TECHGADGETS – Dec 12 — Sprint and MoConDi launched a WAP-based interactive fictional mobile video dating game, called Fantasy Date. Players choose characters and then react on different video situations. Fantasy Date can be uploaded for $2.99 from Sprint’s wireless network. FULL ARTICLE @ TECHGADGETS
Month: December 2007
Safer Fling Finding
PRESS RELEASE — Dec 12 – Australian adult dating site, FlingFinder, promises safer online dating by offering photo, ID and credit card verification of its members.
The full article was originally published at eMedia Wire, but is no longer available.
Beware Of Flirting Bots
GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY — Dec 12 — CyberLover, a malware developed in Russia, can conduct fully automated flirtatious conversations with users of chat-rooms and dating sites in order to get their personal information. According to its creators, CyberLover can establish a new relationship with up to ten partners in just 30 minutes and its victims cannot distinguish it from a human being. Cyberlover is currently targeting Russian Web sites. FULL ARTICLE @ GOVERNMENT TECHNOLOGY
Mark Brooks: Perfect for scammers!?
Penthouse Buys FriendFinder
NEW YORK TIMES — Dec 12 — Penthouse Media, has acquired Various (FriendFinder) and its subsidiaries as part of a plan to expand its reach. Various operates more than 25 sites including AdultFriendfinder, and has more than 260 million members and 1.2 million paying subscribers. The combined revenue of both companies is projected to be $340 million in 2007. Penthouse was purchased in 2004 by PET Capital Partners, a group of private investors. FULL ARTICLE @ NEW YORK TIMES
NJ Senate Bill S1977 Stands Good Chance
IDATE — Dec 10 — New Jersey has put forth a bill, the "Internet Dating Safety Act". Online dating services would be required to tell their New Jersey customers whether they do a background check. Online dating services that do not perform background checks will have to disclose that on their Web sites and every time they send an e-mail to a client. Failure to do so could be prosecuted as consumer fraud. The full text of the bull can be read here.
Mark Brooks: …’bill’, I mean. 🙂
FriendFinder HAS Been Sold
OPW — Dec 10 — It's
confirmed. Rumors have been piling up, but I've confirmed that
FriendFinder was indeed sold to Penthouse for ~$500 million last week.
I Like The Way You Stink
THE BOSTON GLOBE — Dec 10 — ScientificMatch.com use DNA technology to match people by their natural odor. Body odor is a big part of romantic attraction, when one person finds the odor of another pleasing, it's a likely sign that the couple could share a "chemical attraction," ScientificMatch.com claims. The online service will charge $1,995.95 for a one-year membership, the fee includes background checks.
The full article was originally published at Boston.com, but is no longer available.
Mark Brooks: I recently took a 23andme.com DNA test and found out I have a low hereditary risk of heart disease, but a way high risk of getting Diabetes type 1. 23and me was founded by Google.com's founder's (Sergey Brin's) wife. With ScientificMatch.com's DNA test ($2k), users swab the inside of their cheeks for a DNA sample. With 23andme ($1k), I had to spit into a test tube and then mail it out.
Chat Up Lines Are Obsolete
PRNEWSNOW — Dec 10 — Ice Brkr has launched its beta mobile dating service. IceBrkr users can send a message to someone they find attractive in a bar.
The full article was originally published at PR News Now, but is no longer available.
Office Holiday Parties Hold Peril
NBC 11 — Dec 4 — According to a holiday party survey by Vault.com, 15% of employees have either been disciplined or fired because of their actions at a holiday party, while 18% are getting romantic during such events. ~41 % of employees would flirt back if a co-worker hit on them, according to Tickle.com, an online polling organization, only 3% said they would slap the colleague. One of the tips how to survive the office holiday party is to bring a date. Paul A. Falzone, CEO of eLove and The Right One, said his company gets lots of calls from people looking to find a match around this time of year, and many are motivated by their company's holiday party.
The full article was originally published at NBC 11, but is no longer available.
YesNoMayB Upgrades
OPW — Dec 9 — YesNoMayB.com completed their first site upgrade. The main upgrades are: free nudges (icebreakers), recurring billing, ability to block and report members, a faster inbox. YesNoMayB introduced two new subscriptions, Premier and Elite with 1, 3 and 6 month options. Elite and premier members can be contacted for free by non-paying members.
