Neev helped DMAC Group LLC build a unique Social Networking App with video streaming capabilities which allowed users to locate and share information about bars and pubs.

The Client

The client, DMAC Group LLC is a startup founded in 2011 by friends: Drew Williams, Colin Peek, Matt Olson and Adam McDaniel in the USA.

Business Need

The client wanted to develop a video streaming App to find, visually explore (through a live feed) and share information about registered bars in the US. On the one hand, the bar-owner could sign up and create a page for his bar and on the other hand, the bar-goer could sign-in, locate and share the bar information with friends. They wanted to start with a Mobile App (iPhone or Android), and then move on to a Web App. Another essential requirement was to enable users across mobile platforms to exchange profile information by bumping their phones into one another. This would ensure that information is exchanged only between two people who know each other in person, a unique social feature.

Neev Solution

To achieve this, a ‘wireframe’ for design and development was created. Neev handled end-to-end design for the App on iOS and Android platforms as well as the website. A GPS tracking system was designed which would enable the user to locate a certain bar. The live video feeds were in m3u8 format, for which iOS offers native support. In order to enable Android to play from an m3u8 source, a Wowza Server was designed to which the streams would be published through an RTSP port and finally they would be pushed to the Android device. The bump feature was implemented by using the Bump API for Android and iOS.

Technology footprint

• Android SDK
• iOS SDK
• Xcode
• Eclipse
• Bump Technology API
• Wowza
• Java

Top features

• There is a live feed through which the user can see what is happening at each bar. This is transmitted from the Barphly camera located at the respective member bar.
• Daily Deals, Special Deals could be created by bar owners after sign up using an easy date-wise selection process.
• Bar owners can also give out information like dress code, age restrictions, additional charges, timing and contact details.
• The people wanting to visit the bar (‘Phlys’) can login and search for the nearest bar which will be located by GPS.
• The bar goers can also see where other Phlys are hanging out or view their status and see their recommendations and comments about a particular bar.
• The Phlys can view and shortlist from the daily deals, special deals and events etc. They can view contact info and timings for the bars and add them to ‘Phavorites’(favorites).
• Phlys can bump their mobiles into one another to exchange profile information, a unique feature of this App.

Top Challenges

• The video format was m3u8, with native support in iOS but not in Android.
• The images uploaded by users were of different sizes and hence there was a chance for them to get pixelated or stretched. This was overcome by defining a minimum size and allowing users to crop the image within specified limits.