TECH CRUNCH – Feb 3 – Tenthbit, the mobile app studio behind the couples app Pair, has bought Cupple, a UK-based rival mobile app for two people only, and has rebranded itself as Couple. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Tenthbit raised a seed round of $4.2M in May 2012. Cupple will, for now, remain as a standalone app, but users will have the ability to migrate their data to Couple from Cupple if they choose. Cupple did not disclose current usage figures, downloads or geographical reach. Pair meanwhile notes 1.25M messages sent every day, 160m messages between couples to date and 800K downloads.
Month: February 2013
Tawkify: Real Matchmakers Set Users For Blind Dates
LA WEEKLY – Feb 1 – Started in January 2012, Tawkify appeals to any single person who doesn't want to waste hours combing through profiles and messages. Human matchmakers filter for what you like and make each match feel special. The site offers three types of blind dates: the Tawkify, a 15-minute phone call; the Walkify, a 30-minute stroll; and the Mystery Date, a treasure hunt that begins on a street corner and ends with your potential paramour. About ten matchmakers nationwide personally fix up clients, who provide a photo and details about deal-breakers and desires. Tawkify charges $49 for two guaranteed matches per month; $99 for matches and increased scheduling flexibility; and $149 for matches, flexibility and date counseling from your matchmaker.
by Amanda Lewis
The full article was originally published at LA Weekly, but is no longer available.
New Service Lets The Crowd Control The Date
FAST COMPANY – Feb 1 – Lauren McCarthy, an artist and programmer is currently beta-testing Social Turkers. When she meets up with the stranger, she props her iPhone on the table, presses the record button, and begins broadcasting a video and audio stream of the date in real time. The video stream is viewed by the task-rabbits who take part in Amazon's Mechanical Turk, the crowdsourcing service. Throughout the date, the "social Turkers" answered polls, wrote reviews of what they are seeing, and sent text messages to her iPhone suggesting what to say or do next. McCarthy is currently working on an easy-to-use app version.
‘Spin Your Web’ Book Review
OPW – Feb 1 – In 'Spin Your Web' Damona advises singles how to get the most out of their Internet Dating experience. Which questions to consider, sites, screen name, photos. She advises, be honest, and be specific to stand-out from the crowd. Say what's unique about you, and what you want, and pick off something that intrigues you about the person when you correspond. Get on the phone after three email exchanges, and plan your date on that call. …and put the time in!
'Studies have shown that similar values are a greater predictor of longevity in a relationship than similar interests.'
'An average response rate is 10-20% for most online daters.'
For women: 'Contrary to popular belief, a peekaboo thong hanging out of your lowrise jeans is not cute.'
For guys: 'It doesn't matter how big your package is, nobody wants to see it bulging through your pants. Make sure your crotch has room to breathe.'
A good primer for the newly single or slightly frustrated Internet dater.
Recommendation:
The perfect primer for internet dating. Use this book to get the most out of your internet dating experience and learn Internet dating netiquette. Damona gives you the groundwork to prepare quickly for a successful idating experience. She helps you ask the right questions, choose the best site, and avoid pitfalls both online and offline.
eHarmony Mobile Conversion Soars
BWW GEEKSWORLD.COM – Jan 31 – eHarmony's mobile conversion rate is up ~40% YOY. eHarmony also saw a 25% increase in the number of times users accessed one of its apps compared to this time last year. The time between Christmas and Valentine's Day is typically high season for online dating. This year, ~50% of the communications sent and responded to were from mobile devices during that period.