Shoot It-Real postcard from your iPhone
August 12, 2009 5:37 PM Subscribe
Shoot It! Create and mail a real [paper!] postcard from anywhere and to anyone around the world.
ColdChef, haven't you already had enough postcard misadventures?
posted by lekvar at 5:52 PM on August 12, 2009
posted by lekvar at 5:52 PM on August 12, 2009
ColdChef, haven't you already had enough postcard misadventures?
Which is funny, because it's almost exactly what I was suggesting here.
posted by ColdChef at 5:54 PM on August 12, 2009
Which is funny, because it's almost exactly what I was suggesting here.
posted by ColdChef at 5:54 PM on August 12, 2009
I hope you're not planning on stealing this idea.
On preview - Damn!
posted by GeckoDundee at 5:54 PM on August 12, 2009 [1 favorite]
On preview - Damn!
posted by GeckoDundee at 5:54 PM on August 12, 2009 [1 favorite]
I don't have an iPhone. However, I'd been reading divabat's posts of old and wanting to send some mefites [real paper!] postcards with weird little stories I make up about the odd pictures on the front. I've got some HR Giger postcards and a bunch of other ones that have been laying around a good while. For me odd pictures != genitalia.
posted by cashman at 5:57 PM on August 12, 2009
posted by cashman at 5:57 PM on August 12, 2009
I've got some HR Giger postcards
I have a ton of those, too. From the Half Price Books in Austin. Any chance that's where you got yours?
posted by ColdChef at 6:01 PM on August 12, 2009
I have a ton of those, too. From the Half Price Books in Austin. Any chance that's where you got yours?
posted by ColdChef at 6:01 PM on August 12, 2009
I think mine was the Half Price books in Seattle! Thanks for reminding me, I couldn't remember where I'd acquired them. Taschen is awesome.
posted by cashman at 6:03 PM on August 12, 2009
posted by cashman at 6:03 PM on August 12, 2009
This is so awesome. You know, on our various travels this summer I had a hard time finding real postcards, and then there's finding postcard stamps, then a mailbox--this is going to change my life in a small, but tangible way. Never mind how happy it's going to make my mom and my grandparents.
posted by padraigin at 6:04 PM on August 12, 2009
posted by padraigin at 6:04 PM on August 12, 2009
Just sent my first postcard. I'll check back to let everyone know how quickly I get it.
posted by ColdChef at 6:15 PM on August 12, 2009
posted by ColdChef at 6:15 PM on August 12, 2009
Sorry, no. The beauty of a postcard is not "omg it's on paper!". It's "omg this was in his/her hands and now it's in mine!" or "omg this was in Outer Mongolia and now it's here!".
posted by DU at 6:25 PM on August 12, 2009 [5 favorites]
posted by DU at 6:25 PM on August 12, 2009 [5 favorites]
I like where I live, but the fact that there is no mobile data service out here makes me sad, sometimes.
posted by maxwelton at 6:27 PM on August 12, 2009
posted by maxwelton at 6:27 PM on August 12, 2009
Shoo, tit!
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 6:36 PM on August 12, 2009
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 6:36 PM on August 12, 2009
Hmmmm....I've been considering a postcard app for my upcoming trip to Seattle. Seem to be quite a few out there.
BTW, ColdChef no postcard received. I know I'd be one of the first to get one.
posted by freakinloon at 6:38 PM on August 12, 2009
BTW, ColdChef no postcard received. I know I'd be one of the first to get one.
posted by freakinloon at 6:38 PM on August 12, 2009
Really dumb question seemingly not answered on the site: Is there a reason someone couldn't use this from any computer (take picture with digi cam, load it on computer)? Reads like it has to be mobile-based.
posted by ambient2 at 6:39 PM on August 12, 2009
posted by ambient2 at 6:39 PM on August 12, 2009
BTW, ColdChef no postcard received. I know I'd be one of the first to get one.
I admit that I sent my first card to myself. If it works well, expect a card by early next week.
Really dumb question seemingly not answered on the site: Is there a reason someone couldn't use this from any computer (take picture with digi cam, load it on computer)? Reads like it has to be mobile-based.
From the FAQ: On what phones does shoot it! work?
shoot it! will initially launch for the iPhone, but we will be following up with applications for Symbian S60 devices, Android, RIM (Blackberry) and Windows Mobile operating systems very soon. Sign up for our alerts for notification of new releases and international expansion.
Looks like it's completely mobile-based.
posted by ColdChef at 6:43 PM on August 12, 2009
I admit that I sent my first card to myself. If it works well, expect a card by early next week.
Really dumb question seemingly not answered on the site: Is there a reason someone couldn't use this from any computer (take picture with digi cam, load it on computer)? Reads like it has to be mobile-based.
From the FAQ: On what phones does shoot it! work?
shoot it! will initially launch for the iPhone, but we will be following up with applications for Symbian S60 devices, Android, RIM (Blackberry) and Windows Mobile operating systems very soon. Sign up for our alerts for notification of new releases and international expansion.
Looks like it's completely mobile-based.
posted by ColdChef at 6:43 PM on August 12, 2009
This is neat, but it is a lousy metafilter post.
"if the only content is "buy this app" it's not really a good candidate for the front page."
posted by ericost at 7:23 PM on August 12, 2009 [2 favorites]
"if the only content is "buy this app" it's not really a good candidate for the front page."
posted by ericost at 7:23 PM on August 12, 2009 [2 favorites]
"if the only content is "buy this app" it's not really a good candidate for the front page."
While I agree with you in principle, this is less a "Buy this app" and more of a "OMG, we're in the future" kind of thing. I was hesitant to post it when I saw it was iPhone only, but after seeing that it will soon be offered on different platforms, and knowing MetaFilter's love of all things "postal", I figured it was cool enough to stand on it's own.
posted by ColdChef at 7:41 PM on August 12, 2009 [1 favorite]
While I agree with you in principle, this is less a "Buy this app" and more of a "OMG, we're in the future" kind of thing. I was hesitant to post it when I saw it was iPhone only, but after seeing that it will soon be offered on different platforms, and knowing MetaFilter's love of all things "postal", I figured it was cool enough to stand on it's own.
posted by ColdChef at 7:41 PM on August 12, 2009 [1 favorite]
I figured it was cool enough to stand on it's own.
I think it is cool as hell, don't get me wrong. And I love that the rules at mefi are flexible and applied by thinking people, but the post links /only/ to something to buy. But people seem to dig it a whole lot, and its clearly not a shill post ... and this comment should really have been made in metatalk, so I'll just shut up.
I flagged it and I should have moved on. Sorry for the derail!
posted by ericost at 8:16 PM on August 12, 2009
I think it is cool as hell, don't get me wrong. And I love that the rules at mefi are flexible and applied by thinking people, but the post links /only/ to something to buy. But people seem to dig it a whole lot, and its clearly not a shill post ... and this comment should really have been made in metatalk, so I'll just shut up.
I flagged it and I should have moved on. Sorry for the derail!
posted by ericost at 8:16 PM on August 12, 2009
I think this is a great idea for an app, but after trying to sign up on an iphone and failing, I think they could make the whole process easier. It's also a royal pain to have to buy credits upfront before you can do anything.
posted by mathowie at 8:40 PM on August 12, 2009
posted by mathowie at 8:40 PM on August 12, 2009
From a 30-second googling, there seems to be plenty of applications like this out there, some iPhone-only (e.g. Postini for iPhone), some on Facebook, some available for everyone (e.g. ZoomAndGo Postcards). Maybe someone else could do the same search and prepare a somewhat meatier post?
posted by effbot at 1:05 AM on August 13, 2009
posted by effbot at 1:05 AM on August 13, 2009
(make that postino, and it's available for more than just iphone. postini is something different. in any case, given that shoot-it was launched a week ago, long after all the others, it appears to be a pure me-too application. and not only the idea is "borrowed" from someone else, but also the name: the original shoot it! has been around since 2001.)
posted by effbot at 1:14 AM on August 13, 2009
posted by effbot at 1:14 AM on August 13, 2009
While I agree with you in principle, this is less a "Buy this app" and more of a "OMG, we're in the future" kind of thing. I was hesitant to post it when I saw it was iPhone only, but after seeing that it will soon be offered on different platforms, and knowing MetaFilter's love of all things "postal", I figured it was cool enough to stand on it's own.
It would have been nicer if the post had "iPhone App" in it somewhere so I could have skipped it because I don't have an iPhone and the iPhone store will the pull the app shortly when their carriers complain that real mail circumvents their data plan surcharges.
posted by srboisvert at 4:42 AM on August 13, 2009
It would have been nicer if the post had "iPhone App" in it somewhere so I could have skipped it because I don't have an iPhone and the iPhone store will the pull the app shortly when their carriers complain that real mail circumvents their data plan surcharges.
posted by srboisvert at 4:42 AM on August 13, 2009
srboisvert - Uhhh Shoot It-Real postcard from your iPhone is the post title.
posted by multivalent at 5:15 AM on August 13, 2009
posted by multivalent at 5:15 AM on August 13, 2009
Well, their FAQ does manage to shoot my browser down, (Opera 9.1, i know).
Reliably so.
Not owning an iphone, nor ever planning to in the future, i guess that's all i'll get.
posted by The Dot at 10:30 AM on August 13, 2009
Reliably so.
Not owning an iphone, nor ever planning to in the future, i guess that's all i'll get.
posted by The Dot at 10:30 AM on August 13, 2009
Sorry, no. The beauty of a postcard is not "omg it's on paper!". It's "omg this was in his/her hands and now it's in mine!" or "omg this was in Outer Mongolia and now it's here!".
Exactly. I might as well e-mail someone a picture with a caption. They can print it out if they'd like.
posted by alligatorman at 4:16 PM on August 13, 2009
Exactly. I might as well e-mail someone a picture with a caption. They can print it out if they'd like.
posted by alligatorman at 4:16 PM on August 13, 2009
FWIW, I was supposed to get my postcard on Friday. Never came in. Didn't come Saturday, either. Color me unimpressed so far.
posted by ColdChef at 6:03 PM on August 15, 2009
posted by ColdChef at 6:03 PM on August 15, 2009
FOLLOW UP: Got my postcards (for some reason, they printed it twice) today in the mail. The print quality is not great. My photo is quite pixellated. Much more than if I printed it at home myself. I used a larger photo from my library instead of one taken by my phone, so it shouldn't be due to the resolution unless Shoot-It shrinks them to send faster. There's also significant color bleed in the printing. Also, it's printed on super-glossy paper (front and back) which makes it look less like a traditional postcard and more like a flyer from a car wash. Since I already plunked down ten bucks, I'll send at least ten more of these (if you want one, send me an email with your address), but I'd be hesitant to do any more until the print quality gets better.
posted by ColdChef at 12:10 PM on August 17, 2009
posted by ColdChef at 12:10 PM on August 17, 2009
hmm, I sent a photo from my phone to myself (it was a good iPhone photo) and the quality was pretty amazing, though yeah, it's super laminated on both sides so I could see someone instinctively throwing it out because it seems like an ad.
posted by mathowie at 7:08 AM on September 2, 2009
posted by mathowie at 7:08 AM on September 2, 2009
Since I spent the ten dollars, I sent a few more postcards this week. We'll see if the quality has improved.
posted by ColdChef at 7:41 AM on September 2, 2009
posted by ColdChef at 7:41 AM on September 2, 2009
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posted by ColdChef at 5:45 PM on August 12, 2009