Things That Think: Serendipity

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FRAMES article

Serendipity home

Project Website

Social Serendipity (pdf)

Serendipity
An application for mobile phones that can instigate interactions between you and people you don't know, but probably should.

Who:	From Samsung: Peter Wakim and other Nokia researchers From the Media Lab: Prof. Sandy Pentland, and the Human Dynamics group.
When:	2004
Where:	MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Why:	Nokia wanted to take advantage of its relationship with the Media Lab by donating phones and seeing what developed.
How:	Using Bluetooth and special software downloaded onto Nokia cell phones.

Details

Users create a Mobule profile containing the information they feel comfortable sharing with potential friends and colleagues. This profile is shared with other people nearby who are on the same system and may be a potential "match." The service can be used to instigate potential romances, introduce new business partners, or connect with new customers.

Serendipity currently is being implemented on Symbian Series 60 mobile phones, using BlueAware, an application that scans for other Bluetooth devices in the user's local proximity. When a new device is discovered nearby, Serendipity automatically sends an SMS to Mobule's SMS gateway server with the discovered device's ID. If a "match" is found, the Mobule MMSC sends a customized picture message introduction back to each user.


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