Ocean City, NJ geeks up the beach

Visitors to the Jersey shore will soon have more to look forward to than just big hair and Bon Jovi -- Ocean City, in south Jersey, is currently accepting bids for a planned beach network that will encompass everything from tracking parking spots to monitoring garbage can levels. The $3M system, which will feature a mix of WiFi and RFID devices, is expected to cut the costs of running the beach dramatically -- trimming almost half of the $282,000 budget for access badge checkers, for example. Other planned features include the ability to link access wristbands together, so that parents can be alerted via SMS if one of their kids ventures beyond the boundaries of the boardwalk, and RFID payment services for food and souvenir shops. Now all they need is some of those Segway beach cops and the future will have finally arrived.

[tc @ Jul 26th 2007 2:45AM]

dem robots is takin' our jobs!

[Ryan @ Jul 26th 2007 3:12AM]

Hilarious. That cheesy photo is from Hawaii!

[keithwwalker @ Jul 26th 2007 11:55AM]

LOL, volcano in NJ!

Anyway, Ocean City NJ is south jersey, not north Jersey BonJovi/Sopranos territory.

Also Ocean City is a dry town - no bars or liquor stores!

[jbulava @ Jul 26th 2007 11:09AM]

Yeah...there are DEFINITELY no volcanos or mountains here in the Jerz. I always roll my eyes when movies are shot in CA with cliffs and hills, but are supposed to be depicting our flat beaches. It's completely different.

And even though I drive by Bon Jovi's house every now and then, I think the big hair thing went out a long time ago...just saying!

[Chris Derry @ Jul 26th 2007 1:41PM]

I touched a tree in front of Bon Jovi's house once.

[david @ Jul 26th 2007 3:56AM]

I summered in OC NJ for 20 years. great small island with fantastic beaches.

[James @ Jul 26th 2007 5:07AM]

If they are going to allow WiFi on the beach, how the hell can you expect to see your laptop screen on a sunny day?

[jjd @ Jul 26th 2007 7:42AM]

That's a Heathkit H89! 4Mhz of screaming Z-80 power!

[Jesse S @ Jul 26th 2007 8:03AM]

But you still have to step over that pesky nuclear and chemical waste!

[blueeyesm @ Jul 26th 2007 9:21AM]

'Other planned features include the ability to link access wristbands together, ...'

Oh no! Gleek has wandered off the boardwalk!



"Overly priced wristbands - activate!"

"Form of - lazy parent!"

"Form of - water!"

[Matt B @ Jul 26th 2007 9:24AM]

Too bad it's an atrocity to pay to go onto the beach to begin with.

[gt2378b @ Jul 26th 2007 10:07AM]

Yes - Atrocities.

Genocide, chemical warfare & ... paying to go to the beach.

[sukigod @ Jul 26th 2007 9:25AM]

The other object in that photo is a GIRL!

No, just kidding, it's the Hero-1 Robot from Heathkit....Dang I'm old.

[Brian @ Jul 26th 2007 6:07PM]

Yeah! Mr. Wizzard had that Hero robot. Check him out on episode 28.

[Fubar @ Jul 26th 2007 9:29AM]

So who's the hottie next to Will Ferrell?

[gt2378b @ Jul 26th 2007 10:03AM]

"...a planned beach network that will ... monitor[] garbage can levels."

Captain! Cans 33G & 47G are full! 24T is overflowing!

Send in - The Trashman.

[maxbarkly @ Jul 26th 2007 11:30AM]

ACTUALLY,

I live in NJ, and the nearby town of ocean grove actually HAS SEGWAY COPS. I can't find the article, but they are there. So the future is in NJ...

And for the record, Bon Jovi lives in my town. Sometimes at night I dream of "the Boss" firing him.

[dave @ Jul 26th 2007 11:34AM]

I live and work in Ocean City, and surprisingly,, it's odd that I read this news first on engadget. Very cool indeed

[Ed, @ Jul 26th 2007 1:57PM]

Great! Now that they've added an RFID scheme to assist their BeachNazi methods of controlling and CHARGING access to a public beach,

will they also add autonomous 'beachbas' (roomba with a suntan) to roll around cleaning up the hypodermic needles and fecal cigars?