GRINDR boy absTwo questions: What is GRINDR, and who is using it? Firstly, here’s is what GRINDR is:

Basically it’s a great, and popular, new application for your iPhone or iPod Touch or now you can even use it on your iPad. There is no messy registration process attached to it, you don’t need to enter an email address or anything, you don’t even validate your account; you simply ad the application on to your iPhone etc. And then you’re ready to use it. And you can hang out on GRINDR where and whenever you want. It’s a social networking tool for gay men, you can see who else is on, you can check photos and profiles and you can see where other guys are. These guys may be simply out and about looking for other guys to hook up with for a drink, or more, or they may be on the network searching out Mr Right, as well as Mr Right-now of course. And, once you are up and running on it, they will be able to contact you.

More specifically it also lets you see who is in your area. It maps out other users and you can, on the free versions, see around 100 other guys at a time. If you pay the full whack of $2.99 a month (yes, two-ninety-nine only) you can have up to 200 guys and no adverts on your screen. Not bad eh? You can check out more about the application at www.grindr.com, follow it on Facebook and Twitter and you’ll find it very easy to install and use.

So, you’re set up and maybe you’re on holiday in… let’s say, Australia. Want to know who else is around? Simply use your application and check the guys out. But then ponder this: many famous people are also using IPhones, and many gay guys are using GRINDR, put the two together and you’ve got the potential to hook up with your favorite gay stars, and porn stars, or how about singing stars? Back in March The Daily Telegraph reported that super-star George Michael had been using his GRINDR application to hook up with other hunky guys down under in Australia. The publication said: “At 10.16am on Monday, using the profile name Back for Wood, George Michael used Grindr to send the message “Hi there” and a picture of himself taken in a hotel room mirror to someone he liked the look of , who happened to be just 185m away, according to Grindr GPS.” (I am a little curious as to how they found out, it suggests that there may be some security issues with the application. But then I assume the guy he sent the photo to sent it on to the paper to get some quick cash.)

Anyway, the George Michael story sent me scurrying around the net to see if any other ‘names’ had been found out in a similar way. Sadly I didn’t find anyone else, but it did make me wonder. Think of your favorite porn star (Turk Melrose in my case, or Turk Mason as he’s now calling himself), and then see if you can find him via your GRINDR application. Imagine if he’s in your same hotel or just down the road. Thanks to the GPS in your phone matching up with the GPS in his, you never know who you are only a few metres or miles away from. Sadly Turk was nowhere near me when I tried it out, and I am on the other side of the world to Australia so I doubt George will be popping by tonight, but you can start to see the endless fun you can have with this ‘find him now and near’ application.

Stay tuned we will be having some contests involving iPads coming soon.