Ask HN: Why not use technology to find people to talk to at a conference?

The point of conferences is not so much to attend talks but rather to network with people in the field.

In reality, you may end up walking around aimlessly not knowing whom to talk to.

And when you do start up a conversation, there is too much introductory material. The repetition in terms of questions and answers can get annoying pretty quickly.

So why not solve this problem using technology?

Specifically, why not have an iPhone app that lets you find people in the conference room who share your interests? It would help you locate them in the room, learn more about them, determine the probability that they will want to talk to you, give an estimate of likely conversation duration, extent of potential mutual financial benefits, etc.

Why waste your time talking to the wrong people (or not talking at all) at a conference?