Sony launches +U, a revolutionary Android mobile app that sets out to deliver real world, bite-size volunteering opportunities to a new, socially motivated audience.
Created in partnership with YouthNet – the organization behind the UK’s national volunteering database, Do-it – the app will give charitable organizations a vital boost by inspiring a new generation of volunteers to put themselves forward.
“Do-it exists to make volunteering easy and the development of +U provides huge potential for the sector to develop the way that we encourage and motivate people to volunteer“, said Emma Thomas, CEO of YouthNet.
To maximize the app’s potential across Europe, Sony will release the +U code open source to allow any individual or organization to use or re-purpose it for free. Sony is also running a collaborative development event with Good for Nothing at the end of March to help European charities modify the app to fit their needs.
What is +U?
- +U is a revolutionary mobile app that places local volunteering opportunities in the palm of your hand
- It matches potential volunteers with charities and causes in their local area making volunteering faster, easier and more social
- +U combines geo-location with elements from social networking and gaming. Users are rewarded badges based on tasks they complete, and can share their achievements on Facebook
- In the UK, the partnership with YouthNet will provide +U users with many volunteering opportunities near them
The Story so Far
- +U was the final concept to emerge from a joint Sony and WWF crowdsourcing initiative called Open Planet Ideas
- Open Planet Ideas challenged the online community to come up with ways to repurpose existing technology to solve social and environmental challenges
- Sony received hundreds of brilliant ideas, but the community and expert panel chose +U as the idea they would take forward based on its potential to have a positive impact
- Open Planet Ideas is part of Sony’s broader focus on the role technology can play in living more sustainable lives
What’s Next?
Launching +U is just the start. The code will be released open source under a Simplified BSD license on GitHub, allowing any individual or organization to pull apart and repurpose the code to fit their own needs for free.
