An Electronic Shortcut in the Dating Game

What if finding a mate were as easy as pushing a button? MatchLinc is a new electronic key-chain gadget that claims to put an end to wasted time spent with the wrong person by determining a couple's compatibility in mere seconds.

A la Tamagotchi, the device has been all the rage in Japan for a couple of years but is just now hitting Stateside. Here's how it works: Answer a true-and-false questionnaire about sex, religion, drug use, how you spend your spare time, etc., and MatchLinc will produce a profile of your personality to store in its memory.

From then on, when you meet a friendly face, there's no need for meaningless chitchat. Simply pull out your MatchLincs to compare personality profiles. Using infrared transmissions, two of these devices placed head to head instantly notify the owners of their compatibility factor (perfect couple, excellent, average, tolerable or simply forget it).

Who knows? The stock singles bar pickup line could soon change from "Do you want a drink?" to "Do you want to MatchLinc?"

For information, log on to http://www.matchlinc.com.