John Maeda: How art, technology and design inform creative leaders. Google releases 'Field Trip' app, a location-aware guidebook to your surroundings. Google has just launched Field Trip, a new app that the company says is "your guide to the cool, hidden, and unique things in the world around you.
" It sounds like it works as a virtual tour guide — with the app running in the background, a "card" will pop up with information any time you're near a site of interest. In a lot of ways, this sounds like an extension of Google Now, with the app providing background information to you seamlessly based on your location. John Hanke from Google told The New York Times that "the idea behind the app was to build something that would help people connect with the real, physical world around them.
" According to the description on Google Play, Field Trip pulls in information from a wide variety of sources, including publications and services like Thrillist, the Food Network, Zagat, Cool Hunting, Atlas Obscura, and Songkick. Google's vision of the internet-connected guidebook. Rob Legato: The art of creating awe.