Coachella tech: 8 apps to pack for summer concerts
If you were going to the Coachella Valley Arts and Music Festival this weekend, what would make your must-see list? Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Bat for Lashes, and Koolfog — that last one’s not a band, it’s a misting system to keep cool outside.
“The technology is based on evaporative cooling,” says Bryan Roe, president of Koolfog. “We’re putting water into there and it’s evaporating and when that evaporation takes place, the heat exchange brings the air temperatures down, so you can get 20, 30, 35 degrees cooling in an outdoor space.”
The process, which creates a fog-ish mist, is much more efficient than standard methods of cooling air in hot climates.
If you’re going to Coachella, you’ll also want to pack some other tech supplies to capture the moment and stay connected, which brings us to our summer concert app guide. Los Angeles Time staff writer Salvador Rodriguez joined Marketplace Tech host David Brancaccio to share his thoughts on how best to use them.
1. Official Coachella 2013 app: The official festival app is free and works on iOS and Android. It provides artist info, set times, a detailed event map, and a grid which helps you pick and schedule the shows you want to see.
2. Shazam: Hear a song you like, but not sure of the name? Shazam lets you hold up your phone, record live, and then identifies the mystery tune.
3. Vine: Capture concert moments six seconds at a time. Vine lets you create and share short video spots. Free on iOs.
4. Gifboom: Or, if you are more of the Tumblr persuasion and prefer GIF’s to video, try creating your own festival GIF’s with this app, which is available on iOS and Android.
5. Vyclone: Co-create videos with your concert buds. This app synchronizes footage from several phones to create multiple angle movies.
6. zLocation: Like Hansel and Gretel for your phone. zLocation lets you drop GPS markers so you can wind your way back to your car, misting station, or other chosen meeting spots.
7. Glympse: Share your location with friends and never get lost in the crowd. This app allows you to send your location to friends and set how long they can track you.
8. Water Your Body: Use your phone to stay hydrated. This app, which cost $1 on iOS and Android, lets you monitor your water intake and needs.
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