How Marissa Mayer Will Use Tumblr

Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, who announced on Monday that the company acquired popular social blogging site Tumblr for $1.1 billion, said she will use the site often to share her experiences and interests with the community, from Yahoo news to pictures of macaroon art.

Mayer will blog with the user name MarissaMayr — note the dropped "e," in line with Tumblr and Yahoo's other product Flickr.

"I intend to keep blogging," Mayer told Mashable. "I've been wanting to blog for awhile, so it was really gratifying to update my profile link on Twitter to my Tumblr page. I will be doing a lot more. I'm not sure if I can create animated GIFs, but I will definitely be posting more pictures."

She's not a stranger to GIFs though. In fact, she shared the acquisition news to the world on her blog with the help of one.

Mayer also alluded to the controversy of surrounding porn on Tumblr with a GIF of Tumblr founder David Karp and herself.

Earlier on Monday, Yahoo announced it had acquired social blogging platform Tumblr for $1.1 billion. The move is a part of an effort to attract more users in the 18 to 24 year old age demographic and grow its social strategy.

"Media is best when you share it," she added. We are a media and photo company and inherent in those experiences is sharing, so it makes sense for us to embrace social media and what it has to offer."

The tone of her personal Tumblr page will mostly be casual: "It will be an extension of what I'm already doing on Twitter and Flickr," Mayer said. "I try to be private with certain details and with my family, but there will be work updates and fun things too."

For example, Mayer said she tweets pictures from concerts and quirky items she encounters on an everyday basis.

"The other day I tweeted about macaroon art," she said. "I was at a hotel with amazing open-faced macaroons with flowers on them for Mother's Day. I had to share them."

Mayer isn't the only one who has moved to Tumblr. Yahoo's corporate blog is now on Tumblr and the existing blog, which was often used for news updates, has been retired.

Mayer said during a call with investors that it will bring ads to Tumblr blogs for users who want them to help monetize the platform. But overall, Yahoo and Tumblr will operate as separate companies and there won't even be a Yahoo logo on the blogging site.

Image via Brad Barket/Getty Images for WIRED

How Microsoft Can Take Over the Living Room

As all eyes look toward Microsoft's announcement of the next generation Xbox and its bid to take on the PlayStation 4 in the gaming space, the company also has an opportunity to broadly take over the burgeoning connected device space. How? By continuing to sell the Xbox 360 — but for a flat $99.99.

Yes, Microsoft has toyed with $99.99 Xbox 360 bundles in the past — but those bundles include a monthly Xbox Live Gold subscription that adds another $120 to the purchase. Instead, Microsoft should lower the price of its Xbox 360 starter pack to $99.99.

Think about it: At $199.99, the Xbox 360 is already one of the better deals out there. Yes, the console is seven — almost eight — years old, but it still plays great games. More importantly, Microsoft has access to some of the most compelling set of services for the living room. Netflix, Amazon Instant, Hulu Plus, Vudu, Comcast, HBO Go, Verizon, The CW, YouTube, Slacker, iHeartRadio, Vevo, Rhapsody and Crackle are just some of the services available for the Xbox 360 — not to mention the official Xbox Music and Xbox Movies & TV apps for buying or streaming content.

That puts the Xbox 360 in Roku territory as having the most broad cross-device support and slightly ahead of the PlayStation 3 (to be fair, the PS3 also has a Blu-ray player but apparently I'm the only person who still likes to buy optical media for the picture, sound and extra features). At $99.99, the Xbox 360 could compete head-to-head with other connected devices for the living room, with the added benefit that it can play games.

When Sony released the PlayStation 2 in 2000, it became an instant hit, thanks in part to its backwards-compatibility with the PSX and the fact that it included a DVD player in an age when standalone DVD players cost as much as a PS2. Almost immediately, the PS2 became the best-selling DVD player of all time.

That kind of flexibility kept the PS2 selling millions of units a year. The Xbox 360 has that same kind of cross-user appeal, only this time in the age of digital and over-the-top services. Already more than 70% of current Xbox 360 buyers buy the unit primarily for its content offerings — not its games.

By selling the Xbox 360 for $99.99, Microsoft could cement its lead in the living room and help push the broader service idea around Xbox Live Gold — as well as any potential broader ecosystem plays with Windows 8, Windows Phone 8 and Xbox SmartGlass.

A few years ago, I hypothesized that the Xbox could become your cable box. That's increasingly becoming a possibility — not only because of agreements from MVPDs to bring their services to the platform, but because of the bigger shift towards OTT delivery. At $99.99, Microsoft could capitalize on the part of the market that hasn't migrated to a connected device for the living room.

The best part, from Microsoft's perspective, is that using most of these services would still require an Xbox Live Gold account. Those accounts aren't very expensive — you can get a 12-month Gold subscription for under $50 from Amazon and it gives Microsoft additional services revenue.

There will still be room in the market for the Roku and Apple TV devices of the world — but a $99.99 Xbox 360 makes the value proposition of those devices a lot less clear.

If Microsoft is serious about taking over the living room, it has the brand loyalty, the service and the legacy product to do just that.

Photo via iStockphoto, RyanJLane, Xbox screenshot courtesy of Microsoft, composite by Mashable

Samsung Waterproof Galaxy S4 Active Appears on Video

Want proof that the "rugged" version of Samsung's Galaxy S4 — dubbed the Galaxy S4 Active — is as durable as promised? The video above from MobileTechReview confirms plans that the phone will be both waterproof and dustproof. However, the phone's specifications seem considerably weaker than those of the original Galaxy S4. The Galaxy S4 Active features a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU and an 8-megapixel rear camera, compared with the S4's quad-core or Octa-core chipsets (depending on the variant) and 13-megapixel camera. Its other specifications seem to resemble the normal Samsung Galaxy S4. Samsung hasn't officially announced the new device and specs yet, but it is clear that the Active will pose some fierce competition to Sony's Xperia Z and ZR, which are both waterproof as well — despite the Active's shortcomings. Image courtesy of YouTube/MobileTechReview

New Israeli battery provides thousands of hours of power

 A new kind of portable electrochemical battery that can produce thousands of hours of power - and soon replace the expensive regular or rechargeable batteries in hearing aids and sensors and eventually in cellphones, laptop computers and even electric cars - has been developed at Haifa's Technion - Israel Institute of Technology.

The unique battery is based on silicon as a fuel that reverts to its original sand. The battery can also be left on the shelf for years and inserted into a device to provide immediate power. It was developed over the last two-and-a-half years by Prof. Yair Ein-Eli of the Technion's materials engineering department, with collaboration by Prof. Digby Macdonald of Pennsylvania State University in the US and Prof. Rika Hagiwara of Kyoto University in Japan.

The work was conducted with a grant from the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation, and an article on the battery was just published in the journal Electrochemistry Communications. Ein-Eli told The Jerusalem Post on Wednesday that he has spent the last eight years investigating silicon in all aspects and the possibility of its serving as the major component of a highly efficient and environmentally friendly battery.

Five years ago, he met Macdonald, who attended Ein-Eli's lecture on electrochemistry, and they decided to work together, with the American coming to visit his Technion lab once a year. The team obtained from the Japanese researcher an ionic liquid (liquid electrolytes or salts that form stable liquids) that does not evaporate easily. Most of the work was performed in the Haifa lab. Ordinary portable batteries are composed of a positive electrode called a cathode and a negative one called an anode. They are separated by material containing ions (electrolytes in a liquid form).

Some metal-air batteries exist, such as those using lithium, and are cheaper and lighter because they lack a cathode structure. Various big companies such as IBM, together with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, are trying to develop rechargeable lithium-air batteries that could function 10 times longer than conventional batteries, but they have not yet succeeded. The ionic liquid developed a decade ago in Japan is the perfect substance for this purpose, Ein-Eli continued. In such electrolytes, the highly doped silicon - a semi-conductor - is activated and acts as a highly metalized conductor.

"We bought ready-made flat metalized silicon wafers, which serve as the anode. There is no corrosion or evaporation with the ionic liquid, and unlike conventional batteries, the silicon-air battery does not absorb water from the outside," he explained.

In the Technion battery, oxygen from the air in the battery capsule passes through a membrane and interacts with oxidized silicon, which is inert, stable, lightweight and nontoxic, has a high-energy content and can be used later as a building material. Most computer chips are also made from silicon. The new invention - with a US patent pending - is not rechargeable, but it can supply power for thousands of hours, said Ein-Eli.

The Technion battery ranges from one square centimeter - small enough for hearing aids and much more efficient than the highly expensive, short-lasting lithium ones used now - to several square centimeters. In another year, the power output can be significantly increased, and in three or four years, said the researcher, it could be made rechargeable as well. "Think of an electric car battery made from silicon that will turn into sand that would be recycled into silicon and then into power again," suggested Ein-Eli. "This would take about 10 years more and be revolutionary. It could be used in any portable electronic device or be integrated with solar or wind power as well as electric energy."

A number of foreign and Israeli companies have already contacted him and shown strong interest in the battery, he said. The system is "highly promising, as it is capable of outperforming other existing metal-air battery technologies," Ein-Eli concluded.

(source: jpost.com) 

The Smallest Camera in the World

Since the dawn of modern medicine, doctors have pursed the use oftechnology to help them see into the human body. A variety of means serve justthis purpose: X-rays, CT scans, optical fibers and more, but the greatestbreakthrough in the field can be attributed to a unique technology developed bythe Israeli company Medigus

 The Israeli company Medigus developed the smallest camera in the world, at 1.2 mm diameter, which can be employed in medical procedures, in particular endoscopic diagnoses and treatments. The micro-camera's miniscule diameter allows          
                                                                                     doctors to see into tiny organs and systems which
                                                                                     were previously inaccessible.

Medigus CEO Dr. Elazar Sonnenschein explains that the only alternative are optical fibers which let doctors film video footage inside the human body although their numerous disadvantages limit their use: “Optical fibers are breakable and therefore can't access many spots. They're also very expensive – the smaller the diameter the higher the price,” Sonnenschein explains.

The Medigus camera is used in flexible devices that offer a glance into places in the body that the optical fiber cannot access. In addition, it costs roughly 90% less that optical fibers of the same diameter. The low cost allows for significant savings in the component parts of the systems they comprise, and even allow the device to be disposable. Single-use cameras bypass expensive sterilization processes, thus also avoiding the risk of dangerous contamination and infection as well as cutting down on excess cost.

Efficiency and Safety

Many of us are forced to undergo invasive surgery at some point in our lives, followed by a recuperation period proportional to the seriousness of the procedure. Older patients are more likely to undergo invasive medical procedures, and their recovery process is longer. The Medigus camera, which is affixed to special devices, is minimally invasive and eliminates the arduous recovery process from surgery. Medigus's SRS endoscope can substitute standard surgery for gasrto-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), caused by stomach fluid rising into the esophagus. GERD is one of the most common diseases plaguing the Western world, afflicting an estimated 7% of the population.

The Medigus micro-devices can also efficiently diagnose gall stones, which are currently diagnosed with X-rays or expensive and fragile optical fibers. Medigus's micro-camera spares the damages of X-ray radiation as well as the costliness of optical fibers.

The Medigus camera has enabled doctors, for the first time in history, a noninvasive glance into the heart, brain and other areas. Dr. Sonnenschein estimates that within 5-10 years, the technology will be used in dozens of procedures including vascular treatments, from inserting stents to replacing valves.

       Business Card: Medigus 

• Field: Development of medical and endoscopic procedures based on micro-imaging
• CEO: Dr. Elazar Sonnenschein
• Status: Public company traded on the stock market (TASE: MDGS)
• Number of employees in Israel: 33

According to Dr. Sonnenschein, the camera technology could be utilized to effectively substitute invasive procedures carried out in hospitals, especially in the fields of orthopedics and ear-nosethroat medicine with less invasive procedures carried out at private clinics and outpatient clinics, offering a more efficient and cost effective option.

By: Lior Eilam

Snapzoom Gives You A Smartphone Camera Mount That Turns Binoculars Into A Super Zoom Lens

A lot of people don’t carry cameras anymore, now that they have smartphones. But that means that you could miss opportunities to capture great moments, especially when you’re missing out on the great optical zoom available on some more expensive or specialized dedicated camera devices. That’s what Snapzoom hopes to fix with its binocular mount for smartphone cameras, and the best part is that it’s completely universal, meaning it fits a wide variety of both phones and binoculars.

The project got started when Hawaii-based co-founders Daniel Fujikake and Mac Nguyen started using their own smartphones to film their surf escapades via a completely DIY, garage-made mounting device that they hacked together. They saw the utility, and other surfers asked them about it every time they went out, so they partnered up with a professional designer to form HI Resolution Enterprises and build a proper prototype using 3D-printed materials.

The duo took to Kickstarter to fund a production run for Snapzoom, and has already blown past its $55,000 goal in just over a week. The funding will help the two turn the 3D printed prototype into a glass-filled nylon injection molded retail product, which the company hopes to manufacture both in the U.S. and overseas.

“It’s going to be extremely tough, since it’s something that’s meant to be used outdoors,” Fujikake told me. “You can put it in your bag, you don’t have to worry about babying it, you can get it wet, you can drop it, it’s very very tough.”

Already, before even closing its Kickstarter funding, Snapzoom has had a lot of interest from well-placed retail partners, including U.S. camera equipment and accessory retailer B&H Photo. Based on funding interest and prospective retail partner enthusiasm, the team seems to have tapped a strong, unaddressed consumer desire, even if it is a bit niche. And it’s not just voyeurs who are interested; this is great for nature photography and action sports, too.

Snapzoom is looking to ship in September, and retail price for the mount is expected to be around $79.99, but currently pre-order backers on Kickstarter can get one for just $70. The team is working on stretch goals now, since it has already earned almost $10,000 more than its original goal.

Facebook’s Monthly Active Users Up 23% to 1.11B; Daily Users Up 26% To 665M; Mobile MAUs Up 54% To 751M

In Q4 of last year, Facebook’s mobile MAUs surpassed desktop for the first time in its history. That trend continued in Q1 2013 with 751M MAUs. This is what we learned with today’s release ofFacebook’s Q1 results.

Despite claims earlier this month, Facebook didn’t lose users, but gained 2M. Asia continues to be the largest area of user growth, according to the slides provided by Facebook today. During the earnings call, COO Sherly Sandberg mentioned that mobile ads are performing well particularly in Asia.

Here’s a full rundown for Q1 year-over-year user growth:

- Daily active users (DAUs) were 665 million on average for March 2013, an increase of 26% year-over-year.
- Monthly active users (MAUs) were 1.11 billion as of March 31, 2013, an increase of 23% year-over-year.
- Mobile MAUs were 751 million as of March 31, 2013, an increase of 54% year-over-year.

As you can see, the overall growth of monthly active users is incremental from the past quarter:

Something we’d like to find out is if certain age groups are growing faster than others. Some feel that even though the social network is an essential utility for many all over the world, the younger crowd might be starting to spend time socializing on other platforms. This was of course one of the reasons that Facebook acquired photo-sharing app Instagram last year, since the younger crowd had flocked to it as their sole social network. CEO Mark Zuckerberg says that Instagram’s community is growing faster than Facebook did when it was at a similar size. There’s another reason.

The mobile user growth kicked up its ad revenue numbers as well, accounting for 30%, or $375M. As our own Josh Constine predicted, mobile app install ads certainly helped.

[Photo credit: Flickr]

About 30% of Facebook’s Advertising Revenue, Or $375M, Came From Mobile Platforms

Almost one-third of Facebook’s advertising revenue is now coming from mobile platforms, according to the company’s latest earnings release. About $375 million of Facebook’s $1.25 billion in advertising revenue came from products like the company’s new mobile app install ads.

That’s up from last quarter, when Facebook said it made 23 percent, or $305.9 million, from mobile ads. So this is a nice 22.5 percent quarter-over-quarter increase in mobile advertising revenue.

Because Facebook now sees about three quarters of a billion users per month on mobile devices, the company has to make a commensurate amount from these platforms. Analysts and investors are closely watching to see how well Facebook makes this leap from desktop-based ads to mobile ones.

Unlike Apple and Google, Facebook doesn’t own its own smartphone OS or sell its own hardware. It doesn’t have a way to earn a cut of app sales or in-app purchases like it does with games and apps on the Facebook platform.

Advertising is the key way that Facebook will monetize its mobile users. Up until the middle of last year, Facebook didn’t really have a program to earn revenues from mobile devices. But then it aggressively stepped up ads for apps in the mobile news feed. It’s well-positioned to do this as app discovery and user acquisition is still a hairy problem for mobile developers across the board.

Yesterday, Facebook’s product director of advertising Gokul Rajaram said at TechCrunch Disrupt in New York that mobile install ads were “performing well, and we’re seeing them deliver really high quality users that take actions.”

Dots, The Most Beautiful Mobile Game I’ve Ever Seen

You remember the first time you played Angry Birds, right? What about the first time you picked up the iPhone 4 and realized just how beautiful a phone can be, both in hardware and software? Well, the latest company to launch out of betaworks mixes the addictive nature of Angry Birds with the minimalist beauty of Apple’s hardware and software.

Meet Dots.

The idea is simple: Everyone has played connect the dots with their friends during science class or with a sibling on a long plane ride. Dots is the digital version of the classic pencil-and-paper game.

The rules are slightly different. Instead of drawing against another player, or being allowed a single line at a time, you simply connect all the dots of the same color that are in a straight line. The more dots you can connect, the more points you get. If you happen to be able to connect the dots into a square, you get even more points.

Each game lasts 60 seconds, but it never feels like long enough.

The choice to build a game surprised me at first. The App Store is completely saturated with a million games, ranging from big names like Angry Birds all the way down to the silly stuff. But Dots actually has a solid chance at penetrating a huge market.

For one, the app touches on our memories of connecting the dots with our friends. It’s sentimental right off the bat.

It also appeals to everyone. Children could easily play Dots, yet adults would still find it challenging. And to top it all off, the team worked really hard to make sure that the design was just as simple and natural as the game itself.

“It’s hard to articulate what makes something fun, but we spent a lot of time and care crafting a well designed, and hopefully delightful experience that unfolds as you play,” said co-founder Paul Murphy. “This also reflects the background of the founder – Patrick Moberg. Patrick is a truly talented designer, illustrator, developer — you’ll see his personality and talent reflected as you play the game and win trophies.”

But how will Dots make money?

The currency of the game is actually called “dots”, which you earn for playing well. You can use these dots to get advanced powers. Of course, like most games, you can also buy dots through in-app purchases. Thankfully, you can always earn the same powers that are available for purchase, so you’ll never be roped in to spending money in order play more.

Dots is available now on the App Store.

Apple’s iOS 7 Will Ship On Time For A Preview Release In June And Full Launch In September, Report Says

Apple’s iOS 7 will arrive “on time,” according to a couple of well-placed sources following a report from Bloomberg this morning that suggests it was risking delays in the face of major software changes. Apple blogger and noted beard-wearer Jim Dalrymple gave one of his famous one-word confirms today on his blog, agreeing with a source which told AllThingsD that while Apple has had to shift engineering resources away from OS X to iOS to make sure things proceed on schedule, the update will arrive on time.

Apple says on its WWDC landing page that we’ll see “what’s next in iOS and OS X,” but it hasn’t spelled out that we’ll see new versions of either its Mac desktop OS, or the mobile platform that powers iPhones and iPads. Still, the focus at WWDC is on software, and it’s more than reasonable to expect given the teaser on the information page as well as references to the future of iOS and OS X made in the official press release noting when tickets for WWDC would go on sale this year.

iOS 7 delay rumors have been making the rounds since John Gruber noted that Apple was “running behind” on the next version of its OS, and they cropped up again today thanks to Bloomberg’s report. But while Apple is apparently having to devote more engineering resources than normal to helping with the redesign process, which is rumored to be headed up by Jony Ive and involves a big visual refresh, which will embrace “flat” design (favoring solid colors and doing away with optical effect that mimic the textures and reflections of physical materials) and bring big changes to the calendar and email tools built-in to iOS.

The changes coming in iOS 7 are about modernizing the UI, likely to inject some fresh energy into a mobile operating system that has retained a fairly stable aesthetic style throughout the course of its six year existence. A significant change to the basic functionality of some apps and the look and feel of the entire OS would be quite difficult on its own, but Bloomberg says that the management shift that took place at the end of last year with Scott Forstall’s departure ended up causing a pause and refocus in the direction of overall development.

WWDC is just over a month away, so we’ll see exactly how extensive the modification really is with a likely introduction of a public developer preview version at that time, if Apple continues doing the same thing it has in the past around the iOS development process.

App Install Ads Earned Facebook “Real Revenue” And Helped 3800 Developers Drive 25M Downloads

Facebook  app install ads were the star of Facebook’s earnings call today. Sheryl Sandberg said 3800 developers used the ads to drive over 25 million installs. 40% of the top 100 iOS and Android app developers bought these ads in the last week of Q1 alone. Mark Zuckerberg meanwhile said, “We’re starting to see real revenue from selling mobile app installs.”

As I detailed yesterday, the app stores are becoming increasingly overloaded as every type of business goes mobile. Developers need a way to get their apps discovered, creating a massive opportunity of for Facebook’s app install ads which launched in October. These lets developers promote their apps in the mobile news feed with a large image, description, and “install now” button that opens the app’s page in appropriate app store. By combining Facebook’s massive mobile user base with its app install ads, Facebook is becoming the paid gateway to app traction.

Zuckerberg noted that with the rise of iOS and Android which it doesn’t own, it wasn’t clear how Facebook would add value to developers. But now Facebook has settled into helping developers build and growth their apps.

In terms of building apps Facebook already offers free SDKs that make it easier for developers to build in Facebook login and sharing options. Then just last week, Facebook acquired mobile app backend platform Parse, which handles servers, data storage, and more for developers so they can focus on creating enjoyable mobile app user experiences. While a relatively small business now, Parse subscription fees could contribute a few million dollars per quarter to Facebook in the future.

Where Facebook really stands to earn money is app discovery. Sandberg said “We’re uniquely positioned to offer developers massive reach”, alluding to its 751 million monthly users. Regarding app install ads, Zuckerberg explained that “Even if every recommendation isn’t one you take….we think [app discovery] is good for the community.”

Facebook’s CEO went on to note that the ads work well because they’re mobile by design. “Most ads make you visit website”, said Zuckerberg, while app install ads just open the app stores which users are already used to visiting. And since people already have their payment info loaded into these stores, the commerce experience is quick and easy.

App install ads also a good bang for developers’ buck, as Sandberg said “Our costs per install are highly competitive.” Meanwhile, CFO David Ebersman said this ad format is”early in its development but really doing quite well. We’re pleased with the experience we’re providing and the revenue we’ve seen.” They’re getting new businesses hooked on Facebook too, as Ebersman detailed, “A lot of the mobile app ads purchasers are new advertisers.”

Zuckerberg sees the app ecosystem continuing to get larger and more competitive, which will make Facebook’s app install ads increasingly more crucial. They helped Facebook boost its mobile ad revenue to $375 million, or 30% of its total ad revenue, up from 23% last quarter. Zuckerberg concluded that “this market is already big and I expect it to grow quickly.”

The only issue is that others see this too. Twitter just launched app install cards, which show big visual app previews and links to the app stores when people tweet about the download pages of apps. Meanwhile, some including Hunter Walk suggest that Apple might start offering its own native app install ads within the App Store.

Apps are proliferating, and developers need a way to rise above the crowd. Considering the amount they stand to make off of downloads, they could growing increasingly willing to put dollars directly into the pockets of Facebook and others if it gets them discovered.

Bang With Friends Is Heading to Your Smartphone

Bang With Friends, the service for lusty Facebook users, is going mobile. It raised $1 million this week to help you get more friends with benefits. The influx of cash will be focused on helping you see, from the comfort of your phone, just which friends you might want to hook up with.

The site's co-founder, who goes by C, revealed a little in an email exchange with Mashable, but still kept answers as murky as usual. 

"We'll be expanding BWF to enable even more honest offline meetings, helping our users break the ice and find more awesome opportunities," he said before revealing a true nugget. "We're taking it mobile soon, too."

C says the inspiration for the service was "looking at the frustration people have with other dating sites and getting tired of the dishonesty. That, and a decent amount of booze."

At least he's honest. For Bang virgins, here's what you need to know: After signing in with Facebook, the service offers anonymous scanning and selection of friends you'd like to get to know in their birthday suits. And if your matches select you as well, Bang With Friends will email both of you and let you know it's on.

Founded in January by some shy founders, the service is nearing 1 million users and about 200,000 matches. About 70% of the users are between the age of 18 and 34.

What's become window shopping-dating is a hard nut to crack, and love it or hate it, Bang With Friends is a novel digital way to break the ice. But detractors call it a privacy disaster waiting to happen, with questions of data storage, semi-public online sexual behavior and personal data identification. Plus there's also a potential PR fail in the making, should the service fall victim to the pitfalls of tools like Skout, the geo-social dating app that adults used to contact and hook up with minors. If and when that (or something worse) happens, the general public is likely to be up in arms.

There's also competition from services like Snapchat, the photo-message sharing service perfect for sending an Anthony Weiner-like message. With Facebook reportedly working on a similar service, it's very possible that beyond taking it mobile, Bang With Friends' venture capital could help it expand to this image-message space, an increasingly popular means for flirtation.

Spencer Chen, senior director of business development at Appcelerator, says he's not sure about adoption and use by young people — or at least his friends, who he says are instead experimenting with Tinder and Let's Date. Plus he's heard nothing regarding funding or growth since the service's launch before SXSW. Still, he managed to correctly read Bang With Friends' cards and thinks that based on the success of Tinder, Let's Date and Snapchat, BWF will build out its mobile offering to "exploit these serendipitous hookups leveraging mobile, social and location."

Despite a relatively crowded market, there's likely room for one more service, Chen says. "Dating is still a massive market, revenue-wise."

Would you use the app? Let us know in the comments below.

Image via iStockphoto, jaroon