Organic and Socialight have announced a partnership to create "The Urban Mixtape", helping people explore their cities in an entirely new way. The initiative, which leverages Socialight's open platform that brings together user-generated and editorial information about places, is another small step in the evolution of the geospatial web, allowing people to access information and content when and where it is most relevant.
Using Socialight's Channels architecture, each Mixtape is an individually curated collection of places that is easily created, shared, and accessed on any mobile or web device, including via the GPS-enabled Socialight Mobile application.
The project launches with an insider's guide to Las Vegas for visitors to the CTIA conference, with content from premier editorial producers like Thrillist, Bravo, and Travel Channel.
Using a simple interface, anyone can create an Urban Mixtape by adding some great places to their "mix", then sending it off to a friend's phone or email address. Users receive an SMS or email link to their Urban Mixtape — easily viewed on any web-enabled phone — and dynamically reordered around their current location.
Users of Socialight's award-winning Mobile Java application can "follow" a Mixtape from start to finish using location-aware devices such as the Nokia N95. The application also includes a "remix" function that allows the user to modify the order of their Mixtape based on their current location.
"This initial collaboration between Socialight and Organic arose out of a shared vision for social applications and a desire to experiment and push the boundaries of mobile technology, user-interface, and geo-targeted marketing," says Michael Sharon, co-founder of Socialight.
"The Urban Mixtape not only provides Socialight users with a new way to explore their surroundings, but also gives Socialight and Organic valuable insight into how users want to interact and utilize location-based applications."
"We strongly believe that the next wave of popular social applications will integrate location aware services," says Chad Stoller, Executive Director of Emerging Platforms at Organic, Inc.
"Consumers are interested and our clients want to learn about it first hand. Working with Socialight provides Organic with another great opportunity to learn more about mobile development in the areas of social services and location based applications. It's experience that allows us to differentiate ourselves from other digital marketing agencies."
