Black Mirror, the twisted British sci-fi anthology series turned Netflix smash hit, is one of the last things you’d want to inspire a real-life business. The show is notoriously dark, dystopian and disturbing to watch, with an outlook on human behavior and technological advancement that’s designed to leave viewers devastated. Despite its bleakness, Black Mirror is consistently praised by critics and has become a cult favorite for fans - and now, against all odds, it has inspired an enterprising Reddit user to launch a dating app based on a popular episode from season four.

Twenty-four year old programmer and entrepreneur Julian Alexander introduced his fellow redditors to Juliet, an AI matchmaker, in a post to the popular AMA subreddit.

Recipient
Plenty of Fish

The 2019 Editor's Top Pick - Free award winner is Plenty of Fish (POF). This is one of the harder categories to figure out. The top 3 free dating apps have lots of members but it is the combination of features and user feedback that in the end helped us make the decision. POF does not lack the features which make it easy to use and allow its members to find matches and start conversations quickly. In fact every day on the service on average 2.5 million users message each other. If you are in your thirties to forties then you will feel right at home on POF as a large portion of members are in this age range. Remember within a month of using the service, 30% of POF members report that they have found a partner, so it does not take long before you see results.

For the first half of February in celebration of Valentine's Day eHarmony is offering 15% off of membership subscriptions when you use a coupon code. It starts Tuesday, January 30^th and runs to Friday, February 15^th.

The discount will be automatically applied when you use the code below. Depending on the term of the subscription you select, you can save over $35.

Promotional code: VALENTINESDAY

This deal is available to new and existing eHarmony users. If you are a new user you can create a free account and fill in your profile. The whole process takes about 30 or so minutes since eHarmony does require to know a bit about what you like and dislike. eHarmony uses a matchmaking system to determine your highest quality matches and delivers these to you every day. They have spent years researching what makes couples compatible and take great pride in the number of marriages that have been the result of them matching people together. With your free account you can also view your matches at no cost but if you wish to message them you will be required to subscribe. Depending on the term length subscriptions can be purchased for less than $20 a month.

For more on this online dating service which can be accessed from their website or dating apps, you read our eHarmony review.

Recipient
Fitness Singles

Fitness Singles is the recipient of the Editor's Top Pick - Commendation award for 2019. This dating service has been online since 2003 serving athletes and singles who enjoy fitness and an active lifestyle. In the past few years this dating service has experienced a large boost in popularity thanks to their strong membership base desire to meet other likeminded women and men. It doesn't matter what you are into. Whether it be running, bodybuilding, cycling or rock climbing, you will find members on Fitness Singles who enjoy what you do, and are looking for an adventure. With the increased activity this service has seen our Editor's would like to congratulate Fitness Singles on their success.

The good, the bad, the ugly - it’s all part of the online dating experience. At their best, dating platforms help people connect and communicate with compatible partners they might never have met otherwise. At their worst, dating websites and apps are ground zero for ghosting, curving, catfishing, orbiting, breadcrumbing, prowling, pocketing, scrooging, cookie jarring, you-turning and countless other cutely-named but distressing dating behaviors.

Dating services are taking an increasingly strong stand against users who have forgotten their manners. Bumble has led the charge for years, making headlines by banning mirror selfies and profile pictures with deadly weapons. Other companies followed Bumble’s lead. Tinder asked users to swipe left on tiger photos. OkCupid introduced a Member Pledge to encourage more civil conversations. Grindr launched an initiative to curb racism and discrimination on its app.

Bumble is aligning itself with the stars in more ways than one – the female-friendly dating app now offers a new feature to let you filter your matches according to their astrological signs.

Bumble has allowed users to identify their own astrological signs in their profiles, but this marks the first time members will be able to filter matches by zodiac preferences. Bumble offers the filter across its platforms, including Bumble BFF and Bumble Bizz.

The new feature is Bumble’s response to young daters’ growing interest in astrology when it comes to forming relationships. It’s trendy now to analyze your astrological sign to determine your behavioral tendencies and who you are most compatible with, and many users are embracing the move by expressing their support over social media.