Badger (playbadger.com) is all about sharing the cool things you see with friends and the community. Instead of just feeding you one long stream of coffee cups and images with photo filters, the company has decided to take a different approach and focus on the story telling aspect of people’s experience in their every day lives.
“Badgers,” as the users of the service are called, are able to contextually organize their photos through custom-made “Badges.” Want to upload photos from a road trip? Make a Badge for that! How about some cool street-art, or the great outdoors? Someone already made a Badge for that. Plus, all the content is organized and displayed on a map. Badger isn’t limited by venues or places, it’s with you everywhere you go. The Badge and map act as localizing agents with the content as the centerpiece.
The Badger system has at its core been designed as a sandbox, allowing the user free reign over their content. Badgers have the ability to design visual representations of themes and interests, which act as grouping agents, known as Badges.
These Badges are socialized from the onset. If one user sees a Badge that another user has created, she or he can simply claim it, and use it when photos are uploaded to associate that content with that Badge. Socializing badges allows Badger to be a collaborative map-making platform.
It’s clear that Badger’s system has been designed with the mobile user in mind. Camera phones and smartphones are in nearly everyone’s pocket or handbag, and the submission to the service from a mobile device is straightforward. Non-smartphone device users can send photos via text message to Badger, and in some phones Badger will display the user’s feed. Android users have the ability to submit photos via the web-based uploader.
Apps are currently in production for the iPhone and Android and should hit their respective app store shelves soon. You’ll be able to see the Badger team showcasing these products at SXSW in various installations.
Sign up for the service at http://playbadger.com and follow them on twitter @playbadger and you can also find them on facebook.
Founded in 2010, Badger Media LLC is a New York based startup focused on developing interactive technology based solutions that connect people in new and interesting ways. The company’s first product is Badger (playbadger.com), and will enter open beta Saturday March 12th 2011.