Through the submissions of its users, the new All City Art app for iPhone and iPod Touch aims to become a mobile guide for all things street art.
Using your device’s GPS, All City Art ($1.99) will display the location of user-submitted street art near you, making it easy to see if Banksy, et al., have left marks in your city. You’ll be able to look at the image of the artwork, see its location on a map, rate it, add it to your favorites or leave a comment. From the details page, you’ll be able to edit information for submissions (perhaps if the artist is missing or listed incorrectly). When available, you’ll be able to view the artist’s web site or Wiki page in app, too. You can also use the app to see nearby galleries and suppliers that specialize in the genre.
Uploading a graffiti image is easy, albeit sluggish, on a 3G device. You can tag the photo automatically with your current location, or enter in the address by hand. New artists can be added to the database, or you can select one from the existing list.
All City Art is a good idea and an app that graffiti-lovers will find useful. However, due to its reliance on users for its content, its slow speed and occasional crashes; its price point of $1.99 is simply too high. This app would attract more users if it had a free price tag (or even 99 cents), and that would in turn create more content, giving All City Art’s developers a reason to charge for the product in the future.
