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Whiplr is Tinder for the fetish-driven
Mainstream dating services like Tinder, Grindr or OK Cupid don't make it too easy to admit if your tastes are "very singular." That's why Whiplr has been created as a hookup app for people who prefer to get off with more than just a special cuddle. Simply offer up a picture of your face, a nickname and a list of extra-curricular interests and you'll instantly be pointed to members in the local vicinity, arranged by distance.
Why did Tinder just buy a photo-messaging app?
Strangely, for an app that's all about appearances, Tinder has never allowed its users to directly send images to one another. That could be set to change, however, as the dating startup has announced its first-ever acquisition: Tappy, a Snapchat-like app. Tappy launched last summer as a high-concept ephemeral messaging app. To start a conversation in the app, users had to send an image, which would disappear after 24 hours. The idea was that photos would spark conversations, but despite positive reviews, the app never really took off.
Grindr now shows an ETA to your next hookup
Relax everybody: Grindr is going to make finding a potential partner a much simpler affair. You see, now the app will calculate travel time in addition to how far away a potential Lothario is from you, physically. So let's say you've been messaging with Dylan for the past few days, but now that you know he's 45 minutes away that might change the situation a bit -- especially when your fall-back, Bryan, is only a five-minute walk from your apartment. That could affect your evening's plans considerably we'd imagine ('in a quarter-mile, turn right and smile). The app's update also makes swipe-navigation between chats and profiles free for everyone, whereas before it was limited to those paying for Grindr Xtra.
OKCupid test lets you choose nearly any sexual identity
If you don't conform to historical definitions of gender or sexual orientation, online dating can be tough. You frequently have to shoehorn yourself into a category where you aren't comfortable, and you'll probably get many unwelcome advances. OKCupid should soon have a fix, however: it's testing an update that dramatically expands the range of identities you can associate with your dating profile. You can declare yourself as gender non-conforming or pansexual, for example, rather than having to choose from binary options like male/female or heterosexual/gay. The site is only showing the new options to a subset of its users and hasn't said if or when they'll be available to everyone, but it might not be long before you'll have an easier time finding partners that accept who you are. [Image credit: Alamy]
Tinder's paid tier will let you undo costly dating mistakes
So you're furiously swiping left in Tinder to get rid of bad matches, only to realize that you accidentally dismissed a total dreamboat. Are you going to be stuck lamenting the romance that might have been? Not if you're using Tinder's upcoming paid tier. The dating firm tells TechCrunch that its Plus service will include an "undo" feature that lets you revisit date candidates you'd previously ruled out. Just how much this (and the previously mentioned away-from-home browsing) will cost you is up in the air. Tinder will test Plus with a portion of its users in the UK, Brazil and Germany, with prices ranging anywhere from 99 cents to $20; the official rollout will depend on what customers are willing to pay. Either way, you won't have to risk spending the night at home just because you were too quick to skip a potential partner.
Check out HelloTel when you check in to your hotel
HelloTel is a brand new social networking app. This app allows users to "check-in" to a hotel much like a user would check-in on location based apps like Foursquare. The user is then also able to see nearby users who have checked into their hotel as well as nearby hotels. It requires iOS 6.0 or later and is compatible with iPod touch, iPad, and optimized for iPhone 5. Once a user has checked-in, they can message others and give them "kudos", which I guess is just a positive quick way to say you like their profile. I think I might be one of the very few female users currently on this app because I instantly was swamped with messages and kudos. Users can also add you to their favorites list. HelloTel is a very easy platform for meeting people if you are from out of town and traveling alone. You might want to have a quick drink to pass the time the night before an important business function or other purposeful visit. There is also an option for a user to indicate that they are on the app for business. Truthfully I don't see people using this app for business because the design has more of a dating app feel and the content that people can put in their profile is all personal. The social aspect of the app is quite appealing though. The interface design is reminiscent of Tinder, without the option to swipe left or right on a user. I like the basic white/teal color palate. The hotel themed icons - such as the bellhop - are really cute. It's easy to navigate from tab to tab and to message other users. Users have the option to add photos of their stay and to post a status about the hotel. Setting up my profile only took a minute and finding other nearby users to message was simple and straight forward. I will probably use HelloTel next time I am traveling alone and looking to socialize with other hotel visitors. Sometimes it's fun to meet a new person to have a drink at the hotel bar and check out an indoor pool with, and it's probably much safer to do this with a person who is staying in the same place you are, versus a random person from a bar or another dating app. I recommend HelloTel for people who travel often and are looking for a social media app that can allow them to meet people where they are instead of staying in their hotel room all alone. Chances are, getting out and meeting people will be much more fun than any of the premium movies you can order from your hotel room TV.
An average Tinder user spends 90 minutes swiping each day
The swipe left or right method of match making has helped Tinder rise in popularity since its debut two years ago. In a report from The New York Times, we get a glimpse at just how folks are using the app. In the aforementioned time frame, the mobile software is said to be approaching 50 million users as it sorts over a billion swipe-based likes/dislikes every day. As far as average user stats go, a typical user logs in 11 times a day, spending an hour and a half perusing. Women tend to browse a smidge longer than men per session though -- staying 8.5 minutes versus 7.2 for the fellas. In terms of "likes," male users swipe right on 46 percent of the snapshots they view, which is almost three times more often than female Tinder enthusiasts. With premium features on the way for scouting other locales, it'll be interesting to see how the outfit maintains its growing audience.
What you need to know about the world of online dating
If a smoky, beer-soaked pub is the last place you'd go to find Mr. or Mrs. Right, online dating is a godsend. Ideally, it brings together like-minded couples in a non-threatening virtual space, so they can get to know each other before committing to a physical date. On top of the countless mainstream sites, there are specialized ones to help you find someone with the same religion, interests and sexual preferences -- whether you're seeking a friendly relationship, life partner or a one-night stand. There are serious pitfalls to avoid, of course: dodgy sites, "catfishing" and, worst of all, online predators. But despite the risks, online dating works. Most of us know at least one person who's met their partner online -- if you don't, I'm one of them. Nice to meet you! All it takes is some common sense and a pinch of savoir-faire.
Premium Tinder features will help you find love before hitting a new city
If you don't count buying a few drinks or other niceties, finding love on Tinder is essentially free, but it looks like that'll change come next month. The app's CEO and cofounder Sean Rad recently teased at Forbes' Under 30 event that new features will be added that users have apparently been clamoring for. What's more, he thinks they'll offer enough value that a specific subset of its user-base will be willing to pay for them. The core experience of swiping left or right on potential matches to like or dislike, respectively, won't see any fees tacked on, but an ability to expand your Tinder reach beyond your current location and into other cities is coming in November. Perfect for striking up conversations before you start traveling, it'd seem. As you'll see in the video below, Rad isn't keen to say just how much this will cost as of now, only that monetizing these "hacks" will allow the outfit to reinvest in itself. With how the application has handled location data in the past, however, let's hope this turns out for the best.
Pulsate is your new wingman at local bars
Pulsate is a brand new dating app that intends to match people in real time at bars and nightclubs. Other popular dating apps like Tinder and OKcupid rely on the users to decide if, when and where they meet in person. Pulsate makes meeting potential romantic partners as easy as turning your head at the bar to see if the match on your phone is also a match in real life. This is typically a job for a friend known as a "wingman" who is willing to put themselves out there for you to decrease chances of face to face rejection at bars. Your new digital wingman Pulsate is compatible with the iPhone, iPod, and iPad, requires iOS7.1 or later, and is optimized for iPhone 5. This app is user friendly and the interface is visually appealing. It takes about two minutes to connect to your Facebook and fill out your user profile. You can find venues that are "pulsating" - meaning venues where other users are located. This app is very new so I was unable to find any venues with other users. I could see this becoming a major issue for getting this app off the ground and to the masses. It might be to Pulsate's benefit to hold promotional events at popular bars to get users started. I don't see people signing up on their own and just winging it because with its current state it requires too much attention to find venues and other users. I do like the idea of meeting instantly in person. If the app can take off in popularity I would be interested in using it regularly because conventional online dating can be extremely disappointing. People usually do not represent themselves accurately and if you take the time to schedule a date to go out of your way to meet a person, you are often setting yourself up for a waste of an evening. With Pulsate, you can instantly decide if you want to spend more than 10 minutes enjoying someone's company. That relieves a lot of pressure from the stress that comes with assessing another person for compatibility. However, this app is not completely free. A user can only have five free matches and after that they must purchase more. I really don't see people buying into this. Why would anyone buy matches to meet people in bars where they already are? I think Pulsate would be better off embedding advertisements or incorporating some bonus premium user features rather than only allowing a very small number of free matches. People who use dating apps know that five people often does not even crack the surface in finding a match. I will be very interested in using this app more once the word gets out. Sometimes meeting people in real time can be difficult because you don't know if a person you are attracted to is unavailable or interested in you as well. This could eliminate awkwardness and allow people to connect in person very easily. I would recommend Pulsate to single people who are tired of meeting people online and are ready to connect with a real person in real time.
'Siren' dating app wants to keep women safe from creeps
While Tinder solves a few of the problems women face with online dating -- like being smothered with lascivious messages from anyone and everyone -- there's still an issue of privacy that it fails to address. That risk of not being nearly as anonymous while looking for a mate as one would hope is what inspired Seattle's Susie Lee to create Siren. What sets it apart from every other dating app is that it keeps a woman's picture private until she deems it appropriate to share with a possible suitor. As Seattle Times notes, a lady can peruse the profiles of men at their leisure and if, say, she's into a guy's answer to questions like what their three magic-lamp wishes are, she can then show him her picture. The idea is to give ladies the control here and base matches on real-world personality, not a dry series of surveys akin to eHarmony.
Online dating leads to more break-ups than meeting in real life
Online dating has reached the point where it isn't weird to say you met someone via the internet anymore. Tinder is another story, but that's a digression for a different day. However, while sites like eHarmony and Match are quick to espouse their success rates (the former claims that 438 members marry every day) it turns out their data, much like OKCupid, might not be telling the whole truth. A recent joint-study (PDF) conducted by Michigan State University and Stanford found that people who met online weren't as likely to stay together for the long haul as their offline-matched counterparts. The separation and divorce rates for folks who'd paired up online was much higher than their offline compatriots, and more online-founded relationships tended to end within a year after the survey. Is Online Better Than Offline For Meeting Partners? states that those who met on the web were more likely to date than actually marry compared to people that'd met IRL, too -- by more than double.
Love is in the air at the Tokyo Game Show
Dating simulation games are nothing new in Japan; and in fact, there's something for both boys and girls. This particular booth at the Tokyo Game Show was chiefly promoting Voltage Inc.'s romance mobile apps to the ladies, but with a twist: The company brought in some "attractive models" to let attendees "experience the world of romance apps in real life." Japanese girls (and some guys) were actually lining up to try a scene from one of the three games, and needless to say, it's rather entertaining to watch their reactions -- which were unsurprisingly consistent in general -- as the male characters wooed them with a "kabe don." And if you don't know what that is, educate yourselves with our video after the break.
Tinder co-founder hits company with sexual harassment lawsuit
The corporate culture at Tinder HQ is about to get a public airing, now that its female co-founder and former VP of marketing has raised a lawsuit over allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination. Whitney Wolfe (top right) claims that she was sent inappropriate messages by one of Tinder's male co-founders, Justin Mateen (top left). These messages have been submitted as evidence, as you can probably tell from the spooked tone of the company's official response: "...it has become clear that Mr. Mateen sent private messages to Ms. Wolfe containing inappropriate content. We unequivocally condemn these messages, but believe that Ms. Wolfe's allegations with respect to Tinder and its management are unfounded."
Tinder wants to verify celebrities so you know they're really into you
Tinder, the iOS and Android app that matches people by how close they are from one another, has a celebrity problem. While signing up to a dating app is probably the last thing you'd expect any privacy-conscious alphabet-lister to consider, Tinder already counts a few famous faces amongst its millions of users (Ashton Kutcher and Lindsay Lohan reportedly are fans), but they aren't racking up matches because people believe their profiles are fake. According to Hollywood Reporter, the mobile startup wants to remove all doubt from that equation by introducing a verification system for celebrity users that could use Twitter-style checkmarks to signify that an actor, actress or musician (etc.) is who they say they are. Tinder CEO Sean Rad also says that the company could drop the requirement for stars to sign up using Facebook, where they'd have to use their real name instead of an alias, allowing them "to enter Tinder in a different way." We don't yet know when the new system will be implemented, but if it does lure famous users to the service, you never know, you could only be five right-swipes away from Kevin Bacon.
Tinder security flaw exposed users' exact locations for several months
Have you been using Tinder (an iOS/Android dating app that shows pictures of users in your area) these past months to try and find the one? Well, if you're deathly scared of stalkers, you might want to sit down. Apparently, there was a flaw on the dating app's API, which made it possible to pinpoint user distances down to a hundred feet. According to a report published by whitehat hacker Max Veytsman from Inside Security, he discovered the vulnerability in October 2013. It could've been around since July, though, as it was a byproduct of the fix issued for a previous flaw that revealed users' latitude and longitude coordinates. To demonstrate how damaging the security loophole could be, Veytsman created an app that automatically shows a user's location on Google Maps by using triangulation, as you can see in the video after the jump. Thankfully, Tinder's management was more receptive to feedback than Snapchat's, and though Veytsman didn't receive a reply to half his emails, tests he conducted on January 1st revealed the issue no longer exists. Now, we can only hope no ne'er-do-well had any success matching up Tinder addresses with Snapchat phone numbers.
Daily iPhone App: TrintMe helps you meet your significant other without worrying about rejection
TrintMe from Social Innovations is one those social dating apps that takes a different spin on the meet-and-greet part of relationships. Rather than let your true romantic intentions be known to the world, TrintMe keeps them private and does the match-making in the background. It's a toned-down version of Bang with Friends (Down) that focuses more on friendship building and romance, less on casual hook-ups. Just like Down, TrintMe ties into your Facebook account and pulls down your list of friends. The app allows you to browse through your extended friends list to find potential romantic interests. Once you find someone you like, you can send out a trint request like "You're cool," "Let's talk" and so on. This is where the TrintMe match-making service steps in and takes over. All trints are processed and stored in the background by the TrintMe service. The recipient never sees your request unless they have sent a similar request to you. If there is no match, the request sits idle and is eventually deleted. You may be disappointed that your potential partner wasn't interested in you, but you can rest easy knowing that you didn't spoil a friendship just because you wanted to take the relationship to the next level. TrintMe is available from the iOS App Store for free. It requires a Facebook account.
Twine uses your interests to match you with singles
Twine (free) launched today, and it offers a novel approach to the age old problem of meeting other singles. While niche sites like Cupidtino come and go, your Facebook profile, check-ins and activity provide a map of your interests. Twine looks at those interests, the people around you (more or less), and suggests a "twine" for you to try and connect. You then chat semi-anonymously, and if you hit it off you can later reveal your profile pic and personal info. Design Twine is absolutely lovely to look at. There's a minimum of buttons, subtle design elements are lovingly crafted and the typography and textures are elegant. The app oozes class, which is good for a singles app. Interaction is very intuitive, which is good because Twine, like any social app, is going to need as many users as possible. Users who are confused will be deleting the app quickly. A small cue indicates you are still hidden from the other chat participant by sliding a visor across the eyes. A lightbulb to the left of your text input area makes suggestions on what to say, with a logical plus sign to the right to add that to the text area (you an still edit the text afterward). Twine allows you to move between the main screen, your twines (and chats) and your profile by swiping left and right, somewhat like Facebook's app. Functionality Twine tries to keep the male to female ratio even, so it's possible if you are a guy you'll have to wait to get to use it. So far the line isn't long -- I had only one person in front of me. There's another attempt to rate limit creeps by Twine after you find "twines" (connections with others). You can only "find a twine" so many times every so many hours. I looked up about four people before I "ran out of juice" and had to wait six hours to try again. This is an interesting way to ensure people are only connecting to good matches, I suppose. If you are used to casting a wide net, however, you'll be limited by design. Speaking of a wide net, I would note that as Twine is young, the user base isn't very high yet. There's no telling what the future will bring, but the more users generally the better matches will appear for you. Once you've found a "twine" you can start chatting. Chat is a very Messages-like experience (in a good way), and Twine offers a neat shortcut if you're stumped on conversation starters. By pulling your Facebook data, it suggests things like "How often do you go to [place you've checked into]"? Based on my testing it was trying to match up similarities. Both I and my girlfriend like Weird Al, and Twine suggested the text "What is your favorite Weird Al song?" Being data, it can sometimes be... vague. One question was whether she had seen the movie The Well, when it is in fact a local bar we've both been to. Luckily the text pastes in already selected so you can edit it before you send. I'm not sure if it encourages laziness, but it certainly is a quick way to find common interests. Conclusion If Twine can keep adding users I think it will become a fun way for people to meet. The only drawback I see is, aside from "making connections" there's no other utility. I've met people on Flickr who weren't just into photos, but had a cool picture of something they did. Likewise, I've made friends on Facebook based on groups that do something. While dating sites are general purpose, being social is often built around personal choices of activity. Then again, what you've done and what you're into -- insofar as it shows up on Facebook -- is how Twine tries to connect you to others. I have to hand it to the team at Twine for connecting those dots, but I am curious to see if the app is used extensively enough for those connections to become real. Pros: Matches according to interests, check-ins via Facebook Great design You can stay relatively private Cons: Age gate a little iffy (someone's profile said 16 when the agreement is for 17 and up) Given small population, "local" is a wide net sometimes (had someone in DC suggested for someone in TN) Ratio balancing means one female per male, so guys may have to wait or invite a female via Facebook
Mister is a gay meetup app that aims to help the dating Grind grow up
There aren't a lot of cutting edge apps for gay dating. The most popular one is Grindr, but that app is largely used to find men who want to hook up rather than be your long-term boyfriend. What if you want more than just another hook-up? Why can't there be a grown-up alternative to Grindr? There is, and it's called Mister. With a user base of 1 million there are plenty of other men looking for love on Mister's network, and their new app makes finding "the one" easier than ever. Mister is designed to take gay dating apps beyond the limit of hook-up culture and truly help each user focus on a well-rounded image of the men they're looking for. Unlike Grindr, which limits you to 130 characters in your profile, Mister provides 3,000 characters to present an image of who you truly are. Instead of the one picture Grindr allows, Mister allows you to post 25. Every day users get 30 personalized introductions, and the app's learning engine allows it to evolve its selections over time to help you find a better match. Matches are done using a mix of geolocation and Mister's web server, leveraging the web server's power to give you better searches. In addition, the new app is faster, sleeker and easier to browse than ever before. Mister CEO Carl Sandler created Mister as a place that emphasizes maturity, safety and respect in the app dating scene. When I spoke to Sandler last week, he explained the motive accordingly: A lot of people in other apps created an environment that was very much aimed at people who look really great in one photo of themselves. Especially shirtless. So if you happen to not be the kind of person that has a washboard stomach or is 23, Grinder sort of became a place that wasn't for you. It wasn't inclusive of a lot of people. There are reasons for that, but a lot of it is because Grindr was designed as a hook-up app. And a lot of people are looking for more than that. To that end Mister also features an encouraged, but optional, MISTER code of ethics. Maturity: MISTERs act like adults. No games. No attitude. Integrity: MISTERs live authentically and honestly. Safety: MISTERs protect themselves and their partners, emotionally and physically. Truth: MISTERs represent themselves accurately in their profiles. Enjoyment: MISTERs value mutually pleasurable experiences. Respect: MISTERs treat each other with respect. The MISTER code creates an environment that's free of the sometimes outright insulting and hostile stances taken on other apps. Sandler told me: This is a space for real men that's about being themselves. You don't have to pretend to be some kind of super jock or athlete. You can have a space that's about authentic experiences and conversations. We want to use the app to empower people not to have shame around dating. You can go on the app to look around and have a good time, or find dates. I'd say we're somewhere between a Match.Com and a Grindr. Mister's redesigned app is debuting exclusively on iOS today, with an Android version coming out in the fall. iOS was the logical place to debut the app, considering around 70 percent of its current users have iPhones.
Age of Wushu China introduces factions, dating, and weather
A content update is blowing in for Age of Wushu players on the Chinese server, one that adds a few new features to the sandbox game including factions, dating (yes, really), and an active weather system. Players who never settled on a school will soon have even more options to choose from; instead of joining a school, they can join a faction. However, players who're already members of a school can also join a faction either by school betrayal, requesting permission to wander, or facial surgery. Each method affects school skills to varying degrees. The two known factions are Rootless Clan and Palace of Moving Flowers, both of which feature very stringent admission requirements (castrated males and pretty females, respectively). Players can also participate in online dating, Age of Wushu-style. Dating allows players to choose an offline player with whom to build a relationship through various quests. On top of these changes, players will also enjoy a more robust and active environmental system that includes a day/night cycle, seasons, and weather -- even eclipses! Although this content update is currently slated for the games Chinese servers, you can still enjoy a look at the weather systems in the following trailer.
