North Pole and Everest explorers use internet phonecasting tool to podcast, tweet and blog from some of the most difficult places on earth.
13 year old Jordan Romero has set out to be the youngest person ever to climb Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, having already conquered the highest summits on six other continents.
Simultaneously, many thousands of miles away Polar explorer Mark Wood aims to become the first person in history to walk to the Geographic North and South Poles, back to back and on his own. Unsupported and unaided, he'll spend more than six months alone in the most hostile places on earth.
What links these two undertakings isn’t just the feat of endurance, the immense challenge and the bitter cold, but how Jordan and Mark are recording their adventures. Gone are the days of explorers carrying paper diaries – instead they are now equipped with the quintessential 21st century gadget, the mobile telephone. Powered by ipadio technology, people around the world will be able to follow them on their respective journeys from the comfort of their computers, mobile phones and MP3 players. From a single phone-call made atop a mountain or from the middle of a colourless wilderness, audio messages will be automatically posted to their blogs, Twitter, Facebook, podcasts and other social media enabling everyone back home to follow them in real time.
Dr Mark Smith, CEO of ipadio said “It took four days for news of Sir Edmund Hillary conquering Everest to reach Britain… now using ipadio it will be possible to listen live as Jordan reaches the summit and as Mark reaches the North Pole.”
Jordan Romero said, “"It's something I've always wanted to do before I die - I just happen to be doing it at this age. I happen to be going for a world record. But I just want to climb it,”
Mark Wood said, “Another great motivator for me is to share my experiences with young people around the world. I see myself not only as an explorer but also as a story-teller: someone who works on the front line of the effects of global warming and someone who is lucky enough to meet fascinating people in remote communities. My aim is to be able to communicate what I see and do on this expedition to people back home and around the world via the technology of the Internet and satellite phones. In particular, it is rewarding to link with schools and stimulate debates on climate change and the need to keep on exploring.”
For more information and to listen see the following website:
http://www.jordanromero.com/weblog/
http://www.markwoodexplorer.com/
http://ipadio.com
ENDS
About ipadio
ipadio is a communication & social media technology - anyone, from any phone, anywhere, can stream their calls live to the Internet. ipadio and its embedded functionality such as voice to text conversion allow improved communications for corporate, government and 3rd Sector organisations. Clients including Virgin Media, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and the British Horse Racing Authority pay licence fees and call revenue in return for core ipadio functionality and associated systems integration.
ipadio is the brainchild of Nemisys (www.nemisys.uk.com), a leading digital communication company from the UK, and in particular of Dr Mark K Smith, whose previous company was successfully floated on the LSE in 2001. ipadio won eConsultancy’s coveted “Most Innovative New Technology” of 2009: "a really simple but well executed idea that gives anyone who can use a phone the chance to speak out on the internet ... a technology for the masses with many potential uses". http://econsultancy.com/awards/winners. ipadio is made available freely internationally for general public use as a social media tool, and is patent pending: GB0820862.1.
John Duffy, ipadio
E: john.duffy@ipadio.com
T: + (0)1189 122 226
M: + (0)7887 731799
TW: @ipadio (personal: @johnrduffy)
About Jordan Romero
Jordan is climbing the 7 Summits to prove to himself he can reach this big goal he has set. He is climbing because he loves the mountains and he loves to travel and learn about people and kids around the World who are just like him.
More importantly, Jordan has been touched very closely by the terrible disease called Cancer. He lost his grandmother and his uncle to cancer and has watched a young friend suffer the effects. Jordan is a member of Team Duke, John Wayne’s Cancer Foun- dation and is using his World Record setting climbs to bring worldwide attention to the incredible efforts of Team Duke.
A second passion of Jordan’s is teaching kids about exercise and making healthy food and drink choices. Jordan strives to inspire and teach kids how to have a healthy lifestyle. He wants to help Michelle Obama on her new Let’s Move campaign.
About Mark Wood
Mark Wood is a polar explorer and adventurer. He has guided and trained people for Polar and mountain expeditions working in the Himalayas, the Canadian High Arctic and the wilds of Alaska. Reaching the Geomagnetic North Pole twice and guiding the BBC Top gear team to the magnetic North Pole (96) on the “Race to the Pole special”.