IOL Technology Magazine - February 2021

IOL

TECHNOLOGY SA’S FREE MONTHLY TECH AND INNOVATIONS MAG

The ONLINE DATING issue

S T N E T N CO Editor’s Note

Gadgets that help to bridge the distance

Playing online games can bring people closer together

What are deepfakes and how do you spot them?

How smartphones have changed the culture of dating

Dating sites see big growth during Covid-19 pandemic

The top four dating apps South Africans are signing up for

How Indian dating app users prepare for real meetings

Want to be popular on dating apps: add the word ‘vaccinated’

CONTACT US PUBLISHER Vasantha Angamuthu vasantha@africannewsagency.com TECH EDITOR Faheem Khota faheem.khota@inl.co.za PRODUCTION Renata Ford renata.ford@inl.co.za BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Keshni Odayan keshni@africannewsagency.com SALES Charl Reineke charl@africannewsagency.com Kyle Villet kyle.villet@africannewsagency.com ENQUIRIES info@anapublishing.com

Editor’s Note THE month of love is with us once again.

Like many things in the world, love too has evolved through the use of technology.

Cupid’s arrows now move fluidly through satellites and we see love blossoming faster than ever before with a simple swipe right.

With the plethora of dating apps at our fingertips, staying close to the ones you love or finding someone to love, has never been easier.

This month’s edition is all about love in the digital age. Whether you never thought of it as an option before, or are a veteran online-dater, we hope you enjoy this month’s mag and wish you nothing but love for the year to come.

Faheem

Gadgets to bridge the distance FLOYD MATLALA floyd.matlala@inl.co.za

HAVE you ever imagined a world where people did not have to meet in person when going on a date or searching for a relationship? Well that’s the world most people live in currently.

With the acceleration of digital use due to lockdowns over the world, online dating has seen a massive spike as many people rely on dating sites to seek love and search for sexual partners. From using smartphones and tablets to meet with their partners to using various sex gadgets for pleasure, technology has allowed many to take advantage of these various gadgets while exploring the virtual dating space.

Let's take a look at gadgets

many people can use while exploring online dating.

Smartphones Searching for a romantic partner has now been made easier with a smartphone in the palm of your hand which redefines dating norms. With the advanced technology on smartphones which allow users to download various dating apps, many people can easily interact virtually.

Tablet Tablets also provide a similar look and feel except that this gadget gives users a much panoramic view. This is much easier to read on and use to type, this is especially when it comes to viewing and reading large pieces of information, the visibility is much better.

Tiani 2 This vibrating U-shaped dual-motor item is designed

to be worn internally by a woman, which can be remotecontrolled from nearly 40 feet away. This allows users to control the sensations during lovemaking through movements of the remote.

A more fulfilling feeling for her and more intensity for him make it the best sex toy for couples to share bigger climaxes Max 2 and Nora A pair of his-and-hers sex toys that can be used both solo or linked to smartphones and the internet for a synced-up interactive experience (using motion sensors that simulate moving in tandem) over long distances.

We-Vibe Moxie The Moxie is controlled via app, allowing your partner to control the vibration from 10, 100, or 3 000 kilometres away.

How GAMES bring people TOGETHER YASMINE JACOBS yasmine.jacobs@inl.co.za

NOT all love stories start in a dramatic way – and neither do they all start at a swipe of your finger. Sometimes, it can all start with a game.

Forget the stereotype of gamers being lonely. Games can bring people together, whether it is in a romantic way or platonic.

If you know a gamer, or if you are one, you would know how passionate they are. Passionate about their favourite game, passionate on expressing their views on said game and passionate about life itself. And who would not want that kind of energy in a relationship?

Then there is also the power of friendships.

Many popular games let you play with your friends or go head to head against another group. Sure, everyone ends up being salty if your team loses, but at the same time, you all did your best to co-operate with each other for one purpose and goal.

It can also bring strangers together. Have you ever played a game and for those few minutes (or hours) of playing together, there is this weird, indescribable bond?

Just me? Okay cool.

Gaming has brought people together from when people were still jamming 8-bit games. Whether you are playing it or watching it, games has the power to unite and spread the love (and salt) in these troubling times.

What are deepfakes and how do you spot them?

Deepfakes is similar to Photoshopping – but worse – and the consequences can be disastrous.

YASMINE JACOBS yasmine.jacobs@inl.co.za

NO ONE likes a catfish. Sadly, catfishing is still popular and with that, deepfake photos and videos are on the rise.

What are deepfakes?

Deepfakes is similar to Photoshopping – but worse – and the consequences can be disastrous.

Deepfakes use a form of AI called deep learning to create images of fake events.

It was and could be used for anything from putting new words in a politician’s mouth, star in your favourite movie as your favourite actress or be a back up dancer for your favourite artist.

This deep-learning system can produce a convincing counterfeit by “studying” photographs and videos of the unlucky person from multiple angles. It will then mimic its behavior and speech patterns.

Images and audio can also be deepfaked.

How can you spot them?

Unfortunately, identifying deepfakes gets harder as technology advances. But there is hope.

Deepfakes that have not been done as well are easy to spot as the lip synching might be off or the skin tone does not look particularly right.

You might even notice flickering around the edges of the deepfake faces.

Facebook and Microsoft

have taken strides to detect and remove deepfake videos.

In 2019, the two tech firms announced they will be collaborating with top universities across the US to create a large database of fake videos for research.

IOL TECH

How smartphones have changed the culture of dating MASABATA MKWANANZI masabata.mkwananzi@inl.co.za

Before the invention of smartphones came to play, singles would go on physical dates to get to know if a potential date could turn into a serious date. And couples would meet up with each other regularly and go on physical dates together.

But that all changed when smartphones were invented.

One would say, smartphones have changed the culture of dating in a bad way, whereas other people may argue that smartphones have changed the culture of dating in a good way.

In fact, it has made things a bit easier.

Now let us compare the two, we will start with how smartphones changed the dating culture in a bad way: Real-life interactions are something of the past when it

comes to the culture of dating in the new world of smartphones.

More and more people are using dating apps on their smartphones to interact with people and meet potential dates that could spark new romance.

Social media also plays a part as it allows other people to get to know each other before they even meet. It also contributed to people having less blind dates, your friend could set you up on a blind date and you can easily get to know your date by searching on them through social media, and that will prevent you from going on that date should you find something you do not like.

Now let us compare how smartphones are changing the dating culture in a good way: In the new world of dating and smartphones, single people would rather download a dating app like Tinder than go on a blind date, this helps individuals to

find more information about a potential date. Our society would rather talk to a person on Tinder before meeting them in person.

With a click of a button, we can find out almost everything about a person before meeting them. You would know if that person is a stalker, whether they committed a crime, or has a criminal record of some kind.

This is very beneficial and safe to know, as it can prevent you from going on a blind date with a serial killer.

Now, whether you are old fashioned and like to do things the old way, like meeting up with a person and going on a real date without the disturbance of smartphones. Or whether you are a Gen X, and would like to use social media and dating apps to your advantage and do things the smartphone way. I say the ball is in your court and you can do both.

Dating sites see BIG growth during pandemic FLOYD MATLALA floyd.matlala@inl.co.za

AS THE acceleration of digital use continues to spike, physical has also taken the back seat within the dating space. Many online dating sites have seen a massive spike as many people rely on dating sites to seek love and search for sexual partners rather than meeting in person.

Dating sites have seen major revenue growth while gaining more users and subscribers as many people have now resorted to digital space.

Let’s take a look at top dating sites that have seen a spike in revenue in the previous year.

TINDER According to Business Insider, Tinder remains the highest grossing app in the Lifestyle category in 100 countries and has grown direct revenue from essentially zero in 2014 to an expected nearly $1.4 billion this year.

The app saw revenue grow 15% since the third quarter 2019 and got a 16% boost when it comes to subscribers.

HINGE An app built around forging meaningful connections, reported in its third-quarter earnings that its subscriptions are up 82% this year and revenue has grown more than 200% year-over-year.

Hinge was launched in 2012 as an app seeking to

move beyond the “hookup culture” that Tinder is known for and tap into more serious relationship building.

BUMBLE Bumble, a dating platform favored by urban millennials, saw a significant increase in messages sent in cities under shelter-in-place mandates.

Bumble recorded a 21% increase in sent messages in Seattle, a 23% increase in New York City and a 26% increase in San Francisco.

THE INNER CIRCLE The dating app is also finding that users are keen to get on video calls, with a 50% increase in people suggesting they Skype or Zoom their matches since March.

4 P O T DATING APPS MASABATA MKWANANZI masabata.mkwananzi@inl.co.za

ARE you looking for love in the new digital world? If so, then dating apps should be your first port of call.

Dating apps are considered to be one of the best ways to spark a new romance and possibly find a lifetime partner. But with so many dating apps around, which one choose and where to start?

In this edition of IOL Tech, we will explore the top four dating apps that will help get you started.

Tinder The famous Tinder app was introduced back in 2012 on a college campus. It is the world’s most popular app for meeting new people.

It’s available in 190 countries, with about 40 languages or more and has been downloaded more than 400 million times. Tinder has 6.6 million subscribers and is the highestgrossing non-gaming app globally.

Users have the option of a free or paid account. A “swipe” system

lets you approve or reject matches.

Tinder Plus paid membership includes unlimited likes, a passport to talk to singles in various countries, a “rewind” option to change your mind about swiping left, Super Likes to stand out, and a free “Boost” each month.

SouthAfricanCupid With SouthAfricanCupid you can look for either a long-term relationship or something more casual.

SouthAfricanCupid has free and paid membership options, profile customisation options, photo upload options for all users, a database for searching for members based on preferences, instant notifications using the app, and an in-app messaging system.

OkCupid Like Tinder, OkCupid is among the popular dating apps. It was introduced back in 2004. In 2014, it gained popularity with people all over

the world.

The app has a messaging system that focuses on compatible connections, not random messages, extensive dating profiles including options for “deal breakers” and “biggest passions” to help the site find better matches, personal preference options to help you find people who meet certain criteria, and an option to browse profiles or participate in quick-match swiping.

HER It is the largest dating app within the community of the LGBTQ female world, the app has a whopping five million users worldwide. Users will need to use their Facebook or Instagram account to sign up, after which they can view other verified users both locally and worldwide.

With HER, users can feel safe, have fun and meet friendly people. All the core features are free to use. You can view profiles and events, get matches, add friends and start chats.

How INDIAN DATING APP users PREPARE FOR REAL MEETING IANS

FROM doing an online search to sharing live location, Indian dating app users take various precautions before meeting their digital matches for the first time in the real world, said a new study.

The research by cybersecurity company Avast showed six out of 10 who use online dating apps or websites searched – on Google or social media – someone they matched with on a dating app.

Of this group, 40% of them decided not to meet the person based on what they found online or because they could not find anything.

The motivation for why those who used online dating in India searched for the person they were going to meet varied from wanting to learn more about their match, verifying the person was actually real, and fact-checking what their match told them about themselves.

Most of these users in India carried out their research on a social networking platforms like Facebook, Instagram,

or on search engines such as Google, Bing, or similar.

Some users looked them up on a professional social network like LinkedIn or similar platform or went a step further and performed a reverse image search using the person’s dating platform profile picture.

“Online dating means we eventually have to reveal a lot of personal information to our potential dating partners, and to the dating service provider as well,” Petra Moravcova, Consumer Insights expert at Avast, said.

The study also showed that when meeting someone for the first time for an in-person date, 24% of users make sure the meeting spot was a public place, 37% let a friend or family member know who they are meeting or shared their live location with them.

While 25% set the meeting location to a place they are familiar with, 14% asked a friend or family member to be at the same location and time as the date.

Want to be popular on dating apps?

Add ‘vaccinated’ to profile name

SEVERAL weeks ago, I got tapped, which is to say liked, by a fellow on the dating app Scruff. His profile name, “Vaccinated”, surprised me, so I checked him out and learned he’s a registered nurse in his fifties. I found dozens of individuals who had recently switched their screen names to some form of “vaccinated”. Among the most popular: “vaccinate”, “covid vaccinated” and “fully vaccinated”.

In just the past week or two, the addition of some form of “vaccinated” to Scruff’s screen names has doubled.

This trend is mirrored on other dating sites. An OkCupid spokesperson says the service saw a 137% increase in mentions of “vaccine” from November to January.

Not surprisingly, those screen names caught my eye against the sea of the more commonplace ones like “dates and chat”, “NC farmer” and – look out! – “Heartless”. As a single man and someone who has not yet been vaccinated, I wondered:is this a new way to say, “Pick me! I’m safe”?

OkCupid told me that its users who answer “yes” as opposed to “no” to their matching question, “Will you get the Covid-19 vaccine?” are being liked at a rate of up to 25% higher. Health issues actually have a history of being embedded in dating profiles, and can include someone’s cancer history, HIV status or the acronym “DDF” (for “drug and disease-free”, which covers drug use and sexually transmitted infections).

Until the recent deployment of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, I’d been living a Covid-careful existence when it came to my dating life. Now that people are getting vaccinated, I wonder: “Are things about to change? And is that a good or bad thing?”

Examining Scruff and other dating app profiles more closely, it became apparent that many of the users, like the guy who tapped me, are health-care professionals trying to influence others to get the vaccine when they have the opportunity. | The Washington Post

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