‘Cool’ or ‘Freaky’? Facebook Launches Friend-Finding App That Uses Your Location (Update: App Yanked)
- Posted on June 25, 2012 at 2:32pm by
Liz Klimas
- Print »
- Email »
(Image: Facebook)
Do you have a hard time finding friends — literally? This may be the app for you.
Adding to the number of already available apps that use GPS to link your location for any number of features and services to be used, a new Facebook app was launched over the weekend that lets smartphone users find friends — and potential friends — nearby.
“Friendshake” — or “Find Friends Nearby” — isn’t the first app to do this sort of thing. Earlier this year, the Blaze reported on “Highlight,” an app that not only showed the people around you who were linked up to the app, but also provided you with some information on them.
Highlight and others like it were well-received by social media-ites, while those who are more private find it potentially invasive or open for abuse.
Gizmodo describes “Find Friends Nearby” as “half cool, half freaky.” The cool part, it explains, is it allows you to quickly become “Facebook official” friends with random people you meet out in public. Although the app will only show others around you who also have signed into the service — consent is required — it does make your presence known to strangers, which is the freaky part for Gizmodo.
Tech Crunch points out that this app comes only a few months after Facebook acquired another app called “Glancee,” which allowed users of the service to find friends around them with similar interests. Tech Crunch has more from app developer Ryan Patterson:
I built Find Friends Nearby with another engineer for a hackathon project. While it was originally called ‘Friendshake’, we settled on ‘Find Friends Nearby’ for launch (the URL was a little bit of a homage to the previous iteration).
For me, the ideal use case for this product is the one where when you’re out with a group of people whom you’ve recently met and want to stay in contact with. Facebook search might be effective, or sharing your vanity addresses or business cards, but this tool provides a really easy way to exchange contact information with multiple people with minimal friction.
What find friends nearby looks like in use. (Image: Gizmodo)
Tech Crunch explains that the app is still a work in progress, but it is available if you’re logged into both Facebook and the Find Friends Nearby website or using it through your Facebook iOS app.
Update: The app has been pulled completely from both the app store and the mobile page. Wired reports a Facebook representative saying this was not the official launch of the app but only a test phase. They are not ready to release further details at this time. If and when Facebook would relaunch the app is not yet clear.
Comments (18)
Sign In To Post Comments! Sign In
Popular Stories
Does Misstated Marathon Claim Prove Paul Ryan Is Dishonest? (POLL) 676 Comments
‘Jumah at the DNC’ Speaker: ‘Muslims Visited America Prior to Columbus’ & ‘It Was a Muslim’ Who Guided Him to the ‘New World’ 527 Comments
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 412 Comments
Obama: RNC Like Watching ‘Black-and-White TV’ Because Romney ‘Did Not Offer a Single New Idea’ 372 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 329 Comments
Faith
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 267 Comments- Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More
- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 278 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 152 Comments- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 147 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 300 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 267 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
epicwinofgod
Posted on June 26, 2012 at 2:48pmHere is how this unfolds:
First you use it to track your friends.
Second they use it for dating.
Third they use it as a “Meet Here Screw There” tool to further promote their agenda towards premarital sex which leads to more babies which leads to more abortions. Just blood and sin.
Blah blah blah. I’ve had enough. Facebook is trash and it’s probably why I only have 60 friends :-P
Report Post »ldaopines
Posted on June 26, 2012 at 2:22pmNo Facebook or Twitter for me. The world is crazier than it used to be. If you DON’T want certain people to find you (like a child molester you helped to put away for 13 years), you should have the right to privacy without having to pay internet monitoring/scrubbing like I have to do. I also got off of Google. I don‘t think it’s anyone’s business what I search on or am interested in.
Report Post »timola
Posted on June 26, 2012 at 12:42pmI use no apps. / viruses, bugs, malware etc…infiltrate too many of them.
Report Post »Mr Sanders
Posted on June 26, 2012 at 12:08pmI‘m so glad I’m allergic to RF/LLMW radiation.
“Yes Alex, I’ll take Unknown Lumps for $200 please.”
Report Post »TechPepsi
Posted on June 26, 2012 at 11:24am101STIRAQVET, so true. But it is all about those you know within communities you tune into a online radio station or network. Also groups of friends you’ve known online for years! If it were not for facebook, then I would not have had much of a re-connection with my friends whom I know for 16 years+. I know about 5 different communities, most are radio networks and show hosts, and friends and fans. About the 5,000+ is just a little out there, but I know there are those who does that for the games on facebook. A demand on a farm, or a city. Is just a little weird if that is all they are doing on facebook! I submit my art, since I am a self employed artist. People who are my friends looks at them!
Report Post »BigSky
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 9:32pmIt should be named “Pervert’s Paradise”. This is just as creepy as Foursquare.
Report Post »Hmschlmom
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 9:15pmYou couldn’t pay me enough…
Report Post »I vote creepy!
Midwest Blonde
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 5:58pmI still use FB to connect with several teenage and adult grandchildren who live 600 miles away. It’s a nice way to connect. I don’t have any “friends” on my list that I don’t know in person, and 90% of my “friends” are actually family members I can’t see very often.
At one time I played a game (farmville) that required a certain amount of friends in order to advance. I got disgusted with the BS connected with all that, and dumped most of the “friends” and deleted my connection to the game. I don’t miss it.
I don’t need to “connect” to people I have never met and will never meet. And I agree, face to face connections are far more preferred, but when that’s not possible, FB works for me.
Report Post »YahuShuaChrist
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 4:41pmThus says The Lord, to the United States and to this wicked generation of modern peoples…
Hear the word of The Lord your God, The God of Israel, The God of All, for there is no other: You are walking into death… Dead man’s bones lost in a sea of sin, a dark ocean of transgression! You have forgotten Me, days without end, thus must I also forget you in the Day of Harvest. Yet of your evil deeds, even all this wickedness of which you are guilty, I shall remember! Behold, I shall bring it to the forefront, that all who walk in it may receive of My punishment!… Then you shall know, there is a God in Heaven who reigns and judges the earth!
http://www.TrumpetCallofGodOnline.com
Report Post »YahuShuaChrist
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 4:38pmThus says The Lord, to the United States and to this wicked generation of modern peoples…
Hear the word of The Lord your God, The God of Israel, The God of All, for there is no other: You are walking into death… Dead man’s bones lost in a sea of sin, a dark ocean of transgression! You have forgotten Me, days without end, thus must I also forget you in the Day of Harvest. Yet of your evil deeds, even all this wickedness of which you are guilty, I shall remember! Behold, I shall bring it to the forefront, that all who walk in it may receive of My punishment!… Then you shall know, there is a God in Heaven who reigns and judges the earth.
http://www.TrumpetCallofGodOnline.com
Report Post »Angel_light
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 3:07pmif you ask me the whole concept of facebook has just gotten creepy. it used to be you connected with friends you normally see in person frequently. now its “lets see how many friends i can ”collect”. no thanks i‘m not going to accept a request from someone i’ve never heard of. There‘s no use in keeping friends that don’t accually exist
Report Post »101stIraqVet
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 3:19pmIt’s amazing how many people try to justify spending online time with their 5,724 imaginary friends than to spend time with their own family.
Report Post »OutOfTheAether
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 3:49pm101STIRAQVET
Amen
Report Post »MittensKittens
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 3:53pmThat‘s the reason I don’t do FB or any of that other crap online…
Report Post »Angel_light
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 3:03pmI am so glad I got rid of my facebook account. I have REAL friends. I think it’s gotten so out of hand. the people I know who use it only use it for gossip. Who needs that when you have facts and a life?
Report Post »Micmac
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 3:00pmThis is the Utopian’s wet-dream. No need for a chip in the head or under the skin. People will line up to have their freedom of anonimity subjugated to the government, all in the “name of friendship.” I see all of this as phase 2…phase 1 being the dumbing down of the education system. Part of having a successful utopian society/government is having corporatism. Google, Facebook, Yahoo, GE, JPM, etc., provide the 1st set in this direction.
Take the time to do your own research and you will see how easily all the pieces are coming into play. This new-found technology we have had over the last 30 years is the sword of Damacles.
NoBama 2012
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 2:42pmGreat… for Organizing Tactics of Militia Groups… on both sides!
Report Post »LeadNotFollow
Posted on June 25, 2012 at 2:40pm…
Report Post »A pedophile’s, rapist’s, and/or serial killer’s dream come true.