Find the Apple of Your Iphone with Grindr

Let's set the record straight, when it comes to being the first to adopt new trends, no one can top the gays. During drinks last week, with two of my favorite gay men and bloggers Nando of Nandoism and JP Buchmeyer of Alphabet City Blog, I was turned on (by) and to a dating technology that has been capturing the hards hearts of gay men for the past decade--Grindr. For those of you that don't know about this technology, it goes something like this:


Download the Grindr app to your smart phone and you'll be able to search hotties in a small radius of your said location. You can even ping them and show them your profile to make sure the feeling is mutual before you decide to meet up. If you're feeling less ballsy you can just peruse the selection and choose your next stop based on the hottest population. Then when you run into the apple (of your Iphone) you can mention that you spotted them on Grindr or go with a simple "do you CUM here often?"

So all of this sounds amazing right? It kind of feels like a romanTECH trifecta borrowing on the most awesome parts of Match.com + Foursquare + Chatroulette. Just last April gay women adapted a identical app called Qrushr which has attracted 50,000 downloads since its inception. So why are the straights so far behind in the game? Out magazine argues that even though Grindr created an app for straights this summer the technology could pose a threat to all the single ladies because it puts them in stalker-esque situations. I think the the bigger problem in this model for straights is that while the gay population, always pragmatic, sees the tool as a way to hook up for the night, my guess is that it will amplify the often opposite agendas that exist among straight men and women. On an average night out girls are more likely looking for a number exchange while guys would be happier exchanging DNA. What do you all think? Will straights be the next to adopt the Grindr model and if so should they introduce a new name? Meetr, Nailr, Grind(her)?