Ray Ban has created a mobile app called Bright Light that leads its users to sunny areas in urban environments. 

Users can see where the sun will be at any given time using the Google Maps based platform, find the sunniest walking routes to these bright areas, check-in and view nearby restaurants that are also in the sun.

Where Ray Ban shines (pun intended) is in its understanding of the young, urban audience it is targeting. Having a first-hand account of fans' lifestyles can allow brands to identify areas of improvement that consumers might not have thought of themselves. The focus on mobile and social sharing is also a must when talking to on-the-go fans. Finally, the inclusion of relevant businesses opens an opportunity for larger partnerships or campaigns.

This exectution would have benefited, however, if it were part of a larger brand strategy. While the app is helpful in a unique way and can lead to memorable, branded experiences, tieing the experience into a global brand message increases its relevance and makes more sense to consumers.

Amber Case is a cyborg anthropologist and we're the cyborgs people she studies. "The minute you look at a screen, you're in a symbiotic relationship with the device," Case said. And that's what makes us cyborgs.

Case, co founder of Geoloqi kicked off her SXSW keynote Ambient Location and the Future of the Interface by digging deeper into the tools the cyborg uses. Today, tools are extensions of the mental self, not the physical self. This tool, this extension of the mental self changes and evolves all the time. Today's tools from smartphones to computers are devices that Case thinks of like the Mary Poppins bag. They're larger on the inside than on the outside. If you were to take the information these devices contain and place it into the physical world, the amount of information is astounding. Case said she's concerned by this because it's all ethereal. It's not information carved into stone like the Egyptians did.

Our cyborg brains are different too. We have hyperlinked memories where we need to find a certain email to remember the information we need. The computer becomes our external brain and cyborgs become the paleontologist searching for information. On top of that, there are now endless obligations in the ways we communicate across email and social media. Artist Nick Rodrigues demonstrated this in his "Email Garden," an installation where grass grew each time he received an email over the course of a week.

Welcome to the world of information jet lag where each communication medium has its own set of acceptable response times. On Twitter, it's quick. Text messages are...

Don’t panic, that fluttering in your back pocket is just your wallet clapping for the release of Groupon Now! The recent spawn from Chicago-based coupon doling superpower Groupon recently launched in 12 major US markets including Houston, New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. This fast-paced real time dealmaker allows businesses that are having a particularly slow day or week to post a limited time offer that is good for the day of purchase.

The built in app allows users to browse their area in search of food, being pampered, going shopping, exercise, or just plain old fun. Once a category is selected numerous flags are posted above each location with the specified deal, percentage of savings, and a starred review bar. While regular Groupons cannot be used until the following day, Groupon Now! utilizes many users need to find a deal and redeem it instantly.

If you happen to get a little frenzied and don’t make it to the location during the day of purchase, Groupon will refund your coupon so you may continue on your merry money-saving way. Spend on savers, and don’t forget to tip the waitress.

Back in January, BFG launched a location-based campaign with Buffalo Wild Wings and SCVNGR to bring a real world game layer to BWW customers across the nation. Using SCVNGR allowed us to beyond location and get people creating and sharing fun content from BWW locations.

See it in action as Wall Street Journal's Andy Jordan chows down on glorious wings and talks SCVNGR with fellow BWW customers in this video.

April 16th, tomorrow for those of you who are lost in Tax Day, is Foursquare Day. Why 4/16? Because 4 squared equals 16...I love a little math geekery, though I'm partial to Pi Day (3/14).

Anyway, for those of you who don't know, Foursquare Day was largely created by the people and not Foursquare itself, though they have since embraced it. The goal of the day is to get Foursquare users to interact with each other at the local level. What this means is that many businesses are offering one day only, check-in specials on 4/16. On the larger scale some cities have even organized Foursquare events for their community. The fun thing is that these events are happening all across the globe, so chances are you might live near one.

Like it or not, location based apps are here to say. Why not use Foursquare Day as an excuse to embrace it and maybe cash in on a discount or two.