Feb. 13, 2009 -- I went on a date with another woman. She had long blonde hair, wore a tank top, and liked to wink at me. We met at a bar and listened to soft music as we played small games and got to know each other. I held her hand and after five minutes she asked if she could kiss me, and I accepted. Maybe my girlfriend will be able to forgive me since this was a virtual date and I was researching a story (honest!). The woman (or rather, her avatar) I met was Ravit Abelman, co-founder of virtual dating site OmniDate, and she was letting me try out all the various functions. Visitors to major online dating Web sites could soon see virtual dating functions. "With email the anticipation builds and builds and by the time you actually meet the person there is a mountain of expectation," said Abelman. "All people want is to learn more about the person behind the online profile in a safe and comfortable manner." Related Content:
Going on a virtual date entails logging onto a Web site like OmniDate and creating an online profile, like many other Web sites. Unlike other Web sites, a virtual date also requires setting up an avatar, or virtual representation of yourself, from a library of avatars. Currently the avatars on Omnidate's Web site are only approximations of your real appearance, although that will soon change. Omnidate is developing software that will automatically convert an uploaded photo of yourself into an online avatar for a more realistic image of you and your date. When a single you are interested in logs in, you can ask that person for a virtual date. Once the person agrees, your two avatars are transported to a random setting, such as a bar (as in my date), a cafe or on a beach. Couples can then play games to break the ice, choose what music to listen to, and write messages that pop up as text boxes. If a person likes what he or she is hearing, they can press a button and briefly hold the other avatar's hand, touch their face, or blow a kiss. After five minutes a "kiss" function appears. Press it, and if the other person permits it, one avatar holds the other to plant a gentle smooch. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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Get the Wide Angle on Love and Tech!All we need is love. And all love needs these days is a little boost from technology to get the ball rolling, the sparks flying and the flame burning. In the "olden days," it was the invention of the phone and automobile that did the trick. Now, it's virtual dating, social networking, genetic partnering and chemical analysis that not only bring us together, but help us understand how we got there in the first place. Find out how by diving into our Wide Angle on Love and Technology.
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