GPS Cell Phone in Soda Can Form 301
Myko writes "PhoneScoop.com reports that Coca Cola has unleashed a new GPS enabled cell phone for a new promo. Apparently the user will push one button which will auto dial a Coke rep that will tell them they won an SUV. They'll then press and enable the GPS and the prize squad will drive to their location with the prize. So the big question is, will the phone give off any residual waves that will allow custom made detection equipment to find the right 12 pack, similar to the tilt and win iTunes trick? :)" We mentioned this last year, but it wasn't clear how the GPS-in-a-can trick was going to work.
No Purchase Necessary? (Score:5, Interesting)
zzz (Score:1, Interesting)
So, for $200,000 or so, Coke gets to find out the location of every coke drinker who presses the GPS beacon button...sounds like a steal to me!
lets get to the important Slashdot question... (Score:5, Interesting)
Scanning the 12-packs (Score:4, Interesting)
Or maybe the battery is only activated when the user holds in the Big Red Button on the front of the phone.
I can't imagine that Coca-Cola didn't think of all the ways to cheat the system after the McDonald's contest fiasco [bootysmack.com] from a few years ago.
Re:Cola Contests (Score:3, Interesting)
However it is possible that you might be able to use some sort of metal detector to find the more unsusual components...The composition has to be completely different. There might be a weight difference as well.
Hmmmm. Those wall stud detetcors have a setting for detecting electrical current. That might pick up the battery...
Heh. I'd much rather spend my time trying to find a way to find it without drinking coke, than I would actually buying coke.
What If? (Score:3, Interesting)
Then again, I'm sure they'd just have you call some number otherwise...
I really should think before I post.
Re:No Purchase Necessary? (Score:5, Interesting)
Most likely, the cans won't be the actual "game piece". Instead, they'll print up serial-numbered cards, most of which say "You Lose" and one for each car they have will say "You Win!" They'll shuffle up the cards, and then drop one into each specially marked 12-pack and keep a pile aside for the mail-in entries.
12-packs that get the winning game pieces will also get the cell phone gadget. People who end up with a winning gamepiece in their SASE will get a phone number to call to claim their prize. The key thing will be that the odds of getting a a winning piece instead of a loser has to be the same by both methods... at that point, "no purchase necessary" is taken care of.
Re:Cola Contests (Score:3, Interesting)
The tax that the winner would pay I believe is capital gains tax. It's the same tax that kicks in if you win the lottery or win any money or anything of value for that matter.
Yes, it's double dipping but does this surprise you?
Just remember, there's tax on nearly everything in the US and the gov (either federal, state or local) get's their cut of nearly every transaction.
Re:What If? (Score:2, Interesting)
Given that the article also says they are going to drive the SUV to you, I would expect that they will know which city the cell-phone is located in. I can't imagine them driving the SUV all the way across the country.
So, likely it will be released where GSM coverage is available.
I guess this was inevitable (Score:3, Interesting)
For the technical questions. I'm sure it's going to be similar to existing avenues of phone distribution. The phone is shipped with the battery seperated for safety and electrical reasons. You plug the battery in and the phone will register. The FCC and manufacturers have deemed that cell phones come on with GPS enabled. This ONLY sends the info within the cell phone's system, and if your municipality is equipped then it goes out to E911 when you place a 911 call. Even though the GPS feature is now FCC mandated, most cities can't afford the equipment. The enabling of sending GPS is a new development in the last few months. Carriers have been tossing the idea around of geographically located advertising. For example, Pizza Hut is closing and has two pizzas that someone ordered but never showed. The next two drivers who drive by get a short SMS message saying, "Pizza hut at 15th and Lincoln will sell you a Large pepperoni pizza if you stop in the next 10 minutes"
John
GPS indoors (Score:2, Interesting)
Actually, GPS indoors is rather cutting-edge. It isn't commercially available on a large scale.
Clicky [trimble.com]
Disclaimer: Our company sells trimble gps
Re:Off the air... (Score:5, Interesting)
Oh yeah, and to address the other post regarding them knowing the approximate location so they can rush out to it when they press the button. I say good luck to them with that. I'd find it very funny if the person who gets it happens to pick up a 12pack just before returning on a flight from Miama, FL, to Portland, OR. That'd mess up their plans to seem all cool by rushing out to the site of the can within 10-20 minutes with a TV crew, now woudln't it?
Three ways of finding the can: (Score:2, Interesting)
Heat capacity: when you pull the can out of the fridge at the store, does it stay cold for more than 10 seconds? A can full of mostly water (coke) will stay cold and a can full of mostly air (phone) will not.
Pressure: squeeze a can - if it's full of carbonic acid (coke), it won't squeeze as easily as if it's filled with air.
I could go on....
Now I can imagine all these kids shaking coke cans at the store, and hapless customers openning them afterwards without tapping the top...
- Thomas;
Yes... (Score:4, Interesting)
It's been done. (Score:1, Interesting)
The developers went to great lengths to ensure that the prize bottle weighed exactly the same as a regular bottle.
Microwave it (Score:3, Interesting)
I have experience with coke hidden in can contests (Score:3, Interesting)
The can was identical to the others in every way. I could hear liquid sloshing around in it (still does, still have it), it had weight like a full can.... I cant remember if it had a pressurized noise when it opened, but i think it did.
They can do a good job of hiding contents.
Re:Microwave it (Score:2, Interesting)
Details are here. [spybusters.com]
Re:No Purchase Necessary? (Score:2, Interesting)