How to Make Your iPhone Get Down and Dirty

By Lisa Rab Fri., May 8 2009 at 7:00 AM

Categories: Business, Technology

Flickr user: jitterdoug

Your phone can help you find this man.

So maybe it wasn't the best idea for a straight woman to experiment with Grindr, the new iPhone app that's supposed to help gay guys hook up. I had my roommate (the only tech savvy person in my household) download it on her phone, and was disappointed to discover that the program looked just like any other MySpace/Facebook/Match.com scenario. It's just pictures of shirtless guys cruising for sex, all using the same cheesy pick-up lines.

Then the phone started vibrating.

Seriously. When you log onto Grindr, your phone grinds. It's pretty exciting. Now, when my roommate accidentally pocket-dials the wrong button on her phone, she gets a lovely surprise.

Of course, there are other advantages. The program uses GPS technology to hunt down the men who are closest to you, giving a whole new meaning to the term "geographically desirable." I was afraid it might explode if I used it in Wilton Manors. Won't former Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naugle be thrilled?

Also, Grindr has many straight uses. It's way better than traditional Gaydar. With Grindr, you can instantly find out if the cute guy flirting with you in line at Publix was actually...flirting with the bronze-chested personal trainer on his phone. Ain't technology grand?