Social networking applications are becoming increasingly popular among people of all ages and social status. The newest generation of mobile devices, with improved hardware and software capabilities, are opening new opportunities to access and disseminate information. The distinction between the virtual and the physical worlds is becoming fuzzier, promoting a new definition of space, social interaction and the physical environment. The MIT Mobile Experience Laboratory is partnering with Telefonica to explore how these ideas can enable a new type of technologically mediated social shopping experience.

The "This or That" mobile phone application facilitates at a distance the sort of interactions that used to require physical presence. Instead of holding up two or three potential gifts to your friends to ask their opinion, "This or That" allows you to take pictures of the items with your mobile device, send them to your trusted friends--who may be anywhere in the world--and allow them to vote on which gift you should choose. This strengthens the social nature of shopping, turning the act of selecting and purchasing gifts into a richer experience. You can also access experts who can support the decision making process, improving the shopping experience.

"This or That" was the result of a workshop and three-month development process in which numerous ideas were explored. It was field-tested in Madrid and Barcelona in 2008.