Car Company Turns Test-Drives Into Blind Dates

New feature makes it even easier to set up your kid

(NEWSER) - Concerned moms who constantly set up their single kids with—well, almost anyone now have a dating site of their very own. Geri Brin launched the “Date My Single Kid” feature on FabOverFifty.com after many unsuccessful attempts at matching up her son Colby with, among others, “the saleswoman at the upholsterer I used to re-cover my sofa” and her dental hygienist’s friend’s daughter, she tells the New York Post . More»

(NEWSER) - Online dating sites are so packed with possible matches that they cause “cognitive overload” in seekers, leading to unconsidered choices, the MIT Technology Review reports. The lovelorn may say they want a wider variety of candidates, but they spend less time evaluating them, new research shows. “More search options lead to less selective processing by reducing users' cognitive resources, distracting them with irrelevant information,” the researchers say. That hampers the “ability to screen out inferior options.” More»

Traditional singles still look for offline pairing

(NEWSER) - Despite the growing popularity of Internet dating sites—or perhaps because of it—many singles are fueling a revival of sorts in traditional matchmaking. The Miami Herald takes a look at professional matchmakers who cater to a clientele looking for tradition and certainty, often because they've gotten fed up with the out-of-date photos and not-so-honest descriptions in the online world. But love doesn’t come cheap, with some matchmakers charging up to $100,000 for their services. More»

Peer review of jealously guarded formulas proves impossible

(NEWSER) - Online matchmakers eHarmony and Match.com have staked millions on the idea that they, not you, can best find your perfect match, thanks to their secret algorithms. So do they work? Lots of academics want to know, the New York Times reports, but while the companies yearn for scientific, peer-reviewed findings, they’re reluctant to release their secret formulas. More»

Those older than 40 and divorced are common targets: report

(NEWSER) - Scammers conned $50 million out of 5,600 people last year who were searching for love on the Internet, says a new report. That's an average of $8,900 per victim. The way it generally works: Fraudsters hunt for vulnerable targets on dating sites and social networks, and convince the marks that they're romantically interested, explains the Washington Examiner . When they gain the person's trust, they'll slyly request money for phony things like travel or medical procedures and then vanish. More»