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Feb 22 2006

CELLPHONE, CELLPHONE IN MY HAND WHO’S THE FAIREST IN THE LAND?

A new service allows cellphone users to answer the one question that has plagued us since the first single-cell organism gazed upon its reflection in the primordial soup and wondered: “Am I hot or not…?”

Launched last week by mobile services company LuckyMobile, Rate ‘n Date allows interested people to MMS photos of themselves to join@ratendate.co.za. Photos are then rated by other cellphone users on a scale of 1 to 10.

A unique feature of Rate ‘n Date is that the service allows one to chat via SMS to other people who have submitted their photos for rating. According to Tracey Cohen, Marketing Manager of LuckyMobile, “Over 100 000 ratings have been received since Rate ‘n Date was first launched a week ago.”

LuckyMobile sends a WAP link to new users’ cellphones enabling them to log onto Rate ‘n Date whenever they wish to view their current scores. Each MMS costs R2.00. Minimal WAP charges apply to view other people’s photos while each SMS sent to other registered users costs XXX.

“Technology impacts every aspect of our lives and it’s natural that people should be using technology to find the perfect partner. Internet dating and now cellphone dating enables one to interact with so many more potential partners than our parents would ever have been exposed to,” said Ms Cohen.

The only requirement to actively participate in the rate-en-date service is for you to be 18 years or older. Your profile will be made available for public viewing. This way, people have the freedom of choosing their dates according to their own specifications and the availability of pictures ensures that you know what your partner will look like prior to meeting him or her.