Dozens of applications and program recommendations are out there to share the current happenings of Budapest, so we thought it would be impossible to come up with something new in this field, but it seems that someone was brave enough to try: there is a new Instagram-based experience-hunting online interface that showcases Budapest without overcomplicating things, utilizing up-to-date photos posted by users. The idea is good, but for now, the situation seems a bit confusing.
There are plenty of phone applications that provide events of Budapest. Since these are all rather similar, we thought there could not be any new initiative in the field. However, the joint project of Kirowski Isobar and Telekom, Insta City Guide, still manages to show us something new and reform the scene of these apps.
The idea is simple but smart: by utilizing the geolocational capabilities and hashtags ("#") of the world’s most popular photo-sharing application, the app determines where the pictures were taken, and divides them into different categories (Food, Spa, Art… etc.) indicated by big, colorful blocks, so that they are easily searchable.
It is rather easy to use InstaCityGuide: we go up the application website from our smartphone or computer (unfortunately, there are no downloadable phone applications yet), click on the category we are most interested in, and the system gives us the freshest photos in the given category. The largest “cube”, labeled as “Hot NOW!”, provides info for people who want to be at places with the most people at the moment. However if we have a specific idea about the location we would like to visit and simply want to know how the atmosphere is there, we can also search by location.And why is this good? Allegedly because through the photos, we can get the most authentic information about given places – where the best party is, what is cool in the city – since “a picture is worth a thousand words”.
However, this philosophy is a little insufficient in some cases, for the simple reason that a lot of photos do not have anything to do with their hashtags and locations. For example, in InstaCity’s “Food” category, we found plenty of pictures of Labradors, random faces, and festivalgoers – surely these do not have much in common with gastronomy.
In the “Shopping” category, we found a monkey hand, and in “Art”, partying young people and a lamb. How did these picture get here? It's a mystery. Nonetheless, the guide suggests that these photos should help us find suitable places to eat, party, and go on dates.A solution for this problem might be moderating what photos can make it into the categories – this might happen in the future, since the application is constantly under development. We can also expect new functions.
Conclusion: Insta City Guide is a great game for gadget maniacs who also have a social life, and also provide clues to tourists as to where they should be heading. Naturally, the application provides a map for the locations too, so even people who do not know the city can reach the designated places. We think this might grow into something bigger, so let’s keep an eye on this app!
