Stiktu

Layar’s social augmented reality app Stiktu now available...

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 17:00:00 +0200

Layar’s social augmented reality app Stiktu now available worldwide

Layar, the world’s leading mobile augmented reality provider, today announced the global release of Stiktu - a free mobile application that allows users to remix the real world.

Stiktu is the social and user-generated equivalent of Layar, allowing users to add their own drawings, text, images and stickers to magazines, posters and more by simply scanning them with a smartphone. These creations can then be viewed by anyone who scans the same item. The social elements of Stiktu ensure that users can connect by discovering, liking, sharing and commenting on interesting posts.

“With Stiktu we really put the power of augmented reality in the hands of the people. I truly believe that this is the most innovative app currently available in any app store. Stiktu opens tremendous new possibilities to interact with the physical world around us. At Layar, we want to democratize space and Stiktu is the app to help us reach that mission.”

- Raimo van der Klein, co-founder of Layar.

In 2011, Layar began exploring new ways to liberate space and enable users to create their own augmented reality. Inspired by street art and other artistic and creative subcultures, Stiktu became a social network in which users can express themselves and view the creations of others.

In December of last year, Stiktu was released to a select group of European countries, providing the opportunity to gather user feedback about the features and usage of the application.

“Over the past months, we have been focused on improving the user experience, and we have learned a lot from our users about their use of Stiktu. With every release, we have seen the levels of engagement growing as users return on a daily basis to create posts and interact with others. These numbers and incoming requests for a global release by people all over the world helped us decide to take this step and open up Stiktu to the rest of the world.”

- Maurice Groenhart, Product manager of Stiktu.

As of today Stiktu is available worldwide for iPhone and Android.

Stiktu 1.3 with Comments and More! You asked for it, and we...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:02:00 +0200

Stiktu 1.3 with Comments and More!

You asked for it, and we listened. Comments have come to Stiktu.

We’ve received lots of feedback over the months about what you want to see in Stiktu, and by far, commenting has been at the top of the list. That’s why we’re happy to introduce commenting with Stiktu 1.3, available today for Android and iPhone!

(Click images to enlarge).

Now when you come across a post you like, you can leave a comment and interact with other users in a new way. It’s more than just “Liking” a post, now you can express whatever opinion you want! When you leave a comment, whoever created the post will be notified, encouraging interaction.

We also have a few interface changes that should make things easy and more friendly. The first of these is the Discovery page. Before we had small thumbnails that were hard to select or see. Now, the Discovery page features large thumbnails which you can scroll through. You can also quickly switch between popular users, popular posts and recent posts instead of viewing them all on one screen.

And finally, we changed how you view the likes per post. Instead of a small list on the post’s main screen, we’ve created a new page that lists the users that have liked that post. This is more consistent with the rest of the app, and it allows you to quickly follow other users by tapping the button next to their name.

So go ahead an download the update now for iPhone and Android. As always, these changes were made thanks to the awesome feedback you send us, so please keep it coming! You can send your comments or requests to feedback@stiktu.com!

Stiktu 1.2 Available Now!

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:31:17 +0100

Has it been two months already? Seems like only yesterday we announced the launch of Stiktu, but here we are! To celebrate our two-month anniversary, we’ve got an update available today for both iPhone and Android.

Make sure to check for updates today to download Stiktu 1.2, which has some great new features. Thanks to all of your awesome feedback, we’ve added some features that should make Stiktu even better. Here’s what’s new:

Re-posting: Twitter has re-tweeting, Tumblr has re-blogging and Pinterest has re-pinning - all great ways to re-share posts you have discovered with your social networks. Now with Stiktu, you can re-share great stuff posted by others to your friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter. We’ll notify the original person who posted it and credit them on your post.

Invite Friends: Stiktu is a lot of fun when you’re sharing cool stuff with your friends, so now you can invite your friends to join Stiktu. In this release, you can easily fire off a quick invitation email to your friends and they’ll be joining the fun in no time!

Better, Faster, Stronger: Of course, as always, we’ve fixed some bugs and made improvements to the overall performance and speed of Stiktu.

We’ve got some other great stuff coming down the pipeline, including the ability to comment on posts, so keep an eye out for that shortly. Your feedback helps us determine which features are in high demand, so keep sending your ideas and comments to feedback@stiktu.com or leave us a comment on Facebook!

Get Stiktu 1.2 today in the App Store and Android Market!

Help TulipMan Take the World! Yesterday we mentioned our...

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:14:00 +0100

Help TulipMan Take the World!

Yesterday we mentioned our collaboration with the Dutch artist GabyGaby. Today you can get a TulipMan sticker so you can help us spread his TulipMan project across the world! Fire up Stiktu and look in the Stiktu Collection under “Stickers” when creating a post to find the tulip sticker.

Stiktu & Dutch Artist GabyGaby to Collaborate at DLD Stiktu...

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 16:40:00 +0100

Stiktu & Dutch Artist GabyGaby to Collaborate at DLD

Stiktu is very excited to announce another great artist collaboration! Later this month at the DLD (Digital - Life - Design) conference in Munich, Germany, Stiktu and Dutch artist GabyGaby (Gaby Zwaan) will present an interactive art exhibit that encourages visitors to participate in creating unique works of art using the Stiktu app.

DLD is a global conference network on innovation, digital media, science and culture which connects business, creative and social leaders, opinion-formers and investors for crossover conversation and inspiration.

GabyGaby’s unconventional style of mixing and mashing different styles and materials has helped him overcome dyslexia while simultaneously earning him worldwide notoriety and providing inspiration to many across the globe.

The works to be shown are part of Gaby’s “TulipMan Takes the World” project. Traditionally, art is a one way street, as the artist creates something with their vision and their story. Now, Gaby is flipping this on its head as visitors at DLD can create their own story with his art using Stiktu. Visitors will be able to download Stiktu from the App Store or Android Market, sign up, scan a TulipMan and add their own art to it.

If you’re attending DLD this month, we hope you’ll take a moment at the exhibit to add your own art to GabyGaby’s creations with Stiktu!

Stiktu in de Volkskrant! Last week we were delighted to see...

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:56:43 +0100

Stiktu in de Volkskrant!

Last week we were delighted to see Stiktu featured in an edition of de Volkskrant, a daily newspaper here in the Netherlands. The article talked about emerging social trends for the coming year (including AR and Stiktu!) and encouraged readers to download Stiktu and scan the page.

Dozens of readers added their own spin to the image in the newspaper, as you can see above. Our favorite was created by h.versteegh, who placed the phrase “Hotrod 2112” and colorful lines of smoke on the image of the famous Jetsons car.

We also liked the others you see above, including a creative hijacking of the image to promote the Never Rest Experience by socialchaos, a futuristic “Happy New Year” from treborneelk and the image of cartoon Johnny Bravo flexing and posing on the tail of the car, posted by blaise.

To add your own version, here’s a photo of the newspaper you can use to scan with Stiktu if you don’t have last week’s paper. Check out the dozens of other posts added over the last few days and add your spin on this image.

You can read and online version of the article, but it is behind a pay-wall for Volkskrant subscribers.

Welcome 2012 with New Year’s Stickers Now that Christmas...

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:02:00 +0100

Welcome 2012 with New Year’s Stickers

Now that Christmas has passed and 2011’s days are numbered, we’re on the verge of welcoming in a brand new year. New Year’s is a festive time of year filled with fireworks, champagne and celebrations, and this time around we here at Stiktu want to help you ring in the new year with some brand new stickers.

Now in Stiktu, you’ll find a whole bunch of New Year’s-themed stickers, including champagne bottles, fireworks and those fun 2012 sunglasses you see everyone wearing on New Year’s Eve.

We want to see your best New Year’s posts, so share your posts on Facebook and Twitter and be sure to tag them with #2012. If you’re like us, you’ve probably got a pile of holiday cards from friends and family lying around the house. These make for great objects to add your fun creations to!

We’ll pick some of the best posts and showcase them here on the Stiktu blog, so show us what you’ve got! Let the countdown to #2012 begin!

Stiktu 1.0 is Here! For the last four months, we’ve been testing...

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 14:22:00 +0100

Stiktu 1.0 is Here!

For the last four months, we’ve been testing Stiktu in a private invite-only beta. We’ve made several changes since that first beta release, and listened to a lot of your amazing feedback. Today, this phase ends and Stiktu officially goes public!

Stiktu is now available for anyone to download in the iTunes App Store and Android Market. As we gradually roll out, the app is available only in Europe. To be specific, users in The Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece and France can download Stiktu right now. The rest of the world will join the fun very soon! We promise.

Stiktu is a fun way to express yourself using augmented reality. You can add text, images, stickers and sketches to objects around you by scanning them with your phone. Then anyone who scans that item will see your post directly on top of it, no matter where they are in the world.

A special thank you is certainly due to all the beta users who helped us make Stiktu what it is today on this exciting day. If you currently have a beta version of Stiktu installed on your device, make sure you delete it when you download the official version.

If you’re new to Stiktu, have a look at the video above for a quick description of what Stiktu is and what you can do with it. You can also watch this video which is a more step-by-step guide to using Stiktu.

Stiktu Welcomes Sinterklaas & Zwarte Piet! It’s that...

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:40:00 +0100

Stiktu Welcomes Sinterklaas & Zwarte Piet!

It’s that time of year again, folks! His steamboat from Spain has pulled into port, and Sinterklaas has arrived in the Netherlands with his companion, Zwarte Piet! And now the fun has come to Stiktu as well.

Now you can get into the spirit by using our new Sinterklaas stickers, including a hat and beard, a staff and a Zwarte Piet mask!

Be a Part of the #Occupy Movement with Stiktu Across the globe...

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 11:32:14 +0100

Be a Part of the #Occupy Movement with Stiktu

Across the globe the #Occupy movement has risen to protest various societal and political injustices. Now, thanks to some new stickers we just added to Stiktu, you can help spread the word wherever you are.

You’ll find a clenched fist, a Guy Fawkes mask and a blank protest sign on which you can fill in your own message. Even if you can’t make it to an official protest or march, you can use Stiktu to spread your #Occupy message across the world.

“I Wish This Was” Now on Stiktu! “What if we...

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:24:46 +0100

“I Wish This Was” Now on Stiktu!

“What if we could find out what all our neighbors pay in rent? What if we could say what businesses we want in these vacant storefronts? What if we could learn about people’s experiences and stories with particular buildings? What if we could use public space to share and learn what matters most to the people around us?” - Candy Chang

Candy Chang is an artist who takes advantage of public space to share her ideas and encourage discussion. The “I Wish This Was” campaign has been one of her most popular installations, and now you can participate no matter where you are.

Check out the “Stickers” section of Stiktu today and you’ll find an “I Wish This Was” sticker that you can use to express yourself and share your opinion with the world.

Are you participating in Movember? Don’t tell us you...

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:15:03 +0100

Are you participating in Movember? Don’t tell us you haven’t heard of it.

Movember is a global month-long event and charity focused on one thing: moustaches. And growing them. This month of Stiktu you’ll find a great selection of moustaches you can use to add a little Movember flair to your posts. Look for them under the Stickers section.

So show us your best Movember posts! Tag them with #movember and share them on Facebook or Twitter and we’ll post some of the best ones here on the blog throughout the month.

If you’re a man with a moustache, shave it off and start over! And if you can, make a donation to Movember to help benefit men’s health issues.

Try Out the Latest Stiktu Beta! We’ve released an updated...

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 19:10:00 +0100

Try Out the Latest Stiktu Beta!

We’ve released an updated version of our beta, so check your inboxes for a new email with links to download and install Stiktu!

Above is a quick video explaining what Stiktu is and how to use it.

Not on our beta mailing list? Sign up over at Stiktu.com and we’ll see if we can squeeze you in ;)

Hey everyone! We’re hard at work making the next version...

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:37:00 +0200

Hey everyone! We’re hard at work making the next version of Stiktu based on the feedback from our first beta group. We should have a new version very soon, but in the meantime if you’d like to sign up to join our next beta group, head on over to Stiktu.com and leave us your info!

Thanks a lot!

We dropped in to 290 Square Meters to talk to its owner, Ido,...

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 17:10:43 +0200

We dropped in to 290 Square Meters to talk to its owner, Ido, about his shop, his clientele and how Stiktu can be used in the fashion world.

Stiktu Tip: Epic Username Bug (Our Bad)

Tue, 06 Sep 2011 17:26:48 +0200

Hey Stiktu-ers! Today I’ve got a tip for those of you that may have had an issue when creating your Stiktu username.

Unfortunately the version of Stiktu you
all have features one nasty little bug: usernames with capital letters are
deemed “invalid.” It’s a stupid bug, we know, and we have a fix for this and
many other bugs coming soon!

We were just so excited to make sure all the technical things were working that silly things like this managed to squeak through. But, don’t worry, we’re strapping on our special bug squashing shoes!

So to make things run smoothly until then, make sure your usernames do not contain capital letters, and you should have no problem creating an account.

We’re wrapping up our Magazine and Newspaper week and getting ready to kick off our next theme. Keep an eye on your inbox tomorrow for our next newsletter!

We’re taking over the covers and pages of magazines this...

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 17:30:50 +0200

We’re taking over the covers and pages of magazines this week! Help us out by adding your own creations.

Meet the Stiktu Team: Chris

Fri, 02 Sep 2011 16:26:14 +0200

Whose face is that desecrating the lovely body of the young lady on the cover of Panorama? Why it’s mine of course! Though I didn’t put it there.

You’ve already gotten to know me a bit by reading the blog and our weekly newsletters, but I - Chris, the Stiktu Community Manager (and exalted king of communication) - thought it would be a good idea to introduce myself more formally.

So, hi! :)

I’m Chris and I am an American who moved to Amsterdam last October. Since then I’ve come to love the area and have re-learned how to ride a bike after not doing so for many, many years back home.

As community manager, one of my main jobs is to manage the blog - creating content and planning what goes up when and stuff like that. I edit together the videos you see here and in our newsletters, which I also write the copy for. My job, essentially, is to make sure we’re communicating with you, the community, as best we can.

This is what it looks like when I’m done editing one of our Stiktu videos. This is the De Parade video.

So how am I doing so far? If you have feedback for me, send any suggestions straight to me at chris@stiktu.com. Feel free to let me know if you’re annoyed by us, or if you can’t get enough and want more!

We stopped by Bright Night at Pakhuis de Zwijger to check out...

Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:35:32 +0200

We stopped by Bright Night at Pakhuis de Zwijger to check out the cool gadgets and startups! Check out the latest issue of Bright Magazine and scan the cover! :)

Artist Interview: Kakhiel

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 17:43:39 +0200

We had a chat with Amsterdam artist Kakhiel, who is known for augmenting photos with his own doodles and chat bubbles! Here’s what he had to say about Stiktu.

In your opinion, what value can Stiktu add to magazines, newspapers, etc.?

I think it can add real value for magazines, newspapers, etc. as readers directly can give or read feedback and discuss a specific topic, which can be news, an article, a column, a photo etc. It’s what you now also see with Twitter, but the added value with Stiktu in my opinion is that it’s more exciting and creative as you can draw, write, add pictures etc.

This can also be a threshold for people to really start using it. I work in advertising and from experience I know most people like simplicity and uniformity, little effort and they need to see or experience a clear benefit. So what is happening with my post? Who’s going to see it? Why am I doing this? But especially What am I supposed to do exactly? I think you have to give people a little direction, people need a little push, an example so they think: ‘Hey cool, I want that too’ or ‘Hey cool, but I can do better’ so people challenge each other a little bit.

What’s your opinion about following objects instead of people?

I think for an app like Stiktu you have 2 target groups.

1 - People who use it in a serious manner to give their honest opinion about anything and everything (reviews) and they also like to see what other people think. In this case it is really about following the object.

2 - On the other hand you have a group of creative users, who will (to stand out) post as many funny, remarkable things as possible. Basically to entertain others. In this case it is about following people, because you want to see more stuff from someone whom you really think is funny. I think it’s important for this target group to know how many people see or like their stuff. That’s their sense of ‘reward’ and gives some sort of acknowledgement. If they see people like their stuff they will use it more often.

What’s your favorite feature within Stiktu and why?

As Kakhiel I of course spend a lot of time thinking about commentary and text on photo’s, so I think it’s really cool this is now also possible via Stiktu. I also think it’s pretty nice that it’s easy to attach photos to something straight from the library on my phone.

I really think the app is very cool and the power of it will become more apparent when a massive group of people start using it and people are categorized so they really find stuff they are interested in. So for example cartoonists community, poet community, movie lovers community, that’s why categories would be a smart idea, but that’s my opinion.

Try scanning some of these images to see Kakhiel’s art on Stiktu!