December 05, 2006
Spotted in the Wild: Tagbulb
Tag search isn't anything new in the Web 2.0 space, but there's something to be said for making a good idea faster and more comprehensive. (*cough Google cough*) Comprehensive is definitely where Tagbulb is headed, if their existing list of search targets is any sign. Photos, videos, books, blogs, jobs, podcasts, social bookmarks, goals... and now events.
The interface seems to be entirely AJAX, which when combined with really simple design actually manages to be snappy. (I've tried portal-style sites recently that load like a herd of elephants, but I digress.) I can think of a thousand directions they might go, so it'll be interesting to see how they develop.
Posted by chris at 02:54 PM
November 16, 2006
Spotted again: Rrove
I think we forgot to blog our first encounter with Rrove, but it turns out the wait was worth it. They've spiffed up the site a great deal, so a good idea has gotten even better.
Rrove is all about sharing places. Take any point on the Earth, be it an address or a geolocation, and give it all the Web 2.0 goodness we've grown to expect: tags, reviews, comments, Flickr photos, and (of course) events nearby.
My personal favorite new feature is Sets, groups of places that are listed together but commented separately. For instance, take the set of Paris destinations, a kind of "must see" list. Don't agree that the Eiffel Tower is worth visiting? Vote it down. Have a great photo of the Moulin Rouge? Add it yourself. Know a hot gig happening around the corner from the Louvre? Well, you get the picture. And so do they.
Posted by chris at 03:33 PM
November 15, 2006
Spotted in the Wild: Nextcat
Nextcat says that "It's all about who you know." They could be talking about the entertainment industry or Web 2.0 social networking, but in their case they mean both. Picking up where Myspace left off, they provide promotional pages for artists and entertainers looking to expand their reach and potentially land a new gig.
Rather than roll their own event listings, Nextcat decided to use the Eventful API, both for searching for events and adding new events for your artist. The interface for both is nice and clean, integrated well into the Nextcat look while retaining the as much Eventful functionality as possible.
I'm glad to see events making their way into social networking sites like Nextcat. Someone was just requesting events support in LinkedIn yesterday, so it sounds like the time has come.
Posted by chris at 01:37 PM | Comments (1)
September 25, 2006
Spotted in the Wild: The Hype Machine
The Hype Machine is a different kind of blog aggregator, one which "tracks songs and discussion posted on the best music blogs." It combs music blog feeds for any mention of a particular performer's songs and displays them in a most-recent list along with other relevant links.
For instance, a search for Scissor Sisters gets you a pop-up player to listen to each song, links to each song on iTunes and Amazon, YouTube videos, and the performer's Eventful and Upcoming events.
Posted by chris at 10:24 AM | Comments (0)
August 25, 2006
Spotted in the Wild: Geowalk
(Well, not so much spotted as pointed out by Harald Kotte of Visicam. Thanks, Harald!)
Geowalk is a Google Maps mashup that takes a different approach from the ones we've seen so far. Rather than fill in the entire map view with a spray of events (or photos, news items, hotels, travel tips...), Geowalk displays a relevant list based on where you click. That way you can use the map as an overview and get detailed information by clicking around.
Posted by chris at 02:17 PM | Comments (0)
July 20, 2006
Podbop version 2
Podbop version 2 was announced yesterday over at the Podbop blog. In addition to the beautiful new design, new features include being able to search within a radius of your city, a browsable performer database, and the ability to add performers' events directly from Podbop. And if you'd like to request any missing features, go ahead on the Podbop subreddit.
Congratulations to Taylor, Daniel, and the rest of the Podbop crew for a great new release!
Posted by ted at 01:32 PM | Comments (1)
June 13, 2006
Spotted in the Wild: Music Arsenal
Well, not so much spotted in the wild as "enthusiastically anticipated", but I'm stickin' to my metaphor. Jimmy Winter proudly announced that Music Arsenal's tour management module now integrates with Eventful, and through us to Podbop.
When entering a tour date into Music Arsenal the data is automatically sent to Eventful which PodBop then accesses and uses on their website.
(It might be the first example of mashup-to-mashup communication via an API.)
This is great for bands and labels (easier promotion to a wider fanbase) as well as for us; now Eventful gets to know about up-and-coming acts sooner and from authoritative sources. Definitely something cool!
Posted by chris at 09:53 AM | Comments (0)
April 18, 2006
Spotted in the Wild: search Eventful from your phone
As seen on Programmable Web: 411sync now provides an event search via SMS, WAP, or email using the EVDB API.Posted by chris at 11:53 AM | Comments (1)
April 04, 2006
Spotted in the Wild: Dublin theatre listings
Eventful feeds for Dublin theatres have been added to the Irish Open Directory, an OPML-based social bookmark listing.Posted by chris at 10:23 AM | Comments (0)
April 03, 2006
Spotted in the Wild: Pandora Recommends with Eventful
Jacob Smith let us know that he added Eventful performer links to his Pandora Recommends plugin for Wordpress. I like the way this one works, looking up performers to see if they're already in EVDB, then displaying either the performer page on Eventful or a New Performer link, as appropriate.Posted by chris at 11:41 AM | Comments (0)
Spotted in the Wild: Eventful + 30boxes = crazy delicious
Rajlogs posted a way to add Eventful feeds to a 30boxes calendar. It's more a quick hack than a mashup, but it was useful enough that I applied it to my 30boxes calendar immediately. Raj also gets extra points for encouraging API use, even though it's not strictly necessary in this case.Posted by chris at 11:28 AM | Comments (0)
March 23, 2006
Spotted in the Wild: Mapzierge
I can't believe we missed this one, but perhaps all the hubbub at ETech can be blamed:
MapQuest recently released the MapQuest OpenAPI, also at ETech. Their premier mashup example is Mapzierge, a blend of EVDB events and Mapquest maps.
Let's see: Google Maps, MS Virtual Earth, now MapQuest. Is that officially a mapping hat trick?
Posted by chris at 03:25 PM | Comments (0)
March 22, 2006
Spotted in the Wild: Atlas by Fresh Logic Studios
Atlas is a new take on the search-and-map interface, with lots of AJAXy goodness and overlays for things like traffic conditions, movies, and gas prices. They've added EVDB events to the mix, searchable by typing in a ZIP code.
It didn't take them long, either. They got an API key less than a day ago and the feature is already released. Now that's agile. According to the Fresh Logic site:
We're pirates... enemies of complexity
We worked for the big guys and left because we knew we could do better. We're abandoning traditional software creation methods that waste resources and add confusion.
Sounds like our kind of developer. EVDB Labs salutes you, Fresh Logic!
Posted by chris at 03:46 PM | Comments (1)
February 27, 2006
Spotted in the Wild: GolfNow.com
GolfNow, a site which offers tee time specials and golf-related community information, has added a Local Events section based on the EVDB API. Each community on the site has its own list of events, based on the location ("where") field of an events search.
We met the GolfNow guys at Mashup Camp. They dig the Web 2.0 concept and they're already mashing up YouTube, Google Maps, indeed (jobs), and a host of other APIs. We're happy to be part of that list.
Posted by chris at 12:53 PM | Comments (0)
February 15, 2006
Spotted in the Wild: Podbop
Podbop is the mashup we've waited for. Not only does it showcase the power of the EVDB API, it provides a service that's both compelling and unmatched by anything on the Internet.
(Excuse me for gushing, but I've had to keep this exciting news under wraps for over a month.)
Podbop's mission is to prevent the "shoulda been there" syndrome. You know the story: a friend goes to a concert by a little-known band then tells you, "You gotta hear this!" You discover that they're awesome, just in time to realize that they won't visit your town for another year. If ever. "Shoulda been there."
Rewind a month and try it the Podbop way instead. You go to the Podbop site and find your city's podcast. (San Diego, for instance) Podbop gives you a steady stream of MP3s for bands that are performing soon in your town. If you like one, follow the link to the Eventful page for details on the concert. Now you'll be the one to tell your friend, "Gotta hear this band!"
Creators Taylor McKnight and Daniel Westermann-Clark know their stuff, whether it's local music or Web applications. The Podbop interface is slick and easy-to-use, with just enough going on to get you to the music you want. The idea is great, and the execution is brilliant. We're looking forward to watching them grow.
Posted by chris at 09:50 AM | Comments (0)
February 10, 2006
Spotted in the Wild: MashFu
It's definitely pre-alpha, but we Labsters already like the looks of MashFu, a blend of Google Maps, EVDB events, Yahoo! Local restaurants, and Yelp reviews.
Greg Lin from Frozen Bear is the Master of MashFu; I'm looking forward to meeting him at Mashup Camp next week.
Posted by chris at 03:31 PM | Comments (0)