Be My Jackass!

Offering the first widgets that actually inflict pain. Gives new meaning to "poking" your friend. In the eye. With a USB connected plastic finger.

From a Media Post Article today:

BRAGSTER, A SORT OF MYSPACE meets Jackass, has received $3.5 million in first-round venture funding led by Intel Capital, the chip maker's investment arm.

The site lets users make cashless bets with friends about whether they can do kooky things like drink 15 shots of tequila in less than a minute. Around this premise, Bragster offers social networking features including video-sharing (for providing proof of accomplished feats), profile pages, and messaging.

The year-old, London-based venture says it's drawing 800,000 mostly U.S.-based monthly users, although comScore estimates traffic at 226,000 monthly visitors as of January. Bragster co-founder Wim Vernaeve said the company plans to make money in large part through "sponsored brags" in which brands pay to be part of dares or bets. In one test promotion, for instance, Bragster worked with Ikea in daring some of its users to spend 24 hours in one of the furniture company's stores.