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http://www.candywarehouse.com/...

http://kotaku.com/candy-box-th...

http://www.igt.com/us-en/games...

http://www.geocaching.com/geoc...

I am sure there are more. Probably many more.

The point is that if I could find them in under 5 minutes, so could Candy Crush or the trademark office.

Invalid on its face.

Gee if only someone already had something like that.

http://www.geocaching.com/

http://www.google.com/maps

...(beyond develop hobbies, spend time with family)...

Develop hobbies and spend time with your family.

Programming (or learning to program if you don't already know how) is a productive hobby. Get a train set. Repaint your house. Buy and restore a classic car by hand (although that can be quite expensive). Go hiking/kayaking/skiing/biking/fishing. Learn to play the guitar/bass/drums/piano/sax/trumpet/sousaphone. Have a barbeque. Build a barbeque. Go geocaching. Go geohashing . And get your kids/parents/spouse/siblings/friends/neighbors involved.

I only wish I have free time for these things

Ok, on my smarphone our family uses the GPS for geocaching. http://www.geocaching.com/

On our PS3 on their browser my children went on the internet and learned how to dance the minuet. My children are music students that have been able to play minuet on various instruments for years but recently they learned how to dance the minuet. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doJ9bphxxKU
Of course you can have constructive activities on smartphones and gaming consoles.

And unless your city is really a small town, it probably has thousands of intersections with traffic lights.

No, it doesn't. It's a city of 50k inhabitants. Not only it doesn't have anywhere near that number of intersections, many of them are only 3-way and don't have traffic lights.

Here, have the aerial view (the circles are roundabouts): http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC1M396

So why claim that roundabouts are "extremely common" when your own experience is that they aren't?

Why claim to know stuff when you have absolutely no fucking idea of what you're talking about? Roundabouts *are* extremely common where I live.

It was Wetherby Shambles (GC2H9A2 - login required).

There's quite an interesting discussion thread on the topic at the Geocaching Forums as well.

There are currently almost 12,000 registered caches on the main geocaching website alone for the UK. If the police aren't going to take a relaxed approach then either geocaching will get banned or the police will be very busy blowing up lunchboxes...

This used to happen a bunch, until the public became familiar with geocaching, and years ago geocaching guidelines changed to encourage clear plastic containers rather than the more robust menacing ammo cans that were favored initially (far more weather tight).

Ironically, letterboxing is an activity that has been popular across the pond for decades, and involves the exact same process of hiding a container somewhere publicly accessible.

But, you still will get over zealous officials who want to play with their toys and blow tupperware up, rather than look at the note on the container, or, you know, investigate.

Link to the archived geocache listing (for which you need an account to view)

Particularly troubling is this quote from the cache owner referring to the finder, "When I asked as to his fate, the policeman said it would be wrong to tell me what had happened to him but that he had been dealt with without going to court, but it would likely affect his future career. Read into that what you will."

I could see considering arresting the woman who called emergency services over nothing, then releasing her give her honest mistake. But doing more than questioning the finder and placer? Preposterous.

Honestly... considering the number of "caches" everywhere and in London, I'm surprised that problem doesn't happen more often.

Geocaching provides family-friendly real-life outdoor treasure hunts, and only requires a device with GPS, which most smart phones have.

I wonder if they could somehow turn it into an underground D&D theme park?

Paging Richard Garriott...

yeah, then maybe i could get rid of an idiot rogue by having him try to disarming traps there

I remember when Michigan was vying for this project, touting how it would enhance Michigan's scienterrific credentials, bring more research bucks to University of Michigan, etc. Now that it's in ruins, it would still fit in with much of southeast Michigan - the rust belt - Bay City, Saginaw, Flint and the Detroit area. I wonder if they could somehow turn it into an underground D&D theme park?

Paging Richard Garriott...

Meeh, both where lame :(

The Dracula castle in Romania:
http://www.wayfaring.info/images/castel_bran_aka_dracula_castle.jpg

Malbork castle in Poland:
http://pictures.polandforall.com/images/malbork-castle-bridge-towers-dansker-high-castle.jpg

Bastille, France:
http://www.napoleonguide.com/images/pixs_bastille.jpg

Svartsjö slott here in Sweden, was wasted being used as a prison :(
http://www.ekero.se/imagemod/AvanEvents/16f73101-570f-4eb5-a4de-084ce249efa2/svartsjo_____resize_s_460_230.gif
http://www.slottsguiden.info/slott/17_2.jpg

The castle here in my home town, Örebro:
http://www.paranormal.nu/orebro-01-high.jpg
http://www.lst.se/NR/rdonlyres/FDD91C98-E374-485B-BBBD-EB1100972407/0/slottet3RogerLundberg.jpg
http://img.geocaching.com/cache/1971731f-90fc-4780-aa67-8f13a6dc24e4.jpg
http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/1163049.jpg
http://www.thegogglesdonothing.com/photos/d/415-4/IMG_2550.jpg
http://www.remains.se/gallery/photo458dba988b2e5.jpg

Kalmar slott, also Sweden:
http://www.svd.se/multimedia/dynamic/00280/kalmarslott_280791b.jpg
http://www.malinken.com/wedding/bilder/kalmarslott.jpg
http://cache.virtualtourist.com/1563728-KALMAR_SLOTT_KALMAR-Kalmar.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Kalmar_slott.jpg

The city wall of Visby, also Sweden:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_ZARBRqLx-r4/SKmM6KTCgTI/AAAAAAAAC3g/gPpbJrmhVxs/s400/Stadsmuren+i+Visby+på+Gotland.jpg
http://www.hagen.web.surftown.se/Visby%20torn%20med%20fanan.jpg
http://www.topcastles.com/images/large/visby.jpg
All: http://www.slottsguiden.info/slott/163_4.jpg
http://www.guteinfo.com/scripts/bilder/info/1248.jpg

Not that Scottish tribe shit ;)

Castles are cool :)

Helsingborg:
http://cache.virtualtourist.com/2110709-Travel_Picture-Helsingborg.jpg

Unless of course people feel there is something 'cool' about having to be in a specified location to receive information in this day and age.

GEO caching came readily to mind. Find an interesting (and hopefully somewhat safe site) and when people get there, not only can they share whatever, but they can have a unique experience as well.

From sneaker net ot peer to peer to USB Dead Drops? lmao...

Might be good practice for when Fascism takes over thanks to Citizen United vs FEC.

Although clearly not from the 70s, the idea sounds somewhat similar to travel bugs, which one sometimes finds in geocaches. All this has happened before, and so forth...

The National Cryptographic Museum is where an old motel used to be (Colony 7 motel) and is a pretty cool place to visit. The Enigma works and you can spin the rotors, type, and encrypt/decrypt messages.

Nearby is the National Vigilance Park, which has some cold war recon aircraft on display.

Being a geek you might as well do the multi-stage geocache which starts at the NVP. The NVP and nearby "unclassified" parking lot have a view of NSA buildings, and typically NSA police are quite visible patrolling the area.

And if you have time, cruise up to the BWI area and visit the National Electronics Museum.

This is the only museum I have ever seen where they hide works, and only those that climb to the right places are rewarded with a glimpse.

Ever been geocaching?

The picture in the original article is incorrect. Here's an accurate drawing of an Iridium satellite. I speak from first-hand knowledge, having seen one in a lab at Lockheed in Sunnyvale, CA. http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=17e53224-a6f9-458b-8e74-7b4943acbede Great tech, IMO!

The iPhone, Blackberry's Storm and Bold lines, and many Symbian and Android handsets

.

And many/most Windows Mobile smartphones had it too, before half of these even existed. And it's not like they're at a disadvantage for "GPS games", e.g. Geocaching Live is only available for Java/WinMo. I know this is Slashdot, but come on...

Solve:

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=9a9af759-f3f6-4edd-88a5-31e0d8b30d57

But radio waves are radiation! And everone knows that radiation is dangerous stuff!

1. Go geocaching. http://www.geocaching.com/ (be geeky outdoors) .. Outdoors, in nature, no books, no pc just you, your spouse and a gps. This will force you to interact, solve problems together which will teach you to solve YOUR problems together..

2. Do "the mariage course" http://relationshipcentral.org/ It almost ended my marriage but made it stronger in the long run. It is very practical because it is adapted to your needs. there are common theme nights where a subject is explained and then you discuss it together. every couple in our course enjoyed and had benefits from different subjects.

Eventually it ought to, geocachers do the same thing with trackable items. :)

Cow cashes?

You mean, like these?

How about glass tiles on a 100'x30' wall, or a 30'x75' wall?

I wrote the code, my brother in law did the hard parts.

I've hidden a geocache inside my room(s) starting at http://www.lively.com/dr?rid=-8673303648343481619 It's part of a geocaching.com puzzle cache you can see at: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=089d9a0e-5747-48d8-aedb-ebb8d284e57a

Do something outdoorsy that you've never done before. Hell, do them all: Rock climbing, kayaking, surfing, backpacking, skiing.

I'll toss out an idea that I latched onto a couple of years ago: Geocaching (www.geocaching.com) Combines a variety of level of physical activity, gets you outside into the big blue room, lets you play with a really cool piece of technology AND is a 'competitive' game, especially if you have friends/co-workers into things as well. (As much as a Geocacher says it's 'not about the numbers', it certainly can be! :D)

And if you DO get addicted and happen to live in an area where Old Man Winter arrives far too early for your liking, you'll start to think about trying snow shoeing and cross country skiing just so you can keep going.

Give it a shot - it's a great way to get outside and see some REALLY cool spots that you'd never were there. And they're probably in your backyard!

Get fit, while having an excuse to bring a GPS and Palm into the great outdoors. After I started, I found myself wondering why I didn't start earlier. http://www.geocaching.com/

I also wanted to get in shape and I didn't want to end up at a gym. I decided to go geocaching,, which gives me a reason to go and walk and it uses a high tech item for the search.

I have slowly lost weight but the biggest difference is increased stamina, i.e. I don't get out of breath going up and down the stairs at work. And I've discovered some nice places to walk in my city. I also walk on a treadmill at home but the outdoor hikes are what has done me the most good.

Squash is the greatest sport in the world (no exceptions) and possibly one of the highest calorie burning. (Badminton is similar). You're also stuck in a closed-off room so only your opponent can see you haul your arse around. But really, who gives a stuff what people think. It's also terrific fun bashing the crap out of that little black ball, and you'll soon forget that you're exercising. There's no better motivation than trying to beat a friend : )

Don't bother with racquetball, that's for clueless Americans who don't know any better.

If you want to walk/jog, try taking up Geocaching. Gets you outdoors and there's hundreds of interesting caches out there.

There's an movement afoot) to make the Zorkmid into a geocoin.
Speaking of classic game cover art, the cover to Archon is now also on a geocoin.

There's an movement afoot) to make the Zorkmid into a geocoin.
Speaking of classic game cover art, the cover to Archon is now also on a geocoin.

The beauty of "getting out and exploring the world" is that it's one of the few remaining activities that doesn't require any "means." Here's an example that is decidedly geeky, always involves fresh air, and has scalable physical exertion requirements:
Geocaching

All you need is a handheld GPS, which can be had for less than $100:
cheap Garmin from Amazon
cheap Magellan from Amazon

Ah, DiHydrogen MonOxide.

It's such awful stuff!

"Google must blur this area because burglars could use the pictures to plan an escape route along the back of the garden which is hidden from normal view."

How about IBM just adds mobile web stuff to IBM.com which automatically detects the mobile connection and serves the proper content?

ibm.com is shorter to type than ibm.mobi ;)

I have a script that converts letters to numbers (dollar word) at http://lazylightning.org/dollar -- it works for regular browsers and mobile ones (WAP) so people can use it from the field when they are geocaching.

It's fairly easy to do with a couple of simple lines in your HTML and your http.conf.

Does it have a "Non Perspective" or classic GPS view?

It would be great for Geocaching to have a pic of your destination.

of course the http://www.geocaching.com/ concept is smallfry, but no, a school in USA has the biggest right ?

this is like the "World Series" where the winners are "World Baseball Champions" when only teams from USA play, most American kids dont even know what the world is.

Put your kid in the woods with the phone and put out the word to geocachers ( http://www.geocaching.com/ ). First geocacher to find the cache gets to keep said kid.

To break up the monotony of long car rides, many folks have taken up geocaching. The kids like to watch for the caches that come up along the road during the drive even if we don't stop to seek them out.

Granted this isn't an RPG style game but it has its uses.

As long as they portray it as bad parenting and idiotic kids acting out bits from a video game. Or a book. Or a movie. It's how you portray it.

Well sadly, TV episodes based on activities that happen elsewhere in *reality*, aren't always true to the way it really happens and even go so far as to completely misrepresent the way things are. Take for instance the recent episode of Law and Order: Criminal Intent (5/8/05) that included a bit on geocaching that misrepresented it as cache containers being buried and requiring a shovel to retrieve.

geocaching.com (the largest of the cache listing services) had to post something about it on the main page because of all the parks districts that might become offended if they believed that cachers were out in the woods with shovels:

Geocaching was featured on Law & Order: Criminal Intent this evening, May 8. Contrary to the creative license taken by the show's writers, we strictly do not list caches that are buried.

The TV shows will take whatever liberties they can to make it sell well, regardless of the possibile outcomes for those that actually partake in the *real world* activities.

I can already feel the "Redundant" moderation, but I'll post this anyway... some McDonaldses already offer free wifi. And not DS-only wifi, either, I'm talking 802.11b (I don't know if there's a difference, but last I seemed to recall hearing something about the DS' wireless protocol being different than 802.11 - although I'm fairly sure that it's also compatible with 802.11, so perhaps that's just for ad-hoc? I really know nothing about the DS, so nevermind.)

Anyway, not all of them have it, but a few MCDs in my area offer free wifi. Last I was there, no access code was required. It was actually invaluable at the time - I was out of town and had no access to the internet, but I wanted to do some Geocaching. However, I hadn't thought to bring maps. Anyway, long story short, I was able to use my PDA to get some maps wirelessly thanks to McDonalds' wifi.

If you think that you want a shovel to geocache, you'd probably better re-read the listing guidelines:
"Caches may be quickly archived if we see the following ... Caches that are buried. If a shovel, trowel or other 'pointy' object is used to dig, whether in order to hide or to find the cache, then it is not appropriate."

There's also some details on finding your cache with your Palm + Plucker over here as well.

I may cook up a little mod_perl app that allows people to upload their .gpx file to convert to Plucker format at some point in the future if there is enough demand for it.

Any requests for something like that?

Nifty little FAQ right here.

Personally, I think it's fun, except when I see a lot of people walking noisily to a location, with a handheld GPS out in the open, etc. The idea is to be circumspect and enjoy the environment or the weird urban places you visit, not how quickly you can cross a cache off your list as a hit. And when you're obvious about it, people who aren't geocachers might go looking for the cache and destroy it or walk off with it. It happens a lot.

Even my cheap cell phone has GPS in it. I can't go geocaching with it, but it's a basic feature for them to be able to locate me in an emergency. In fact, I recommend everybody who is concerned about their 911 coverage from VoIP service to just buy a cheap pay as you go phone. IIRC, you can still make 911 calls on a cell phone without having an active service plan. A cheap VirginMobile K7 would do the trick. Or any GPS capable phone from eBay.

I don't have much experience with cobblestones, there not being many near me, but I do strongly believe that walking on uneven surfaces is great exercise.

If I walked a couple of miles on asphalt even with very good shoes, I would be hurting.

But I can walk the same distance in boots with little cushioning as long as the trail is uneven. A mix of sand, gravel, rock and softer stuff like loam and leaf mould is great. Also it's good if the trail rolls up and down and includes some sideways traverses of slopes.

Much more exercise and it feels great. It strengthens all the stability muscles in your legs and in the torso too.

So go Geocaching today!

Apparently, you can also go geocaching in Iraq. I would be worried about finding a roadside bomb instead.

Locating things within a few hundred meters, hmm sounds like he hasnt picked up a GPS since before selective availabilty was turned off. If it was not that accurate than this site http://www.geocaching.com/ would not exist! As it is on a good day i can get down 1 meter or less.

Wassamatter, never heard of Geocaching?

You get outside *and* you get to play with technology gadgets. A little more reading up on it and you can even go on about satellites, time-difference signals, calculating parabolic intersections, and all that boring geeky stuff... ...while in the middle of the *woods*.