If you thought that online dating was convenient, you haven’t seen anything yet. Since you’re using your cell phone for everything else, why not use it for dating too?

Many online dating services are now offering you the chance to post your profile over your phone as well as get messaged whenever potential dates are nearby to you – using GPS technology. Instead of having to look for a date, you just have to wait for the ring of your cell. Just to mention a few, new sites such as Webdate.com, WebdateMobile.com and Fling Mobile offer a whole range of mobile dating and mobile chat services, some of which are totally free.

Worldwide, there are now more cell phones than personal computers, so it’s not surprising that businesses are suddenly taking notice of the huge potential that mobile dating has to offer. However, this kind of service is quite new and not used by a large number of the population – which limits your dating pool at the current moment. Mobile phone users tend to be young people and often are seeking fun rather than dates. But as more people begin to uncover the possibility that dating might just be a keypad away, there’s no telling where this mobile dating can lead.

Instead of being tied down to your computer, you’ll be able to actually get out and meet people. Many are saying that these kinds of meet-up services work very well for meeting new friends – and who knows where those kinds of relationships can go?

News & Views Cell Phone, Chat, Flirting, Friends, Meet People, Mobile Phone, SMS, Young

While you might think that online dating is tough – listen to this.

Zookeepers in the Netherlands are trying to play matchmaker to Indonesian and Dutch orangutans over the Internet. Seriously.

It works by connecting various zookeepers and letting them talk about the various orangutans that they have and who they think might get along best as mates. There are even video feeds that will ‘introduce’ the primates to each other to see if there’s a positive reaction.

They can even feed each other by means of a button. When the orangutan pushes the button during a video meeting, the other orangutan will receive a treat.

Dinner for two, anyone?

However, just like any relationship, it seems that there are troubles ahead for those long distance animal lovers – the trip from Apeldoorn and Indonesia is a long one. And this means that many of the orangutans may never meet.

But the inventions of web cams and computer systems that will allow them to ‘date’ online gives many daters hope that things will work better for them.

However, a word of advice for all online daters: there are monkeys looking for love online too, so you should try to be as specific as you can about the species that you’re willing to meet for coffee.

News & Views Animals, Humor, Relationships

The 9th International conference for online personals and Internet dating is being held in Amsterdam, on September 25-26 2006. Topics cover business management, marketing of internet dating sites targeting the EU. Visit site

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