Lovers Love

Crazy Blind Date Promises Short Notice Dates

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 15:00:00 EST

A website named Crazy Blind Date is promising crazy blind dates. The site promises dates arranged in extremely short notice. The site says it is for "social, outgoing, and adventurous people." Here is how you meet each other quickly according to the faq.

When you agree to a date, you'll get to see a description of your match. If you still can't find each other amongst all the other nervous-looking people at that bar or coffee shop, quack like a dog and make armpit farts. If that doesn't work, you can send each other text messages through us. In the final 30 minutes before the date, we open a relay. If you send a text message to CUPID (28743) it will go to your date's phone. For example: "I'm at the bar in the back, wearing a blue sweater, drinking a martini."

It does sound kind of crazy. Note: making armpit farts does not sound like a good idea despite what the faq says.

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Manhattan is Full of Singles

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

Manhattan is full of singles writes the New York Post. Over 50% of residencies are occupied by just a single person according to data from the Census Bureau. Singles attract other singles is part of the reason behind the large amount of singles living in Manhattan.

"Singles attract more singles," he said. "They participate in a lifestyle that is mutually reinforcing. The more single people engage in that lifestyle, the more acceptable it is, and the more acceptable it is, the more people are going to do it."

Sociologists now call the time people in their 20s and 30s spend solo "early adulthood" to differentiate it from the period before they marry and have children -- which is happening later and later.

The ratio now makes it more attractive for single men - single women outnumber single men in Manhattan 212,000 to 165,000.

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Dating Site Promises Beautiful People

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

BeautifulPeople.com is a website that promises listings of beautiful people only. BeautifulPeople.com launches with 180,000 members through existing networks in the UK, US, Denmark, Japan, Spain, Italy, Canada and Australia. Everyone is welcome to apply to join BeautifulPeople.com but only 20% of men and women will be accepted. Potential members apply with a photo and a brief profile. Over 48 hours, existing members of the opposite sex vote whether or not to admit them in to their exclusive community. Individuals who fail to impress are rejected. Applicants can view their rating process on a real time rating graph, which swings between red and green depending on how existing members judge them.

BeautifulPeople.com founder, Robert Hintze, says, "BeautifulPeople.com is governed by the principle that every human being wants to be with someone they find attractive - its human nature. By only allowing beautiful people through our doors, we remove the first hurdle."

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Conde Nast Launches Truly Madly Dating

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST

Conde Nast may be dumping magazines but they are totally into online dating. The magazine publisher has launched a dating site for fashionistas called Truly Madly Dating. There's a little bit of Mad Men in that title and logo. Vogue.co.uk says the website is supported by GQ.com and Glamour.com. The new niche dating site is currently offering a 7-day free trail.

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Gelato Dating Site Authenticates Users With Facebook and Twitter

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 18:00:00 EST

Digital Beat reports that a new start-up called Gelato is a new type of online dating website that also pulls in real-time data from services like Facebook, Twitter and Facebook.

Instead of creating a profile, Gelato pulls in updates from your Facebook profile, Twitter account, Netflix queue, Pandora stations and Flickr photos to create what founder Steve Odom says is a more authentic profile of who you are. Odom says online dating is ripe for change because it involves static profiles that are time-consuming to create and that people don't bother to update very often.

"Dating sites haven't really changed in five years," Odom said. "At the same time with Twitter, I felt if I could follow someone for a couple weeks, I'd get a more honest picture of who they are."

The "stream dating" website uses Facebook Connect or Twitter's OAuth feature to verify you who are instead of using passwords or email.

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Study Finds Spenders Marry Savers

Tue, 4 Aug 2009 21:00:00 EST

Reuters reports that a new study has found the big spenders tend to marry big savers.

"Surveys of married adults suggest that opposites attract when it comes to emotional reactions toward spending," Wharton's Scott Rick and Deborah Small and Northwestern's Eli Finkel said in the paper.

They found that people who generally spend less than they would ideally like to spend, and those who spend more than they would like to tend to marry each other.

George Loewenstein, a professor of economics and psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, in a separate study called "Tightwads and Spendthrifts" published last year, found that the degree people feel of a "pain of paying" determines if they are a "tightwad" or a "spendthrift."

Loewenstein's study, conducted with Wharton's Rick and Carnegie Mellon doctoral student Cynthia Cryder, found that the extent to which people said they found a pain of paying strongly predicted their savings and credit card debt, but were unrelated to income.

Spending differences can lead to disagreements but there could also be ways to two different spending types could help each other out. A big spender could certainly user someone more conservative about saving money. And a tightwad may need to learn to spend some money now and then and use what has been earned.

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Match.com Acquires People Media

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:35:00 EST

The Washington Post reports that Match.com is acquiring People Media, a network of over two dozen dating sites.

The deal includes the purchase of about 27 targeted dating sites with a combined 255,000 paying subscribers, including BlackPeopleMeet.com, BBPeopleMeet.com, LDSPlanet.com, SingleParentMeet.com and SeniorPeopleMeet.com.

People Media, founded in 2002, had $11.6 million of EBITDA in 2008 and quotes Jupiter Research as saying the combined revenues of the targeted dating service business are expected to reach $1.2 billion worldwide this year. Still according to the announcement, People Media, besides exclusively powering multiple AOL Personals communities, reaches nearly 4 million internet users each month. Match.com attracted about 5.8 million unique monthly users in May 09 according to comScore and reported $9.9 million in operating income before amortization last year.

People Media also powers AOL Personals communities says the Post, which is where most of its unique visitors come from. It's not clear from the article whether Match.com will continue running all the Peoples Media sites as separate sites from Match.com.

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Mark Sanford's Affair Brings Out the Relationship Experts

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST

Everytime a high-profile celebrity or politician cheats the experts have to investigate why. South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford press conference announcing that had cheated was one of the strangest ever. Why do people cheat? Relationship experts, Amy Laurent and Matt Titus talked to Erica Hill on CBS Early Show to try and help answer the why. Some say men are pre-wired to cheat but others say that's just no true.

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Company Offers Online Dating Assistance

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:00:00 EST

TechCrunch reports that there is actually a service for those too busy to manage online dating profiles. A company called Virtual Dating Assistants will handle your online profiles using "advanced internet dating techniques and strategies" for $480 a month.

At a price of $480 per month, the company's virtual dating assistants will use "advanced internet dating techniques and strategies to create online dating profiles, interact with women and set up dates with them." The company says it will work approximately 40 hours per month for each customer and guarantees them a minimum of 2 dates per month (or their money back).

Co-founders Mark Anderson and Scott Valdez are overseeing a cherry-picked team of virtual assistants that are referred to as "007" Dating Assistants due to the "suave and sophisticated nature of their undercover interactions." Yes, they are actually called "007" Dating Assistants.

This service could certainly help the very busy but it might also take the fun out of finding a date yourself.

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When to Say I Love You

Sat, 23 May 2009 21:00:00 EST

The ladies of the Internet talk show TMI discuss when to say "I love you" and their first loves. This article on Salon may have the right answer - everyone is different and when it is right will be a little different for everyone. Suite 101 has a list of 64 ways to say "I Love You."

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Vivica A. Fox Talks Cougar

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST

Vivica A. Fox talks about The Cougar. Vivica is the host of the show with runs on TV Land. She says some of the guys were a little star-struck when they first met her. She says ladies will love the "man tears" on the show. Vivica also notes that she does not date only younger guys. Full episodes can be found online here.

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A Class on How to Fall in Love

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:00:00 EST

A class on how to fall in love? Robert Epstein, a California college professor at UC San Diego, is teaching students about intimacy and how to fall in love. Some people could use the help. You might want to avoid anyone who gets a bad grade in this class. Hattie Kauffman reports for the Early Show.

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VH1 Tough Love Premiere

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST

Here's the trailer for VH1's reality-tv show Tough Love. Steve Ward of MasterMatchmakers.com is the host of the show. He tricked the girls at the beginning by pretending to be participating in a speed dating round. Each one of the girls has a specific problem. In the premiere episode, the girls also had to walk in front of three guys who gave their initial brutally honest and shallow thoughts about each girl. You can see the premiere here.

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PlentyofFish Adds Paid Service

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:30:00 EST

The Wall Street Journal reports that a free dating site called PlentyofFish is going to add a paid service. The paid option will be for "serious" daters.

In a February report, Sanford Bernstein analyst Jeffrey Lindsay called it "the most successful of a new generation of 'free' or advertising-supported dating sites," and one whose growth could pose a "Craigslist-like disintermediation" threat to established players like Yahoo Personals and IAC's Match.com.

By wading into the paid arena, it may lessen that disintermediation risk, but compete on more even terms with those sites.

According to a blog entry by its CEO, Markus Frind, PlentyofFish will sell "Serious Member" badges that will appear on members' pages for three, six or 12 months. Serious members will be marked as such in search results, and their messages to prospective partners will be highlighted.

PlentyofFish's approach to a paid option is different from Match and Yahoo Personals, which charge users when they sign up or attempt to contact someone. "Paid sites monetize on impulse," Mr. Frind wrote. "PlentyofFish is going to monetize on user intent. I believe we will have far more members that are serious than paid sites."

Sometimes online service to do need a paid level to weed out those who are not serious about the website. We will see if it works for PlentyofFish. Some people do have more free time because they are out of work but at the same time they have less money to spend on dating or on paid dating websites.

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VH1 Tough Love Promo

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:00:00 EST

Philadelphia local Steve Ward of MasterMatchmakers.com is the host of a new VH1 show called Tough Love. He will take eight women through something called a Tough Love Boot Camp. He will be joined on the show by his mom and founder of Master Matchmakers, JoAnn Ward. The show is promising "brutal honesty" but it's already offending some - see here and here.

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Study: Happily Married Women Sleep Better

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:00:00 EST

It would have been a surprise if this study had turn out differently. WebMD reports that a new study from the department of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh found that happily married women tend to sleep better than women in unhappy marriages. The study examined date from 1,938 married women aged 42 to 52.

Participants were asked to rate their degree of happiness in their marriage from 1 to 7, with 7 being the happiest. They were also asked if they had difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or whether they woke early without being able to return to sleep.

The researchers looked at several other factors that might contribute to sleeplessness, such as a woman's social support network, depressive symptoms, economic hardship and employment status, alcohol and caffeine consumption, presence of children in the home, sexual activity, age, and hormonal status.

Even after taking these into account, the researchers found that women with higher reported levels of happiness in marriage had a lower risk of sleep disturbances, compared to women who report less happiness in their marriages.

It's easy to see how an unhappy marriage could disrupt sleep patterns. Sometimes happily couples can disrupt each other's sleep as well like when there is snoring involved. Lemon Drop also points to this study that found women sleep less soundly when they share a bed so maybe the best sleeper would be a happily married women who sleeps in her own bed.

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Jennifer Aniston Talks Dating

Thu, 5 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST

Jennifer Aniston talks about relationships ahead of the release of her upcoming film, He's Just Not That Into You. Jennifer says she's never had to tell a friend he's just not that into you. Take a look:

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Scientists Find True Love on Brain Scans

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 18:00:00 EST

CNN reports that Stony Brook University researchers recently looked at the brain scans of couples that had spent 20 years together and found 10% of them had brain scans similar to the scans of people who have just fallen in love.

Using brain scans, researchers at Stony Brook University in New York have discovered a small number of couples respond with as much passion after 20 years together as most people only do during the early throes of romance, Britain's Sunday Times newspaper reported.

The researchers scanned the brains of couples together for 20 years and compared them with results from new lovers, the Sunday Times said.

About 10 percent of the mature couples had the same chemical reactions when shown photographs of their loved ones as those just starting out.

The evidence somewhat contradicts earlier studies that found romantic love fades completely after 10 years. In this case it still faded for 90% of those studied, which seems like quite a bit.

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Study Finds Romantic Comedies Can Take Fun Out of Real Relationships

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

The BBC reports that a study has found that watching romantic comedies can give viewers unrealistic expectations for real life relationships. The study involved student volunteers watching a romantic comedy.

The movies included You've Got Mail, Maid In Manhattan, The Wedding Planner and While You Were Sleeping.

The university's Dr Bjarne Holmes said: "Marriage counsellors often see couples who believe that sex should always be perfect, and if someone is meant to be with you then they will know what you want without you needing to communicate it.

"We now have some emerging evidence that suggests popular media play a role in perpetuating these ideas in people's minds.

"The problem is that while most of us know that the idea of a perfect relationship is unrealistic, some of us are still more influenced by media portrayals than we realise."

It would be interesting to see this study conducted on older subjects. Young people tend to be more idealistic and have less experience with relationships so it is possible romantic comedies have a bigger impact on them.

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Hookups Replacing Dating?

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

Julie Chen talked to Kathleen Bogle, an Asst. Prof. of Sociology at LaSalle University about the vague meaning of term "hookup" for young people who may or may not be having sex. Bogle says the meaning does not always mean sex and can be less harmful than people think. That said it is upsetting to hear dating being replaced by more random and casual encounters. Kathleen Bogle says some of these casual daters return to more typical dating later in life. See also, Charles Blow's op-ed for the New York Times on the "Demise of Dating."

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Robot Maker is Building the Perfect Companion

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 15:00:00 EST

One day humans may have "real" relationships with androids and fall in love. It remains to be seen if robots will ever be able to fall in or out of love with humans. A project called Project Aiko is underway to create the perfect companion. Designer Le Trung says Aiko is not a sex doll. In fact, Aiko will slap you if you get too frisky. Trung's project needs funding but with all the things Aiko can do already he's likely to get it. She recongize objects, speak English and Japenese, tell the weather and read the New York Times.

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9-Year Old Boy Offers Advice on Getting Girls to Like You

Tue, 2 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

Alec Greven, a 9-year-old from Colorado, has written a book called How to Talk to Girls. It's full of tips for getting girls to like you. One of this tips is that whatever happens, "Don't ask desperate." Some of this other tips include: "Comb your hair and don't wear sweats" and "Control your hyperness (cut down on the sugar if you have to)." He may be onto something here. You can read more of Alec's tips here in a New York Post article.

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Video: How to Get a Second Date

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 21:00:00 EST

Youtuber Samantha Nicole offers some tips for how to get a second date in this YouTube video. Some of her tips include avoid too much cologne, turn off your cell phone and don't try too hard. She suggests a cafe or a lounge for a first date. She also gives some suggestions for ways to make it sound like you are listening and interested in what your date has to say.

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Spouse or PDA?

Mon, 3 Nov 2008 18:00:00 EST

CBS reports on study that found 35% of those surveyed would choose their BlackBerry or PDA over their spouse.

"It can actually ruin relationships," said Dr. Susan Bartell, a psychologist and relationship expert. Bartell said couples should be interfacing more, but with each other.

"People are so focused on their PDAs, they're not focusing on what might be going wrong in their relationships," Bartell said.

Of those polled, 62 percent said they love their blackberry or PDA, and most of them said it makes their life more productive. However, experts suggest, for the sake of your relationship, you might occasionally ?

"Turn it off, spend some time with your partner. Have a real relationship with a living human being," Bartell said.

We are sure this is happening but we aren't sure the numbers are as high as statistics suggest. A lot of people use BlackBerrys and other gadget to keep in contact with their loved ones. It's a silly survey as people can have both gadgets and a spouse - one doesn't have to make a choice of one or the other.

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Should You Follow Those Digital Breadcrumbs if You Suspect Cheating?

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST

Matt Titus, co-author of Why Hasn't He Called and Nicole Beland, feature editor of Women's Health, discuss some of the negative implications of snooping. Is natural curiousity ever ok? Nicole Beland says it is not ok - she says she is a reformed snooper. It's better to confront your partner directly if you are suspicious. They also talk about digital breadcrumbs and what to do if you are caught snooping. Take a look:

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Study Finds Women Find Smart Men More Appealing

Sun, 5 Oct 2008 17:40:00 EST

ITWire reports that a scientific study has found that women find smart and creative men more appealing.

Its authors?Mark D. Prokosch, Richard G. Coss, Joanna E. Scheib, and Shelley A. Blozis, from the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Davis-state in the abstract to their paper that, "Selecting a more intelligent mate often provides women with better access to resources and parental investment for offspring."

However, humans may have also evolved so that women look for intelligence in men in order to produce children that are physically superior-and, thus, use intelligence as a way to unconsciously determine the overall quality of her mate.

The California researchers studied the role of male intelligence with respect to the short-term and long-term preferences of women.

The study even found that for both short-flings and for marriage women prefered smart and creative guys. New Scientist says it is time for nerds to rejoice. The past couple decades have been good for geeks when it comes to wages so this could have something to do with women wanting smart, creative men. Or, they may have just had some smart women who took part in the study because seriously who doesn't want a smart and creative date?

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Hot or Not Redesigns

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:00:00 EST

Hot or Not has redesigned their people rating website. The site now includes expanded profiles including virtual gifts and buddy lists.

"We are extremely excited to bring this new design to our audience," said Glenn Graff, CEO of Hot or Not. "From the new logo that captures the passion and the energy of our loyal audience, to the expansive presence of our HOTLISTS application, we believe that we have dramatically enhanced the value proposition of the product. The site now allows customers to join faster, display a richer profile and have more fun rating and connecting with like-minded people - making for a more enjoyable user experience."

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Contraceptive Pill May Influence Women's Partner Choice

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:00:00 EST

A new scientific study from the University of Liverpool found that the contraceptive pill may "disrupt women's natural ability to choose a partner genetically dissimilar to themselves." The disruption has to do with odor preferenes.

The research team analysed how the contraceptive pill affects odour preferences. One hundred women were asked to indicate their preferences on six male body odour samples, drawn from 97 volunteer samples, before and after initiating contraceptive pill use.

Craig Roberts, a Lecturer in Evolutionary Psychology who carried out the work in collaboration with the University of Newcastle, said: "The results showed that the preferences of women who began using the contraceptive pill shifted towards men with genetically similar odours.

"Not only could MHC-similarity in couples lead to fertility problems but it could ultimately lead to the breakdown of relationships when women stop using the contraceptive pill, as odour perception plays a significant role in maintaining attraction to partners."

That's an odd finding but an interesting one for women on the pill. How do you know the pill you are taking isn't influencing your decision?

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ESN Pulls Matchmaking Ad Promoting Affairs

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 18:00:00 EST

ESPN pulled a tv that matches would-be adulterers looking for an affair. The tv ad was a spot for AshleyMadison.com - a matchmaking website that carries the tagline "Life is Short. Have an affair."

The website's CEO told Fred Katayama that the network is applying a double standard by allowing tobacco and erectile disfunction advertisements but not ads for his ads service.

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Commitment Phobia a Genetic Flaw?

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 16:38:00 EST

The BBC has a news report about a study that links a gene to reluctance to marry. This gene apparently affects an "important attachment hormone." The same gene has also been linked to autism.

Men with the 334 version of the AVPR1A gene earned lower scores from their partner/wife for strength of relationship bond. They were also less likely to be married.

If they were married, they were more likely to have experienced marital problems.

Having two copies of 334 doubled the chances that men would report having had a marital crisis in the past year.

It is thought that the gene, which was carried by 40% of the men, may affect the way the brain uses vasopressin.

The same gene has been linked with autism - a condition characterised by problems with social interaction.

Perhaps this will eventually lead to genetic testing. Girls interested in marriage may demand a genetic test before starting to date a guy, because they would want to date a guy with the AVPR1A gene. Or maybe women won't be able to resist dating the guy anyway to see if they can make him overcome his genetic reluctance to marry.

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Some Centenarians Use Online Dating Services

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:00:00 EST

The third annual Evercare 100@100 Survey polled 100 centenarians. The poll shifts conventional stereotypes on aging by revealing that some of the oldest Americans are still using the latest technologies including sending emails and "Googling" lost acquaintances.

Our sister site SurfersSurf.com reports that one of the results from the study found that at least some of the 100-year-olds are using online dating. It was only 3% but this figure was as high as it is for Baby Boombers. Apparently, you are never too old to try online dating.

Love 2.0: As many Centenarians as Baby Boomers (3 percent) say they have dated someone they met on an online dating site. Twelve percent of Centenarians surveyed say they have used the Internet and some have "Googled" someone they have lost contact with (2 percent) or have visited someone's personal Web site (2 percent).

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Google Maps Marriage Proposal

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 21:00:00 EST

Micheal decided his original proposal to Leslie (which did receive a "Yes") was lacking in pizazz so he upgraded it to Proposal 2.0 with a proposal inside a Google Street View panorama. You can see Michael's website about his Internet proposal here.

But my original proposal was quiet and low-key. It was just some simple heart-felt words exchanged during a quiet night at home. And while Proposal 1.0 had plenty of sentiment, it was lacking in pizazz. So I did what any Silicon Valley geek would do: I decided to upgrade to "Proposal 2.0," a new improved online version. I proposed to Leslie from inside a Google Street View panorama. I dare say that it's the first time anyone in the history of mankind has proposed marriage in quite this way, and it went live on Google Maps on August 5, 2008:

Definitely some geeky pizazz going on there. (via Google Earth Blog)

View Larger Map

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Share Your Sexual Testing History With STFree

Thu, 7 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EST

The New York Daily News reports that 15,000 people are now using STFree which enables people to prove they have been tested for STDs. STFree acts as a 3rd party entity by verifying and storing individuals STD testing information with their consent. The service, which charges one-time $19.99 fee, provides members with an ID called the Safe Sex License (SSL).

Manhattan-based company STFree Certifications provides its health-conscious customers a sexual history "license" with a phone number on the back that enables them to prove their testing backgrounds to potential partners.

More than 15,000 people nationwide have signed up for the STFree service, launched in 2004 by Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, native Eli Dancy.

Dancy, a former club promoter, said he saw "a lot of irresponsibility" in his neighborhood and created the STFree card to help raise awareness.

"In places like where I grew up and where I worked, there are incredibly high HIV and STD rates," said Dancy, 28. "This card opens up the conversation for people to talk about it."

STFree cards contain a phone number and a PIN number that can be used to unlock the testing history of a potential sex partners. STFree has a FAQ on its website here.

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Leave a Stealthy Break Voice Mail With Slydial

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EST

The Associated Press writes about a new service called Slydial that allows you to place a message directly in a person's cell phone voice mail without their phone ringing.

The old song had it right: Breaking up is hard to do. But a free new phone service called Slydial might make it easier to get through that and other awkward moments - without actually having to talk to anyone.

Slydial lets you connect directly with another person's cell phone voice mail, bypassing the traditional ringing process that often results - sometimes disastrously - with someone picking up on the other end.

Users call (267) SLY-DIAL from either a cell phone or a landline, and are prompted to enter another person's cell phone number.

After playing a short advertisement - unless users pay a subscription fee or 15 cents per call to skip ads - Slydial puts callers directly into their target's voice mail.

Breaking up via voice mail isn't a very nice thing to do. Have the guts to break up with your significant other in person. Show them some respect. This isn't really the specified purpose of Slydial but it is certainly something you could do with Slydial. They do mention here though that their service could be useful if you are dating multiple people.

Play the field more effectively.
You are dating quite a few people at the same time. You don't want to leave them all text messages because there is nothing romantic about that. But a nice voicemail to each would score you points.

Ok, that's pretty sly.

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Vampire/Human Dating Site Launches

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 17:40:00 EST

HBO has created a vampire/human dating site called Love Bitten to promote their upcoming vampire series called TrueBlood. The site claims that it's match ratings are high because "our clientele is ready to discover a different kind of love. And we're almost always the first stop for curious people who want to find their counterpart, with or without fangs." Some of the vampire profiles include the 409-year-old Pao G. and the Marie G..

This graphic explains how Lovebitten works.

It's a clever promotion. Hopefully, for HBO it will drive some people to their True Blood website. (via Fantasy SF Blog)

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Dating Site Thinks Love is in Our Genes

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EST

Is love in our genes? A least one dating company think so. Techtree India reports that a Switzerland biotech firm named GenePartner wants to offer a DNA-matching service to dating sites.

Blind dating, random dating or speed dating - that's enough beating around the bush. According to a Switzerland-based biotech organization, people need online dating to get concrete and scientific answers.

The organization in question, GenePartner has announced a DNA-matching service and is looking to partner with dating sites. GenePartner will use a $199 DNA test, the cheapest on the web, for determining compatibility of prospective partners for a long-lasting relationship.

The company has derived the algorithm after analyzing "hundreds of couples". GenePartner will use a buccal swab kit to collect the DNA sample from the saliva of its members for DNA analysis. Alternatively, a GenePartner user can enter their GenePartnerID.

You can see the GenePartner website here.

At GenePartner we are dedicated to help you find your ideal life partner. Our formula is based on research on hundreds of couples and analyzes the pattern of genetic combinations found in successful relationships. Using this formula we will determine the probability for a satisfying and long-lasting romantic relationship between two people.

This probability is highest when two people are genetically compatible.

We aren't sure what "genetically compatible" means but it is an interesting theory. You don't the DNA to be too similar for obvious reasons.

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The Matchmaking Cabbie

Tue, 8 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EST

A New Jersey cab driver Ahmed Ibrahim has been playing cupid from his taxi. A New York Daily News article from earlier this year says he has arranged over 70 dates.

He has swapped numbers between hundreds of couples, helped organize more than 70 real dates and at least 19 of his romances have lasted more than a year.

This Thursday, Ibrahim will be decking his yellow cab with red and white hearts and roses in the hope of matching up yet more Mr. and Mrs. Rights.

"I've organized so many dates, and it really makes me feel good about it. I've not had one complaint," Ibrahim, 53, said.

"It's really fun. Driving a taxi in New York is not an easy job so I just try to create some fun."

Here's the video about the matchmaking cabbie from the WSJ.

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TwoDaLoo: A Toilet For Couples

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:00:00 EST

Are you so in love that you can't be alone even when you need to use the bathroom? If so the TwoDaLoo is the toilet for you and your significant other.

The TwoDaLoo is billed as the world's first toilet two people can use ... at the exact same time. It brings couples closer together and conserves our water supply all with one flush. The TwoDaLoo features two side-by-side toilet seats with a modest privacy wall in between. An upgraded version includes a seven inch LCD television and iPod docking station.

The whole idea is very disturbing. The fact that the TwoDaLoo also has a LCD tv and an iPod docking station only helps a little. Good luck saving the planet with this - how many couples need to use the bathroom at the exact same time? (via Sex on my Desk)

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Website Lets People Post Subway Crushes

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:15:00 EST

People using the New York subway might see a guy or girl they like. A website called Subway Crush allows people to post about these crushes.

For the last few weeks I've been working on this tiny project that allows people to find their missed connections. This has been done before, but in my version it is hyper concentrated to finding love in the New York subway. Everyone has had a missed connection while riding the trains (you don't have to just be this guy) so we thought we would help.

The site's about page says it was created by Mike Bodge of Lolz LLC and Matthew Haggerty. (via Monochronicle)

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Twitter Marriage Proposals

Sat, 5 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST

Getting married online isn't a new but proposing on the microblogging service called Twitter is a novelty. This Wired article documents two such incidents. The most recent was Max Kiesler's proposal to Emily Chang.

Max Kiesler's sweet tweet at 3:13 a.m. Thursday: "To @emilychang - After fifteen years of blissful happiness I would like to ask for your hand in marriage?"

Emily Chang's reply, a minute later: "@maxkiesler - yes, i do."

The earliest known documented marriage proposal on Twitter happened on March 2nd, 2008. You can see the proposal tweet here.

The proposal: "@stefsull - ok. for the rest of the twitter-universe (and this is a first, folks) - WILL YOU MARRY ME?"

Sullivan's reply: "@garazi - OMG - Ummmmm... I guess in front of the whole twitter-verse I'll say -- I'd be happy to spend the rest of my geek life with you."

Just two proposal tweets are known so far but with Twitter's popularity growing there are bound to more.

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Some Lazy Online Daters Copy Other People's Profiles

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:00:00 EST

Online personals are extremely popular. They have become one of the most obvious and well-known ways to find a date. But what do you say when you are writing your profile? Most people would say that's easy just explain who you are and what you like but don't be arrogant or condescending about it. That's too difficult for some online dating hacks who instead copy-and-paste material from other people's personals. The Wall Street Journal investigated the issue and found it happens fairly often.

A search on MySpace.com brought up more than 700 recent comments that accuse others of stealing headlines, user names, songs, background designs and entire profiles. In a recent survey of more than 400 online daters commissioned by Engage.com, 9% of respondents said they copied from another person's profile; 15% suspect their own words were stolen.

A Match.com profile of a man in Redmond, Wash., includes this postscript: "Shame on the woman who plagiarized my narrative and stole it for her profile!" And a 34-year-old woman in Basking Ridge, N.J., tacked this P.S. to her Plentyoffish.com profile: "To the girl who copied my profile -- and denies it...you s-!"

The quest for originality has spawned the services of online-dating coaches and profile writers. Some of them are victims, too. Dave Mizrachi, 34, of Miami sells an "Insider Internet Dating" course for $97. Mr. Mizrachi includes his own dating profile, advising men to use it as a guide. But at least 25 people on Match.com have stolen his lines, including: "I get a lot of women emailing me, (which is great for an ego boost)." One man uses Mr. Mizrachi's photo.

A recent search on Match.com brought up more than 90 profiles with such lines as: "I want an opposite. A yin to my yang," or "You know that woman who is the first person on the dance floor at every party? That's me." They weren't even from real people. They were cribbed from sample profiles posted online at E-Cyrano.com by dating coach and profile writer Evan Marc Katz. "It just seems so short-sighted," says Mr. Katz, of Los Angeles. "Everybody steals the same lines so they are not original anymore."

The WSJ article includes several personal stories about shameless people using other people's profile information to score dates.

Thierry Khalfa says he had a good excuse to copy: His English isn't so good. The 44-year-old Frenchman first cobbled a ho-hum profile that said he liked to cook and enjoyed walks on the beach. Then he stumbled across the profile of Mike Matteo, 47, a screenwriter in Tampa, Fla. Mr. Matteo's profile had such nuggets as, "I have a sweet tooth, love my strawberry twizzlers and cheesecake jelly beans."

Without thinking twice, Mr. Khalfa says, he copied Mr. Matteo's prose because it also fit him to a tee. "That guy should be proud," says Mr. Khalfa, of Largo, Fla., who runs an auto-glass business. "In France, in the fashion business, when you see something that looks good, you take it and you copy it."

Mr. Khalfa caught the eye of preschool teacher Marjorie Coon, 48. They exchanged emails, and Ms. Coon wanted to meet Mr. Khalfa in person. Then she discovered he had copied the profile of Mr. Matteo, by coincidence her friend. She let Mr. Khalfa know she knew and dumped him. "I felt he was less than honest, a manipulator and downright stupid," says Ms. Coon, of Largo, Fla. Mr. Matteo wasn't too happy, either. "I'm not Cyrano de Bergerac," he says, referring to the 19th-century play about a man penning love letters for a rival.

The WSJ article also says some people even pay for profiles from sources like the TheProfileCoach.com. At least that is better than stealing. More discussion about these assinine profile plagiarists can be found at Jossip, Digital Hive, be2, Captivating Connections and PSFK.

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High Profile Men and Cheating

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 15:00:00 EST

Newsweek has an interesting article where several experts try to analyze the minds of men like Eliot Spitzer who inexplicably throw everything away to have a risky affair. Eliot Spitzer is a very successful man. He has a beautiful wife and family and a wonderful career. So why then did he risk everything to spend a short amount of time with a prostitute? The article explains that it has a lot to do with chemistry, evolution and testosterone. It says these kinds of traits are sometimes associated with alpha males.

Sensation seekers don't just lust after things--they take them, often disregarding the risks that block their way. "When you're dealing with these high-level, in-your-face, go-for-everything guys, you're dealing with people who take a lot of risks. If that results in gains for them, they get on a roll, and pretty soon their risk management starts to fade a little," says Gladue, who is based at the University of North Texas Health Science Center. "At some point, they can't manage every aspect of their lives. They have to blow off some steam, so they say to themselves, 'this is something I'm going to do for thrills or chills or fun. It's kind of dangerous, and I'm not going to worry about it.' For politicians, that's often in their private life, where they don't have people managing them all the time. And that's where things get out of hand."

For these types, the risk itself is part of the reward. "Breaking rules is a thrill for them," says Frank Farley, a psychologist at Temple University. "Look at Spitzer: he's Mr. Rectitude, the terror of Wall Street, and he busts prostitution rings, and yet he allegedly goes into that very lions' den-the prostitution ring-and partakes. If that isn't risk-taking I don't know what other label to put on it."

He's Hormonal. Alpha males are high on testosterone, the hormone that underlies almost all the typical traits of the politico-sexual animal: high levels of testosterone make for a high sex drive, a love of risks, aggressiveness and competitiveness. "These people have a strong need to win at games, which is obviously important in power politics," says Zuckerman. Success sends their testosterone spiraling up, while a loss brings the levels down-a phenomenon that's been documented in the lab as well as in athletes and chess champions.

The article also says that power can corrupt. Powerful people have access to things that regular people may not even consider.

And then power has its own corrosive effects. A person who seeks out power may already be compromised. But once he's got that power, he may be tempted beyond anything he's experienced before. "We sometimes say, 'God, what do these people think, the rules don't apply to them?' Well, that's often true. They really do live in a different world from most of us," says Gastil. "Spitzer apparently had access to a service where you pay top dollar for exclusivity and discretion-one that most people don't have access to. Probably your average philanderer doesn't know such a company even exists." Remember the explanation Bill Clinton gave for his cheating: "I did something for the worst possible reason-just because I could."

Some people like to say that people who engage in high-risk behaviors secretly want to be caught but that's highly unlikely with most powerful men who take risks. They don't think they will get caught - they think they will get away with it.

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Italian Scientists Claim They Found G Spot Using Ultrasound

Fri, 7 Mar 2008 18:00:00 EST

The BBC reports that Italian scientists believe they can locate a woman's G spot using ultrasound. Dr Emmanuele Jannini, the leader of the research group, said, "For the first time, it is possible to determine by a simple, rapid and inexpensive method if a woman has got a G spot or not."

The latest research, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, was carried out the Dr Emmanuele Jannini at the University of L'Aquila, and involved just 20 women.

Ultrasound was used to measure the size and shape of the tissue beyond the "front" wall of the vagina, often suggested as the location of the G spot.

In the nine women who reported being able to achieve vaginal orgasm, the tissues between the vagina and the urethra - which carries urine out of the body - were on average thicker than in the 11 women who could not reach orgasm this way.

Other scientists disagree with Jannini's finding. They suggest that what he found isn't the G spot.

However, Dr Tim Spector, from St Thomas' Hospital in London, told New Scientist that the thicker tissue might actually be part of the clitoris - another extremely sensitive area.

Another suggestion was that, rather than being the cause of more orgasms, having these frequently might actually lead to better-developed musculature in this area.

Yet another scientist disagreed with the idea of trying to search for the so-called G spot in the first place. Dr Petra Boynton, a sexual psychologist at University College London, told the BBC, "If a woman spends all her time worrying about whether she is normal, or has a G spot or not, she will focus on just one area, and ignore everything else. It's telling people that there is a single, best way to have sex, which isn't the right thing to do."

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Heart Shirt Lights Up When Lover is Close

Tue, 4 Mar 2008 18:00:00 EST

We are well past Valentine's Day now but these t-shirts from Think Geek may be of interest to people head-over-heels in love with each other. The closer the two people wearing the shirts get to one another the more the hearts on these shirts light up.

Staying healthy is the key to keeping yourself alive. Video game characters know this all too well. When your red heart gauge reaches zero... you die. For non-bitmap humans like you this is more of a challenge. But luckily after extensive study at ThinkGeek labs we've determined that people feel best when they are in close proximity to something that they adore. Don't understand? Well luckily for you we've created this amazing 8-Bit Dynamic Life Shirt to illustrate.

Buy one of these glowing shirts for yourself, and gift one to your significant other (boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, fembot 2000...). During your normal activities two and a half pixelated hearts will light up on your shirt. Hey... you're depressed and in need of a recharge. But get within hugging distance of your significant other wearing the matching shirt and suddenly the hearts on both of your shirts start to light up until you're fully powered up. Go too far astray from the source of your affections and you'll drop back down to two and a half hearts again. Got it?

Here's a video of the shirt in action.

The shirts were widely discussed in the blogosphere. Perhaps shirts like these will be even more popular next Valentine's Day. You can find more discussion of these shirts with hearts that light up at Dot Dot Dot, UsefulTechnology Blog, Dallas Tech Blog, Evolve Happy, Blog of Wishes, The Ferrett, Design Gusto and Shake Well Before Use.

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Love is in the Ventral Tegmental Area

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST

The WSJ's Sam Schechner reports (in the video below) on a study looking at the brains of people who have just fallen in compared to people who claim to have stayed madly in love for over a decade. The romantic love area of those who have just fallen in love occurs in a very primitive part of the brain - the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The activation levels of people who say they have been in love for ten years or more was the same as people who had only just fallen love so apparently some people do retain that "new love" experience. CNN has an article on love and the brain.

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Valentine's Day Searches Rise as Holiday Approaches

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:40:00 EST

Sometimes what people are searching for can be very revealing. A post on Yahoo Buzz looks at some of the most common searches related to the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday.

Is romance possible with primary anxiety? This reading of distracted amor comes partly from a 402% spike in the query, "when is valentine's day." (Answer: February 14.) True, Valentine's Day is more than two weeks away, but traditionally the annual Buzz homage to martyrdom and love begins at this time.

Lookups, especially among ladies of all ages, have begun to register according to schedule, but the online allure for "valentine" is down 27% from this same time period in 2006 and 2007. The quest for "romance" has also taken a hit (-29% compared to last January). Good thing "love" remains relatively stable.

They also have a list of what is up and what is down this year. More people this year are searching for love compatibility, gifts for men and love songs. Not as many people are looking for information on how to kiss. Maybe this year people already know how to smooch.

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Speed Dating: Rich Older Women Seek Boy Toys

Fri, 8 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST

A speed dating event called Natural Selection Speed Date II: Sugar Mamas & Boy Toys attempted to match attractive young men with rich older women. Some twenty guys were selected at the event according to this news story.

"I find younger guys will usually be totally into you while older guys will be looking over your shoulder at a younger woman," said Gail Garrison, 44, a fashion designer and former model.

"Younger men expect an older woman to be more accomplished. They are looking for you because you are intelligent. They are not looking for a mother," she said.

Mr Abelson, 27, calls it "Natural Selection Speed Date II: Sugar Mamas & Boy Toys". He came up with the idea after drawing criticism from feminists for organising an event last year that paired wealthy older men with young women.

More than 5000 men applied for a place in this year's event. Twenty finalists were selected.

"I think for men it is an incredible fantasy (to be with an older woman)," Mr Abelson said. "Older women are more experienced and they know what they want."

The rich older women pared the 5,000 men down to just twenty. These women only want the best - it's not easy finding a rich woman even if you are a boy toy. The event was organized by Pocket Change NY. You can see a bit more about how things went in this Reuters video below.

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Harlequin Survey Reveals Americans Welcome Little White Lies

Fri, 1 Feb 2008 18:00:00 EST

Is honesty always the best policy? No, not always says a new study from Harlequin. According to the 2008 Harlequin Romance Report, the majority of American men (61%) have lied when their significant other asked the dreaded "Do I look fat in this?" According to 63% of Americans, white lies are an acceptable and even welcome part of any relationship, despite the fact that trust and honesty were ranked as the values that mattered most to both men (41%) and women (51%) in relationships.

"Americans want to have trust in their relationships, but sometimes they'd rather have that trust broken," said Marleah Stout, Senior Public Relations Manager, Harlequin Enterprises Ltd. "We want honesty in our relationships, but only if it doesn't offend or contradict our own self-image. We want to know that when it comes to the big things like infidelity, finances, or relationship problems our partners are being honest and truthful. But where physical appearance, annoying habits and personal preferences are concerned we accept, and often expect, to be lied to."

Harlequin analyzed the data to look at when Americans believe lies are acceptable versus when honesty is the best policy. They also found some interesting relationship trends.

Fifty-three percent of men and 54% of women have researched a potential date or significant other online

Forty-five percent of men and 55% of women confessed to having planned to bump into someone on purpose in hopes of it leading to a date

Forty-one percent of men and 45% of women would confess flirting with someone else to their significant other but only 16% of men and 18% of women would confess to sending a sexually explicit email/text/instant message to someone else

Forty-six percent of men and 52% of women felt it is ok to lie to get out of plans they had already made

Eighty-one percent of men still have pictures and mementos from and of their ex(s)

Sixty-five percent of men and 56% of women agree with interoffice romances

Seventy-six percent of American men and 79% of American women say that they have never regretted a confession they have made

Sixty-two percent of men and 69% of women say that they confess their secrets to friends while only 39% of men and 46% of women confess their secrets to significant others

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Katie Holmes Never Received Flowers on Valentine's Day

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:43:00 EST

AZCentral.com is reporting that Katie Holmes was never sent flowers on Valentine's Day during her youth.

Katie Holmes was never sent flowers on Valentine's Day when she was growing up.

The 'Mad Money' actress, now married to Tom Cruise, always felt ignored by the opposite sex on the romantic day, so she put all her effort into sending cards to her girlfriends.

Holmes is quoted by Britain's New. Magazine as saying, "I like making a big deal out of a lot of things, so yes, I like to have a whole day of romance.

I like surprises and I like sending Valentine's cards. I went to an all-girls high school and every Valentine's Day they would announce who had flowers waiting in the office. I got very used to the importance of giving other women Valentines because my name was never called - never. And I didn't have any money to send them to myself."

Poor Katie. At least she is getting plenty of flowers and attention now that she is married. She even had a fairytale wedding.

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Kylie Minogue Uses Google to Look Up Potential Suitors

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST

Kylie Minogue has revealed that she frequently types the names of potential dates into the Google search engine to see what information she can find about them - such as if they are married. Kylie revealed that her sister Danni Minogue also uses Google to scope out men.

The singer - who has been single since splitting from French actor Olivier Martinez - often logs on to the web search engine to check out potential suitors and find out which hunky male celebrities are available.

"I can't lie," she said. "I did it with a friend and she would out me! I can't tell you who I did it with though.

"I simply cannot reveal this information at this time."

Kylie shares her Google love search technique with sister Dannii.

The X Factor judge recently revealed she fell for soul singer Robin Thicke after seeing him on TV, and was going to make a move until she discovered he was married.

Married men are not going to fool Kylie are her search happy sister. There are many single women out there that find this Google trick useful. Unfortunately, not everyone shows up in Google.

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Web 2.0 Dating Sites Use Videos

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:00:00 EST

Wired has an interesting article about the next generation of online dating websites. The websites make use of videos to help people find a love connection.

A handful of next-gen dating services updates the original online-dating sites' standard mix of exhaustive personality surveys and poring over profiles in search of a potential mate. They're the latest twists on internet dating, which drew in 22.6 million people this year, according to data collected by comScore.

Video-centered services like SpeedDate, Say-hey-hey and WooMe reel in online speed daters by offering quick registration, free memberships and the tantalizing promise of a date within minutes. Others, like Ice Brkr and Crazy Blind Date, rely on text messaging to coordinate speedy meetings.

WooMe, backed by original Skype backer Mangrove Capital Partners, allows members to create short group-video-chat sessions. SpeedDate, based in San Mateo, California, files a seemingly endless line of daters through your virtual door for three-minute "video dates" supplemented with a text client. With Say-hey-hey, users upload a YouTube-style clip of themselves, and viewers interested in a date ping the posters with intro videos of their own.

Larry Rosen, professor of psychology at California State University at Dominguez Hills and author of the forthcoming book Me, MySpace and I, says the evolution of online dating is only natural: Even pioneer dating site Match.com is hooking up with Facebook to tap the social networking site's growing popularity.

Some of the websites mentioned in the Wired story include SpeedDate, Say-hey-hey and WooMe. A lot of social networks have video features too but they are not specifically designed to be dating websites.

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DontDateHimGirl.com Launches Charitable Fund Dedicated to Women's Causes

Mon, 7 Jan 2008 21:00:00 EST

DontDateHimGirl.com, an online women's dating resource, has established DDHG Empowers - a new charitable fund dedicated to women's causes.

"It's so important for women to be informed and empowered in all areas of their lives," said the site's founder Tasha Cunningham. "And I'm thrilled to be able to start 2008 by launching this fund to help women to do just that. DDHG Empowers, in partnership with the Dade Community Foundation, will fund projects and programs that uplift women, give them a voice and make a positive impact on their lives."

A significant portion of the proceeds from DontDateHimGirl.com's annual advertising revenue will be donated to the fund, which will be administered by the Dade Community Foundation. DontDateHimGirl.com is an online resource for women seeking counsel, community and communication about love, sex, dating, relationships and marriage. Its mission is to empower women with information and connections to help them make better decisions and take more control in their personal lives.

"DontDateHimGirl.com gives us a powerful tool that can help to limit the amount of damage con men and sociopaths can wreak on our lives," says Kerry Gray of Austin, Texas, a poster and frequent visitor to the site. "Before, these men would simply move to the next town and next victim. Today, thanks to the World Wide Web and DDHG, we have a way to help our sisters around the world. Information is power."

DontDateHimGirl.com was launched in 2005 by Tasha Cunningham, a former Miami Herald columnist. The site offers articles and videos on dating as well as an active community forum. The forum can be found here.

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