One of the biggest stories this week was the changes made to the GC.com website. In addition to quite a few bug fixes they also made some design changes and added new upgrade payment options. You can view a full list of changes here.

With the upcoming US release of The Smart Mirror looking back will never be the same! The Smart Mirror is a rearview mirror for your vehicle that has integrated GPS technology and Bluetooth! No kidding! Click here to see all the features.

Garmin released the Nuvi 500 this week. This new unit is a combination mobile and handheld device that includes Geocaching capabilities. For a great review of Garmin’s newest model visit this one here at GPS Magazine.

A teenager recently beat a speeding ticket by convincing the court that his GPS was more accurate than a police radar gun. This could possibly set a precedent on how police departments use speed traps. More here.

Last week we were shown how to Geocache with an iPhone without using a software app. This week we were made aware of the release of Geopher Lite for iPhone. Check it out here.

And finally, if you are in the Grant’s Pass area of Oregon on August 9th drop by Blazerfan’s Summer Geo-Bash. Jason Breedlove from Blazerfan’s Geocaching Adventures is hosting a BBQ at his home. Looks to be a great time!

These were a few interesting Geocaching related news articles that we came across this week that we wanted to make note of.

Keep on cachin’!

When we tell friends and family about our Geocaching adventures (and we always do!) we are often asked, “How do I start Geocaching?” and to this we reply, “Let’s go now!”. However, we realize that there are others out there that may not have a friend or family member to take them Geocaching. So, for those of you that don’t, we have compiled this quick guide to help you get involved with this fun, rewarding activity.

We know (and boy, do we know!) that it can sometimes be a bit intimidating to get started on a new hobby or venture, especially when dealing with technology, unknown terms, secret handshakes and what seems to be a huge learning curve. We have found that if you take it step by step, don’t sweat the small stuff and work at it a little at a time you can overcome these small hurdles. Keeping this in mind, in no time you’ll be caching with the best of them!

This article is in no way meant to be all encompassing! It is meant as a primer only. There are so many cool tricks, tips and nuances with this sport to be dealt with in this one article. We hope that it is at least enough to get you started. From then, the more Geocaching you do the more familiar you will become with the finer points.

So let’s start Geocaching!

(more…)

Here are a few interesting Geocaching related news articles that we came across this week that we would like to share, just in case you missed them:

There was a great article posted this week by The Unofficial Apple Weblog that explains with concise instructions how to go Geocaching with your iPhone 3G. This is not a software app but a how-to using the internal iPhone technology. Check it out here.

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the recent announcement from Garmin regarding the upcoming release of the new Oregon series GPSr. This series uses touch-screen technology, 3-D map viewing, sharing capabilities and like the Colorado it can download all the cache information allowing paperless caching. You can find out more at this great visual overview located here.

A suspicious package in Florence, Alabama caused a bit of a stir this week. Transportation workers were inspecting the O’Neal Bridge when they spotted a container and called police. Bomb squad members arrived to check it out and found a Tupperware container wrapped in duct tape. Apparently the Geocache was not clearly marked and located in a high-risk location. You can read more here.

Geocaching is quickly being recognized not only as a fun activity but as an educational one too, especially for kids. You can read about an upcoming Girl Scouts camp that is adding Geocaching to list of activities here.

Podcacher, the weekly Geocaching podcast, celebrated 3 years of podcasting this past week. Congrats on your third birthday and 174 great issues!

Keep on cachin’!

We are extremely pleased to announce that the Geocaching Directory has grown to over 500 Geocaching related resources listed! There are links to Geocaching websites of all kinds!

Are you looking to find a Geocaching club? There are 162 clubs from around the world listed!

Are you looking for software to help you with your Geocaching? There are 64 different programs available!

How about how-to guides, games or GeoSwag? There are website links for those too!

In fact, there are now thirty-one different categories including the fastest growing Software, Blogs and Associations and Clubs categories. We have also seen quick growth to the newly added Tourism category.

You can view all the listings here.

If you have a favorite Geocaching website you can add it here

Thanks to everyone for their support!

Keep on cachin’!