Photovine
Photovine
Photovine was a photo-sharing application developed by Google through its Slide team. Launched in 2011, Photovine aimed to create a unique social experience by allowing users to share photos in thematic collections called "vines."
History
Photovine was part of Google's broader strategy to expand its social media presence. The app was developed by Slide, a company Google acquired in 2010. Despite its innovative approach, Photovine had a short lifespan. It was launched in July 2011 and discontinued by March 2012. The app was later revived by a different company, Silo Labs, in 2012, but it did not achieve significant success.
Features
Photovine's primary feature was its "vines," which were thematic collections of photos. Users could start a vine with a specific theme, and other users could contribute their photos to that vine. This created a collaborative and community-driven photo-sharing experience. The app was available on iOS, and it emphasized ease of use and social interaction.
Vines
The concept of vines was central to Photovine's user experience. Each vine represented a theme or idea, and users could add their photos to any vine they found interesting. This feature encouraged creativity and community engagement, as users could see how others interpreted the same theme.
Social Integration
Photovine was designed to be a social platform. Users could follow each other, like photos, and comment on them. The app also allowed users to share their photos on other social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter.
Development and Launch
Photovine was developed by Slide, a company known for creating social apps and games. Google acquired Slide in 2010, and Photovine was one of the products that emerged from this acquisition. The app was launched in a closed beta in early 2011 and became available to the public in July 2011.
Discontinuation
Despite its innovative features, Photovine struggled to gain a significant user base. Google decided to shut down the app in March 2012, less than a year after its public launch. The app's discontinuation was part of a broader strategy by Google to streamline its product offerings and focus on more successful ventures.
Revival by Silo Labs
In 2012, a company named Silo Labs acquired the trademark for Photovine and relaunched the app. Silo Labs was a seed-stage startup co-founded by Mithun Baphana and Kevin Geehr. Despite the new ownership and efforts to revive the app, Photovine did not achieve lasting success.