New Photo Sharing App Called Color Launches

Color, a new free app for iPhones and Android devices, launched today. This new app lets people in close proximity capture and have real-time access to photos, videos, and text simultaneously from multiple smartphones. Color uses a patent-pending technology that identifies nearby smartphones. Using Color, you can share your photos, videos, and text instantly with surrounding phones.

Although we haven't tested Color for ourselves yet, we have to wonder about privacy and decency issues that could arise. As the company puts it, "Color requires real-life etiquette and accountability for all actions. Any violation of decency can result in permanent suspension of service for a specific smartphone."  Will this threat of being revoked be enough to keep people from abusing the service? We'll see.

The app has $41 million in funding and a couple of high profile founders including Bill Ngyuen, who sold music sharing app Lala to Apple, and Peter Pham formerly CEO of BillShrink. Time will tell if Color's investors will get a good return for their money.

Color Reinvents Community

Raises $41 Million to Deliver Sharing in a Post-PC World

PALO ALTO, Calif., March 24, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Introduced today, Color™ is a miraculous, free application for iPhones and Android devices that allows people in close proximity to capture and have real-time access to photos, videos, and text simultaneously from multiple smartphones. Color is the best way of sharing an experience without the hassle of passing cameras around, emailing or uploading images and videos online. 

"Color is the most advanced and intuitive way to share with your iPhone and other smartphones," said Bill Nguyen, Color's CEO.  "We are happiest when we experience life together: not alone and days later online. By creating Color, we made it possible to instantly capture, experience and share life with those around you without rigid Web concepts like 'friending.' We believe real social interactions are dynamic and evolve with time."

"Just as the iPhone changed everything about mobile phones, so Color will transform the way people communicate with each other," said Doug Leone, Partner, Sequoia Capital. "Once or twice a decade a company emerges from Silicon Valley that can change everything. Color is one of those companies."  

Color raised $41M in financing from Bain Capital Ventures, Sequoia Capital and Silicon Valley Bank.  Sequoia Capital's Leone will join Mike Krupka, Managing Director, Bain Capital Ventures on Color's Board of Directors. Proceeds will be used to develop Color's pioneering technology and provide service on a global scale.

Multi-lens

A patent-pending technology pioneered by Color intelligently identifies nearby smartphones, whether at a local park or at a concert, using advanced proximity algorithms.  Every photo, video, and text captured by each smartphone through Color is instantly shared with surrounding phones also using Color. There are no attachments, uploading or post-production work required.  For the first time with Multi-lens, you will finally get to see and keep all photos from everyone at a shared moment, including ones that you are actually in.

Modern Community, Elastic Networking

Beyond faraway friends and family, Color opens the door to a broader community with neighbors, workmates, and new acquaintances. Getting to know new people is almost impossible online. Virtual friend requests and fictional identities and get in the way of making genuine connections. Color is free of these headaches. There are no profiles to create, no passwords to manage. Instead, an open, visual bulletin of real-time activity is displayed for all people using Color nearby. With Color, introductions are made and you are able see what the lives of others are like. The bulletins are gradually adjusted in volume up or down based on real-life activity without the burden of privacy settings or managing friend requests. Color is social networking for a Post-PC world.

Color is a Visual Diary

Every photo and video captured using Color is stored on the Web for immediate access via the application without requiring massive amounts of storage space on your phone.  Capture every experience without worrying about using up memory; Color has infinite capacity.  Each day is beautifully displayed as a series of thumbnail images.  Scroll through days, weeks, or even months, instantly using an intuitive touch interface.  Tap on any image to go back to the day when it was originally captured for full contextual information, like who was involved, who saw it, and whatever conversation it sparked. Looking back has never been so detailed, easy and fun.

Color is for Everyone

Color maintains a strict public use policy to ensure that everything shared is appropriate for all ages.  Only public images and videos should be captured.  Anything captured is visible to those around you and naturally identifiable to you.  Color requires real-life etiquette and accountability for all actions. Any violation of decency can result in permanent suspension of service for a specific smartphone.

Availability and Pricing

Color is available via the Apple App Store and the Android Market in the US, parts of Europe and Asia immediately.  Color supports iPhone 3GS and 4 on both GSM and CDMA networks and iTouch 4th generation devices using Wi-Fi.  Android devices with version 2.0 and greater are also supported.  Color is free to download and use.