
There’s already something pretty devotional about how often people check their smartphones, so why not take the next step to full-fledged worship? You never know what the gods of gadgetry might grant you. If you are using the new app called Internet Shrine, a prayer will get you free Wi-Fi.
Here’s how it works: you place your phone in a clear, well-ventilated place, such as the shrine pictured above, with the app running. Then, you clap twice as if praying at a Shinto shrine. This activates the application. If you go to your computer and search for Wi-Fi networks, you should find one called Amaterasu, the Shinto goddess of the sun and the universe. Connect to the network and Amaterasu will give you 15 minutes of free internet access.
▼How to pray at a shrine
The developers explain their concept, “We wanted to create an experience that would bring the religious world into the world wide web, a domain of technology, through connecting to the internet… By praying at Internet Shrine, the user creates a fixed-term, free wifi hotspot, allowing them to connect with distant people and access a body of knowledge that cannot be contained by a single individual. It’s like the invisible power of the divine.”
The developers also plan to release the application under an open-source license so people everywhere can have an internet shrine tailored to their local culture.
Check it out in action in this video.
Source: Gigazine
Images: Internet Shrine, Kyoto Prefectural Government


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