Color is new location-based, photo-sharing app that just launched last week. This new photo app has received a lot of attention, partly due to the $41 million in investment and partly due to how the app works.
At first, it looks like just a basic mobile photo app, like Instagram. However, unlike Instagram, there is no friend or following system. You don’t even need an email address to create an account or get started. Photos taken through the app are public by default. users see all of the photos that are being taken by strangers who happen to be within a 150-foot radius of the user’s smartphone.
How does this work? Say you meet up with some friends at Starbucks. One of your friends pulls out their phone and takes a photo of you and the group using the Color app. That photo is now public to anyone within around 100 feet of Starbucks. If anyone else in the vicinity of Starbucks were to open up the Color app, they’ll see the photograph listed in a stream alongside other photos in the area. Oh, and the photos you take are stored on Color’s servers and the company owns them.
The app is very voyeuristic. The idea of mobile voyeurism is interesting, for sure, but I’m not sure if I want to participate. I don’t take a lot of photos, so maybe I’m biased in regards to this app. However, I want to be in control of who sees the photos I do take – thus my network of friends on social networks like Facebook and Path. On the other hand, I do use Twitter (which is a very public social network) and the photos I do post there are open to anyone.
My gut reaction is that this app will be intriguing to a few, but will not appeal to the masses.
Color is free to download on iPhone and Android phones. I’ve downloaded the app, but haven’t taken any photos as of yet. I imagine this app gets more interesting when more people are using it and taking photos.
What do you think of Color?
Color Demo from Color Labs, Inc. on Vimeo.
Blog #73 of 365 of PostADay2011.
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