Auburn alumni Todd Gilbert and Scott Taylor have developed Auburn Pulse, an iPhone application that makes what's happening on The Loveliest Village of the Plains a lot easier to follow.
When Gilbert and Taylor were roaming the Plains as students in the mid '90s, owning a cell phone was a distant dream.
Released in the iPhone App Store at the end of August 2010, the Auburn Pulse app is free for the iPhone and provides constant live updates of the events and specials downtown.
The Auburn Pulse app is updated weekly through a blog run by Gilbert and gives users a link to menu and drink specials offered each week at different restaurants and bars.
"A lot of apps are run by big companies, but Todd (Gilbert) lives in Auburn and is tapped in to what's going on," Taylor said.
The music schedule on the app gives a line-up of what bands are playing at the bars in Auburn every week, and each restaurant and bar featured on the app has its own page with the menu and hours of operation listed.
The Auburn Pulse app took Gilbert and Taylor about three weeks to develop. Taylor developed and wrote the program for the app while Gilbert designed the look and provides updates.
The Auburn Pulse app features an academic calendar, a link to The Corner News and an "Out-and-About" editorial. An interactive map of downtown with a GPS feature shows users their exact location in Auburn.
The e-coupon link includes electronic coupons that users can present at specific venues by showing the coupon on an iPhone screen.
Live "push" messages from Auburn Pulse send alerts to users with up-to-the-minute happenings and specials.
"If there is a change in the band scheduled for the night, or there is no cover charge at a bar for a limited time, Auburn Pulse users can be notified," Gilbert said.
The Auburn Pulse app has more than 3,000 users for the iPhone, and a version for Android devices will be available in March.
"I've had it for two months, and I really like it," said Kaitlin Wiltse, junior in psychology. "It's how I find out what's going on downtown."
Unlike many apps for the iPhone, Auburn Pulse doesn't require a new version to be downloaded when content changes.
Gilbert and Taylor plan to add new features to Auburn Pulse as more people add the app. Gilbert plans to have a photographer working at different bars and events to take "Party Pics" for the app and website.
"We want people to realize it's a tool for them and can enhance their social experience," Gilbert said.
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