks like.

Use Field Trip now @ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nianticproject.scout