LocaModa’s social calendar is filling up fast. Here’s a quick round-up of upcoming highlights:

Last week, LocaModa announced a new white paper published by Senior Platform Architect Jacob Elder, which examines the technical and operational challenges of streaming real-time social media content on place-based screens.

Using Elder’s paper as inspiration, I wanted to point up a some of the unique features of custom LocaModa campaigns that prove why these executions aren’t as cut-and-dry as plugging in a monitor at an event and calling it a ‘feedback channel.’

1. Ability to automatically filter URLs from Twitter messages for place-based displays
According to Costin Raiu, Chief Security Expert at Kaspersky, 26% of Twitter messages contain a URL (and half of those are spam). In a standard DOOH Twitter to Screen execution (without touch screen ability), these links often serve as eyeball clutter for viewers. While some URLs within Twitter messages may be paired with enough context to make sense, the ambient nature of the application doesn’t assign them enough value to compensate for the screen real estate they occupy.

This proves particularly resonant for messages containing bit.ly links, where the context is hidden from the viewer. In a way, it’s the DOOH equivalent of going to a wine tasting with a burnt tongue and a stuffy nose.

That said, many clients choose to include links, which is their preference (we’re happy to guide the experience, but it’s up to the individual needs of the event or venue). But with one simple step in the LocaModa admin panel, all messages containing “http” or “www” or “bit.ly” can be removed.

2. Ability for a ‘Screen Reveal’
Sometimes, the background of a Twitter to Screen, Text to Screen, or Photo to Screen display is ultra cool, yet we never get to see it behind all of the streaming social media content. Enter the ’screen reveal’ feature. Opt for this, and the messages will disperse in set intervals (1 min, 3 minutes, etc). The screen below was used for Foursquare founder Naveen’s birthday ‘prom’… we had to showcase that hot background image!

These features are available as custom LocaModa executions - Check out our App Store for a general overview of content options.

We’re proud to announce that we’ll be sponsoring BarCamp Boston this year!

We’ll be represented well by our team of engineers, and look for one of our screens on site as well!
Introduce yourself to our team if you’re planning on attending, and remember that we’re hiring…

A few weeks ago, Stephen Randall wrote a guest post outlining why location-based services are important for place-based screens. As SXSW approaches, it seems the right time to turn the tables and explore why place-based screens are important for location-based services.

Both Foursquare and Gowalla are shining their shoes and pulling out all the slickest new features in anticipation of SX, and tech blogs are having a comparathon field day. One of the biggest points of distinction has historically* been how each service handles the accuracy and truth of check-ins: the “were you actually there?” issue. (*Note that “historically” is used relatively here; we’re talking on an early adopter time spectrum.)

Sure, Foursquare has been fairly heavily criticized for their lack of lockdown on whether or not users “cheat,” while Gowalla has been getting slammed for being almost too strict, in that GPS unreliability has made check-ins difficult even if a user is actually in the location s/he claims.

Solutions have been tossed around (QR codes, for one), but in the end, the anxiety over the issue has seemed to fizzle somewhat as cool new features have stolen some of the limelight (and thankfully lightened the mood a bit). Foursquare’s growing partner list (disclaimer: LocaModa is on there), ever-expanding badge arsenal, and real-live Foursquare tourney (yep, the actual playground game) at SX are rightfully gaining the attention they deserve, while Gowalla’s move to turn virtual items into real world prizes proves a similar playful take on the “simulacra become fleshy” motif (as one example, virtual tacos can be cashed in for the real deal at taco trucks around the festival).

With the focus back where it should be – on the fun, gaming aspect and not the “gaming the system” aspect, it makes sense to turn to place-based screens to both provide a social display for a location-based service, while also quietly taking much of the steam out of the “were you really here?” issue.

As Stephen discusses in his original post, place-based screens serve as a “user-generated marketing tool for the venue,” allowing patrons to send in tweets and txts that can be displayed alongside check-ins and tips. Venue messaging is showcased in the venue itself, not just on individual handsets, making the interactions from users on-site far more relevant if they’re actually there. Chatting about the Free Beer for the Mayor special if you’re not actually at the bar is just, well, kinda sad.

Sure, this doesn’t solve a technical issue, but it certainly solves a social one.
And isn’t that the point?

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Edited to add: To toss a bit more fuel into fire, if a more technical solution was desired by a venue, that’s easy icing for a place-based DOOH platform. Locations can display in-venue deals with custom location codes (advertised on screen) that expire after an hour or day, giving an added incentive to the patrons actually there to take advantage of them. Look for an upcoming post on additional technical solutions using place-based networks.