Gay men embrace GPS dates

An iPhone application that uses global positioning technology to allow gay men to meet would-be boyfriends is proving a hit with New Zealand's homosexual community.

The Grindr programme - downloadable free from iTunes - uses the iPhone's GPS system to let its users see a list of other gay men in their vicinity, prioritised by how far away they are.

It also provides vital statistics such as height, weight, age, ethnic background, and a photo.

While the number of New Zealand users doesn't match the 100,000-strong Australian community, former Gay New Zealand editor Matt Akersten believed hundreds of local gay men had embraced the application.

"You might not be in the traditionally gay areas like Ponsonby or Grey Lynn or the inner city - you could be in one of the smaller centres - and you just plug it in and realise you're not alone, and there are other people like you out there, it's a great networking tool," he said.

There is one small problem, however. The application has an accuracy rating of plus or minus 3km, meaning that while the user thinks he is finding love on Ponsonby Rd, his potential paramour could be cooling his heels as far away as Auckland Zoo.

Asked if there were any security concerns about the application's location-based technology, Mr Akersten believed the issues were no different for other internet users who posted personal details online.

"But you don't get a map pinpointing where you are ... you still have to connect with them and have a conversation about where they are. It doesn't give all your details and it's not hugely accurate anyway, sometimes it says they're there but they could be a block away or something."

Grindr developer Joel Simkhai said the application solved a key problem: knowing who else in your immediate vicinity is gay.

A version of Grindr for lesbians and heterosexuals is expected by the end of the year.