14 DAY TRIAL // Most eyes are set on Google+, but Google is working on the sidelines on several other social projects, all coming from the Slide team which has a free hand in what it can build. One of the first and most fleshed out projects coming from Slide is Photovine, a theme-based, photo-sharing app, which has now been made available to everyone after a period of private beta.
"Photovine is a fun way to learn more about your friends, meet new people, and share your world like never before," the app's description reads.
"It all starts with what we call a photovine: a group of photos around a single, shared caption. Start a new vine with a photo and caption of your own or add your photo/take on someone else's vine," it adds.
There's no shortage of photo-sharing apps, but Photovine comes with a few, unique twists. For one, all photos are public, everything you post is for the world to see.
Don't worry though, if you don't want to post publicly, but only with friends, Google and Slide have you covered with the Pool Party.
Back to Photovine though, the second unique characteristic, which lends the app its name, are 'vines,' strings of related photos all stemming from a single concept and photo.
The idea is simple, you post a photo of something you find interesting or you believe represents an idea, a mood and so on. Other people then start sharing their own photos that are either of the same object, place, thing or they believe fit into the vine's subject.
The app relies on a social graph of its own, but it's easy to see how easily it could catch on. Photo sharing apps abound, but few offer users such a good incentive to take more photos as well as such an obvious way to get involved and find an audience.
It doesn't hurt that the app looks great and is one of Google's best looking and best designed app to date. The Photovine app is available in the iTunes App Store now and everyone is free to sign up.
There's also a web version of Photovine, though it's fairly basic at the moment. There's no reason to believe that this will not change though and, of course, an Android app is probably in the works as well.