Whether you are single and dating or have been married for years, it is always a challenge to come up with interesting date ideas. Sometimes “dinner and a movie” just isn’t enough, you know? Thankfully, some folks up in Canada — in the Greater Vancouver area, just like l’il ol’ me — have taken the time to create an iPhone app that helps solve that problem.
DateBank is a simple, slot-machine style app. There is a slot for Style, one for Budget, and one fore Time of day. Select from a range of style entries like Playful, Chatty, Artsy and, Outdoorsy, pick a price range and a time of day, hit “Show Results” and voila! A list of interesting date options will appear, each with a fun description and some tips on how to take it up a notch. If you’re unsure of what to select from the slots, there is an option for that, as well, along with some tips, a ranking/sharing element, and the ability to submit your own ideas for inclusion.
Here are a few results from a search for Playful/$20-60/Afternoon, as well as the top-ranked dates on the app, currently:
DateBank costs $0.99 and is a fun and useful app. There are a few things I hope to see in the near future, however, such as a local component (which ought to work well with the suggestions area), and the “shake for a random idea” function to start working. Other mobile apps and a web app for the mobile-impaired would also be useful, as would a social element that allows people to give a brief description of how the date went.
In fact, I think it would be very cool if some of you grown up geeks out there were to try DateBank and let us know how it worked out for you! I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours…
Traitorware: The EFF Condemns Apple’s New Proposal for Device “Security”
As some of you have no doubt heard, Apple has recently applied for a patent entitled: Systems and Methods for Identifying Unauthorized Users of an Electronic Device. This technology is, ostensibly, supposed to give Apple the power to help you protect yourself in the event someone else has gotten a hold of your iPhone. It also gives Apple the power to remotely wipe your iPhone if you have Jailbroken your device — the legality of Jailbreaking notwithstanding.
Just that last detail is enough to get many people up in arms, but it is the method in which Apple wants to implement its new Big Brother feature that has people truly freaked out. After taking a bit of time to think about it and consider the implications, I have decided that I am one of those people.
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