by Tom Foremski for SiliconValleyWatcher.com

I'm trying to get this term into WordSpy (see below) and into common usage:

"Geek Beacon, the use of a bright display on a Treo or mobile phone to hail a taxi, or signal to others at night."

And it works! I was using my Geek Beacon just the other evening and a taxi pulled up within seconds. The driver said that about six months ago he had picked up a guy that had been waving a device that flashed "taxi" using LED lights. This guy was from Chicago and was planning to market the devices for about $50 a piece.

That's too bad. The Geek Beacon comes as a free standard feature on many "smart" phones such as my Treo 600.

Earliest citation: SiliconValleyWatcher.