2012 Wall of Apps: A Guided Tour
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First Wall of Apps Display At CES Casts Light on Importance of the Apps World
How do you showcase Mobile Apps at the world’s largest tradeshow? Very carefully. First: The crowds — and I mean 153,000 of them need access to the apps. People attending the show need to feel them and touch the apps. That’s a lot of hands. Second: They need a little bit of guidance and inspiration to understand what the app does. An app left on its own can be quickly overlooked. Third: The app space needs to be an affordable exhibit space for an app developer who doesn’t have the resources of a large hardware company. Fourth: It’s got to be placed in a highly trafficked are of the show. With those goals in mind, Living in Digital Times, created The Wall of Apps and 18 stalwart apps developers took their place on the wall. Together we had a fabulous show. Next year, as apps become even more entrenched in the success of the CES, we’re hoping that the Wall of Apps gives the other “great wall” a real run for the money.
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Wall of Apps from A to Z Here’s a look at the basic concept for the Wall of Apps. I call it whack-a-mole meets the interactive museum. Even before the show started, Wired Magazine caught on and seemed to really get the idea of a self-curated wall of apps. Each app had a placard with a synopsis of the app, and the app was tethered onto the wall, like so: The selection of apps was diverse and exciting; the traffic a healthy stream, and unlike most museum exhibits you were encouraged to touch the art! |
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This shelves on this mobile support would gave Andy Warhol a run for the money. You shop for products just like you would in a real store, dragging them off the shelves and into your shopping basket. Complimentary products like the jelly when you buy peanut butter are offered or you can take shortcuts and head to your favorite aisles. Checkout occurs at the touch of a button, your tab keeps running and coupons keep you coming back. Stores that use the system can benefit from creating a better shopping experience to a more targeted customer. Customers will find it fun and easy. |
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This app provides a new and mobile way to get the best answer to your toughest questions. SunDew allows you to post a question and get answers from the community. Those who answer win community karma. Optimized for a mobile environment, the app lets you forward questions, send to just your own network of contacts, or put it out there, making it quite flexible. |
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At the football game? Hankering for a discount while shopping Macy’s? Heading to a flash mob? Just brainstorming in the park? Echoer lets you express your thoughts in a lovely graphical environment. And the thoughts that resonate best grow larger and larger. It provides a new way to look at crowd-sourced information. |
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Wall of Apps Photos |
Social networking and location based event get graphical with Runtastic Download the application to your iPHone, mount your iPhone on your bike and you get a wealth of statistics and social networking features. Heartrate, speed and even your cadence are all recorded in addition to the standard miles cycled, calories burned and elevations. You can view maps, charts and stats to your hearts delight. Heck, it even plays music! Hardware for mounting your iPhone is available on their store. To watch the video:.
The 2011 Mobile Apps Showdown winner, Line2 provides a second phone line with calling, texting and business features to your iPhone. The free version offers a real telephone number, free in-network calling and texting with other Line2 customers, the ability to receive voicemails and texts from anyone outside Line2, and outbound calling to toll-free numbers. The newest version includes free unlimited in-network calling between Line2 users as well as texting.
The crowds loved playing with this app that uses biometric facial authentication to unlock your phone and all of your applications. Using Fast Access eliminates the need for password lockers or keeping track of all of your various account passwords. It captures your photo and then face recognition software verifies that you are permitted access. FastAccess began as an app on your PC to let you access your accounts, but the mobile version is equally, if note more powerful. Works with both Android and iOS devices.
What a hoot! Running in HD and selling for only $1.99, Toy Balls! HD combines a variety of games where various spheres are shooting down pathways to an area where electric fields are waiting for victims to fry. The player can keep this from happening by matching at least 3 of the same spheres together. This casual game combines crisp graphics, challenging level puzzles, distinct ball physics, and game play that is easy to pick up. The free version has been downloaded millions of times. 
Unlike other sites that let you check into locations, We Reward provides cash, points and coupons for the checkin. You can checkin at a variety of businesses in your area— tied to CitySearch’s Citygrid Points can be redeemed for cash to spend at other We Reward locations. To keep you from having to check in everywhere, your WeReward check in is tied to Twitter and Facebook, too. Each 1000 points is worth 1 cent and consumers can cash in the points they accumulate for money through WeReward.
Transmit data wirelessly to a wide variety of Epson printer (newer models) using iPrint. The printer has it’s own unique IP address. Free, the app can print photos, PDFs, webpages or documents. You can even scan and save your files or send them in an e-mail. Also supports online file services such as Box, Dropbox, Evernote® and Google Docs.
Two of the most heavily trafficked areas of the Wall of Apps were two app-toys from WowWee: Foam Fighters and Alien Jailbreak. Both combine augmented reality with inexpensive real world toys to create new and intriguing game play. With Foam Fighters you attach a small foam plane model to your iPhone or Android with a special swivel. Then hold your phone up in front of your eyes. You’ll see your plan transposed atop of your world as scene through your phones camera lens. A number of plane fighter game variations are included. Alien Jailbreak has a square shaped real-life building When a user looks through their phone’s camera they will see an Alien prison rooftop and searchlights scanning the area. The object of the game is to stop the escaping Aliens by shooting them.
