New way for singles to meet -- the digital zap

By Dana Ford

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - For people who think they've heard every pick-up line in the book, here's a new one -- let's zap each other.

The line is not likely to work everywhere but at parties hosted by OneKeyAway, it might, with the Los Angeles-based company hosting singles' mixers with a technological twist.

Before parties, guests register online and complete questionnaires. The answers are then transferred to digital memory devices -- red, plastic squares slightly larger than a matchbox -- that the guests wear like necklaces.

During a party, people point their devices at one another to check how compatible they are. The devices flash red, yellow or green, depending on their level of compatibility.

Green means go, and red? Stop.

Edwin Duterte, a banker and founder of OneKeyAway, said he hopes the devices put personality on par with physical attraction.

Duterte said he started OneKeyAway in 2004 because he had trouble meeting women, with his height of 5 feet always proving to be a drawback for him.

"I didn't have a clue how to meet people," said Duterte, 37, who moved to Los Angeles 10 years ago. "All the relationships I had took a back seat. When you're so into work, you lose your skills."