Lovers turn to text message to say it's over

LONDON (Reuters) - U R dumped -- one in seven say they have suffered the same fate as Britney Spears' ex-husband and been told it's all over via text message or email, a survey said on Friday.

While hiding behind technology might appear a cowardly way of splitting up, it contrasts with the four percent who simply drop all communication with their lovers without notice.

"Most of us send emails and texts everyday, so it comes as no surprise they are now being used to ditch someone -- however distasteful this is," said Rob Barnes from moneysupermarket.com, which carried out the survey.

"The results show one per cent of the population would use a social networking site to dump a partner. It would be interesting to see how this changes as sites such as Facebook and MySpace become more apparent in our everyday lives."

One of the most high-profile victims of dumping by text was Kevin Federline, who reportedly received news that pop singer Spears was filing for divorce while being filmed for a television show.

The survey said 15 percent of the 2,194 people questioned had been dumped by text or email, although a quarter of those in the most tech-savvy 18 to 24-year-old age group would choose the traditional method -- a letter.

Find your soul mates through body odour

An American dating company claims to have discovered the first scientific way of finding true romance - body odour!

The dating company, ScientificMatch.com, says that the body odour is the main source of attraction.

According to the founders, ScientificMatch.com is the first service to use its DNA matching to link somebody to that perfect someone.

The service asks its members to submit a DNA sample, the saliva-swab normally used in paternity or drug testing, and then examines it to compute their ideal partner.

The company said that in analysing the use of DNA, the immune system genes would identify compatible match from people with different immune systems.

According to ScientificMatch.com, "a natural odour you'll love, with whom you'd have healthier children and a more satisfying sex life."

"The fact is, we love how other people smell when their immune systems are different from ours - they smell sexier," the company added.

Members are charged close to 1,000 pounds for the service, and are also asked complete a questionnaire on their 'fundamental, core values' so they can be matched to people who share their beliefs, a process the company equates to "soul matching, or values matching".