Scientists have devised software which will allow smart phones to do much more than keep you in contact with family and friends.
Very soon, they claim, phones will be helping users make new friends by suggesting places to go where people with similar interests are likely to congregate.
The system - named Jyotish after the Sanskrit term for Hindu astrology - creates a map of people's movements by tracking the wi-fi and Bluetooth connections on their phones to within around ten metres.
Eventually the technology would be able to go one step further, by matching their identities to social profiles and spotting situations where they may encounter a potential love match or work client.
The software was devised by Boeing scientists to predict the movement of its work crews in their huge aircraft factories.
But there are privacy and safety issues, said Peter Bentley, a computerscientist at University College London.
He said: "What if anyone could predict exactly where you will be and who you will be with? It is a stalker's dream."


据英国《每日邮报》11月23日报道，科学家设计出了一款软件，可以让智能手机拥有更多功能，不仅仅只是让你保持与家人和朋友的联系。

科学家声称，很快手机就能够帮助用户交友了，它会建议用户去一些与其志趣相投的人可能会聚集的地方。

这种新型系统--名为Jyotish，是"印度占星术"的梵语--通过追踪方圆十米以内手机上的wi-fi（无线区域网络）和蓝牙连接，制出一幅人们活动的地图。

最后，这种技术还会更进一步地将用户的身份与社会形象相匹配，并指出他们也许会遇见可能的爱人或工作客户的地点。

该款软件是由波音公司设计开发的，是为了能够在庞大的飞机制造厂预测到工作成员可能的活动。

但是伦敦大学学院的一名计算机科学家彼得·宾利说，这项应用可能会涉及隐私和安全的问题。
他说："如何任何人都能准确地预测到你会出现在哪儿，你将和谁呆在一起，那会有什么后果呢？所以这不过是痴人说梦。"

• contact [´kɔntækt] n.接触；联系 v.联络 (初中英语单词)
• system [´sistəm] n.系统，体系，制度 (初中英语单词)
• encounter [in´kauntə] vt.&n.偶然相遇；冲突 (初中英语单词)
• movement [´mu:vmənt] n.活动；运动；动作 (初中英语单词)
• computer [kəm´pju:tə] n.计算机；电子计算器 (初中英语单词)
• potential [pə´tenʃəl] n.&a.潜在的；可能的 (高中英语单词)
• predict [pri´dikt] v.预言；预告；预示 (高中英语单词)
• scientist [´saiəntist] n.(自然)科学家 (高中英语单词)
• privacy [´praivəsi, -pri] n.隐退；独处；秘密 (英语四级单词)