MIT students show power of open cell phone systems

"This class is a glimpse of the future, and what's nice, the not-so-distant future," Abelson said Friday at a gathering where the students presented their final projects.

In the audience were some of the professional mentors the students had during the semester, including Rich Miner, who's overseeing Android for Google from an office across the street from MIT. Miner said afterward that the students' work -which they are free to continue pursuing -was generally as good as anything other developers are trying.

In fact, the Locale group won $25,000 and advanced to the finals of a $10 million Android developers challenge Google is running.

The other student projects included Re:Public, a social-networking program that helps people make new friends in their area. Loco offers a way to find events around town and invite other people. Snap guides users to interesting places in their vicinity.

And there was KEI, pronounced "key," because that's what it is: software that enables a cell phone to unlock your car. It was the lone entrant not to tap the location craze.

But no matter: Abelson said they all would get an "A."

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