Chatroulette

15 Stories

How Chatroulette Profits Off All Those Naked Guys

'50,000 naked men' has become 'our investment,' says founder

(Newser) - After rocketing to popularity and then just as quickly to scorn, Chatroulette has finally figured out a way to make money—off, of all things, all those naked chatters. New content control features were introduced last year, and even though you’ll still see the odd penis—about once an...

NFL Probes Chatroulette Sex Tape

Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes linked to video

(Newser) - NFL officials are investigating a sex tape ostensibly starring New England Patriots linebacker Brandon Spikes on Chatroulette. On the tape , shopped around by a Chatroulette viewer, a naked man who looks like Spikes appears on a bed in a hotel room with a woman, and the two have oral sex....

Chatroulette 2.0 New, But Not XXX-Improved
 Chatroulette 2.0 New, Still XXX 
REVIEW ROUND-UP
Aug 31, 2010 7:43 AM CDT

Chatroulette 2.0 New, Still XXX

Revamped site more glitchy, still penis-plagued

(Newser) - Chatroulette has returned after a week offline, but version 2.0 has all of the penises and more glitches, complain reviewers.
  • The random video chat site's new design is more minimal, "but it's not necessarily better-looking. Plus, it's now quite buggy," complains Dan Nosovitz at Fast Company . Four
...

Seshroulette: Chatroulette for Pot Smokers

'Never Smoke Alone—Enjoy Seshes With Randos!'

(Newser) - Lonely stoners have a new option for finding fellow tokers: Seshroulette , a random video-chat site similar to Chatroulette but for marijuana smokers. Promising enjoyable "seshes with randos," Seshroulette is officially only for users of medical marijuana, but it's populated with potheads from around the country. The Daily Beast's...

Chatroulette Goes After Penis Flashers

It warns users that it's working with police

(Newser) - Chatroulette seems to be getting serious about its penis problem . A new message on the site warns that those who flash minors will end up talking to the cops, reports NewTeeVee . “Broadcasting inappropriate content to minors is a violation of both US and UN law," it reads. "...

Chatroulette's Big Problem: Genitalia

New software could scan the site for penisrs

(Newser) - You only get to make one first impression, and Chatroulette has made a pretty dirty one. The site gets up to 1 million visitors a day, but Michael Arrington notes that it may die a slow death unless it gets rid of its "parade of penises"—and unless...

How Chatroulette Turns Men Into Flashers

'Inadequate' guys seek out 'big' reaction

(Newser) - Anonymity is the critical ingredient that often makes good boys go very naughty and flash strangers wheeling through bedrooms via Chatroulette, say experts. Even men (mostly) who have never flashed anyone in their lives are suddenly finding themselves showing off their genitalia on the latest social network that allows webcam...

How to Rid Chatroulette of Penises

Entries pouring in from contestants

(Newser) - The Business Insider recently launched its "Solve Chatroulette's Penis Problem" contest with a deadline of Monday. Their favorite entries (submitted via Power Point presentation!) so far:
  • Facial recognition: No face? No connection, because he's probably showing penis.
  • Rogues Gallery: Take photos of offenders' faces and post them, with
...

Chatroulette Is a Gold Mine, Penises and All
Chatroulette Is
a Gold Mine, Penises and All
OPINION
Mar 29, 2010 10:47 AM CDT

Chatroulette Is a Gold Mine, Penises and All

The site doesn't have to be useful to find its niche—just fun

(Newser) - Yes, OK, fine, there are a lot of penises on Chatroulette. Granted. But get past that and you’ll find a bona fide cultural phenomenon that might just make a ton of money, writes Jennifer Van Grove of Mashable . Chatroulette has an audience because it’s just plain fun, as...

Real Ben Folds Salutes Chatroulette Ben Folds

He does his doppelganger's routine in concert

(Newser) - Turns out that's not really Ben Folds performing on Chatroulette . It's a guy named Merton. But the real Ben Folds has been inundated with so many questions about his doppelganger that he's offering a tribute of sorts in concerts, mimicking Merton's piano improv while watching Chatroulette. His "Ode to...

Chatroulette Penises in Peril
 Chatroulette 
 Penises in 
 Peril 
WEIRD CONTEST DEPT.
Mar 19, 2010 1:13 PM CDT

Chatroulette Penises in Peril

Business Insider thinks savvy surfers can somehow de-creepify video site

(Newser) - Chatroulette is an intriguing, innovative social networking/chat/video site with a huge problem: penises. A study says 13% of users are “perverts”—use your imagination—and that makes potential advertisers understandably skittish. If you think you can help solve the "penis problem," Nicholas Carlson of Silicon Alley...

Is Chatroulette Piano Guy Actually Ben Folds?

Internet abuzz with YouTube mystery

(Newser) - New York weighs in on the day's hottest Internet mystery: Is the Chatroulette piano guy/YouTube-viral-video star actually Ben Folds? As Stephen Johnson points out on G4 , “He sings like Ben Folds. He plays piano like Ben Folds. He looks like Ben Folds.” Adds Lindsay Robertson, “anyone...

4 Things You Can't Do on Chatroulette
 4 Things 
 You Can't Do 
 on Chatroulette 
'LOL' doesn't work here
Mar 13, 2010 9:32 AM CST

4 Things You Can't Do on Chatroulette

Cyber sex loses its luster, and using 'LOL' exposes you as a liar

(Newser) - Sure, Chatroulette is great if you really want to see a lot of bored guys —but at least four online activities are much more difficult on the site. From Andrew B. at CollegeHumor :
  • Snagging sexual predators: If the pervy old guy is staring right at your police uniform, it’
...

Jon Stewart Takes Spin on Chatroulette, Bumps into Katie

....and Brian Wiliams, and Keith Olbermann. Stilll, he's not a convert

(Newser) - The Daily Show's Jon Stewart tried Chatroulette last night and, viola, there were Diane Sawyer, Katie Couric, Brian Williams, and a characteristically preachy Keith Olbermann, all doing hilarious bits. Not to speak of Jason Jones in a state of undress doing something we can't repeat here. Stewart claims to find...

Chatroulette: Next Big Thing or Next Dumb Thing?

Here's who you meet in vid chat—over and over

(Newser) - Chatroulette is getting “next big thing” buzz all over the Internet, with many swearing that the site, which lets you video chat with random people all over the world, is a total revolution. And it is—“for about six and a half minutes,” writes Josh Kurp on...

15 Stories
Most Read on Newser