Sex, Tech and the $1 billion deal

Andrew Conru trained as a mechanical engineer and grew up with churchgoing Lutheran parents in northern Indiana. He started the world's first online dating site, WebPersonals, in the 1990's - sold it for a mint and currently owns Adultfriendfinder.com (probably not suitably for work). It's now one of the most popular websites in the world. According to Alexa, its global popularity ranking is 69 (you couldn't make it up).

Conru's business is, we hear, the subject of a huge $1 billion takeover deal. Proof, if proof were needed, that sex and the internet are inextricably linked.

Now, conventional wisdom has it that porn is the great innovator - but there's evidence to suggest there may be trouble ahead for those in the business of selling sex online. So, where next?

Your thoughts welcome. From California we'll be speaking to blogger and author of Sex, Tech 2.0, Regina Lynn. And to Jerry Barnett - MD of Strictly Broadband and part of the UK's Adult Industry Trade Association.

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