With smartphones eating away at PND makers’ profits, it might be a really good idea to diversify. The Garmin Chirp is a cute step in the right direction, giving urban treasure hunters a programmable wireless beacon for use with compatible Garmin handheld devices.
Designed for the growing throngs of geocaching fans, the device can store clues, send out multi-cache coordinates to players and count the number of visitors who access it. It is completely programmable wirelessly (password-protected), as well, making it a convenient way to create and enjoy geocaching adventures for both organizers and players, alike.
The Garmin Chirp measures 1.3 x 0.9 x 0.3 inches and weighs less than an ounce. Styled like a small piece of random stone, it’s easy to incorporate into your cache, making it especially useful as an addition to existing setups. When players come within 10 meters of your cache, it alerts them of its presence and sends them stored hints that you’ve previously loaded. They can also download coordinates for multi-cache setups while within the device’s supported proximity.
Admittedly, I’ve never played geocaching. I think we beat up a couple of geocachers during a drunken stupor some months ago, though. Or maybe I just saw that in a TV show. You see, I tend to confuse my real life with all those Law & Order programs on TV, so I don’t know which is which.
If paperless geocaching has been in your sights and you’ve got a throng of players with Garmin devices in their pockets, you might want to set up your next hunt with the Garmin Chirp. It’s available now for $22.99.