NY TIMES – Aug 12 – Services like LinkedUp and "Elevated Careers by eHarmony" are blurring the lines between professional networking and online dating. LinkedUp is a new service, not affiliated with LinkedIn, that uses the LinkedIn network to look for potential dates, while eHarmony has decided to deploy its expertise to match job seekers with potential employers. Many social networks designed for other purposes are now being mined for their dating potential turning the web into what writer James Bridle calls "a universal dating medium".
Category: Outlets – New York Times
IAC Buys HowAboutWe, But Not HowAboutWe Couples
NY TIMES – July 14 - Match Group has acquired parts of HowAboutWe. The price is unknown, and the deal includes HowAboutWe’s dating and media properties. It does not involve the Couples side of the business. As a result, only a portion of HowAboutWe employees will move to IAC. Other employees will remain with the Couples business, while some have been laid off.
by Mike Isaac
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Finding Love Through Social Media Is More Appealing
NY TIMES – June 28 – Last May, the Pew Research Center surveyed ~2,2K people and found that 15% had used social media to ask someone out on a date. Apps including Secret and Whisper, that allow people to post anonymously, are also being used to make love connections. Armen Avedissian, COO of eHarmony, said the popularity of social media appears to have led to a heightened awareness of dating apps and services. Aaron Schildkrout, co-founder of HowAboutWe, said it was possible for social media and dating apps to coexist and profit.
Everybody Is A Sex Offender According To CreepShield
NY TIMES – Apr 25 – CreepShield claims to make online dating safer. Users can enter a link to an image into a search field on its site, which then uses facial identification technology to compare the face in the photo against its database of 475K registered sex offenders. The site returns results showing the photos and names of offenders even when they are obviously far from a match. NY Times reporter used a photo of a public person with a clean record and CreepShield displayed a list of possible matches, starting with a photo of a Hispanic woman. They had one thing in common: both had rimless eyeglasses.
“You & Me”: New Couple’s App From HowAboutWe Founders
NY TIMES – Apr 5 – Apps like Avocado, Couple and Between help couples stay close. You & Me is a new app is scheduled for public release in early May. It was created by the founders of HowAboutWe. The app lets two people send photographs and voice messages and play a selfie-exchanging game called “Halfsie.” Although the app will be free, the company may eventually add features that let their users ask each other out on prepackaged evenings or events sold through the app.
“Hinge” Dating App Introduces Friends Of Friends
NY TIMES – Mar 28 - Hinge looks very much like Tinder. But instead of random strangers, Hinge matches only users who share Facebook friends. The app was released last year by Justin McLeod, a 29-year-old tech entrepreneur. To get started, users sign in using Facebook and select their preferences. Every day at noon, the app sends a list of potential matches culled from one’s Facebook network.
Singles 60+ Turns To Matchmakers
NY TIMES – Mar 28 – According to AARP, 45% of adults 65+ are divorced, separated or widowed. The 60-plus crowd is the fastest-growing segment in online daters. But online dating can be daunting for this demographic. And that’s why some seniors are calling matchmakers and dating coaches. ~90% of the estimated 3K matchmakers in the US will work with seniors, though not necessarily exclusively, said Lisa Clampitt, co-founder of the Matchmaking Institute. She warns prospective clients, especially women, to ask matchmakers how many older men they have in their database. “Older women often get ripped off with empty promises from matchmakers that they have plenty of men for them,” she said.
Online Making Up Apps Sprung Up
NY TIMES – Mar 11 – Couple Counseling & Chatting is a free app created by a real-life therapist, Marigrace Randazzo-Ratliff. It helps couples figure out why they’re arguing. Other new apps meant to enhance communication and ease or prevent conflicts have sprung up, such as Embre and Romantimatic. Older apps include Fix a Fight and Love Maps. Since its release on Feb. 12, Couple Counseling & Chatting, has had ~17K downloads, ~70% of them by men.
Group Dating Is On The Rise
NY TIMES – Nov 10 – “Traditional online dating takes too much time,” said Lauren Kay, 24, a founder of the Dating Ring, a group dating company that started last spring. She requires singles to meet with an in-house matchmaker, before being set up in groups of three single men and women ($20 a date). "Group dating is simply a version of general night life, said Abel Acuña, a founder of Martini, a group-dating service in New York, Paris, London and Seoul, South Korea. These services make fewer claims about arranging romance, promising only the low-stress opportunity of hanging out. Grouper bills itself as a social club. “We are more excited about groups that are 12 and higher,” said Sam Yagan, founder of OKCupid.com and CEO of Match.com.
by Marisa Meltzer
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The High-End Matchmaking Service For Tycoons
NY TIMES – Oct 11 – High-end matchmaking service Kelleher International is hosting a private matchmaking event on Necker Island in Caribbean in January. The cost of the trip per person is ~$45K, excluding the flights and optional spa treatments. Kelleher International has 16 offices around the world and receives ~1K inquiries per month. Of those, ~700 are women, ~10 of whom are accepted as clients. A fee of $15K buys a year’s worth of unlimited matches in one city.
by Dan Crane
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