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Intel: Keeping Tabs on Your Slithy Toves

So it looks like I'm not the only one interested in Lewis Carroll's work and mobile technology, after all. This article on TheFeature reviews Stanley Milgram's concept of the "familiar stranger" as the inspiration spark for some really interesting mobile-aware software.

Don't think that I'm confusing the Jabberwocky software project with anything useful. The examples provided are stretches so far from any behavior you've ever heard of that it's almost as silly as Carroll's vernacular.

Here's a scenerio from their site.

In the midst of a frustrating day, an urban professional decides that he doesn’t want to eat lunch in his usual spot. After years at the same job, the large city seems more like a small town. He sees the same people every day in the same places. He wants to escape. As he walks quickly away from his work, he occasionally checks his familiarity device to see if there are any Familiar Strangers nearby. When he finds a street that the device tells him is completely unfamiliar, he chooses a restaurant. He feels as if he’s exploring new territory and though he is still surrounded by other people, he feels much less crowded than he did 15 minutes ago.

Really - this application would be almost more useful in a game of mobile-enhanced paintball. So why am I writing about it? Mostly because it's cool. The idea of technology-enhanced social networking is forward-thinking. The people at Intel Research in Berkeley, California are clearly thinking around corners, and I find that inspirational.

posted by Brian @ 7:59 AM