Apisphere Unveils Out-of-the-Box Geocaching GPS

May 18, 2009

Apisphere, Inc., has announced the availability of the Geomate.jr. According to the company, the GPS device is designed to make geocaching accessible to families and children of all ages. The unit comes pre-loaded with 250,000 geocache locations covering the 50 United States.

“It’s the extreme ease of use and out-of-the-box ability that makes Geomate.jr so unique and family-friendly,” said Warren Hewerdine, co-inventor of Geomate.jr and senior director of marketing at Apisphere. “But it’s more than just providing access to a fun, healthy, outdoor activity that families can enjoy together. It also offers a way to reconnect our children with the joy of the outdoors, and encourages them to take advantage of the natural environment.”

Video games, the Internet, television, and other forms of indoor entertainment have captured more of children’s leisure time, making them increasingly disassociated with the outdoors, Apisphere said, citing a study by the Outdoor Foundation. The study found that outdoor activity among children ages 6 to 17 declined 11 percent in 2008, with the sharpest fall taking place among 6 to 12 year olds. Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), a nationwide outdoor gear and apparel retailer, will sell the Geomate.jr.

People who go geocaching use a GPS receiver to locate hidden geocaches, containers of various sizes with a log book and often trinkets stashed inside.

Apisphere has also formed a licensing, distribution, and co-marketing partnership with Groundspeak, Inc., the Seattle-based company that launched geocaching.com.

The Geomate.jr is priced at $69.95 and has a website at www.mygeomate.com.