Category Archives: iphone
Using Fun Technology in Nature With Kids
While many people like to disconnect from technology in nature, I like to find fun ways to integrate the two, especially with my son. Here are some iPhone applications I use while outdoors (I believe some of these apps are for other cell phones too) Gowalla and Foursquare: These apps use your phone’s GPS feature …
Beyond Check-in Spamming: Useful Ideas for Location-Based Apps
Josh Williams of Gowalla said checking in is the gateway activity of location-based applications. In my last post, I raised the question,”Gateway to what?” Here are some ideas I have to make these programs more useful: * Create local Gowalla trips of state parks, art museums, historical sites, etc. * When you create a spot …
How Games Can Shape Education and Local Behavior
Jesse Schnell’s presentation on games at DICE got me thinking about how games have been shaping our behavior for years. Weight Watcher points, frequent flier miles, stamps for free smoothies, Xbox achievements: all of these are gaming devices that shape our behavior. Game designer Jane McGonigal’s site discusses games she has created that have changed …
MyTown: addictive real estate iPhone game
Location-based games have become a major passion for me lately. First Gowalla and then Foursquare. But once you check in with both of those apps, there’s not a whole lot to do. Booyah’s MyTown let’s you buy and sell properties you check into kind of a like a pseudo-Monopoly. The devious hook is that you …
Gowalla: virtual item collection and travel guide in one?
In my last post, I talked about Waze and Traveler’s Quest adding a bit of adventure to my daily travel. Today, it’s about those annoying check-in games you see in everybody’s Facebook and Twitter updates. Since everybody and their brother has reviewed these to death, I’m going to add my own personal spin on how …
Get Organized With Evernote and Healthy With Lose It!
Every January, it’s the same New Years resolutions: get organized and get fit. But with no specific plan, these ideas are forgotten by February. This year, I did things differently. For organization, I leaned on the help of my organized wife. For getting fit, I hired a personal trainer at the YMCA. But I wasn’t …
Social Media GPS Mapping Games
Do you have a boring commute? Want to kill some time in the car to entertain the kids? Looking for interesting back roads in your city? If so, here are a few applications I’ve tried to spice up the same old drive around town. Waze (free) Company line is “Real-time maps and traffic information based …
