Tinder is working on a new feature called Swipe Party that will let you invite friends online to help you vet dates, TechCrunch has reported. The feature was first spotted in the app's code by the Dutch site Gratisdatingtips and has yet to be announced, but Tinder confirmed that it's in in the works.

The feature would be not unlike Apple's SharePlay, which lets you do watch parties with friends via FaceTime on supported apps like Disney+ and Hulu. With Tinder, you could similarly invite friends to your swiping sessions so they could help you pick a match. A lot of folks already do that in person, so the new feature bring that online — handy in the time of COVID-19. 

Code snippets show that Swipe Party would let you invite friends to join a session by providing their phone number, confirming it with a code, then entering their name and date of birth. If you want their help, however, you'd need to give them access to your phone's camera and microphone.

Tinder recently let users add videos to their dating profiles, and parent Match recently promised to introduce other audio and chat features to its dating apps. While Tinder confirmed to TechCrunch that the feature was in development, it didn't provide any additional details. 

One of the more influential figures of the turn-of-the-millennium internet has died. According to Kotaku, former Something Awful forum moderator Fragmaster has revealed that site founder Richard "Lowtax" Kyanka has died at 45. Fragmaster didn't ask for details surrounding the death, but Kyanka's second wife later said the creator committed suicide.

"Lowtax" launched Something Awful in 1999. It's a mix of blog posts (including comedy and reviews), but it's best known for forums that had an outsized impact on internet culture. It spawned well-known moments like the Zero Wing"all your base" meme and Slender Man, and played an important role in EVE Online's growth (SA's fleet, Goonsquad, has participated in defining battles). It even indirectly fostered 4chan — Chris "Moot" Poole plugged 4chan on SA and was inundated with cat photos, including the legendary "I can haz cheezburger."

Kyanka's last years were problematic. He was accused of domestic violence in 2020, and sold the site to administrator Jeffrey of YOSPOS in October that year. Jeffrey would go on to ban Kyanka from his own site in March 2021. However, there's little doubt that Kyanka's best-known project had a significant effect that will last for years to come.

In the U.S., the number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting HOME to 741741 (US), 686868 (Canada), or 85258 (UK).

Hinge is the latest dating app that's making a push into audio. Starting today, users can attach voice clips to profiles, in what's said to be a first for a major dating app. You can also send audio notes to your matches.

You can add an audio clip to your profile by going to the Edit Profile section of the settings and selecting Voice Prompt. You can choose a prompt (a question or comment suggested by the app to highlight something about you) and respond with a 30-second recording. “This is just the beginning of a lot of things that we’ll see come out over the next six to 12 months that really help people tell a richer story in their profiles,” Hinge CEO Justin McLeod told CNBC.

Hinge

Some users might find it easier to get to know matches through voice messages rather than text. Many dating apps have added video and audio features, particularly after the onset of COVID-19 made in-person dating more difficult. 

Rival dating app Bumble has allowed would-be lovebirds to send audio messages to each other since April 2020, while Tinder started allowing users to add videos to their profiles this summer. Hinge, however, has had the latter feature since 2017.

Hinge is introducing more features for LGBTQ+ users too. As of Thursday, the app will introduce a non-binary gender category to its algorithm. McLeod noted that although other apps let users identify as non-binary, they typically require those users to say whether they want their profile to be seen by people looking for men or women. Prompts designed for LGBTQ+ users will also be added in November.

Tinder wants to help you find a date for the next wedding you plan to attend. The dating app now includes a “Plus One” feature that allows you to indicate whether you’re looking for a wedding date or open to be that person for someone else. You’ll find the experience inside the Explore tab. That’s the same section of the app where you can pay for a Lyft ride for your date.

In a way, the introduction of Plus One is a response to something Tinder users already come to the app to find. Since the start of 2021, the company says profile mentions of “plus one” have increased by 45 percent. Still, it must be said it takes a certain amount of audacity to show up at a wedding with a total stranger — just imagine the drama that could unfold. And not every host may be cool with the idea. Use at your own risk.

Following a report on work the company was doing to create a tool that scans iPhones for child abuse images, Apple has published a post that provides more details on its efforts related to child safety. With the release of iOS 15, watchOS 8 and macOS Monterey later this year, the company says it will introduce a variety of child safety features across Messages, Photos and Siri. 

To start, the Messages app will include new notifications that will warn children, as well as their parents, when they either send or receive sexually explicit photos. When someone sends a child an inappropriate image, the app will blur it and display several warnings. "It's not your fault, but sensitive photos and videos can be used to hurt you," says one of the notifications, per a screenshot Apple shared. 

As an additional precaution, the company says Messages can also notify parents if their child decides to go ahead and view a sensitive photo. "Similar protections are available if a child attempts to send sexually explicit photos," according to Apple. The company notes the feature uses on-device machine learning to determine whether a photo is explicit. Moreover, Apple does not have access to the messages themselves. This feature will be available to family iCloud accounts. 

Apple will also introduce new software tools in iOS and iPadOS that will allow the company to detect when someone uploads content to iCloud that shows children involved in sexually explicit acts.  

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You won't have to worry about your kids going on a game shopping spree, at least if you're part of a Windows or Xbox household. Microsoft has updated the Xbox Family Settings app with controls to manage your kids' spending. You can set spending limits, and require that children ask permission to buy content when they don't have the funds in their account. And if you're wondering what your young ones bought, you can check their spending history.

Microsoft pitches this as a way not just to prevent out-of-control spending, but to reward good behavior. You can top up an account when your child finishes their chores, or reward them with money for Minecraft extras when they ace a test.

The refreshed Family Settings app is available now for Android and iOS. The spending tools aren't exactly novel concepts, but they could make all the difference if you want to teach your kids better spending habits — or at least, save yourself from unpleasant credit card bills.