Technological advances are wiggling their way not only into our pockets but, evidently, into our hearts as well.

Whether it’s used to enhance this day for couples or used as a tool of revenge and distraction for lovers scorned, technology has changed for Valentine’s Day.

For Valentine-embracing saps

Larger and more life-like long-distance love

If you’ve had a long-distance relationship in the past few years, you’re aware of how tiny the face of your significant other looks on an iPhone, computer or tablet. Lament no longer. TelyHD is a new service that allows cheap and efficient video calling via television. That 60-inch TV suddenly turns into a hell of an investment. Just purchase the television attachment — complete with an HD camera, four noise-canceling microphones, a dual-core Nvidia Tegra 2 processor and Android software — mount it on top of your TV and voila, long-distance calling just got a whole lot bigger. While there are some kinks to work out, at $249.99 this product is the most affordable of its kind on the market. With an approximated 10-minute setup time, you could spend your long-distance Valentine’s Day with a much more prominently displayed digital version of your special someone. 

Virtual mixtape

In the olden days, it was frequent practice for love-struck folks to show their affection by creating a mixtape for their significant others. Though technology has changed the way we share music and has eliminated the relevance of the cassette tape, you can still employ this romantic sentiment using the site MixTape.me. This web-based music app enables the creation and sharing of virtual mixtapes, and it’s about a billion times easier than making the real thing. Create a playlist on the site by dragging and dropping your desired songs, and embed it to share with your valentine. (I suggest The Temptations’ ‘Sugar Pie Honey Bunch’ and The Postal Service’s ‘Such Great Heights.’) 

Personalized cards: No trek to the convenience store

Let’s be real, e-cards kinda suck. Open email, click on link, get corny animation with limited text and delete email. Fortunately, there’s a smattering of smartphone applications that specialize in card creation. Not only can you personalize the card with photos and text on your phone, but that card will then be physically printed and sent to the recipient of your choice. This is great for parents, cousins, nieces, nephews and whoever else you think deserves a personalized card in the mail. Apple’s version of this product is called Cards, and, like all other Apple creations, it is intuitive and easy to use. Open the app, create your card and accept the $2.99 fee charged to your App Store account.

 

For Scornful Valentine’s Cynics

ChatRoulette.com

For a quick and completely meaningless conversation with a smorgasbord of interesting characters, Chat Roulette is your go-to this Valentine’s Day. While you may stumble into some oddballs, it’s certain that those you come across on this video-chat platform will not be starry-eyed Valentine’s Day aficionados.

Cheaterville.com

Capitalizing on the wonders of group knowledge, CheaterVille allows those who have been cheated on to alert the world of their unfaithful exes’ straying eyes. The problem with this site is that the legitimacy of the claims is questionable and false accusations run rampant. Regardless of the validity — or lack thereof — of the claims, this site is a wonderful Valentine’s Day outlet for haters of romance.

Stream ‘My Bloody Valentine’ on Netflix

For those who associate this day with misery, Netflix has the film ‘My Bloody Valentine’ (2009) available for instant streaming. The film has murder, mystery, gore and heartbreak: It’s everything a Valentine’s Day cynic could ever need.

Jessica Smith is a senior information management and technology and television, radio and film dual major. Her column appears every Tuesday. She can be reached at [email protected]. 

Published on February 13, 2012 at 12:00 pm