Wallit App: Leave your virtual mark on historical sites

Krystal Peak · March 6, 2012 · Short URL: https://vator.tv/n/24d5

A new iPhone app lets people post visual messages on memorable locations

There is a primal human need to mark the places we've been or put our stamp on areas that mean a lot us -- and a newly public app is letting people do just that without resorting to skywriters or graffiti.

Wallit is a new app that lets users not just check into a location but leave visual messages that are super-imposed in a digital reality. The app was previously under beta testing and is now live for anyone to try out.

Currently, the San Francisco-based company has raised a $1.2 million round of seed funding from backers including Masao Tejima, president of OpenTable Japan; ex-HP and Netscape exec Sharmila Mulligan; Storm Ventures; Tenex Capital Fund; DBO Capital and Orrick Venture Fund.

How It Works

The app has created multiple “walls” set up around specific places, where people can leave messages for others that check in there. These messages could be anything from informative texts, photos, augmented reality photos, videos and audio clips. 

The concept was derived from the practice of etching your name at a historical site.

The app can be used to see who else is around at the same time as they are, and they can look at walls anywhere around the world -- but wall posting rights are only offers for a location you are currently at.

Currently there are 700 pre-created walls around the world — cities include London, Istanbul, Tokyo, Paris, Milan, Rome, San Francisco, NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Miami -- and more walls will roll into use over time.

More than just a site-seeing tool

Even though the major functionality is best matched with the iPhone, clearly because of the mobility offered as you traverse to different areas, the app launch just a day before the expected iPad 3 announcement also has the company discussing the upcoming release of a "super wall."  This option will allow anyone that heads to the 320+ Apple Stores to share and socialize about their shared experience.

This product could also meld closely with a second-screen concept if this Apple event coverage is a success. People could soon be sharing information about The Golden Globes, The Super Bowl or Presidential Speeches -- if that is something they are interested in -- but I suppose that would cut out their geo-location element.

I also see some possibilities of becoming a really helpful college campus tool -- like a virtual bulletin board for people to share events and historical relevance on a given campus.

While Wallit is currently not going live with any commerce or marketing opportunities that it is capable of, the company believes that there are obvious monetization opportunities through personalized advertising and offers. Do I sense virtual billboards?

The app is free and doesn't require the creation of an account or user ID -- so I guess its time to explore the world and leave my mark.

 

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