Sonar: Find Friends Nearby - iPhone & Android

The Practical Applications of Location-Based Social Networks

Many individuals question the tangible benefits of location-based social applications such as Foursquare, often perceiving them solely as platforms for sharing social activities. However, Sonar has demonstrated a compelling and innovative application of these technologies, presenting a noteworthy solution.

Sonar's Innovative Approach

Sonar has effectively integrated the location-tracking capabilities of platforms like Foursquare and Facebook with the established social networks found on Foursquare, LinkedIn, and Twitter. The core function is identifying individuals in close proximity and determining potential connections based on shared acquaintances and common interests.

This system facilitates connections with friends of friends, rather than limiting interactions to existing contacts or entirely unfamiliar people. Such a capability represents a significant advancement in social networking.

Essentially, Sonar leverages the power of existing social graphs to create more meaningful and relevant real-world interactions. It moves beyond simple check-ins to foster genuine connections.

The result is a powerful tool for networking and discovering individuals with whom you share a pre-existing social link. This approach distinguishes it from conventional methods of meeting new people.

Identifying Potential Connections

Analyzing the combined social networks of your various services reveals a diverse range of relationships. Your existing friends and professional colleagues are commonly represented across platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn, alongside other contacts you’ve established.

However, platforms such as Twitter frequently showcase connections to prominent figures and organizations you admire and follow. Sonar functions by identifying these shared interests, such as mutual follows of a user like @StephenFry, indicating a potential common ground for initiating conversation.

Further development of Sonar could involve incorporating Facebook likes as another metric for assessing compatibility between users.

This approach allows for the discovery of individuals with whom you share affinities, even if you haven't directly interacted before.

How Shared Connections Facilitate Interaction

The system highlights areas of overlap in your social circles. Recognizing a mutual connection provides a natural conversation starter.

For example, discovering a shared interest in a particular influencer or brand can be a basis for engagement. This is particularly useful for expanding your network beyond immediate contacts.

Sonar aims to leverage these shared connections to foster meaningful interactions.

• Shared followers on Twitter suggest aligned interests.
• Common contacts on Facebook and LinkedIn indicate existing relationships.
• Future integrations with Facebook likes could refine compatibility assessments.

Ultimately, the goal is to present users with relevant suggestions for expanding their network and engaging in productive conversations.

Facilitating Connections

Sonar identifies individuals in your vicinity and displays their locations on a map, also indicating the specific venue they are present in.

The application then determines the relationships between you and those nearby, prioritizing potential contacts based on shared connections.

How Sonar Works

As Brett Martin, the founder of Sonar, explains, “It’s simple — you open up Sonar and we tell you that the person seated opposite you shares Facebook friends with a former college roommate, the individual near the jukebox is a venture capitalist you follow on Twitter, and the woman at the bar also enjoys Arcade Fire and the works of Hemingway.”

This feature allows for quick identification of common ground and potential conversation starters.

Initiating Contact

To encourage interaction before a face-to-face meeting, Sonar enables users to send a direct tweet from within the application.

This tweet can be used to acknowledge proximity and reference shared acquaintances, such as, "Hey, how do you know Jim? It seems we are both attending SXSW. I'd be happy to connect!"

Sonar provides the necessary information – the shared connection – making the initial outreach straightforward and natural.

Beyond Simple Check-Ins: The Power of Sonar

The true strength of Sonar lies in its capacity for sophisticated data collection regarding location. Sonar has indicated a potential utilization of event data – including responses from platforms like Facebook, Eventbrite, and Last.fm – to ascertain attendee locations.

This functionality implies that individuals don't even require active check-ins for Sonar to confidently identify their presence at a specific location.

Practical Applications at Events and Conferences

The primary utility of the Sonar application will become readily apparent during large-scale events and conferences.

When a significant number of individuals converge in a limited area with a shared interest in networking, this application is poised to facilitate connections with potentially valuable contacts.

The receptive atmosphere at such events also increases the likelihood of successful networking outcomes, making the experience potentially very enjoyable.

• Networking Opportunities: Sonar excels at connecting individuals at events.
• Passive Data Collection: Location can be inferred even without check-ins.
• Event Integration: Data from platforms like Facebook and Eventbrite is utilized.

Consequently, Sonar offers a compelling solution for professionals and attendees seeking to maximize their networking potential at industry gatherings.

Acquiring the Sonar Application

The Sonar application for iPhone is readily accessible through the iTunes store for all users. Currently, the Android version of the application is undergoing Beta testing.

Interested individuals can obtain Beta access by following this provided link and utilizing the password "sonarMUO".

Availability Across Platforms

• iOS: Available now on the iTunes store.
• Android: Currently in Beta; access requires the link and password.

Consider the potential applications of Sonar – what possibilities do you envision?