The 404 753: Where Cookie Crisp killed our mojo (podcast)

Watch this: Ep. 753: Where Cookie Crisp killed our mojo

33:33

We get nostalgic about kid cereals of yore in The 404 preshow this morning, and if you miss Cap'n Crunch OOPS! All Berries and Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats Cereal as much as we do, you can still buy both on Amazon.com. Don't blame us if you get a stomach ache from 17-year-old crunchberries.

Sprint's dual-touch-screen Kyocera Echo is the latest victim of the "just because you can, doesn't mean you should" cliche.

Bonnie Cha was at the special event in New York yesterday and raises concerns about the effects of the double screens on the phone's battery life, not to mention the lack of 4G support that will likely push this handset to the clearance bin by the end of this year.

The war of the smartphones will always be a heated topic of discussion on the show, but as the numbers of handsets grows, we're getting less excited about the hardware in lieu of the new apps that make them really stand out--things like Grindr, a new service that lets men and women turn their GPS-powered phones into mobile-dating tools.

The mobile service was initially rolled out to help gay men track their nearest potential dates (aka, gaydar) and has grown to support nearly 1.5 million members with apps for iPhone, BlackBerry, and Android.

Once you sign onto Grindr and fill out your profile, the app shows a grid of pictures for potential daters in your area based using GPS technology that works up to a couple of hundred feet. If you see someone of interest, you can then send a photo or a message to start the conversation.

It's opened up a realm of possibilities that take the guesswork out of spotting gay men, but now its 33-year-old founder, Joel Simkhai, is attempting to port the service over for straight women as well.

The problem lies in the effort to incorporate features that appeal specifically to that demographic, since most straight women can walk into any bar and lock down a date. Wilson also brings up a good point about the safety and privacy issues behind an app that keeps track of your location.

Along the same vein, an article in New York Mag caught our attention and hits so close to home that we have to address it in the second half of the show. It examines the negative psychological effects of Internet pornography on the male libido.

Based on interviews with men of all ages (including John Mayer, an expert on the subject), the author questions the possibility that Internet porn is causing men to detach from their partners and instead form mental bonds with the stars in these movies.

Obviously there's plenty to be said on this topic (anecdotally, not personally), so I'm sure we'll spend more time on it tomorrow. Read the article and let us know what you think!

Episode 753