Fotopedia, fingertips experience the world

Fotopedia Reporter, one of the many apps developed by the eponymous photo encyclopedia site founded by a group of former Apple employees, has just announced the release of a new app, “Fotopedia”, which upgrades to version 2.0 in 22 January 2014.

“Fotopedia”, the formerly Fotopedia Reporter, was launched in April 2013 for iPad and iPad mini only. Recently, for those running iOS 6.0 or later, the app has been made compatible with iPhone and iPod touch as well, which thanks to the updating to version 2.0. However, now, for the function of “travel story reporter”, is only exclusive to the app’s iPad edition (Fotopedia blog, 2014).

As one of the leading media consumption apps of tourism, Fotopedia, which focusing on photos and creating a photo-based online photo "encyclopedia", aiming at “ Travel the globe and discover the world best experiences”, are free available worldwide in nine languages(Fotopedia, 2014). Since April 2011, after the launch of the first application Fotopedia Paris, Fotopedia launched fifteen applications, for example Fotopedia Heritage, Fotopedia Japan, Fotopedia China, Fotopedia Wild Friends, Fotopedia Women of the World, Fotopedia North Korea, Fotopedia Dreams of Burma, Fotopedia Italy, Fotopedia National Parks, etc (Fotopedia blog, 2014). Rely on the exquisite pictures, the good travel interaction effect and tourism experience share, the attractive interface design, Fotopedia quickly captured a large number of fans, especially among tourism enthusiasts, photographers and educators. Just Fotopedia Reporter, has already racked up 300,000 downloads until June 2013, of which 60% came from iPad users (Fotopedia, 2014). 

The photos provide by Fotopedia are mainly from the photographs based on the Flickr CC protocol authorization. Opening the apps and moving the fingers, the user could experience a "virtual tour". In networking status, the user could view HD quality travel stories, and mark the interesting stories, edit, or collect them to the self-album, so that to re-look next time (TechCrunch, 2013). They can also now sign up or log in to Fotopedia using Facebook or Twitter, and link the travel experiences for easy sharing. Using GPS positioning, smart labels, search tools and interactive maps to provide a full range of navigation services, so that the users can clearly look through what and where the “travel stories” around them, picking a place or calling up their current location on Fotopedia geo-localized maps, geting the best local content and the hottest tips from residents and the previous tourists, even being a "Travel Creator", personalizing the travel all by their design and plan (Fotopedia, 2014). It is also a good media for the "travel stories reporters" to recall and share the "memorable" travel experience to the users and potential tourists. The feature of Open Graph Integrated with the Facebook could allows the travel reporters easily sharing their interesting travel findings. Using the photos taken by themselves and the actual personal feelings to share an memorable experience, even to make a "Must-see list" for the own repeat visit or provide the advices to other tourists. This kind of "visual virtual tour" and online interaction could directly and effectively motivate users to imagine the virtual travel, even promote the action to travel.

For instance, Fotopedia Paris could provide a visual feast of "virtual tour" for you. More than 4000 photos, allowing you to enjoy the beauty of Paris, while the depth feeling of Paris culture. Art, architecture, cafes, castles, fashion, history, shopping, street life,etc. 

Fingertips tapping, you are just under the Eiffel Tower, one second later you has been in Montmartre comic world, or the way to the Louvre. Traveling Freely in the city, you could not only enjoy the famous attractions, but also the unexpected landscape and monuments, which are hard to find in most travel guides.

In 2012, the company formally established a partnership to the world's largest online travel company Expedia (TechCrunch, 2012). When a Fotopedia user see the attractive pictures and want to travel to the destination, just clicking on the "Expedia" button next to the picture so that to enter Expedia applications to book the Hotel room. It is the most sensible choice to Fotopedia that has the cooperation to a travel company. Currently, the Expedia button just appear on the application of Fotopedia Paris and Japan, in the future the company will add the button in the previous applications and the some application of upcoming release. 

When the tourism experience economy gradually becomes the mainstream thinking and development trend of the tourism market economy, when the rapid development of IT industry and its sustained impacts on the development of the tourism, Fotopedia could have a place in numerous tourism applications? Let us wait and see.

Written by Pinyi LU & Yi ZHAO

Sources:

Fotopedia official website (2014): http://zh.fotopedia.com/products/fotopedia

Fotopedia official blog (2014): http://blog.fotopedia.com/

TechCrunch (2013): http://techcrunch.com/2013/06/10/fotopedias-reporter-app-focuses-on-creation-as-much-as-consumption-crosses-300k-downloads/

TechCrunch (2012): 

http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/11/fotopedia-partners-with-expedia-introduces-in-app-hotel-reservations/

Tablette-Tactile (2014): 

http://www.tablette-tactile.net/application/ipad-application/fotopedia-decouvrez-partagez-le-monde-en-images-sur-votre-ipad-ou-votre-iphone-150324/

Images sources:

Image 1: http://blog.fotopedia.com/

Image 2: http://blog.fotopedia.com/

Image 3: http://zh.fotopedia.com/products/fotopedia

Image 4: http://zh.fotopedia.com/products/fotopedia

Image 5: http://iphone.tgbus.com/ruanjianheji/201211/20121106160150_5.shtml

Geo-fencing - how tourism and event companies can profit from its mobile usage

Tourism and event companies are looking to use today’s mobile technology to their advantage. As a large number of people are traveling with mobile devices, a company who uses this technology may find itself getting ahead of its competition. The fast-changing technology not only helps to speed up many processes in tourism and events, it also contributes to getting things done more efficiently. Furthermore, it is used to connect people, share information and knowledge, and spread travel experiences.

AT&T, the largest American telecommunications company, and Sabre, an American-based international travel technology company, recently announced a joint venture in geolocalization and personalization in travel. They plan to use AT&T’s Location Information Services (LIS)-Hybrid software to develop applications to help streamline the travel experience for travelers and travel companies, namely airports and airlines. This software allows the creation of so-called “geo-fences” which can be defined as “visual perimeter[s] within a geographic area” (Karantzavelou, 2014). Whenever a traveler’s mobile device passes into or out of a geo-fence, mobile applications can alert either the traveler or a company to important information based on his or her location. For events, geo-fencing can be very beneficial as it quickens registration processes, connects attendees and facilitates networking and the sharing of information, and can be used to create “added event intelligence” (Aubespin, 2013).

Image courtesy of suphakit73/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

The example given in the Travel Daily News article is of a traveler passing through an airport. Based on his or her location given by the GPS, cellular, or Wifi signals of his or her device, various services can be personalized. For example, as he approaches a boutique in the terminal, the traveler can receive notifications of sales or special deals valid in said boutique directly on his smartphone. Or a passenger arriving on one flight could receive pop-up information on her iPad on where to find her connecting flight in reference to where she is currently.

Sabre’s research department, Sabre Labs, is looking to combine their data and research on travel with AT&T’s technology to develop applications that can work on all mobile devices in order to better serve travelers. The two companies hope to finish the first part of their project by this summer.

In today’s increasingly connected world, tourism and event companies are looking for ideas to set them apart from the competition. Additionally, customers are coming to expect more from their travel and event experiences than just the cookie-cutter basics.  As more and more companies make use of technology to enhance their products and services in order to provide added value to their customers, it is will not be a question of setting yourself apart, but rather of not getting left behind.

This is an interesting endeavor and a logical starting point, however, to maximize the efficiency of such technology in the travel and event industries, AT&T will have to open up its LIS-Hybrid to use by rival American and international telecommunications companies.

Sources:

Aubespin, D. (2013, October 17). 5 benefits of geofencing at events. ReJuvenate. Retrieved from 

http://www.rejuvenatemeetings.com/2013/10/17/5-benefits-of-geofencing-at-events/

Karantzavelou, V. (2014, January 20). AT&T and Sabre to test and develop new mobile services for travel industry companies. Travel Daily News. Retrieved from http://www.traveldailynews.com/news/article/58611/at-amp-t-and-sabre-to-test

Image source:

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Telecommuncations_g177-Handsets_With_Applications_p55509.html

Aline Biber & Caitlin Richardson 

Monument Tracker: A new way to discover cities ?

Tourism industry, as every others sectors, has developed the past few years lot of different applications in order to answer to the customers’ needs. In fact, since the progress of smartphones technology, applications have become inescapable.Many applications allowed to book a flight, a trip or to get information about a destination. Monuments Tracker is one of the many interactive travel guides, which propose to discover cities. However Monument Tracker offers amazing additional tools: geolocation and augmented reality. The application was created in 2010 by an actor of the tourism industry in Cannes, Jean-Jacques Lottermoser. 

How it works?

Monument Tracker is a unique tool which highlights the heritage and the history of various cities. The application is available in more than 38 cities in France and abroad. It is very easy to use as it is exploiting geolocation and push functions. It enables the user to visit the city in his own way and to be informed about the monuments, which surround him. Once the monument is detected, the application provides automatically series of information. As 60% of downloads are international, the application is available in 9 different languages on Apple and Android. As many others apps, Monument track is charged between 1,79 and 4,49 euros depending on cities.

Monument Tracker proposes also others features. First of all, augmented reality, among others functions, allows the reconstitution of sites. The application offers also thematic tours and search of monuments by names. Finally, monument tracker plans to store contents in advanced for foreign people and to only use the free GPS function when on site.

In order to collect data for the application, developers work closely with cities. A partnership is created between Monument Tracker and municipalities. Cities received 15% of the turnover of the application and are able to update the information thanks to a back office. 

Impact on travel industry 

Monument Tracker is an application which changes the way to discover and to learn about a city. In fact lot of tourists, when visiting often miss the opportunity to discover monuments that surround them.  

Monument Tracker allows tourists to discover a city they often explore partially. It allows traveling more lightly as the tourist gather all information needed in only one device.

As it is well-known, cities and governments struggle to collect funds for the renovation of their “heritage”, especially in France. Monument Tracker tries to assist the cities and monuments to gather money. To make tourists aware of the deterioration of historic monuments, Monument Tracker proposes to collect small donations thanks to their application. In fact, on each download, a small part is donated to a monument. For instance for a application of 1,79 euros, 1 euros is donated to the renovation of the Mont Saint Michel. Moreover for downloading the Paris apps, the buyer will automatically donate 2 euros out of 4,49 euros to the Pantheon.  Donations are efficient as in only few years, Monument tracker gathered 30 000 euros for the renovation of the Pantheon.

To conclude Monument Tracker is a useful and very successful application, which only not thinks about profits but also includes what matters the most to their founders, the heritage.

Alyssa, Coralie Deguerville & Lou

Liens:

http://www.club-innovation-culture.fr/jean-jacques-lottermoser-monument-tracker-avec-secrets-de-peinture-nous-souhaitons-enrichir-lexperience-au-musee-en-associant-les-nouvelles-solutions-numeriques-a-la-richesse-de-l-art-classiqu/

http://www.monument-tracker.com

http://www.leparisien.fr/paris-75/paris-75005/participez-a-la-renovation-du-pantheon-26-12-2012-2434743.php

Prague GPS Digital Guide:

The company « avant-garde Prague » in association with the company digital urban Legends have decided to launch a new project which allows tourists to have access to a Prague GPS Digital Guide.

This guide was born thanks to the willingness of Patrick Beslon “general manager of Avant Garde Prague” in order to make IT available to the tourism field.

Prague GPS digital guide has been developed under windows mobile. It is a new application downloadable on pocket PC, PDA, or smart phones which allows guided visits for tourists in vacation in Prague. By using this application tourists can visit the city by themselves with all the information needed.
It took three years to “Avant Garde Prague” since the beginning of the conception to the launching day.

The goal of this application is to propose a new way of visiting the city. The guide is easy to use and easy to carry on. The main advantage compared to paper guides is that it contains far more information and that there is no limit to its storage. The information it contains can be uploaded and actualized as often as needed. One other advantage is the easiness of use. The information is well organized and the user is not weighted down by the quantity of data.

The software proposes a homepage that represents a map: “different map are available and the user can choose between them”. Once the tourist has found the needed map, he just has to click on a geographical point in order to have access to the specific information he is looking for. Users can have information about touristic areas but also about museums, monuments or practical information as subway stations, posts or cash machines. The guide can be used as search engine by looking for a specific address or name. The very interesting innovation is the immaterial database. In order to make all the information available Digital Urban Legend has created a special map for immaterial information. For example if a tourist clicks on a specific place where someone important was born, he can find specific items related to this person.

An article is always written with a title, geographical coordinates, a main picture and a picture gallery. Articles are linked together.

Prague GPS Digital Guide is also proposing guided tours for tourists. There are many different tours recorded and classified according to their subject. For example a tourist can choose to follow a guided tour of Prague architecture.

This article shows how IT can be useful to the tourism industry. Prague GPS Digital Guide offers a new way of visiting the city. Tourists can evolve by themselves in the city with all the information needed. Furthermore, thanks to the updatable function of the software, tourists become aware of all the specific events occurring during their stay.

http://www.avantgarde-prague.fr/sejours-de-groupe-mice/sejours-d-affaire/incentive-team-building/prague-gps-digital-book/