Google releases 'Field Trip' app, a location-aware guidebook | Hacker News Reader

Google releases 'Field Trip' app, a location-aware guidebook

fieldtripper.com

46 pointsdenzil_correa46 comments

Yikes. I've been working on an iOS based competitor for the past three months. My concept is a bit different. I'm using photo data from public sharing sites and clustering geotag locations to determine scenic or popular points of interest. Users can then create custom walking tours to one or more of these locations.

I've only got a few days left of development, so I'll probably get it out before Niantic/Google's iOS launch. The good news is that Field Trip seems fairly well received so far so there's a demand for this type of thing.

Don't get discouraged - look at it as validation of your idea. Not everything Google does turns to gold and there may be plenty of opportunity in doing something vaguely similar, but different.

So, launch, listen to your users and iterate! Good luck.

There's tons of room in this space. This version seems to be general interest, but there's plenty of specialized versions that will come along as well. Be a specialized version.

I rather be in a business that has a few competitors but lot's of market than in a business that has no competitors, and no market...

> This item cannot be installed in your device's country.

I'm sure I'll enjoy it in a few years.

same here, really annoying

Fuck this country-limited shit... honestly!

Yeah! If they can't release it in every country in the world, they should never release it!

Do you truly not understand why a developer creating a location-based discovery app - an app that will be judged mostly on the quality its location-based content - might need to launch in limited locations to start? Does this really need to be explained to you?

People who live in one country may travel to others. It's absurd to enforce the limitation at this level.

I'm getting really sick of apps in the Android store that are restricted by country when they're not legally obligated to be that way.

If the problem is that Google Play won't let you download an app from the U.S. store based on where your current ISP is located then: 1) that's dumb* and 2) download Field Trip when you get back to the U.S.

The point is developers shouldn't have to worry about people in un-supported countries downloading their apps and finding them worthless due to no content.

* (it should be based on your Google Play account settings or billing information)

Except when you have a really really good reason to do so, you shouldn't limit your app download countries.

Even for apps requiring physical or legal presence in the country (specific store app, subway guide, bank etc), you still have a chance that the people using it set their Google Play account to another country or use foreign billing information. Expats and tourists are an obvious case, using the billing information of family or friends abroad is another one.

Setting multiple account in different store countries is a major PITA, and getting updates for apps downloaded on mostly unused stores is painful as well.

How about if I, as a non-American, want to buy this app to use on an upcoming US trip?

The other side of this coin, people downloading the app to use in their home countries when those countries are un-supported, is much more common. Probably two orders of magnitude more common. Sorry it sucks for you, but I'd make the exact same decision as Google here 100% of the time.

Would be nice to have a third option, that incorporates the country limitations into the purchasing process and warns you when buying the app that it has no data/support/whatever for your country. At least then those of us who do travel frequently and want to be able to use these apps when we do will have that option.

Try this scenario on for size:

Hans the German downloads the app. But as he walks through the streets of Munich, the app doesn't show him anything interesting. Hans posts a 1 star review on Google Play, saying "app is broken does not work on <whatever phone>". This is not desirable for Google.

How about this scenario-

Hans the German hears about this cool new product and goes to download it, only to learn he can't.

Hans never goes back to product again, having attempted to get it once before.

This is not desirable for Google.

They're licensing a lot of content from a number of providers. That's far more likely to be the cause for regional restrictions than any plan.

I think you missed the point, let me go get it for you:

It's a location based application. Operative and key words there are "location" and "based". It makes more sense to release in a limited location you have proximity to and are familiar with in an early release to iron out all the bugs before making an international release where tracking down inaccuracies can be much more difficult logistically.

I doubt it's an arbitrary restriction, it's done for the sake of ensuring the app works as designed in a controlled test-environment.

Jealousy isn't a helpful emotion.

That was one of the best product videos I've seen. Engaging, with enough hints to what it does to make you want to download it.

Interesting. I thought the opposite. I watched it before I saw any information about what it was, and had no idea what it was supposed to be about in the end. I just needed a little more context at the beginning, and I think it would have been quite clear.

Same here. Plus, I'm not a big fan of the "creative" ads that don't talk about the product or say nothing about what it's supposed to do. Sure, it's a pretty ad, but ads are expensive, and air time is expensive, too(well on TV), so viewers need to realize immediately what it's about.

I have to say the video left me more confuse about what it does. The name gives it very little context, and the video does not provide any additional information. A bit too abstract for me.

I'd have to agree with this. It's a beautiful video, but from an advertising standpoint it provides literally nothing. I know absolutely nothing more about the product than I did before I watched the video.

I've had for a couple of hours. Its a nice looking app. I found a couple interesting spots while walking around Chicago. It does not look like a "Google" app. I imagine its one of the first apps to use the Google Now API.

Edit: It was created by Niantic Labs. http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/27/googles-niantic-labs-laun...

I think so too. There is definitely some Google Now at play in this app.

Hey all.

This app is _really_ cool. I've found out a lot of stuff in my neighborhood (just a little south of SF) that I didn't know existed.

The website is here: http://www.fieldtripper.com/

There's even a launch party on Saturday (9/29) - http://www.fieldtripday.com

I'm a member of the team which has launched this product - any questions, and I'll let you know to the best of my knowledge and ability to answer.

Hope to see you in two days!

Of all the companies to require flash to view their video...

It says it's by NianticLabs@Google. Any more information about what The Niantic Project is? Their website doesn't say much: http://www.nianticproject.com/

AFAIK Niantic is a internal google "startup", from what I've heard their real product/project (that I haven't seen) will be released soon-ish.

Here is their twitter account: https://twitter.com/nianticproject

Origin of the name for the curious - "Niantic was a whaleship that brought fortune-seekers to Yerba Buena later renamed San Francisco during the California Gold Rush of 1849." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niantic_(whaling_vessel)

Can't wait to try it out.

I do wish google would be a tad less serious with their advertising. These overly earnest, schmaltzy ads are getting old.

I'm still a little confused about the actual product. Does it use GPS data to show information about surrounding landmarks? Or something else/more?

Like Google Now it uses your location to display a variety to things; Some are historical landmarks others are upcoming concerts or movie locations. You choose in what frequency the app notifies you. For example, I was walking from work to home and Field Trip notified me of where a scene for Oceans 11 was shot.

It's a mixed bag for me. I live in Los Angeles next to a movie studio. There's a ton of cards for right here at my home. Some are cool stuff, some are generic tourist guide info for tourist food and tourist shops, a bazillion movie locations, and some (the ones I'm most skeptical about) are celebrity news. I don't care where some celeb was seen yesterday, and I wouldn't care much even if I didn't live here.

Oh, that's really cool. Thanks

This will be neat together with Project Glass.

http://www.nokia.com/in-en/citylens/

Love how there was obviously no testing of the site on Firefox, as clicking the video pause or volume buttons hides the entire video. Pause/volume works fine on Chrome/Safari of course.

what os/firefox/flash version are you using?

I tried it in FF Nightly and FF release. Using the latest Flash as far as I know.

US only.

youtube link to video in case anyone else has trouble getting it to play on chrome http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=z...

It looks like they can really put the Frommer's acquisition to use in this.

This looks neat. I hope they can get that iPhone version out soon!

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