CNN – Mar 2 – The Canadian duo, Mackenzie and Evan Keast, started a breakup site called Breakup Shop. Users can order a breakup text or breakup phone call for $10 and $29, respectively. Rush order is available for an additional fee. The Breakup Shop's methods have sparked a conversation about the ever-increasing role technology plays in modern relationships, especially among millennials. Since the Breakup Shop launched in November, it has performed ~90 breakups. UK-based app Binder provides a similar service, allowing users to end relationships by swiping right, and sends breakup voice mails.
Category: Outlets – CNN
81-Year-Old eHarmony Founder On Gay Marriage And Tinder
by Sara Ashley O'Brien
See full article at CNN.com
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College Students Are Tindering For ‘Friends’
CNN MONEY – Feb 12 – College students say they're using dating apps for friendship. 58% of students said that they've never gone on a date using the app, in a survey by college jobs startup WayUp. 53% say they're using dating apps to find friends, 27% are looking for a significant other, and 20% were looking for a hookup. According to Jason Helfstein, Internet analyst at Oppenheimer & Co., it doesn't really matter why students are using the app, there's still "value" in it for Tinder. Dating industry analyst Mark Brooks agrees. "It helps people connect with the concept of Internet dating," he said, that as people start to look for more serious relationships "they'll generally drift toward other services".
Ashley Madison’s New Security Feature: Masked Profile Photos
CNN MONEY – Feb 2 – If users want to remain anonymous on the site, Ashley Madison will now let them add a mask to their profile picture. After the hack, AM assured its members that it worked hard to tighten its security protocols. Masks don't quite seem to be the solution.
by David Goldman
The full article was originally published at WCVB, but is no longer available.
Ashley Madison Says It Added 4M Members Since The Hack
CNN – Dec 28 – At the time of the hack, Ashley Madison said it had 39M members. The website now says it has ~43M members, according to a rolling count on its homepage. That number is not easily confirmed. Parent company, Avid Life, is faced with a dozen class-action lawsuits related to the hack by customers who claim the site failed to protect their identities. Fending off the lawsuits will be expensive, even for a company that recorded $115M in sales and a $55M profit last year. Several of the lawsuits are asking for more than half a billion dollars in damages.
by David Goldman
See full article at CNN Money
3 Popular Asian Dating Apps
CNN TECH – Mar 22 – Philippines app Peekawoo is a group dating app. Peekawoo's group dates can include up to six people. The app even hosts larger events with "an in-house wing man and wing woman. Woo app launched one year ago and claims 1M users in India. The app doesn't allow married people and rejects ~30% of sing ups a day. Paktor, the Singapore-based app, screens users for fake accounts, and requires them to have at least 50 friends on Facebook to sign up.
by Sophia Yan
See full article at CNN Tech
Instant Chemistry Offers DNA Matchmaking
WMUR – Feb 12 - Instant Chemistry offers a test that helps match singles, and assess couples' likelihood of staying together, by analyzing the DNA from saliva. Instant Chemistry's scores are based on the idea that the less similar a couple's immune systems, the better their relationship may fare. Since launching in July 2014, Instant Chemistry has sold 300 DNA kits. Fifty couples have taken the test, and most have received compatibility scores between 60 – 80%. The kit costs $199.
by Contessa Gayles
The full article was originally published at WMUR 9 ABC, but is no longer available.
Online Dating Assistants
by Sara Ashley O'Brien
The full article was originally published at WPTV, but is no longer available.
Match.com Partners With American Mensa
CNN – June 23 – Members of the brainiac group can connect through a separate dating service called Mensa Match. In addition, Match.com members can add a special Mensa badge to their profiles, signaling a specific interest in connecting with a single person with a confirmed genius-level IQ score. According to Match, 80% of singles find it very important to be with someone of the same intelligence level.