Mashable’s Spark of Genius series highlights a unique feature of startups. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, see details here. The series is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark.Name: face2faceQuick Pitch: face2face introduces proximity awareness to mobile phone apps so users can know when their friends are nearby without sacrificing privacy.Genius Idea: face2face is a newly released mobile application that bills itself as a proximity-based social networking service. It works by showing which social network friends are nearby and providing tools to help users connect with them. The application is also extremely privacy-conscious which means users’ exact whereabouts are not disclosed.One of face2face’s best qualities is that out of the box there’s already an application for iPhone, AndroidAndroid and BlackBerry owners. Users of J2ME phones (Nokias) can expect an application in the near future.face2face also made a wise decision in leveraging the social network relationships users already have on FacebookFacebook, TwitterTwitter, LinkedInLinkedIn and MySpaceMySpace as the fabric of identity for the service. Users that configure each of their accounts can benefit from a variety of cross-network features, including the ability to follow the feeds for each stream, post updates, and IM or SMS contacts. Plus, the more you engage with content from friends, the smarter the application becomes.Unfortunately, face2face doesn’t integrate with FoursquareFoursquare or GowallaGowalla for additional location data, which means the proximity measurements are pulled from each user who happens to be using the application (or running it in the background). So if a user’s social network friends are nearby, but they’re not running face2face, that user will be none the wiser.The application should be celebrated for its slick design and attention to detail, but it does have its shortcomings. Perhaps the biggest faux pas — apart from the location partnerships — is the Twitter limitation. In addition to everything else, face2face attempts to be part Twitter client and friend-connector, but it can only pull data for up to 500 of the Twitterers a user follows. If the application is to excel, it will need early adopters to sing its praises. That’s not likely with a 500 Twitter follower cap.Still the application is impressive and social media users looking to connect with their friends or friends of friends in the real world should give it a far shake.Image courtesy of iStockphotoiStockphoto, asiseeit

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Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark

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BizSpark is a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

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