Winning ‘Shaker’ App Turns Facebook Into Virtual Nightclub

At a certain point in your life, the magic of going out to bars is starting to dissolve. The cigarette smoke stinks up your clothes, you need to find a designated driver who agrees not to drink and the whole dim light and loud music thing is just not doing it anymore.But despite all that, bars do have some advantages, especially for single people.

Shaker is a new Israeli Facebook application that brings the bar experience to your browser. You no longer have to dress up and leave your home – simply log on to your Facebook account, run the app and you are in. Last Wednesday Shaker became the winner of TechCrunch Disrupt, one of the most prestigious startup awards.

Shaker App

The application, created by students at Israel’s Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, is a virtual encounter zone for social network users. The virtual space is designed just like a bar and the tiny avatars representing real people can walk around, buy virtual drinks, choose what music is playing in the room for everyone to hear, dance and of course, start up a conversation with anyone around them. The chat is the most important part of Shaker, and it is there that all the flirting action happens.

If you strike up a conversation with someone you find interesting, you can check their limited profile on your virtual “cell phone.” This feature sums up the essential facebook details, such as the person’s pictures, interests and friends, into a small popup that does not hide the rest of the bar’s activities. People with whom you are already friends, or who are friends of your friends, can be recognized by different colors.

Via www.holesinthenet.co.il
Via http://techcrunch.com/

Photo by holesinthenet