Google’s dream of seamlessly blending technology with everyday life just got a little more realistic.
The company’s latest smartphone app, Field Trip, is an automated guide to the world around you as you walk down the street. The new app, available on Android devices (with an iPhone version on the way), is designed to run in the background of your phone, pinging you with notifications about nearby landmarks, surrounding restaurants and miscellaneous local trivia when it sees fit.
"When you get close to something interesting, [the app] pops up a card with details about the location," the app’s description reads. "No click is required. If you have a headset or bluetooth connected, it can even read the info to you."
According to its website, the app can be set to two modes: "Feeling Lucky," which sends users the occasional notification; and "Explore," a mode for those of us who are more curious and don’t mind a greater load of pushed information. And of course, the app can be turned off to give users downtime.
The types of notifications smartphone owners receive can also be personalized. For example, if you’re walking down New York City’s 5th Avenue and want information about the best places to shop, you can adjust the amount of "Offers & Deals" sent. But if you prefer to hear about the history of the Plaza Hotel and don’t want to spend a dollar, you can unsubscribe from the "Offers" list and amp up notifications in the "Architecture" or "Historic Places" feeds.
Venture Beat notes that Google has partnered with several large companies to produce this consistent stream of information, including Zagat (recently purchased by Google), Eater, Inhabitat and The Daily Secret.