Author: Julie Campbell

Mobile app from Facebook pales next to Paper

| February 5, 2014

The social network has launched a new application that is providing a far better experience.

The most recent mobile app that has been launched by Facebook, called Paper, is being applauded when compared to the previous application from the social network, which many people find to be far less engaging and far more frustrating.

The purely functional experience from the Facebook Home app has been replaced by visual appeal and ease of use.

With the release of Paper, Facebook has effectively exposed how unappealing its old application actually was and that it is capable of doing a great deal more with its mobile app. Paper is a kind of combination of the existing news feed on a user’s account with news stories and status updates from friends. It has eliminated menus and buttons in favor of more basic screen swipes. Instead of the standard form of the news feed, large images are available (which can be better seen with device tilts), status updates, and videos that auto-play.

This new mobile app also encourages more off-Facebook content consumption.

The reason that it can do this is that users can leave Facebook’s content to view other forms online without having to leave Paper. This can be accomplished by simply selecting the online media category that is preferred on top of the usual items on the news feed. Each of those elements can be seen in the same way as one would flip through a magazine. They include sports. Food, photography, and science, among others.

These new features in addition to a range of stylistic enhancements have made it obvious that Facebook is understanding how vital it is to break away from its older structure. It is trying to avoid the impression that it is aging – as Tuesday represents its tenth birthday. In internet time, the social network is virtually seen as ancient, so it is becoming critical that it remains cutting edge and keeps up its relevance to its users, no matter what device they prefer.

The Paper mobile app is also providing an additional opportunity for Facebook to display ads. It is believed that it won’t be long before users start to see lots of advertising working its way into the rest of the content that is being consumed.

Augmented reality launched on buses in Scotland

| February 3, 2014

Passengers on public transit in Aberdeen are now taking advantage of new technology based entertainment.

Commuters taking the public transit buses in Aberdeen, Scotland now have a brand new augmented reality experience available to them that will allow them to gain a great deal more entertainment out of their rides.Scotland Buses - Augmented Reality

Through the use of mobile devices, they can now enjoy high tech entertainment while onboard.

Using smartphones and tablets, passengers on these Scottish are able to open up an interactive video channel that gives the viewer the choice to view a range of different content, including information about the transit services, interviews with staff, movie trailers, and even the ability to purchase tickets or surf the web.

There are 35 First Aberdeen buses that have been equipped with this augmented reality feature.

To make this service more readily available to a larger number of mobile devices, the buses also feature free WiFi for riders. This initiative has been generating a considerable amount of activity from passengers. In fact, since it first launched in November, there have been thousands of individuals who have accessed the content available through this AR channel.

All that riders need to do to access the AR material is to follow the instructions on the bus seat backs for downloading the free First Scotland app from Google Play or the Apple App Store. The app makes it possible to aim the mobile device at the seat back to trigger the video channel so that it can be streamed into the smartphone or tablet.

According to the General Manager of First Aberdeen, Duncan Cameron, “Our new augmented reality channel brings our seat backs to life and I hope makes bus travel that little bit more interesting and enjoyable.” He also went on to say that the transit system believes that they are the first company of that nature around the globe that has implemented AR tech on the backs of bus seats in order to help to encourage ridership on their vehicles. The sheer number of uses that the feature has seen until now has revealed the type of interest that this can, indeed, draw.