From what I understand, Geocaching has been around since 2000. Or, should I say, that is what Wikiepdia says. Yet, I have only heard about it recently. Here’s a quick rundown on it from the Geocaching site:
Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.
What is appealing to me about this is that it takes into account our growing technological capabilities with a focus on gaming and community. This is a very simple way to get people to use their GPS capable phones to do something out of the ordinary. It seems like there is something more here. Why not have a more elaborate scavenger hunt based around Geocaching? Or, a game that requires to find things within a city using their phones? I’m sure I’m not the first person to think of something like this, but I doubt anyone has done it “right” yet. My first goal…is see exactly what this geocahcing is all about…
Open Source Hardware
Wired recently had an article about the Arduino board. Open source software is not a new concept to me, but this one was. Here is a quick explanation about it from the Wired article:
I continue to be flabbergasted at the continued success of these open source ideas. When most companies are so focused on making money at any cost, it is refreshing to see these open source companies have any kind of success. It breeds a sense of working together and collaboration. The reason open source pioneers like Linux and Apache have lasted so long is that the focus is on the best working product, not the bottom line.
I guess it doesn’t make a great “business plan” but I wish these kinds of companies were more prevalent in our society. Or, the companies that already exist had some sense of working together. As consumers, we deal with so many propiertary items and closed systems (hello…iPhone) that it feels like the only reason we are given the “choice” of buying all this extra gadgetry is to increase the stock prices. Why can’t all the plugs I have just be universal? Why can’t I switch phone services without it being a huge ordeal? I guess all of this requires some cooperation on the part of the consumer, but I think we are entering a part of our history where we just can’t throw money at every consumer good that hits the market. With this kind of collaboration from company to company and company to consumer, I think we can have better consumer goods and more profitable companies. I guy can always dream…