As technology races on we, underwater imaging folks, are constantly trying to find ways to introduce our wares to the mainstream audience. All manner of portable devices are available these days, devices that captivate their owners attention at all times of the day. Never has it been so apparent as to the extent of this fanaticism with cell phones than on a recent trip to Japan. Walking through Tokyo I would be greeted by the crowns of pretty much everyone in the metropolis, and not from their customary bow. Cell phones have captivated the masses, taken over. Any trip I had to make on a train made me fully realize just to what extent this modern culture had become slaves to their almost umbilically attached devices. Young, some worryingly so, old, men women and children were just engrossed, pulled in by whatever was taking place on that 2.5″ screen in their hands. Instant messaging, surfing the net, watching TV, all beamed to the handset to captivate the audience. So it makes perfect sense to provide something for this market. Enter the iPhone.
One of the most popular hand held portable devices and cellular options comes from the Apple Macintosh company the iPhone, and its non cellular equipped partner the iPod Touch, have sent shock waves through the consumer world as prospective owners flock to get their hands on one. For designers the rush is on to create appealing games and programs or ‘Apps’ as they are known to which some 75,000 titles are currently in circulation. Ranging from currency converters, translation programs, satellite guidance route planners, tidal flow charts and less salubrious items that deal with digitally enhanced sound effects of certain bodily functions to collections of nubile young ladies in bikinis, and now Shark Diving!
Mark has, for the past month been hard at work with a programmer based in the U.S to develop a resource for shark lovers and shark divers alike using the iPhone and iPod Touch as the delivery platform. The main features of the App are the ‘Shark Finder’, a Shark Distribution feature and a slideshow containing imagery from some of the worlds leading shark photographers. The user works from a Home screen from where they can investigate and learn about twenty specific species of sharks, they can then find out where these sharks live and with whom to dive with in order to interact with them. The App also lists some thirty one Internationally recognized and respected dedicated shark dive operators. A launch date is expected within the coming two weeks until which time people are asked to check out the Social Networking Support Site that has been created for the App.
