valentine's day

Starbucks is giving its augmented reality mobile app a little bit more love. Literally.

As part of a new update, users of the company's Cup Magic app can now point their phones at Starbucks Valentine's Day-themed cups to see new, love-themed effects that appear to be happening on the cup itself.

Starbucks originally launched its Magic Cup app last November on both iOS (iTunes) and Android (Market) to coincide with the coffee chain's annual run of holiday-themed cups. Users would point their smartphone's camera at one of the seasonal cups and it would pull up an augmented reality scene that matched up with whatever character was on the cup.

This new addition is a little more limited, with the company only using one type of cup that will be carried in its stores through February 16. … Read more

Valentine's Day approaches, and in case you're one of those odd ducks wondering about the Most Intimate iPad Game, here's your slam-dunk recommendation: Fingle. Based on my time with it here at the office, it's earned nothing but awkward blushes.

Fingle's an iPad-only app because you wouldn't have enough finger room on an iPhone or iPod. It's basically Twister with fingers: two players place one hand each on the iPad and put their fingers on the spaces indicated, then start slipping and sliding around the board as indicated. Stay long enough on the … Read more

To celebrate the most miserable day of the year, aka Christmas 2.0, we're being Debbie Downers and checking out stories to ruin your cheesy holiday. If you're not hitched up with a honey bunny today, you may be able to increase your chances of bagging someone special based on the next gadget you buy.

According to this Gadgetology study, your computer, cell phone, and other tech accessories are big factors in determining your attractiveness to the people around you. Of the men surveyed under the age of 35, 50 percent find women with fancy smartphones more attractive, whereas 38% of women think a modern laptop oozes the most sex appeal.

And this is no surprise, but the two worst tech deal breakers for women are the awful Bluetooth wireless headset and cell phone holster, so steer clear of those two if you're looking to hook up. Finally, outside of the tech world, more women younger than 35 say they're attracted to a man walking a cute dog than a geek with a cool smartphone, so we're kind of screwed either way.

On the other hand, if you want to avoid sex altogether this year, the best way to accomplish that goal is to trick your partner by cooking them a dinner made of anaphrodisiac ingredients.

You can kill the mood with a number of ingredients including hops, marjoram, common rue, soy, and coriander, or you can really play it safe with a combination of it all in a deliciously platonic chicken and tofu in a marjoram cream sauce.

A anti-touch relationship is a good way to practice safe sex altogether, but what if a painful health affliction is preventing you from getting yours? A dating Web site based out of Winnipeg is playing Cupid for clients that suffer from herpes.

Actually, you don't have to have herpes to join. According to the creators, hopeful clients are asked during registration if they have it and if they'd be open to someone with it for full transparency. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, about one in six people between the ages of 14 and 49 suffer from the STD and are embarrassed to admit it to lovers, so Camelot Introductions offers this service to dispel the prejudice.

But all that aside, if you're a super procrastinator and still haven't purchased your boo a gift, consider a New York solution and just name a cockroach after your Valentine.

Here at CNET Car Tech, we love cars and we love driving. But it's Valentine's Day, so we're focusing on a different kind of love: the romantic sort.

For almost as long as cars have been on the road, people have been using them to impress and attract potential mates. These days, there are so many different kinds and classes of automobiles available that drivers have many options and opportunities to make the right rolling first impression. However, the incorrect choice could give suitors the wrong idea about who you are, or they could simply attract incompatible … Read more

This blog has always had love at its heart.

So I know that, at this time of year, those of you who work too hard--or merely drink too much--might be feeling lonely, lost and fearing that you will never again experience the joys of asking someone's name in the morning.

I therefore give you Virtual Dating Assistants. This is a company that does all the online dating for you. Well, most of it.

Virtual Dating Assistants makes heady promises on its Web site. For example: "We do it. You date. Online dating, simplified."

Please allow me to … Read more

If you're still in a bind trying to figure out what to get the man in your life for Hallmark Day Valentine's Day, you might consider going the gizmo route. Click through the gallery below for some ideas--from the latest, like HD-video goggles, wireless headphones, and telepresence devices, to nostalgic throwbacks like sno-cone makers (for the little guy in your life, of course). If you have other suggestions, be sure to share them in the comments section below.

This story originally appeared on CBSNews.com.

Valentine's Day is around the corner, so we're sure a lot of you are scrambling to schedule dates so you won't be alone with your toy pet Lulu on February 14. The problem is that first dates are almost always awkward, especially if you met on a dating Web site.

To help, OkCupid analyzed user survey data to glean the best questions to ask on a first date that actually correlate to sexier issues you won't get to until the fifth or sixth outing.

According to the site, if you want to get a clue into whether the first date will end in the bedroom, you should ask if your date likes the taste of beer! Or if you want to determine the long-term potential of your future relationship, you inquire about the person's taste in horror movies. And lastly, if you're curious about your partner's political affiliation, the best question to ask is his or her preference for simplicity or complexity.

The Catholic Church just approved an iPhone app that invites followers to run down a sinful check list prior to ease the process of confession.

The Church hopes that wayward souls will be inspired by the app to seek out the church for redemption for the bargain price of $1.99. To our Catholic listeners: don't worry, our resident skeptic Jeff Mubakalar deliberately says very little in this segment.

Finally, we wait until the second half to unleash Jeff on John Brandon, a Fox News reporter who penned an article titled "Is Bulletstorm the worst video game in the world?"

That's unquestionably, absolutely, and without a doubt the most bombastic link bait headline IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD, and Brandon starts off the conversation with a quote from a psychologist that claims "the increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of (sexual) scenes in video games." Let the twilight's last reaming begin.

The author also stumbles on the issue of ESRB warnings on the back of games not containing the full reason for the rating; instead, parents only see a truncated version of the objectionable content and are encouraged to go online to get the full justification.

I'll let the hosts speak for themselves, because I know it won't be the last time we get into a fiery debate about who is responsible for video games and the adverse effects they may or may not have on kids. Tune in for the full discussion!

For a game with "angry" in the title, Angry Birds sure does make people happy. Maybe it's because of the steady supply of extra goodies developer Rovio Mobile continues to push out--like the new Valentine's Day addition to Angry Birds Seasons. (That's the iOS version; it's also available for Android!)

Like an unexpected gift from that special someone, Seasons 1.2.0 rolled out with little fanfare yesterday. If you already own the game, check the App Store app (or Android Market) for the update. For everyone else, the game is still 99 cents--and … Read more

Good news, T-Mobile lovers! All T-Mobile phones will be offered for free at T-Mobile retail stores this Friday, February 11, and Saturday, February 12, just in time for Valentine's Day. Of course, you have to sign up for a new two-year contract, so it's not completely free. But it's still a great deal, especially if you want a fancy new HSPA+ phone like the T-Mobile MyTouch 4G. Do note that mail-in rebate cards might apply, and that the deal is only applicable in select locations.