Twenty years ago, the US Patent and Trademark Office granted patent number 6,368,268: "Method and device for interactive virtual control of sexual aids using digital computer networks," a minor classic of a majorly fucked-up genre, the bullshit tech patent that simply adds "with a computer" to some absolutely obvious and existing technology or technique. Read the rest

The rush to put networked sensors and controllers into sex toys is grounded in foolish, convenient untruths, like the idea that the incredibly sensitive data generated by these systems can be anonymized and then analyzed for insights without exposing users to risk. Read the rest

Subtle Dildo is a collection of photographs wherein dildos may be found by observant viewers. [via] Read the rest

Former dentist Kuang-Yi Ku created a prototype orthodontic retainer designed to improve the fellatio experience for the wearer's partner. After practicing dentistry for six years, Ku is now a student at Design Academy in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. His Fellatio Modification Project is a speculative design effort featured in the Science Gallery London's new exhibit Mouthy: Into the Orifice. The prosthetic consists of a custom orthodontic retainer with the top "embossed" with soft denture base material to create nubs on the roof of the mouth. From New Scientist:

Science doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to incorporating human sexuality into research and practice. Dentistry, for example, considers three functions for the oral cavity: aesthetics, pronunciation and mastication. “There is another function, sex, which is never mentioned in the textbooks,” says Ku. “I’m from the gay community and I realised that the medical school is a very patriarchal system, very serious, and the professors are very traditional, particularly in Asian countries. So I wanted to approach that relationship.”

Instead of treating disease and restoring normal function to the mouth, Ku imagines dentists enhancing it along one particular line, the act of performing fellatio. To do this, he created retainers which offer a more intense sexual experience for your (male) partner.

"Sex and dentistry: I made a fellatio prosthetic for my mouth" (New Scientist)

Read the rest

A woman has filed a lawsuit against the manufacturer of a sex toy that sends data back to the company.

From Vocativ:

In the suit, N.P. says she bought a We-Vibe in May and used it “several times” until she realized that it was sending data about her usage practices back to Standard Innovation’s servers, including when she used it, which vibration settings she used, and her email address.

The company that makes the We-Vibe, Standard Innovation, says it will do a better job of letting its customers know that the device can transmit data, which is “mostly anonymized” and used only for “market research.” Read the rest

Objects of Desire: A Showcase of Modern Erotic Products and the Creative Minds Behind Them by Rita Catinella Orrell is a coffee table book that has photos of 100 design-centric sex toys and interviews with their designers. The cover features Crave's hit Vesper vibrator.

Design website Core77 interviewed the author, Rita Catinella Orrell about Objects of Desire, which out March 28 from Schiffer Publishing. Read the rest

Photographer Robert Benson visited the uncanny valley to capture the making of a RealDoll, the $6500 hyperrealistic sex doll first made famous by Howard Stern. His photo series is surreal, provocative, and beautifully odd.

"Everyone was super passionate about what they're doing, and they take the work seriously," Benson told CNN. "I guess the fascination wears off after a week and it becomes like any other job."

See more here: Sex Dolls (NSFW?)

Read the rest

Carly Ayres of the design website Core77 interviewed Crave designer and co-founder, Ti Chang about her considerations when designing the Bullet vibrator.

The shape of the vibrator itself was developed over many iterations of refining the radius and curvature of the bullet tip. “One of the challenges is that when the tip is too curved, the proportions make it appear too tampon-like and it also extends the product length—which wouldn’t work with our space and size limitations,” Chang says. “Also when it is too curved at the tip, it gives the impression that it is insertable, which it is not.”

The final Crave Bullet is machined from metal, a favorite material of Chang’s. “I tend to gravitate toward metals in my designs for aesthetic, durability and tactile qualities,” she says. “Stainless steel became an obvious choice because it is a body-safe, hygienic and non-porous material. It is also very manufacturing-friendly, as it is easy to procure and process.” The body is an extruded thin-walled steel tube about 0.25 millimeters thick that is mechanically pressed and fitted with the other components. Every unit is run through a discharge and charge test to find any issues with the motors and circuitry and ensure it functions properly. Lastly, a compression-molded, removable silicone sleeve is capped over the base of the product, giving users the option of having a softer, more textured feel.

A classic example of global news lulz from 2012. Read the rest

Thanks to a patent troll, dildos won't be allowed to have sex with fleshlights! Annalee Newitz at Gizmodo delivers the bad news: Read the rest

Portland is facing a rash of hundreds of dildos hanging from power lines. According to Portland General Electric, the sex toys don't pose a fire hazard. Read the rest

According to a study carried out by LateRooms.com, a hotel deals site, more than a third of all items left in hotel rooms are sex toys or sex-related: “Our hoteliers are constantly amazed, and often outraged, by the things that guests routinely leave behind”. Read the rest

If you told your high school students to go home and take selfies of themselves with their parents' sex toys, various interesting outcomes could result.

Whichever one was on the mind of Wing-Wah Leung, of Encinal High School in California, it obscured the most inevitable an obvious result of all: getting suspended from his job when one of the kids actually does it.

[Leung] reportedly set the task as ‘extra credit’ for his students, but meant it as a joke and didn’t expect any pupils to take the work seriously.

‘It was to go into your parents’ private drawers or whatever to seek out sexual toys or condoms, or anything of that nature and to take a selfie with it’, mum Kimberly Cobene said.

The joke backfired when one of Leung’s pupils took it seriously and showed off his work in class, resulting in the teacher’s suspension.

RULES OF THE GAME: Fun for the whole family, “Firework or Sex Toy” consists of shouting out EITHER a product from a major fireworks company OR a product from major sex toy company. It’s up to contestants in the room to match the product names to the correct industry.

Here is a selection to get you started:

Sold by TNT Fireworks, Florence, AL:

Girl’s Best Friend, Not for the Timid, Thrill Seeker, Meow, No Limit, Lost Control, Team 6 Arsenal, Steel Force, Delirium, Festival Balls

Sold by Good Vibrations, San Francisco, CA:

Comet II, Pop Your Top, Wonderland Mystical Mushroom, Lady Luck, Pocket Rocket, Power Dancer, Double Delight, Night Rider

BONUS ROUND: Have participants guess where the following pieces of marketing copy appear:

“A traditional favorite gone mad . . . this will leave a smile on your face.”

“You will be shaken AND stirred.”

“Watch the ground erupt slowly into a plume of pretty lemon and purple sparkles, climaxing into a louder crackling sliver and purple sparkles. WOW.”

[HINT: All are TNT.] Read the rest

Photo: REUTERS/Nir Elias

The Times of India reports a police crackdown on sex toy sales in Delhi. [via Arbroath]

After a tip-off, a team led by inspector Mukesh Walia raided Palika Bazaar on Tuesday and confiscated 14 such toys from a shop, a senior police officer said. The owner of the shop, Gurbeer Singh, has been arrested for importing and illegally selling sex toys.

Covered by a prohibition on "obscene" materials, selling sex toys is a punishable offense with up to five years' imprisonment on the cards for repeat offenders: "Even buyers can be prosecuted." Read the rest