Facebook, nodes and Bluetooth (a nordic king)

They’re watching you! Well, not physically but digitally. Facebook has seeped into the real; beyond creating or attending events. A new piece of software called Cityware tracks your movement around a city through a combination of nodes and Bluetooth enabled phones.

Move into a given area and a node, that is constantly scanning for Cityware enabled devices will pick up your signal. The idea is to see how people interact with cities and each other. Just look outside, fool.

That person you see on the bus or train everyday, if they also have a Facebook account and are being achingly, cutting edge with this Cityware stuff, will pop up on your phone/Facebook account.


It’s meant to track how both digital and biological viruses circulate as well as throwing up statements like, ‘"It is also demonstrating that encounters that are short and infrequent help spread innovation and new ideas."

What does this mean for you?

1. Stalking is now child’s play.

2. Theoretically someone, somewhere will always know where you are.

3. Even more awkwardness on the commute to work, as that person you occasionally say hello to tries to add you as a friend.

4. If short encounters equal innovation, you wont actually have to spend more than ten minutes with anyone. No more offices?

5. One step closer to a William Gibson future dystopia.

See, now you don’t even need to read the article and you can pass off those bullet points as your own, like you’ve really spent time thinking about it and not just staring into space…