On 10 March 1876, Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call: "Come here Watson, I need you!" Fast forward 134 years, and more men are hooking up over the phone than ever before. Right now it's never been easier. A typical Grindr home screen You don't even need $1. Just stroll into a Vodafone branch with your ID and they'll give you a brand new iPhone on a plan with no money down. It's made by Apple so it's very easy to get the hang of. Now, just type in 'GRINDR' and search for applications... found it? It's a free download. Turn your iPhone over, breathe in and take a photo of yourself. Now you're ready to browse the profiles. Well, when I say 'profiles' I actually just mean 'photos'. There's very little else, apart from that all-important fact: How far away are they? Grindr's GPS location-based design is what sets it apart from other dating platforms. A typical profile might read 'David, 2km away, Online, 27 years old'. The application was launched in March last year and was an instant hit in the big US cities. Locally, it's been a little slower to take off. We experimented with it last winter and saw almost no-one on there. But another look recently showed us loads of guys only a few metres away in central Wellington and inner-city Auckland. Not to mention hundreds of horny men in Sydney during the Mardi Gras festival. A typical Grindr profile We took our iPhone to Sbe checking your boyfriend's iPhone for the distinctive bright yellow logo? Whatever drama happens, you can be sure Grindr's here to stay... and we've just heard that a new version will soon be available for lesbians, and then straights. Look out mainstream! So will we see you on Grindr soon? Remember, the same rules apply as on any other dating site: Use a picture that truly represents what you look like. Be honest about what you want. Take condoms with you. Oh, and try not to think about your next Vodafone bill... On the video below: Stephen Fry mentions Grindr on Top Gear. Matt Akersten - 16th March 2010