Bluetooth Meets Facebook to Round Up Offline Friends

Social networks are a great way to meet people online, but chances are you'll never meet them in person. In the real world, people who work in the same company or go to the same school will see each other on campus almost everyday, yet some of them will never meet. A social application integrated with Facebook will change all that by allowing you to explore how your offline and online social networks intertwine.

Bath University scientists developed a fun way to use Bluetooth-enabled devices (mobile phones, laptops) to expand your list of friends on Facebook. Once it's set up, Cityware can tell you which Facebook users have passed you by on the street, and gives you the option of adding them to your friends list. It sounds simple, but in order for this networking experiment to work, you'll need to be within close proximity of a node—a computer that scans for Bluetooth devices. There's only a handful of central nodes throughout the world, but anyone with a Bluetooth-enabled laptop can set one up in their area. It sounds like a great way to finally start a conversation with "familiar strangers," that is until stalkers find a way to ruin the whole experience.

Link: Bluetooth helps Facebook friends (BBC)