A GoPride Interview
Hosh Gureli - Cruze Mobile
Hosh Gureli - Cruze Mobile interview with ChicagoPride.com
Tue. January 31, 2006 by Jason P. Freeman
So, it’s Friday night, around 10-ish, and you're all alone in a big new city. Wearing your tightest Bad Religion Jeans with your hair's all did, you got your gum, lip gloss and your cell phone. You're ready to hit the scene. Only there's a problem. You don't know where the scene is. Well, thanks to the innovative minds of Cruze Mobile, virtual gay Mecca is only a few cellular keystrokes away. As the world's first Mobile Service exclusively for the Gay Community, Cruze brings all things Gay -- restaurants, nightlife and even chat -- right to your cell phone's Internet browser.
Speed-dialing ChicagoPride.com, famed music producer, DJ and Cruze Mobile co-creator Hosh Gureli called to give us the 411 on how to cruise Cruze and to ask yours truly out for a romantic Cruze-inspired evening.
JP: Hey Hosh! Lets pretend that I'm a young impressionable pup who's just moved away from a rural town, coming out of a closet of party lines and rotary phones, to find himself in a big city with a vibrant and active telecommunications community. Explain to me (slowly and gently please) what exactly is Cruze Mobile and what kind of service (Ha! Service!) does it provide?
HG: Well little pup you are in luck! - no doubt you have a cell phone as does everyone these days which is connected to a web browser or even better yet you have Verizon mobile phone. You are new to the city and kinda know what the club, bar or restaurant's name is, but don't know what the hot nights are or where the hell is it. Sign up to Cruze Mobile at www.CruzeMobile.com and you will have all the info in the palm of your hand where ever you are. Especially important when u don't have your favorite gay mag layin around. You can find it in our GOING OUT section. Even better yet - lets say you don't know the names of the happening places - then go to WHATS HOT - where a team of
"in the know" specialists that list the hottest places that day or night. Cruze Mobile is a Full service mobile application for the gay, bi and gay friendly consumer.
JP: So how did a well-known music producer get himself involved in co-creating a gay centered mobile service?
HG: Let me see - Well I bumped into Bill Diggins (former manger of Erasure and Anastasia) two years ago at Clive Davis' infamous Pre-Grammy party and he mentioned that he was working on something big and would like to talk to me about it. He had formed Diggit Entertainment which handles Vibe and Spin Magazines mobile and asked me what I thought about starting an application for the Gay community. Ever wanting to expand my horizons I thought this to be a great idea - With the experience I have from being a former Music Director of KMEL (the big Top 40 station in San Francisco in the early 90's) to being a Club DJ before and after and then making and marketing records to the Gay community - this felt like a natural.
JP: How do you feel Cruze Mobile will enhance and/or simplify the LGBT community it caters to?
HG: Easy. Just sign up and you see for yourself.
Many times I'm going to a new place, but I don't know the address and I'm in the cab already - just punch up Cruze on your phone and problem solved...and I haven't even talked about the Chat Now function.
JP: What’s your favorite Cruze Mobile downloadable ringtone?
HG: Without a doubt it is the Ring A Ding Dong Kevin Aviance voicetone.
JP: Right now, the service is only available in most major U.S. cities.
Any chance it might go totally national, maybe even global?
HG: Anything is possible - We are national in terms of the Chat Room, but for the guide we have to keep it to major cities.
Right now we are in process of getting additional funding.
Once that goes through you will see a much larger presence in Cruze Mobile.
JP: So if I were to register my mobile device with Cruze Mobile, will you check out my profile and send me a sexy chat message?
HG: What's your stats? ...lol
Actually with the chat function u can take your own picture with your phone and apply it to your profile so you get a good idea of what the person looks like. Let me say that we want to distinguish ourselves from the Chat rooms that are there for just the immediate hookup, because we are on Verizon's Lifestyle Section (50 million eye balls) We only accept shots that are "decent" - shirtless is okay - naked crotch shots are not. With that said - Lets go on Cruze Mobile and find a restaurant to go to for our first date :)
JP: You know, I figured we'd just go straight for dessert.
Are there hotel listings too?
For more information on Cruze Mobile, visit www.CruzeMobile.com
Speed-dialing ChicagoPride.com, famed music producer, DJ and Cruze Mobile co-creator Hosh Gureli called to give us the 411 on how to cruise Cruze and to ask yours truly out for a romantic Cruze-inspired evening.
JP: Hey Hosh! Lets pretend that I'm a young impressionable pup who's just moved away from a rural town, coming out of a closet of party lines and rotary phones, to find himself in a big city with a vibrant and active telecommunications community. Explain to me (slowly and gently please) what exactly is Cruze Mobile and what kind of service (Ha! Service!) does it provide?
HG: Well little pup you are in luck! - no doubt you have a cell phone as does everyone these days which is connected to a web browser or even better yet you have Verizon mobile phone. You are new to the city and kinda know what the club, bar or restaurant's name is, but don't know what the hot nights are or where the hell is it. Sign up to Cruze Mobile at www.CruzeMobile.com and you will have all the info in the palm of your hand where ever you are. Especially important when u don't have your favorite gay mag layin around. You can find it in our GOING OUT section. Even better yet - lets say you don't know the names of the happening places - then go to WHATS HOT - where a team of
"in the know" specialists that list the hottest places that day or night. Cruze Mobile is a Full service mobile application for the gay, bi and gay friendly consumer.
JP: So how did a well-known music producer get himself involved in co-creating a gay centered mobile service?
HG: Let me see - Well I bumped into Bill Diggins (former manger of Erasure and Anastasia) two years ago at Clive Davis' infamous Pre-Grammy party and he mentioned that he was working on something big and would like to talk to me about it. He had formed Diggit Entertainment which handles Vibe and Spin Magazines mobile and asked me what I thought about starting an application for the Gay community. Ever wanting to expand my horizons I thought this to be a great idea - With the experience I have from being a former Music Director of KMEL (the big Top 40 station in San Francisco in the early 90's) to being a Club DJ before and after and then making and marketing records to the Gay community - this felt like a natural.
JP: How do you feel Cruze Mobile will enhance and/or simplify the LGBT community it caters to?
HG: Easy. Just sign up and you see for yourself.
Many times I'm going to a new place, but I don't know the address and I'm in the cab already - just punch up Cruze on your phone and problem solved...and I haven't even talked about the Chat Now function.
JP: What’s your favorite Cruze Mobile downloadable ringtone?
HG: Without a doubt it is the Ring A Ding Dong Kevin Aviance voicetone.
JP: Right now, the service is only available in most major U.S. cities.
Any chance it might go totally national, maybe even global?
HG: Anything is possible - We are national in terms of the Chat Room, but for the guide we have to keep it to major cities.
Right now we are in process of getting additional funding.
Once that goes through you will see a much larger presence in Cruze Mobile.
JP: So if I were to register my mobile device with Cruze Mobile, will you check out my profile and send me a sexy chat message?
HG: What's your stats? ...lol
Actually with the chat function u can take your own picture with your phone and apply it to your profile so you get a good idea of what the person looks like. Let me say that we want to distinguish ourselves from the Chat rooms that are there for just the immediate hookup, because we are on Verizon's Lifestyle Section (50 million eye balls) We only accept shots that are "decent" - shirtless is okay - naked crotch shots are not. With that said - Lets go on Cruze Mobile and find a restaurant to go to for our first date :)
JP: You know, I figured we'd just go straight for dessert.
Are there hotel listings too?
For more information on Cruze Mobile, visit www.CruzeMobile.com
Interviewed by Jason P. Freeman