How do you get beach bums to take a break from the sun? If you're one nonprofit, by luring them into the shade with free WiFi.
The Peruvian League Against Cancer has built a special tower on the Playa Agua Dulce, which offers wireless internet connectivity—but only to people standing in the tower's shadow.
On top of the structure, a directional antenna attached to a sensor limits the scope of the signal and rotates with the sun. The login page for the network, which supports some 250 users at a time, includes prevention information about skin cancer. Agency Happiness Brussels helped set up the rig and is planning similar installations in partnership with local organizations in San Francisco and New Zealand.
It's pretty clever to capitalize on the fact that pretty much everyone these days will follow their smartphones around blindly, even if the beach seems like one of those places WiFi is least essential. Then again, why not have your cake and eat it, too — catch some rays, then catch up on your latest Netflix binge while you take a break from spending time doing something other than having your face glued to a mini computer.
