Tinder users this month will have a new, far more interactive way of finding potential love interests than simply swiping left or right.
The app rolled out an apocalyptic-themed adventure game, called Swipe Night, which allows users to dictate what happens next in the story. The user's decisions will then match them with other like-minded players.
"It's entertaining but the core of it is that it is a way to tell something about yourself … And that becomes an icebreaker," said Elie Seidman, Tinder's CEO. The game is live on the app every Sunday evening in October. "You're in it. It's immersive. It's not a story, it's your story."
Founded in 2012 in Los Angeles, Tinder is one of the earliest location-based, smartphone dating apps and popularized the swiping feature, which is now widely used by other platforms such as Bumble. The app has now logged over 30 billion matches worldwide and reports two billion app views per day.
Swipe Night is Tinder's first responsive, streaming video feature and was built to specifically target Generation Z users, which make up over 50 percent of all users.
"We know Gen Z speaks in content, so we intentionally built an experience that is native to how they interact," Ravi Mehta, Tinder's chief product officer, said in a statement. "Our hope is that it will encourage new, organic conversations based on a shared content experience."
Over 25 million people in the U.S. currently use smartphone dating apps, according to eMarketer. The number of users is expected to grow by 5.3 percent this year, which is a slowdown compared to years prior. Yet the sector did gain a major new addition last month with the highly anticipated launch of Facebook Dating.
Tinder, however, continues to dominate the sector. In August, the app's parent company, Match Group ($MTCH), reported that the platform had 5.2 million subscribers in the second quarter of 2019, which marked a 1.5 million year-over-year increase.
Match Group, which took in nearly $500 million last quarter, also owns several other top dating platforms such as OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, and Hinge.
The New York Times and President Donald Trump are fighting again. The news outlet said Wednesday it won't be deterred by Trump's “false and inflammatory language” from writing about the 79-year-old president's health. The Times has done a handful of stories on that topic recently, including an opinion column that said Trump is “starting to give President Joe Biden vibes.” In a Truth Social post, Trump said it might be treasonous for outlets like the Times to do “FAKE” reports about his health and "we should do something about it.” The Republican president already has a pending lawsuit against the newspaper for its past reports on his finances.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
U.S. sports betting is booming as NFL and college football fuel massive activity. BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt breaks down trends, growth, and what’s next.
President Donald Trump says a deal struck by Netflix last week to buy Warner Bros. Discovery “could be a problem” because of the size of the combined market share. The Republican president says he will be involved in the decision about whether federal regulators should approve the deal. Trump commented Sunday when he was asked about the deal as he walked the red carpet at the Kennedy Center Honors. The $72 billion deal would bring together two of the biggest players in television and film and potentially reshape the entertainment industry.
Disney's changes to a program for disabled visitors are facing challenges in federal court and through a shareholder proposal. The Disability Access Service program, which allows disabled visitors to skip long lines, was overhauled last year. Disney now mostly limits the program to those with developmental disabilities like autism who have difficulty waiting in lines. The changes have sparked criticism from some disability advocates. A shareholder proposal submitted by disability advocates calls for an independent review of Disney's disability policies. Disney plans to block this proposal, claiming it's misleading. It's the latest struggle by Disney to accommodate disabled visitors while stopping past abuses by some theme park guests.
With a merger this big, creators, studios, and theaters all face uncertain futures. Here’s what experts are worried about and what good could come from it.
With disengagement rising and hybrid work shifting, 'Everybody Matters' author Bob Chapman explains why treating people well could define the future of work.
