The abundance of advanced technologically in communication there are always examples of interesting new ways to connect people. One such example is a service called Next2Friends.com, a social networking site which uses any mobile phone platform to allow people to connect and share. So, what's the dating aspect of this service you might ask?

Well, there is something called Next2Friends Intelligent Proximity Matching. After setting up a Next2Friends profile detailing all your likes, dislikes, quirks and everything that makes you the individual that you are. As you move around in the real world, Next2Friends will automatically collect and match your data to other Next2Friends users you came into close proximity with. Naturally, this requires that you have the Next2Friends software loaded on your Bluetooth enabled mobile device. If you happen to be near someone who shares your likes and dislikes, you will be notified. If you happened to miss someone, the system will record all the profiles you were near to earlier. If you decide to meet that someone another time, you will have an idea where to go to try and "bump" into them. Privacy has been addressed with their patent pending privacy protection technology, so you don't have to worry about being seen when you'd rather stay invisible.

Other services include Ask-a-Friend, Live Streaming Video, Online Video Editing and Video Messaging. Although these services are not necessarily dating oriented, coupled with the mentioned Intelligent Proximity Matching, well, let's just say, it would be a pretty high-tech approach to dating. In many ways similar to mobile dating service Dodge Ball, which I wrote about earlier, only Next2Friends is much broader in a sense that it's primarily a social networking service and it relies on Bluetooth technology to do its magic.

If you are a mobile user, why not give this a try. It's free, and it sounds like a lot of fun, especially if you like to mingle during social occasions.

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Mobile phones are getting more advanced everyday. With their progress, there is also plenty more content now available for mobile users everywhere. It's not much different when it comes to online dating and matchmaking, after all, it's one of the few online businesses that have successfully evolved and adopted all the new technologies as they became reality. Social networks and online dating are probably services that are most used by mobile phone users. DodgeBall is one such dating service, tailored with the mobile user in mind.

It's not the usual dating service, because its primary focus is not to connect its users for the sole purpose of dating. The accent is on providing a social network for users that can easily stay in touch with other friends. Users can easily hook up with others who happen to be somewhere in the area, and have lunch, drinks or visit a sale and do shopping together. Every member can get information about the whereabouts of their friends sent to them via SMS, so if they are close enough on a location they can easily meet for a chat and a cup of coffee. There is also the ability to send a mass message to all your friends, for example when you are in town, so you can arrange a fun gathering at a venue you can find by querying DodgeBall through your mobile phone.

So, where is the dating dimension, you ask? Well, DodgeBall has made it easy for members to express their fancy for someone. By choosing up to five crushes, the system is able to inform a member whether their crush is somewhere near by, so if they want to take a chance and meet in person, they can. Just make sure you look your best and take a chance right there and then. It just goes to show that it's becoming harder to differentiate between social network and dating sites, although pure dating sites really only have that one purpose, while social networks have a multi-dimensional approach to socializing on the web.

Oh, by the way, Dodge Ball became part of Google, and their system and other Google services are integrated. Membership is free, but you have to have a Google account, because this is how you log in to Dodge Ball. The service is available in 21 cities in the US, with plans to expand to cover many more. If you travel a lot, and have a crush on people in different places, this is a great way to keep the fire burning. All you have to do is just show up once in a while and hook up, or if you'd rather avoid an unpleasant encounter, dodge the ball .

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Crush or Flush is a social network that allows members to rate each other by expressing a crush or doing a flush. Basically, a more moderate way of telling someone "you suck" or alternatively "hey, I like you"

In many ways Crush or Flush is similar to Hot or Not. Naturally, the whole point is not only to rate someone. It's only part of a much bigger system that allows you to make friends, chat, exchange pictures and flirt. Best of all, the system is available on the go through a mobile phone.

They say: "We won't charge your phone. You don't need a credit card."

OK, I guess this means registration is free. The process is quite simple - upload your photo, add a description (ex. hot babe), state whether you are looking for men or women, and that's about it. Then just start crushing and flushing. The word is it's very addictive. Interested?

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