Want to Kill the Thrill of Flirting? There's an App for That

Allure Daily Beauty Reporter

by Alexandra Owens


CN Digital Archive/Montrose
CN Digital Archive/Montrose

The Internet has already taken a lot of the mystery out of courtship, and most of us are OK with that. But a new technology seems intent on killing the buzz of spontaneous flirtation, too. NameTag, a facial-recognition app developed for Google Glass, allows you to access personal info about that James Franco clone across the bar just by looking at him.


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OK, the info isn't exactly private--it comes from sites like LinkedIn and Facebook--but having it thrust at your eyeballs before you can say "Instagram" might just be overkill. What happened to the thrill of mystery? The excitement of the slow reveal? (And seriously, if the model in this photo can't pull off sexyface wearing Google Glass, what are your chances?)


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I'm not trying to Debbie Downer modern dating--lord knows we've all heard a zillion OkCupid success stories--but if you're meeting a guy in person, there's something to be said for letting nature take its course. A slew of studies have shown the importance of cues like pheromones and the way we walk in finding a partner. Plus, getting to know a total stranger via conversation can actually be fun! (Just ask someone who's over 30.)

So I think I'll take a pass on this one--but what do you think? Would you want all the details up front?

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