Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple Researching How the iPhone Can Help You Make New Friends
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8G4 Safari/6533.18.5)
About 16 years ago, a company in Japan came out with something very similar that you wore as a watch. You put all your usual details in there (sex, age, likes, dislikes, etc) and if two people which the device deemed as being compatible came in close proximity to eachother, it would buzz or flash. A pretty cool idea, but alas, takes out the magic of serendipity and fate.
About 16 years ago, a company in Japan came out with something very similar that you wore as a watch. You put all your usual details in there (sex, age, likes, dislikes, etc) and if two people which the device deemed as being compatible came in close proximity to eachother, it would buzz or flash. A pretty cool idea, but alas, takes out the magic of serendipity and fate.
I was thinking about this on the beach yesterday, though something of a much more "controlled" format. Something where you select what is broadcast; the idea of the OS going in and mining your phone for publication seems crazy wrong.
But a simple "single mom, here to photograph today's fine weather" or some such banality could be an interesting proximity feature. I'm quite sure there will be application of it offered in iOS at some point.
But a simple "single mom, here to photograph today's fine weather" or some such banality could be an interesting proximity feature. I'm quite sure there will be application of it offered in iOS at some point.
As unsettling as this patent might seem, I would love to get a push notification every time I am near someone who has read Dune. I've only met one person. So much to talk about. 
I'd also like my phone to warn me when I meet a new person if they're an *******. Is that in the patent?
I'd also like my phone to warn me when I meet a new person if they're an *******. Is that in the patent?
As unsettling as this patent might seem, I would love to get a push notification every time I am near someone who has read Dune. I've only met one person. So much to talk about.
I'd also like my phone to warn me when I meet a new person if they're an *******. Is that in the patent?
You're right. It would be an interesting sort of "badge" to put your interests in your profile. You could pick and choose what it says about you or the other person to put something in your tags.
"Princess Bride, MacRumors, Banana Quick, I Hate the Family Circus" sort of thing.
arn
I wouldn't date anyone that ugly...
...despite the desperate come-on! I have standards, you know.
...despite the desperate come-on! I have standards, you know.
This will be a great tool for nut jobs and thieves.
You can go to a rich neighborhood at night. Lock on to nearly everyone that lives there. Then set your system to track them all for a week or two. Now you have everyone's routines so you can ransack with ease.
Now for predators, if you see that pretty girl in a car zooming by. You can finally lock on get her name, routine, address, public records everything! To more efficiently augment your stalking routine and eventual assault. All this is done automatically while you go to work, make a skin suit and ready your pit, "It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again. "
At least Apple would plan on making this optional. Though it will probably be turned on by default. 95% of the people using it would not know it is there. Or if they do know and are too fearful of technological problems to turn it off. Worrying that doing so will break something else or cause their phone to stop working.
You can go to a rich neighborhood at night. Lock on to nearly everyone that lives there. Then set your system to track them all for a week or two. Now you have everyone's routines so you can ransack with ease.
Now for predators, if you see that pretty girl in a car zooming by. You can finally lock on get her name, routine, address, public records everything! To more efficiently augment your stalking routine and eventual assault. All this is done automatically while you go to work, make a skin suit and ready your pit, "It rubs the lotion on its skin or else it gets the hose again. "
At least Apple would plan on making this optional. Though it will probably be turned on by default. 95% of the people using it would not know it is there. Or if they do know and are too fearful of technological problems to turn it off. Worrying that doing so will break something else or cause their phone to stop working.
Fully agree. It's not just apple thought, look at all the social media sites, they are all trying to hard to do everything for you, to make you wear a tshirt showing everything you like in life - finding you bands you might like to listen to based on what you already listen to etc. Turning you into a clone. Predictable clone.
Time to listen to OK Computer again.
Hummm.... I'm surprised at how many negative comments this has gotten.
I think this could be cool. Especially for people who are single or for event or special interests purposes where you might be able to meet people with similar interests. I think its all about how you're matched with someone.
However, I can see some big downsides too. But if it's "opt in", what the heck. They should just turn this over to a 3rd party and let them develop this so they can worry about more pressing issues.
I think this could be cool. Especially for people who are single or for event or special interests purposes where you might be able to meet people with similar interests. I think its all about how you're matched with someone.
However, I can see some big downsides too. But if it's "opt in", what the heck. They should just turn this over to a 3rd party and let them develop this so they can worry about more pressing issues.
Think they've used this template for the patents for quite a while now IIRC. Note the 'border', it's more like an iP4 with the Apple case thing on.
There was a time when people used to talk face to face and drink a beer together. This iNonsense only makes people more lonely than they already are. Virtual chat rooms can neither replace nor actually support or improve real social interaction.
There is one thing that a TV and a smartphone have in common: Their most important hardware feature is the "power off" button.
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_3 like Mac OS X; sv-se) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8J2 Safari/6533.18.5)
"Opt-in only" == only way for Apple (or anyone else) to possibly go fwd w this. Anybody heard of any market research tapping into this area, eg how many would actually be interested in using this kind of service?
"Opt-in only" == only way for Apple (or anyone else) to possibly go fwd w this. Anybody heard of any market research tapping into this area, eg how many would actually be interested in using this kind of service?
The funny thing is, I have met a lot of close, personal friends using Technology. From back in the AOL chat days, up to now with modern Twitter / Facebook groups.
I do see these people at social events, have taken trips with them, even helped many of them move. I think Technology is a great supplement to personal interaction, even a catalyst to meeting more people, than it is isolation.
It all depends on how the individual uses the tools provided.
this is Sick! on One Side Apple is playing the moral apostele and treats a browser like porn (you need to be 18 to download it!) and on the other side they plan a system that is stalkers heaven and allows a child to be discovered by his next possible pedophile raper!
Agreed.
I talk to a lot of people i wouldn't have had the chance to if it wasn't for Twitter. Through common interests i have become good mates with a few of them. Its a great way of finding people who like the same things you do. Macrumors also has a great community spirit. We can all talk and discuss the latest technology. Im not so sure about the dating part of it but its cool for making new mates.
This could be interesting.
I remember when the Twitter app had a map of location-enabled tweets. It was fun perusing my village for locals to follow. Infact that very system got me a couple of freelance jobs.
I'd like to see this implemented for Game Centre. I've only got 2 friends on that because none of my gaming buddies have an iPhone/iPod touch, or use them for games.
I remember when the Twitter app had a map of location-enabled tweets. It was fun perusing my village for locals to follow. Infact that very system got me a couple of freelance jobs.
I'd like to see this implemented for Game Centre. I've only got 2 friends on that because none of my gaming buddies have an iPhone/iPod touch, or use them for games.