Nextel has the direct connect walkie-talkie service. The idea is to add the locator that is low range say 5 miles in radius. This locator will show the direction from where your buddy is calling (Only if enabled by him). This will be helpful in malls, crowded city locations, etc. This feature will be on the cell phone and what it shows is the direction and distance of the caller. If the tracking option is turned, it continuously monitors the distance and direction so that you don't miss each other narrowly.
-- concept, Jun 11 2003

Cell Phone Buddy List http://www.halfbake...hone_20Buddy_20List
seemingly redundant with this existing idea by [DrCurry] [krelnik, Oct 04 2004]

Garmin Rino http://www.garmin.com/products/rino/
GPS and walkie-talkie combined that can report it's position to other units [oneoffdave, Oct 04 2004]

"Buddy List" is trademarked in US http://tarr.uspto.g...rial&entry=75405188
[krelnik, Oct 04 2004]

(?) the very best kind of buddy. http://www.port.ac....althpro/buddies.htm
[po, Oct 04 2004]

US 9253616 https://www.google....2MKHZBZB3sQ6AEIGzAA
cited as prior art [xaviergisz, Oct 16 2016]

I think you'll find that in order to get direction you'll need to use triangulation - having more than one receiver. You could, however, have a low-quality indicator of distance if the broadcasting strength is known.
-- Worldgineer, Jun 11 2003


If you both have mobile phones, why don't you just call your buddy and ask where he is?
-- snarfyguy, Jun 11 2003


See link for a very similar concept (I would say a redundant one).
-- krelnik, Jun 11 2003


no, these ideas are differnt. this one is a directional finder ranging 5 miles. and the other one is non directional and limited to a mere 50 feet.
-- ecolonsmak, Jun 11 2003


Oh, be serious. If trivial details like that could make an idea different, we'd have 100,000 duplicate ideas on here (most of them involving car tail-lights).
-- krelnik, Jun 11 2003


Trivial details like that do, in some cases, make ideas here different. I've never fully understood the whys and wherefores of it, but that's why I leave MFDs to moderators.
-- phoenix, Jun 12 2003


Just remind everyone that "Buddy List" is a registered trademark of AOL in the United States, that should cut down on its use via lawsuit-phobia. (MFD removed).
-- krelnik, Jun 12 2003


If U speak Spanish and live in Europe, this site will locate your buddy if he has a mobile phone switched on: http://www.step.es/personales/jms/localizador/localizador.htm
-- git, Jun 12 2003



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