New inBloom App Helps You “Buy What You Believe In”
Building and Architecture Home ElectronicsPublished January 17, 2012 at 8:22 pm No Comments
It seems like there’s an app for everything these days. You can bank, shop, chat and play on your Smart phone, and more apps are being added every day. Some apps are incredibly useful, while some are merely a diversion. So which category does the new inBloom app, released January 9th for free download through iTunes, fall into? For people in the New York area who are looking for fresh, healthy, local food; green lodging; or businesses they can feel good about patronizing, this new app is worth it’s weight in gold. Soon, people across the country will be able to use inBloom in their region, as the app plans to expand throughout the country in 2012.
So what is inBloom? The app was created by Ok Go guitarist Andy Ross and Eytan Oren, lead singer of Eytan and The Embassy, for a very specific purpose. As bands travel the country and the world touring and performing, it can become very difficult for musicians to stay true to their values if they are vegetarian, vegan or eco-conscious. In many cities and locales, there is a fast food restaurant on every corner and you never truly know whether the place where you are lodging has high green standards or merely fluffs the comforter before the next guest. Eytan and Andy, who both also have a background in the tech industry, decided to create an app just for musicians that would help them locate healthy food and eco-friendly lodging on the road.
It soon became apparent that this app could have effects far beyond the music community, as eco-conscious and health conscious people far and wide were also in need of an app that could tell them where the nearest farmer’s market was or whether that new steak place served grass-fed beef. The creators decided to make two versions of the app. One version is for the members of the Musician’s Energy Conservation Alliance (MECA), a group started by Eytan to help musicians go green while touring, and will feature locations found along popular touring routes. The other version of inBloom is the non-musician release, currently available in five New York boroughs and listing over 500 locations, and is set to expand across the country as the year progresses.
If the current positive ratings of the app in the short time it has been available are any indication, then this app will soon have a loyal and very happy fan base. Users looking for healthy food can search using specific criteria to locate the best options nearby, from gluten-free, organic or renewable businesses to preset options for vegetarians, vegans, or organic eaters. The power of the app is in the incredible detail that went in to researching locations and presenting the options app users will be looking for. You can even determine if your potential dinner was supplied by a local farmer. In addition to supplying eco- and health-conscious users with in depth information on nearby eateries, the app can also point you toward green hotels, grocery stores, farmers markets, thrift stores, and businesses that use renewable energy.
As more people become aware of the importance of supporting local businesses, eating locally grown foods and sticking to a healthy diet even when out and about, the inBloom app will become a valuable and often used resource. Users might find a nearby farmer’s market that they didn’t know was there, or locate a great restaurant that serves only fish that were wild-caught. Getting around your city will become easy and green, and you will never again have to give in to the siren call of the fast food neon lights when your inBloom app tells you there is a small, healthy cafe right around the corner that serves your favorite meal. An easy way to “buy what you believe in?” Yes, there’s an app for that!
For more information on the inBloom app, visit http://vimeo.com/33741279 to watch a quick video. Download the app at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/inbloom-preview/id486125682?mt=8
