Mobile phones could dial up a perfect match
A mobile phone service that discreetly bleeps if your ideal partner is sitting in the same bar, walking down the street or standing next to you in the supermarket queue could soon revolutionalise dating. The system, called Serendipity, is being developed by American researchers and designed to make computerised matchmaking more spontaneous.
Potential daters would subscribe to a service that stores their personal profile, their photograph and information about their perfect partner.
Each time two phones signed up to the system get within a few yards of each other, the service compares their details, likes and dislikes.
If there are enough similarities, it tells the phones to exchange personal details and photos, letting their owners know that it might be worth breaking the ice.
Nathan Eagle, one of the creators of the system, told New Scientist that users would be able to control the type of people who receive their information. The system could be told to swap details only with friends of friends, he said. Or, if users were feeling more adventurous, the system could be programmed to pass on information only to strangers.
The Serendipity uses the Bluetooth radio system built into many mobile phones. Bluetooth transceivers allow phones, computers and gadgets to talk to each other within a 10-yard-wide bubble. The system "sniffs out" other Bluetooth phones every 30 seconds. If it finds one, it contacts the database to see if the owner is a good match.
However, the system could become a victim of its own success. If users are bombarded with calls, it would soon become unworkable.
Cameron Marlowe, a social networks researcher at MIT, believes it could be a constant distraction. "You wouldn't want to turn it off, just in case," he said.
Mark Granovetter, a sociologist at Stanford University said:” Some worry that as these technologies become more common, people will become overloaded with networking requests and start to ignore them."
QUESTION 1 Indicate whether the following sentences are TRUE or FALSE and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a) This service can only be used in the United States
b) The system will send its messages to anyone who has signed up.
c) The system is constantly looking for possible matches.
d) This service is likely to fail.
A mobile phone service that discreetly bleeps if your ideal partner is sitting in the same bar, walking down the street or standing next to you in the supermarket queue could soon revolutionalise dating. The system, called Serendipity, is being developed by American researchers and designed to make computerised matchmaking more spontaneous.
Potential daters would subscribe to a service that stores their personal profile, their photograph and information about their perfect partner.
Each time two phones signed up to the system get within a few yards of each other, the service compares their details, likes and dislikes.
If there are enough similarities, it tells the phones to exchange personal details and photos, letting their owners know that it might be worth breaking the ice.
Nathan Eagle, one of the creators of the system, told New Scientist that users would be able to control the type of people who receive their information. The system could be told to swap details only with friends of friends, he said. Or, if users were feeling more adventurous, the system could be programmed to pass on information only to strangers.
The Serendipity uses the Bluetooth radio system built into many mobile phones. Bluetooth transceivers allow phones, computers and gadgets to talk to each other within a 10-yard-wide bubble. The system "sniffs out" other Bluetooth phones every 30 seconds. If it finds one, it contacts the database to see if the owner is a good match.
However, the system could become a victim of its own success. If users are bombarded with calls, it would soon become unworkable.
Cameron Marlowe, a social networks researcher at MIT, believes it could be a constant distraction. "You wouldn't want to turn it off, just in case," he said.
Mark Granovetter, a sociologist at Stanford University said:” Some worry that as these technologies become more common, people will become overloaded with networking requests and start to ignore them."
QUESTION 1 Indicate whether the following sentences are TRUE or FALSE and write down which part of the text justifies your answer.
a) This service can only be used in the United States
b) The system will send its messages to anyone who has signed up.
c) The system is constantly looking for possible matches.
d) This service is likely to fail.
QUESTION 2 Answer the following question in your own words.
a) How does the Serendipity work?
b) According to Mr Granovetter, why may people stop using this kind of systems?
QUESTION 3 Find words or phrases in the text that correspond in meaning to the words or definitions given.
a) line of people (par. 1) b) exchange (par. 4) c) device (par. 5)
QUESTION 4 Complete the following sentences without changing the meaning.
a) The system called Serendipity is being developed by American researchers.
American researchers...
b) “Some worry that as these technologies become more common, people will become overloaded with networking requests”
He said that some...
c) The service compares details and likes. The service is designed to make computerised matchmaking.
The service...
QUESTION 5 Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:
Would you date with someone you’ve met in the chat?
SELF-ACCESS GROUP. CEP SANTANDER
Would you date with someone you’ve met in the chat?
SELF-ACCESS GROUP. CEP SANTANDER
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