Smartphone apps to help you spot singles

A whole new array of applications on the Web and smartphones are designed to help you spot singles near you.

Five sites out of these are:

Ratio Finder: It uses data from location-based social network Foursquare to map out local businesses based on where men and women tend to meet.

The site calculates Foursquare check-ins by gender and then visualizes the data on a map, currently only available in New York and San Francisco.

The New York map, for example, shows a giant pink dot over the rooftop garden cafe at the Metropolitan Musuem of Art, where it says there are 91 per cent more females.

MeetMoi: Uses your phone to update your location information in real time and send you alerts when potential matches are nearby.

It exists on iPhones and Android phones and uses GPS technology to help users meet people while they're out and about.

After you set up a profile, the service finds two nearby users with matching preferences; it sends each a message, opening the door for conversation.

Skout: lets users see nearby singles and reach out to the ones they want to meet. According to the company, it helps them connect with weekly emails on new singles in their area.

It doesn't disclose the exact street addresses of its users, so the only way others can locate them precisely is if they willingly provide their locations.

Grindr: bills itself as the "the go-to place for gay, bi, and curious guys to meet" and uses GPS technology to help users connect with other men in their area.

Users upload a picture and complete a profile and then use the service to see who's nearby. Accessible via Apple mobile devices and BlackBerrys, the service says its the largest all-male location social network.

PinPointsX: gives users what it calls a "Passion Map." The adult-oriented service says it's the leading application for hookups and can lead users to a night of fantasy and sexual fulfilment

Users upload a picture and complete a profile and then use the service to see who's nearby. Accessible via Apple mobile devices and BlackBerrys, the service says its the largest all-male location social network.

PinPointsX: gives users what it calls a "Passion Map." The adult-oriented service says it's the leading application for hookups and can lead users to a night of fantasy and sexual fulfilment.