

Bump Technologies (YC S09) Confirms Sequoia Funding, Reveals Roster Of Angels - billclerico
http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/10/26/bump-technologies-confirms-sequoia-funding-reveals-roster-of-angels/

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yesimahuman
I didn't get it at first (the bump seemed arbitrary), but the first answer on
the FAQ made me realize bump is pretty cool (they definitely need to highlight
that this isn't just wireless with an arbitrary motion sensor to start the
transfer):

 _Q: How does BumpTM work?_

A: There are two parts to BumpTM: the app running on your device and a smart
matching algorithm running on our servers in the cloud. The app on your phone
uses the phone's sensors to literally "feel" the bump, and it sends that info
up to the cloud. The matching algorithm listens to the bumps from phones
around the world and pairs up phones that felt the same bump. Then we just
route the contact information between the two phones in each pair.

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Harj
_they definitely need to highlight that this isn't just wireless with an
arbitrary motion sensor to start the transfer_

why? end users don't care how it works as long as its effortless.

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yesimahuman
That's a good point. However, I wonder if users might start feeling as if the
bump is pointless and they just want to transfer the data right away, but get
frustrated that they have to bump the phones and they aren't sure why.

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silentOpen
Look at how bluetooth connectivity is handled and then tell me that the bump
isn't an improvement.

It's a logical action for the result.

I do think it's funny that it requires a net connection and geo-data, though.
Very clever on their part to become middleman and privy to all this data.
Where's the version that runs over wifi or bluetooth?

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jmintz
we have been amazed how much people love the bump interaction. lots of people
bump just to see it work and then don't transfer anything.

most mobile wlan chipsets (including the iphone's) don't support adhoc (so
would need router) and bluetooth sucks, it is inconsistent and unreliable
(even between identical phones).

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joe_bleau
Is it just me, or wasn't this sort of quick point and shoot data transfer
extremely common back in the days of PalmOS, thanks to IrDA?

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charlesju
Does LinkedIn have a mobile application yet?

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pclark
it has a decent iPhone app

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jmtame
Awesome, congrats to Bump!

