No, I bet the idea came from an annual event at MIT's DU chapter. The name of the event is "Message Party" and the idea is the same but with physical messages and takes place at a frat party. It's been going on for years and years.
Until mobile carriers solve the no service problem at large festivals, this app isn't useful in that situation. I was also at Austin City Limits last weekend with no 3G service at all, all day.
I'm not sure I've ever been at a Music Festival and thought "hey, wish I could interact more with my phone". Maybe that's just me though...<p>Of course there's also the battery and signal issues that would make it useless at any festival I've ever been to.<p>Maybe there are other situations in which it would be useful though...
I personally really love this, and have actually been thinking about a YC app idea that would complement it really nicely.<p>I will definitely try to spread the word in Boston. Good luck!
This is by far one of the the coolest startups I've heard of in a while. Unlike many today, it solves a real problem for real people. I also love the fact that it bridges tech with reality (and by that, I mean physical interaction). While this seems like an obvious concept, it is completely overlooked by a surprising number of startups these days, I think it is a pretty essential component.