MARKETWIRE – Feb 17 – The post-conference & virtual business networking event for iDate2011 Miami will be on Thursday, February 24, 2011 from 8:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST at iDateVirtual.com. Interactive text audio / video chat, search and other dynamic forms of networking allows dating industry executives and vendors to meet online. They also can follow up from their recent meetings at the January Internet Dating Conference that took place in Miami. FULL ARTICLE @ MARKETWIRE
Month: February 2011
The Grindr Obsession
PHILLY MAG – Feb 17 – Phone apps like Grindr have really changed the way gay men are meeting up and, in many cases, hooking up. Grindr is by far the most widely-used GPS-based gay hookup, in part, to its availablity on iPhone, iPad and Blackberry. It won the iDate Award for Best Mobile Dating Site last month. Following the receipt of the iDate award, founder and president Joel Simkhai announced that his company, Nearby Buddy Finder is using the established and successful model to launch a site geared toward straight women in coming months. The straight version will include more information about members (like occupation) and it’ll be more searchable and less stripped-down, meeting the demands set by straight women. FULL ARTICLE @ PHILLY MAG
‘Romance Index’ Ranks the Fastest and Most Reliable Sites
PRESS RELEASE – Feb 18 – Keynote Competitive Research, the industry analysis group of Keynote Systems, announced the top performers on its ‘Romance Performance Index’ created especially for Valentine’s Day 2011. The results showed that most of the mobile and connected websites dealing in gifts, greeting cards, chocolates, flowers, online dating and restaurant reservations did remarkably well considering the onslaught of visitor traffic typically experienced in the lead-up to Valentine’s Day.
Top 5 Sites (load time in seconds)
1. OpenTable (2.62)
2. Match.com (2.64)
3. Amazon (6.98)
4. FTD (7.85)
5. Victoria’s Secret (8.14)
FULL ARTICLE @ BUSINESS WIRE
Apple’s New Subscription Policy A Game Changer
TECH CRUNCH – Feb 15 – Apple is placing on a huge bet on the acceptance and success of the company's new subscription policy. In short, any service offering an app with any sort of subscription component must also offer an in-app option to purchase the same subscription at equal or lesser cost. The real kicker – Apple collect a 30% fee on all in-app purchase revenue. Apple CEO Steve Jobs is saying that this move will “provide publishers with a brand new opportunity to expand digital access to their content onto the iPad, iPod touch and iPhone.” While this may be a windfall for Apple, third party developers certainly won't like the outcome. FULL ARTICLE @ TECH CRUNCH
Niche Dating Sites In Sweden
UNT – Feb 16 – There are many niche dating sites to choose from in Sweden. One of the latest ones is Victoria Milan, a dating site for married people and a Nordic version of Ashley Madison. The founders of both sites claim they can not urge people to be unfaithful, they only offer opportunities for those already decided.
Top 10 Niche Dating Sites In Sweden
1. For Christians – SolidLove.com
2. For seniors – Seniorkontaken.com
3. For sporty people – SportDate.se
4. For all Norrlanders – NorrlandsKontakten.se
5. For farmers – Farmerdating.se
6. For Gothenburger – GoteborgsDejting.se
7. For highly educated singles – Match4Me.se
8. For 40+ – 40PlusKontakt.se
9. For married people – VictoriaMilan.se
10. For the health conscious athletes – FitnessDateClub.com
FULL ARTICLE @ UNT
Mail-Order Bride Business Is Booming
MYFOXNY – Feb 14 – A growing number of American men are turning to international matchmakers, commonly known as mail-order bride services. A Foreign Affair is an international matchmaking company The company's website is filled with seductive photos of beautiful young women from around the world. Russia, Ukraine, Colombia, the Philippines. There are all-inclusive trips abroad, where customers enjoy all-night parties, filled with lots of foreign women. These so-called mail order marriages are on the rise in this country. According to one non-profit group, the number has more than doubled over the last decade or so. But not everyone is a fan of the international matchmaking business. The Tahirih Justice Center believes foreign brides are particularly vulnerable to abuse once they come to America. Not all of those relationships have a happy ending. FULL ARTICLE @ MYFOXNY
Playing Hard To Get May Get The Girl
HEALTHDAY NEWS – Feb 14 – Researchers at the University of Virginia and Harvard found that when college women first viewed the Facebook profiles of four male undergrads, they were most attracted to the men when they weren't sure whether the men liked them a lot or just an average amount. In the study, the authors were quick to point out that "there is no simple formula people can use to get someone to like them." Based on their research, however, they added that when people first meet, "it may be that popular dating advice is correct: Keeping people in the dark about how much we like them…will pique their interest."
The full article was originally published at BusinessWeek, but is no longer available.
Background Checks And Safe Online Dating
PR WEB – Feb 16 – InstantCriminalChecks.com, a provider of instant national criminal background checks, explains the risks involved with online dating and how to better protect yourself from harm. Typical dating background checks are not invasions of privacy, rather they draw on information that is, in most cases, publicly available. Dating background checks focus on criminal and sex offender histories. County criminal background checks provide the most current and up-to-date misdemeanor and felony conviction information available. Additional reports, such as instant national criminal background checks are of value as well.
There are a number of steps one should consider before meeting in person after a relationship starts online.
1. Arrive in a public place in separate vehicles.
2. Go to a location you are familiar with.
3. Always carry a fully charged cellphone.
4. Let others know where you are going and when you expect to return.
5. Never give out a home address or home phone number.
6. Conduct a dating background check prior to meeting.
FULL ARTICLE @ PR WEB
Computer Dating Of The 1960s
THE ATLANTIC – Feb 14 – Computers did exist in the '60s, in some form — not personal computers, but computers nonetheless. These machines could crunch the numbers on our personalities and spit out intimate matches. But in the 1960s, what was known as "computer dating" involved no Internet and often few to no visuals. People submitted their vital stats along with questionnaires by mail. People waited patiently for days, weeks, and months as companies processed their answers on intelligence, attractiveness, quirks, and preferences, and would perhaps find them matches. The questionnaire model dated back to the Scientific Marriage Foundation in 1957 and flourished throughout the '60s and '70s. "Inevitably, the singles game is putting technology to use with punchcard-plotted introductions that cost $5 to $150. Harvard students founded a landmark computer-dating service called Operation Match. FULL ARTICLE @ THE ATLANTIC
Marriages By The Numbers
MC COOK DAILY GAZETTE – Feb 14 – 2.1M Americans that got married in 2009 — ~5,800 a day. 108,150 got married in Nevada, ranking that state fifth in the nation, although it's 35th in population. You're most likely to get married for the first time at 28.2 if you're a man and 26.1 if you're a woman, and if you're 15 years of age or older, you're 69% likely to have been married at some point in your life.19% of people who had been married as of 2009 had been married twice and 5% have been married three or more times, but 75% of people who have ever been married have made only one trip down the aisle. FULL ARTICLE @ MC COOK DAILY GAZETTE