According to scientists at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, there are two components to the application, dubbed "Peersonalizer" : a Facebook application and a module inside the free, downloadable WiPeer software (http://www.wipeer.com) developed by lead researcher Professor Roy Friedman's team last year. [WiPeer makes direct wireless (WiFi) communication between computers possible " without intermediary devices (such as Internet routers) " at distances of up to 900 ft.].
Peersonalizer " for which the Technion has already applied for a patent " uses technology that can also be applied to other social networking sites such as MySpace, Friendster and LinkedIn. Friedman also says the technology could eventually be used with WiFi-enabled mobile phones, such as the iPhone.
"This application takes social networking to another level," says Friedman. "Peersonalizer demonstrates that Internet based social networks can serve as complementary mechanisms " rather than replacements " to social and business life."
The application was developed by two Technion Faculty of Computer Science students, Lior Biran and Tomer Einav, as a project under the supervision of WiPeer creators Friedman and Ph.D. students Vadim Drabkin and Gabi Kliot.
The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology is Israel's leading science and technology university. Home to the country's winners of the Nobel Prize in science, it commands a worldwide reputation for its pioneering work in nanotechnology, computer science, biotechnology, water-resource management, materials engineering, aerospace and medicine. The majority of the founders and managers of Israel's high-tech companies are alumni. Based in New York City, the American Technion Society (ATS) is the leading American organization supporting higher education in Israel, with 22 offices around the country.