TAMPERE, Finland – Fresh from the corridors of Nokia Research Center in Tampere comes Nokia Instant Community, which enables you to chat and share content with those around you instantly. Tucked away in Nokia’s Demola innovation event in Tampere, Finland, this latest research offering bring social networking to the masses. Fancy finding out who’s around you? Join us after the jump for more.
The clever thing about Nokia Instant Community is that it doesn’t need the internet, so no searching for a wifi hotspot to get you in touch, and you don’t need infared or bluetooth either. It works completely by using the device’s adhoc wifi. Without any drop-outs or connection problems you’ll be making new friends anywhere and everywhere.
Developed in conjunction with Tampere University of Technology (TUT), the university created the concept user interface, while NRC got cracking on the underlying communications technology that allows you to connect with an infinite amount of devices across a huge geographical area.
The two apps showcased working on the platform demonstrated how you could instant message with folks nearby, share pictures, songs and contact information along with other content you’d like others to be privy to on your device. An obvious concern is privacy, but secret squirrels needn’t worry, if you don’t want to connect then you don’t have to.
Nokia Instant Community is still in the research stage at the moment, but I managed to bag myself a hands-on with the platform here in Tampere and from first glance it could be fantastic. Imagine heading to a festival or a football game and chatting away with those around you about the gig, or sharing people’s pics and soundbites right there and then.
We also caught up with both Niko Kiukkonen and Kari Leppänen at the event for a full rundown of the platform and it’s inner workings. Check out the video to see it all in action. Once you’re done let us know what you think in the comments section below. Which social networks would you like to see running on it?
Photo credit: The Really Mobile Project