Augmented reality app invites users to submit own stories and photos of revolution

CAIRO, EGYPT April 15, 2011: Disappointed that you missed the January 25th protests in Tahrir Square, which led to the ousting of Hosni Mubarak? Now there's an iPhone app that allows latecomers and interested couch potatoes to recreate one of Egypt's most pivotal modern moments.

Available on Rama, an iPhone augmented reality app that serves as a portal for users to find and take photographic walking tours, "Revolution in Cairo" uses the iPhone's mapping and GPS functions to guide users around the locations in Tahrir Square that served as the foci of the protests, while immersing them in unfolding story of the revolution. "Revolution in Cairo" also allows users to see how the streets of Cairo actually looked during the days that followed the start of the protests on January 25: a plaza turned into a camp of protestors' tents, injured protestors bleeding from rubber bullet wounds, even volunteers repainting the street curbs during the post-revolution clean-up.

Written by Hend Elhallage, a Cairo native, the tour represents Rama's first foray into a contemporary--and still developing historical event.

"Hend and I agreed early on that having first-hand accounts of the protests from those present would heighten the sense of immediacy and give an understanding of the human costs of the revolution," said Will Bevins, a senior editor for Rama. "We decided to issue an open call to those who were at Tahrir Square to submit their own stories and photos to add to the tour, with the goal of better representing not only the events that occurred before Mubarak's fall, but also current developments, as the protests continue even now."

The first story to be featured in the tour is an account by Amr Salama, an Egyptian director and writer who was detained by soldiers and suffered blows to his "head and stomach, and... every inch of [his] body" before being released by a sympathetic officer. In the recollection, Salama reflects on the horrific event teaching him that "there is hope, hope to see Egypt not only as liberated...but also in a better place than I could ever imagine."

Bevins announced that, while authors could submit their stories and photos by posting them on Rama's Facebook page, they could also e-mail them directly to the company and request that they be posted anonymously, though he also emphasized that "due diligence" would be conducted to ensure the accuracy of the accounts, before they are added to the tour itself.

"We see what we are doing here as more than just a tour--it's also a way of recording personal stories," said Bevins. "Protestors suffered great hardships, but triumphed over them. Many are seeking ways to share their stories, and we want to be able to preserve a record of the protests for others to appreciate and explore."

Rama can be downloaded for free on iTunes at http://bit.ly/iTunesRama, with "Revolution in Cairo" available as an in-app purchase for $1.99. Recollections and photos from Tahrir Square can be submitted by posting them on Rama's Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/RamaApp, or by e-mailing them to Lydia at lwittgenstein@crimsonbamboo.com.

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CONTACT:
Michael Carroll
Crimson Bamboo, LLC
mcarroll@crimsonbamboo.com
Tel: +1 (917) 628-5219

© Press Release 2011