Thanks to Shoo, I have yet another way to further drain my phone’s already sketchy battery.
I’m talking about the Gowalla app for iPhone. The best I can figure out is that it’s some sort of iPhone-based scavenger hunt ~slash~ social networking site. Using the phone’s GPS, you “check in” to the places you visit — stores, restaurants, taverns, etc. You occasionally will find items to pick up at various spots, and you can leave items for others to pick up when they check in.
You can tweet your check-ins — which seems to irritate some folks — or post them to your Facebook.*
*Speaking of Facebook, Gowalla does seem an awful lot like those irritating games on Facebook that I recently railed against. I know, I know… I’m a complex dude.
World-famous* bloggers such as myself, Johann, Russ, the aforementioned Shoo and bluefox864 are but a few of the local Gowalla users. I actually ran into to Shoo at Ace Hardware a few minutes after checking in there last week, so Gowalla could be helpful if you want to stalk us world-famous** blogger types.
*not actually world-famous
**dude, seriously… not famous
Awwww…. you included me with “the cool kids”.
True, Gowalla is rather lacking in the actual usefulness department, but it is still kind of a “fun” way to play virtual Marco Polo with people. Especially since nobody seems to use Loopt any more, besides myself… *cough*cough*…
But it is still kinda cool how it’s basically a worldwide thing- you aren’t just limited to your city. So if you decide to take a weekend trip to the Lou or the City of Wind, for example- or go on a bike trail excursion in Minnesota- you can still “check in” and look for tacos and water bottles and beatnik poets and what not.
And no notifications of lost cows needing a home.
Awwww…. you included me with “the cool kids”.
Just thought I’d throw you a bone.
‘Bout friggin’ time.