Even 24-hour party people can become creatures of habit. They get complacent. They hit the same clubs, they haunt the same bars, they attend the same art openings. And they also see the very same people at all the same places.
Sound like you? You might be the perfect candidate for RAVN, a new iOS app that points users to the latest local events, from hipster fare like the happenings described above to more quiet calendar items like music festivals, zoo exhibits, and wine tastings.
Indeed, if you’re looking for something unique to do for your Valentine’s date tonight, you might try flicking through this app. RAVN maintains a database of more than 20,000 upcoming events, but you can also add your own event notices to the list.
“Most event apps out there right now are more about aggregation,” RAVN CEO Jonathan Wu told Wired. “They scrape the info and let you search through it. The unique thing about RAVN is you can’t search for something specific — it’s more about discovery.”
That’s right, there’s no search function. You just browse events chronologically. They’re listed with an event title and a photo, and you can turn your iPhone sideways for a lovely full-screen view of the image. Scroll through events by flicking sideways, and if one piques your interest, you can click on it to get more information.
Tap the “Want it” button to indicate you’re interested in an event, and the app will add it to your Wishlist. Beneath each event picture, you can see thumbnails of up to 20 other people (yes, strangers) who’ve tapped that they want to attend the event. This feature performs a double duty: It helps you gauge an event’s popularity, and also shows you which of your friends — or anonymous hotties — are planning on attending.
Once you get to an event, the app can alert you when friends show up thanks to the geo-fencing capabilities of iOS. RAVN will also learn your cultural sensitivities over time, and filter out the events that it thinks wouldn’t interest you. “Kind of like Pandora, the more you use it, the more it recommends better things,” Lu said.
I’ve only been playing with RAVN for about 24 hours, but the app is a fun, almost Instagram-like way of browsing for things to do. Of course, the whole premise relies on serendipitous finds, so if you’re looking for a particular concert or cooking class, you’d be better served by just doing a Google search. Likewise, if you’re looking for a nearby restaurant or a particular kind of food to eat, you’d be better off with Yelp. But if you’re looking to meet new people or just get out of the house and do something fun, RAVN has potential.
But I do have quibbles. When browsing in portrait orientation, images are compressed and look slightly pixelated (landscape browsing or clicking on a photo to enlarge it remedies this). I also found that finger flicks require more deliberate movement than in other apps — it’s more of a touch-and-drag than a mindless flick.
RAVN is free and is currently available for most metropolitan areas in the U.S.
