MIT launches iFIND app for stalking your friends

When we first spotted MIT's location-tracking WiFi network last year, the stalking capabilities were interesting, but not fully realized. Now with this new iFIND app of theirs, WiFi positioning takes on a whole new level of geeky functionality at the Boston campus. At its core, iFIND is a peer-to-peer application that allows users to control the flow of their own location information, eliminating the privacy concerns of a centralized tracking system. Built on top of that functionality are all sorts of interesting buddy list capabilities to track and chat with friends, and choose who can track you. You can also set up meeting places with friends, even using the system to pick a spot at the "center of gravity" of a group of friends for the ultimate in geek cred. Anyone with an MIT email address can use the system, and future functionality includes the ability to share data anonymously with users found with the system, or to alert the police to your position in an emergency without divulging your identity -- all for the truly paranoid, but fun stuff all the same.

[Via Smart Mobs]

[Paul @ Dec 15th 2006 12:40PM]

This sounds like it could be lots of fun.

Do you need to have a laptop turned on and connected to the network for this to function? (sorry I havent read the article yet)

[Francois Proulx @ Dec 15th 2006 1:09PM]

You need to have your laptop turned on, but you don't need to be connected to the network to locate yourself. You can then connect and enable broadcast (global or friend by friend).

[Mike @ Dec 15th 2006 1:23PM]

Note to self: bring tin-foil hat next time I'm in Boston.

[Christopher @ Dec 15th 2006 1:36PM]

[waits for someone to figure out how to spoof the identifying information and make the same person appear like they're in thirty places at once]

I love those geeks at MIT. They get to play with all the cool stuff.

[Tarek @ Dec 15th 2006 1:41PM]

Erm... MIT's in Cambridge, not Boston.

[hifiguy @ Dec 15th 2006 4:56PM]

cambridge is across the street from boston, for what that's worth.

[tk. @ Dec 15th 2006 2:56PM]

Francois Proulx @ Dec 15th 2006 1:00PM
You need to have your laptop turned on, but you don't need to be connected to the network to locate yourself. You can then connect and enable broadcast (global or friend by friend).

TIME OUT! WAIT A MINUTE!

How can you not need to be connected to the network to find yourself? (looks at mirror)

...

[Brandon West @ Dec 15th 2006 3:06PM]

Awesome, a few radios, a laptop, and a game of capture the flag with this system would be a ton of fun.

[badtzmaru @ Dec 15th 2006 9:47PM]

I was going to make the Cambridge correction but someone beat me to it. Boston is just across the bridge from campus though..

[n3ldan @ Dec 16th 2006 5:43PM]

It's Cambridge, not boston, you tools.