Nokia "Sensor"... Better Social Bluetoothing
by Darla Mack
Nokia released what could only be (in my opinion) the coolest social bluetooth app since Mobiluck, providing that you happen to be 10 feet near someone that also has the Sensor app installed on their phone.
Nokia Sensor is a spontaneous, sociable application for spontaneous, sociable people. With Nokia Sensor you can create your own personal pages - called a folio - on your phone. Then you can check out the folios of other Sensor users nearby, exchange messages, and share files.
Nokia Sensor works with the following handsets: 3230, 6260, 6600, 6620, 6630, 6670, 6680, 6681, 6682, 7610
via: anti-mega
UPDATE: I decided to try and send a Sensor message to my 6600 and N-Gage just to see if it would work and it does allow you to send messages to other bluetooth handsets even if they do not have the Sensor app but without the app they won't be able to reply with a sensor message. At the end of the message it tells you where to download the app (applies to Nokia Series 60 users only).
hey Darla. I am pretty sure this was the prototype that Per Persson details on his website: it was originally called DigiDress (new name is bit better but surely something more eye-catching would be cooler, like Nokia Social Butterfly or something ;) )
http://perpersson.net/projectsDigiDress.htm
laters
Luke
Posted by: luke | May 12, 2005 at 07:03 AM
Hey Luke,
Yeah I remember reading about that awhile back and was wondering when something would come of it. I do agree though that Nokia could have come up with a better name for such a social gateway.
Darla
Posted by: Darla | May 12, 2005 at 12:56 PM
Darla - I'm based in the UK and installed Sensor about a week ago. I have posted this on my blog as an initial comment.. "I'm beginning to wonder if a lot of this mobile stuff isn't just hype. The reason for saying this is twofold: most of my wireless/mobile testing takes place on the train route from Alton to Woking and back. This represents a good cross-section of the public, the majority of whom are the kind of people that use laptops etc on a regular basis. Same with mobile (cell) phones - these are much in evidence everywhere I go but very few people seem to be using them for data/surfing. Certainly my newly-installed Nokia Sensor software seems to be still looking for contacts. There were 6 other phones with BlueTooth enabled this morning but not a single Sensor to make contact with (see pic). This together with the lack of WiFi connections with the Nomad make me wonder if a lot of all this wireless stuff isn't hype by the manufacturers aided by the technical press ? If it is then I've certainly fallen for it, but then again I'd expect to as it's my hobby, and a lot of fun I have with it too. Is it a question of being in the wrong place at the wrong time ? Well, possibly, although I'd say the main rail commuter route in and out of the capital city would be a good bet. Maybe I need to get into the heart of London itself and have a try: I have a charity walk coming up in July and that's exactly what I'll be doing. Packing the Nomad, switching on Sensor and plodding through London's West End. If I don't get a result I'll be seriously questioning the state of the market, and of course I'll be reporting it .. [on my blog]". Whaddya think ?
Posted by: peterg22 | June 06, 2005 at 07:38 AM
Hey Peter,
I do believe that sometimes it is more hype than hope, but in this case I think its a step up by Nokia to have created its own "social" application. Many users have downloaded such programs like Mobiluck and even just bluejacked via bluetooth itself. The case with Nokia Sensor is that you don't have to use it if you don't want to. Now I'm not sure what the issue is... whether its the fact that there aren't many Nokia users; Nokia users choose to keep their device hidden; or Nokia users just don't have the app installed. My personal opinion is that Nokia should approach this by installing the app on all of their future handsets, that way the option of communication is there.
Posted by: Darla | June 06, 2005 at 09:35 AM
Over a month on from your original post and I'm still waiting for my first sensor view. I'm based in central of London, so I was expecting a few views.
I think this program could do with some Nokia backed promotion.
Posted by: #/cisnky/# | June 14, 2005 at 07:34 AM
Hey cisnky .. I haven't had a view yet either. If you're ever on the train from Woking to Waterloo we should look out for each other :-) Nokia should maybe do some TV advertising !
Posted by: peterg22 | June 30, 2005 at 11:31 AM
Hey folks...
Also installed sensor. It stays on, all the time, with automatic scanning enabled. Results so far:
Zip, Nada, Zero. :-((
Seems like this is definitely going to be something that has to reach critical mass first. I second the opinion already stated: for all phones that support it, Nokia should include it by default. It's the only way that it's going to get installed on enough phones to work.
Posted by: Martin H | July 30, 2005 at 10:58 AM
Hey folks...
Also installed sensor. It stays on, all the time, with automatic scanning enabled. Results so far:
Zip, Nada, Zero. :-((
Seems like this is definitely going to be something that has to reach critical mass first. I second the opinion already stated: for all phones that support it, Nokia should include it by default. It's the only way that it's going to get installed on enough phones to work.
Posted by: Martin H | July 30, 2005 at 10:59 AM