Mobile phones have helped us to find our way since 2001. In that year the first GPS enabled handsets were introduced in Japan. Since then, even those totally devoid of any sense of direction have been able to navigate the streets successfully.

Sometimes though, our intended destination is not a location. We search for a person, not a place. And, even though we have no idea whom we are seeking, we remain confident of recognising them once we meet.

We could be looking for a lover for one night, and nothing more. Or possibly that very special soulmate who signifies our final destiny.

And now our GPS enabled phone can help us with that too.

Should you live in New York you can log on to MeetMoi.com and create an account. Then, wherever you and your phone are, and without your having to take any further action, MeetMoi searches for others in the vicinity that it thinks you might find compatible.

When a match is made, you get an alert on your phone. Open that alert, and you can view a picture and profile of your prospective match.

Then, should that person not be completely to your taste, you can log in to view the pictures and profiles of any other nearby matches.

However, as soon as you think you have found the one, you simply send a wink, whatever that might be, a text or an email. After that, should you wish, you share your location and finally meet in the flesh.

Allegedly users can sign up to basic membership of MeetMoi free of charge. Basic membership allows you to create a profile, browse profiles, send winks, respond to received messages, and receive unlimited SMS alerts. However, you are warned, your network operator’s standard rates may apply.

Conversely you can pay $9.99 a month to become a premium member. According to the MeetMoi website, this gives you total access, meaning “you may initiate unlimited messages, send unlimited instant messages, and get priority placement in the MeetMoi search results. You may also receive unlimited SMS notifications for received messages, winks, and date alerts when a potential date is near your actual location.”

For now, the website goes on to say, users outside the United States can sign-up for both basic membership and premium membership at no charge.

So if in the near future you are thinking of visiting the Big Apple and would like to make friends on your phone, simply transform your GPS handset in to your own Global People Seeker, and go find.

Otherwise, be patient, because if MeetMoi succeeds in New York, there’s a very strong probability you will soon be able to do your searching closer to home.