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December 15, 2006, 02:35 PM ET
Where's Waldo's Laptop?
Starting this week, students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are redefining social networking. With new software, they can turn their laptops into beacons of a sort, constantly sharing information on their whereabouts with friends.
Sound like a privacy nightmare?
Maybe not. The software, called iFind, aims to harness the benefits of global-positioning systems without the possible security risks. Unlike cellphone "buddy finders" -- which let people use GPS to broadcast their location to friends but require the information to pass through a remote server -- iFind never uploads data to a central network. Instead the software uses wireless access points to ascertain a user's location and transmits the details directly to people whom the laptop owner has identified as friends, according to The Boston Globe.
Whether or not students actually want their laptops tracking their every move is another matter. The creators of the tool, MIT's SENSEable City Lab, say iFind "aims to improve social networking through some kind of digitally augmented serendipity." Depending on your views on privacy, that could seem either eminently sensible or downright creepy. --Brock Read
Categories: Student-Life, Security
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