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The Evolution of the Digital Bumper Sticker
December 1, 2007
From conversations back in 2002, and then resurfacing when discussing life visions while my brother Adam was visiting me in London on his way to Ruanda, I have the following vision for a digital bumper sticker.
Disclaimer: There are others (Killer Cotton, Tonkatronix, and MotionLed, which seems the most evolved with LED messages powered by the cigarette lighter.
The key breakthroughs that I would like to help make happen are the following:
1. solar powered to remove the need for charging and improve eco footprint
2. enable submissions of text and images via mobile device (bluetooth or equivalent)
I think the LED text is fine for promotions or expressing road rage, but for enabling people to communicate some of their personal values and identity, we need more graphical and font creativity. Also, connecting it to mobile devices like phones will enable more network effects and interesting uses we haven't even thought of yet.
Does anyone know someone who could help with this?
Posted by Colin at December 1, 2007 3:53 PM
Comments
But isn't there something about a digital bumper sticker which misses the point? Yes, there is potential for greater adaptation/decorative qualities, but for bumper stickers with meaning, or some kind of endorsement, you lose the force of message. It's one thing to have text/images that you can change at any time, it's quite another to say "I believe so much in this cause that I'm willing to make my car, likely my second-most valuable possession, markedly uglier and more likely to be recognized by people I cut off on the highway, just to try to get my point across."
Posted by: sisiay at December 15, 2007 5:21 AM
Yeah, that's a pretty good point Angel. The way I look at is that the hard core believers will still use traditional bumper stickers to put their stake in the ground (or their cars).
But I still think there's a much larger mainstream audience that has never and will never put permanent messages on their car, so at least digital bumper sticks give those people a less intense avenue for self expression / participation.
Posted by: Colin ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.activefreemedia.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at December 17, 2007 3:58 PM
