Mike's List 250
Mike's List 250
Old-timey photos to save us from Instagram! Plus, paintball robots, clear shoes, Clubhouse sound effects, Jello Mario and more!
The 4 giant problems social photo app Dispo tries to solve
Dispo is a new social photo app that doesn't let you see your own pictures until the next day, and doesn't let you edit them. Here's why they might be onto something.
Mike Elgan
The new thing in photography is a simulation of old
The news broke yesterday: David Dobrik's social photo app Dispo raised $20 million in Series A funding led by Spark Capital at a valuation of about $200 million.
Who cares about Silicon Valley funny money, right? But what this means is that smart people are betting money on Dispo with the expectation that it could really take off. Dobrik is a popular vlogger and YouTuber.
The buzz and fund-raising of Dispo is actually surprising when you learn what the app does and how it works.
The Dispo app looks and works like a disposable film camera from the 80s. It's naked skeuomorphism. You've got a tiny viewfinder through which you frame pictures. You can turn the flash on or off (literally the only option for controlling photos), but they recommend that you leave it on all the time. And you socially share entire “rolls” of “film.”
But wait! There's less!
Just like with a film camera, you have to wait to see your pictures. You're not allowed to see your own Dispo pictures until the next day at 9am. You also can't edit them, or apply filters to specific pictures.
The app is invite only.
Dispo has a social component. You can share "rolls" with friends, and those friends can like and comment on your pictures. You can categorize photos around interests, and people with similar interests can discover and follow you.
Sounds awful, right? The unique features are all about preventing you from doing things to your own photos. You can't see them until the next day. You can't edit them. On the social site, you can't post any outside pictures (no memes). You can only post pictures you took with the Dispo app.
The lead designer for Dispo told me these restrictions are, in fact, a big part of the benefit. She explained that "media-first social media" is "not fun for us anymore, it's an oppressive anxiety-ridden compulsion/addiction."
Specifically, when people get together, they take pictures, then immediately start obsessing over those photos. They feel compelled to crop and edit those pictures to keep up with the amazing lives of others on social media sites like Instagram.
Here are the 4 problems Dispo tries to solve.
Mike’s List of Brilliantly Bad Ideas
Paintball robot dogs
A group called MSCHF created an "art installation" that lets you control a Boston Dynamics "Spot" dog robot they've armed with a paintball gun. The installation, called Spot's Rampage, went live yesterday. You can visit the website and try to control the robot (they'll choose a random person every two minutes). Boston Dynamics publicly opposed the project. I want one.
Clear shoes
A company called Maison Margiela is selling a "tabi" (split-toe) shoe that's clear plastic for $930 a pair. It's great for people who want everyone to see their socks.
Sound effects for Clubhouse rooms
Clubpad is a sound effects board for Clubhouse. No, it doesn't integrate with the Clubhouse app. You're supposed to have the site open on your laptop during a Clubhouse room, then click on the sound effect and hold your phone up to the laptop's speaker. Sounds include crickets, applause, drum roll, the Jeopardy music and many others.
A Jello version of Mario
Everybody loves the arcade classic video game, Mario Bros. But now, someone made a version that behaves like all the characters and objects are made out of Jello.
Mike’s List of Shameless Self Promotion
What I’ve been up to lately:
Firewall services and more: What’s next for IT?
A unified communications roadmap: from team building to launch
Organizational silos don't have to hurt the customer experience
Plus, join me Saturday for a Clubhouse room called: “The Next Big Thing”