In the post he takes a look at the use of QR codes in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and a mobile phone app called Augmented ID by TAT.
This app allows you to use your mobile phone’s camera to “visualizes the digital identities of the people you meet in real life.”
It’s a fascinating concept that allows you to point your phone at somebody in a room full of people to obtain access to their digital identity (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Blogs) in real-time.
I had previously seen similar ideas demonstrated using NFC/RFID Mobile Phone technology where you would touch somebody’s name tag or by scanning a QR code on a business card or T-Shirt to achieve a similar outcome. However the idea that contact doesn’t need to be made and you can access the information from a safe distance takes this idea to whole new different level.
After all the logical extension of this technology in the retail and commercial context is to include purchase history and credit worthiness in the “social” mix.
In the social context we could also leverage this technology to discover the “six degrees of separation” between ourselves and the “target”. In this way the Mobile Phone becomes the ultimate “Find Me” platform.
Never again will you be stuck to find an ice breaker to start a conversation in a room full of new faces. Just switch on the phone and point and click to discover who has the best social profile before you strike up a conversation.
Then again why not take the technology to its logical conclusion and just let the two sets of phones set up the conversation agenda for you. After all the technology should be able to negotiate both the terms and the topics of the conversation before you physically meet face to face.
No more fear of social rejection here. The phones could make the compatibility call before you make eye contact. Never mind speak. If your mobile phone thinks you’re incompatible no need to waste time finding out. Let’s move onto the next face in the crowd.
I think you’ll find the whole idea of having access to everyone’s Digital Identity in real-time presents a fascinating insight into what the future of relationships will become if the cross-pollination of the trends in social media, mobile payments, behavioural advertising and mobile commerce converge into a single platform.
It has the potential to fundamentally transform our social behaviours in the “real world”.
In the end though I think the question has be asked: Do we really want to go down this path? After all just because the technology can do this doesn’t mean we should go there in the future. Or, is it inevitable that these hyper intelligent hand held machines will regulate and mediate our social relationships in a hyper-connected world?
Posted on March 25, 2010
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