4 ms·

Ask HN: I'm thinking of building an app that records who you are with...

It's an android / iOS app that runs in the background, and buzzes you when it detects you are hanging out with a friend. You can then decide to record that "With". The only other function of the app is a newsfeed that shows who you've been with and who your friends have been with. Here's a screenshot of the prototype: http://i.imgur.com/BGAL4XI.jpg What does Hacker News think - do you think this could be a cool app?

argonaut 13y ago
HN isn't a place where you should be testing a social app.
- ms5559 13y ago
  Agreed
- ms5559 13y ago
  Agreed
krapp 13y ago
There are already plenty of apps which do similar things, like foursquare, but they tend to focus on locations rather than people (x went to this restaurant, etc.) As you describe it, I don't see why I as a user would want other users to know who i've been hanging out with. If you can find a way to do it that doesn't seem quite so neo-Orwellian then there might be some value to it, otherwise other apps are already doing it better and I think you'll have quite a lot of network effect to overcome.
- captainbenises 13y ago
  I definitely don't want to be orwellian about it. That's why it's not about sharing your location, it uses your location to work out where you are, but it only shares who you are with, not where. If you want to find out where someone is, you'll have to message them using a seperate app. Foursquare checkins support tagging who you're with, as do facebook posts, it's definitely a "single-feature" app that is already done by the bigger companies, but I think the ambient location aspect (detecting when you're with someone) and the focus on just 'Withs' might make it a viable app. It's also a bit different from foursquare, since it's easier to share when you're 'With' someone at a private venue, which might happen more often to teenagers who aren't so often at a foursquare venue (bar, cafe, etc).
doubt_me 13y ago
1. How does it detect? 2. How does it make money? 3. How does it make money?
- pedalpete 13y ago
  It doesn't have to make money. He said he's thinking of building an app, not building a business.
- captainbenises 13y ago
  It detects by sending your location to our server every 15 minutes. If you and a friend both send the same location, we send you a notification asking you to check in with your friends. As to making money, I don't know - maybe using one of the existing in-app ad networks, with a $1/year upgrade to pro version with no ads?
ms5559 13y ago
I think the idea lacks in creativity and utility. But then again so do most social apps. I agree that HN is not then place for this sort of thing.
Synergyse 13y ago
Path launched an app called With that pretty much did this http://blog.path.com/post/6288422944/introducing-with-a-path-short http://blog.path.com/post/6288422944/introducing-with-a-path...
wingerlang 13y ago
Not sure what the other commenters mean with "HN is not the place for this". He is asking about an idea, he is not testing anything. As for the app, and also as someone who loves tracking himself, I would like it. In fact, I did this manually in my google calendar at one point but only for a month or so because there was too much friction. I am also interested in how it would detect being with someone. Seems strange. Another solution, which I am using in a personal tracking project, could be to simply send a local notification at the end of each day - asking "Who were you with today?". I've noticed that this works pretty well. I send one to myself once after 24 hours, and then twice (+24more) if the first one was not "answered".
- captainbenises 13y ago
  I answered below, but basically post your location every 15 minutes to a server, and if you and a friend are near each other, send a notification asking you to 'check-in" with this person.
  - wingerlang 13y ago
    That sounds like it would take an awful lot of battery though. And it would mean most of your friends would have to have the app for it to be "useful" don't it?
    - captainbenises 13y ago
      I've been running the prototype on my phone, and doesn't seem to use a noticeable amount of power at the moment. But you're right, all your friends have to be running the app for the detection to work.

argonaut 13y ago

HN isn't a place where you should be testing a social app.

ms5559 13y ago
Agreed
ms5559 13y ago
Agreed

krapp 13y ago

There are already plenty of apps which do similar things, like foursquare, but they tend to focus on locations rather than people (x went to this restaurant, etc.) As you describe it, I don't see why I as a user would want other users to know who i've been hanging out with. If you can find a way to do it that doesn't seem quite so neo-Orwellian then there might be some value to it, otherwise other apps are already doing it better and I think you'll have quite a lot of network effect to overcome.

captainbenises 13y ago
I definitely don't want to be orwellian about it. That's why it's not about sharing your location, it uses your location to work out where you are, but it only shares who you are with, not where. If you want to find out where someone is, you'll have to message them using a seperate app. Foursquare checkins support tagging who you're with, as do facebook posts, it's definitely a "single-feature" app that is already done by the bigger companies, but I think the ambient location aspect (detecting when you're with someone) and the focus on just 'Withs' might make it a viable app. It's also a bit different from foursquare, since it's easier to share when you're 'With' someone at a private venue, which might happen more often to teenagers who aren't so often at a foursquare venue (bar, cafe, etc).

doubt_me 13y ago

1. How does it detect? 2. How does it make money? 3. How does it make money?

pedalpete 13y ago
It doesn't have to make money. He said he's thinking of building an app, not building a business.
captainbenises 13y ago
It detects by sending your location to our server every 15 minutes. If you and a friend both send the same location, we send you a notification asking you to check in with your friends. As to making money, I don't know - maybe using one of the existing in-app ad networks, with a $1/year upgrade to pro version with no ads?

ms5559 13y ago

I think the idea lacks in creativity and utility. But then again so do most social apps. I agree that HN is not then place for this sort of thing.

Synergyse 13y ago

Path launched an app called With that pretty much did this http://blog.path.com/post/6288422944/introducing-with-a-path-short http://blog.path.com/post/6288422944/introducing-with-a-path...

wingerlang 13y ago

Not sure what the other commenters mean with "HN is not the place for this". He is asking about an idea, he is not testing anything. As for the app, and also as someone who loves tracking himself, I would like it. In fact, I did this manually in my google calendar at one point but only for a month or so because there was too much friction. I am also interested in how it would detect being with someone. Seems strange. Another solution, which I am using in a personal tracking project, could be to simply send a local notification at the end of each day - asking "Who were you with today?". I've noticed that this works pretty well. I send one to myself once after 24 hours, and then twice (+24more) if the first one was not "answered".

captainbenises 13y ago
I answered below, but basically post your location every 15 minutes to a server, and if you and a friend are near each other, send a notification asking you to 'check-in" with this person.
- wingerlang 13y ago
  That sounds like it would take an awful lot of battery though. And it would mean most of your friends would have to have the app for it to be "useful" don't it?
  - captainbenises 13y ago
    I've been running the prototype on my phone, and doesn't seem to use a noticeable amount of power at the moment. But you're right, all your friends have to be running the app for the detection to work.