Bicycles already get you places. But two examples of melding bicycles to mobile media (GPS, social networks, smart phones) push the envelope.
The Copenhagen Wheel is a kind of wired hubcap to retrofit regular bicycles. It stores energy, releasing it on uphill grades for easier pedaling. But it also turns cycling into an even more social affair, as the release notes. "By using a series of sensors and a Bluetooth connection to the user's iPhone, which can be mounted on the handlebars, the wheel can monitor the bicycle's speed, direction and distance traveled, as well as collect data on air pollution and even the proximity of the rider's friends."
The Social Bicycle System, as explained on the site, is a "public bike share system that uses GPS, mobile communications, and a secure lock that can attach to almost any bicycle and lock to any regular bike rack." It allows users to "find and unlock bikes using a mobile phone [to] provide a viable public transportation alternative"
By augmenting cycling in urban areas using mobile media and social media, these are great efforts.
