polis: a collective blog about cities worldwide

Mobile Dating

by Natalia Echeverri



Smartphones and "apps" are changing the way we travel and see cities. With them we find maps, hotels, flights, taxis, restaurant recommendations, etc. Now they are transforming the way we socialize.

Urban Signals is another GPS application in the vein of Cabsense, recently posted on on Taxis and a Cities Vital Signals. Similar to the the taxi app, it produces a "radar screen" where the "blips" are other available people in your direct proximity. Each dot carries a picture and a profile of the person. You can send signals and chat with them.

Urban Signals, along with a host of similar apps, is revolutionizing social networking. Unlike online dating, it takes place in the space of the city, not through a computer screen. It is also a constant and immediate connection--yet another way to monitor our surroundings and to affect our sense of a place.



Credits: Image of application from http://itunes.apple.com. Video of Urban Signals from YouTube.