Tuesday, June 14, 2005

'The Web can be anything, anywhere'

Neat story about services that allow you to 'hyperlink' in the real world, using coded messages and cell phones. Yellow Arrow, for example, lets you post a coded yellow arrow anywhere - on a building, street sign, or even a t-shirt. People who see the arrow can dial the code on their cell phone and get a message. One professor had students post arrows at 'overlooked historical sites.'

Yellow Arrow calls itself the 'first global art project.' But I see a potential application for journalists, particularly citizen journalists. When something happens, you can post an arrow, then send your 'report' to Yellow Arrow using your cell phone. Obviously this will work best in urban areas. But that doesn't mean it doesn't have a lot of potential.