iFob is like no other local social networking application. A new paradigm in social networking. No internet connection needed! No GPS needed. iPod Touch even works great!

At first, we constructed an elaborate "micro user-profile" for ourselves, detailing our innermost hopes and dreams. We lovingly selected a photo of Steven Seagal, and even agonized for several minutes over which gender to choose (long hair, short hair, or blurry?). We stroked the curvy green arrow button, for the sole reason that it felt good, and were duly rewarded:

iFob: wireless. social. real.

Then, high on life, we touched one of the many other inscrutable buttons, which promptly deleted our profile and launched Safari. Like an enraged llama, nostrils a-flaring, we berated ourselves for our failure to study the symbol key more carefully. iFob includes a handy help page, and we didn't read it, like the lackadaisical button-mashers we are!

Nonetheless, determined to find the good in this application, we dug through the settings and found an unexpected happiness:

When in Near List: Vibrate!

We were intrigued by the possibility of vibrations whenever friends approach, but having neither a vibration-capable iPhone nor friends, we were unable to test this thrilling new frontier.

I think this means that I consider myself simultaneously boring and interesting.

Perhaps more interesting than iFob itself is the unnerving enthusiasm found in other reviews:

iPhoneFreak: Say you are walking around the mall in a wireless hotspot area and you see a hot person walking towards you. You wonder - does she iFob? Huh? What the hell is that? [...] It seems like an interesting idea - have you be [sic] iFobbed yet?

LAMP Watercooler: I think the ‘comment’ part is the most powerful aspect, sort of broadcast SMS, and can imagine lots of whispering ‘are you the one who likes playing Pink Floyd while dancing around in the bathroom, dressed as a Panda’ (or similar!). I am off to Sydney CBD on Saturday and will be actively trying out my iFob on unsuspecting, I mean consenting iFobbers.

Just Another iPhone Blog: I’ve installed iFob and gave it a quick go at a couple of Starbucks this evening - but alas, did not find any other iPhoners / iFobbers as yet. Hopefully this will catch on a bit, and will be a fun way to meet up with other iPhone / Touch owners when you feel like it, and socialize a bit more directly once in a while.

Need we say more?

iCloseBy.com, you really have succeeded in designing a social network built for two (or fewer). Still, if it doesn't work out, perhaps you should consider offering iFob Solitaire: left hand. right hand. real.

Download iFob