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This article was taken from the April 2013 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by <span class="s1">subscribing online.
Anglers know the joy of swapping notes and sharing stories of the one that got away. So Swedish entrepreneurs Johan Attby and Jens Persson have brought that experience online with Fishbrain, a social network for anglers. "I've been fishing since I was a boy," says Persson, who released the Gothenburg startup's first iOS app last June.
Apart from connecting like-minded practitioners, the network also asks users to log in during a fishing trip and post which bait they are using, what they are fishing for, what they catch, and the method. It also collects data on air pressure and humidity, water and weather conditions.
So far, the Fishbrain database has amassed names and images of more than 43,000 types of bait, logged 15,000 catches and racked up 16,000 fishing hours from its 8,000 Swedish users. According to Attby, the 39-year-old CEO, 95 percent of the data comes from the mobile app, rather than the website. "We can now crunch it and come up with recommendations," says Attby. "Say you want to fish for pike. Our system can predict what bait you should be using, and suggest where and when you should fish." Attby says the startup plans to launch its app globally this year: "Bring on the quantified carp!"
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
