It takes two to tangle
Lovers who want to control each other's sex toys over long distances have two plug-and-play options: Sinulate Entertainment and HighJoy. Both systems work with any toy with a 3.5mm plug, and both manage near real-time responses even over dialup - a boon for military couples.
Sinulate's product is wireless, and it connects the toys to each other so you don't need to sit at the computer. A man can thrust into his Interactive Fleshlight and control the speed and intensity of a woman's vibrating rabbit.
HighJoy operates a social networking site where members can hook up and control each other's toys, but in the past several months the company has seen a surge in "couples only" memberships, reports company president Amir Vatan. It seems the stigma of the technology is giving way to the fun it can deliver, and the more women who discover it, the higher the demand for more toys and more ways to share them.
Meanwhile, technophiles who want to build their own systems using common household objects and freely available code blocks can find support and kindred spirits at OpenDildonics.org.
Reach out and touch someone
Mobile devices make it possible for us to touch each other even when we're away from the internet.
The Toy, which has just begun mass production, is a Bluetooth-enabled vibrator that responds to incoming text messages by wiggling in a different way for each character in the message. Worn internally, the device is deceptively simple in form, with a boldly colored plastic outer shell and an almost silent operation so as not to startle the horses.
Less sexual but perhaps just as intimate is the Bluetooth Hug Shirt from Cute Circuit, which is starting production and should be available to consumers by the end of the year. The Hug Shirt has several pockets that hold sensors and "actuators" that transmit and receive virtual hugs between people wearing the shirts. (If you're not wearing one, you can still send a hug by text message.)
Sex is the ultimate interactivity
More and more, developers are realizing the potential of integrating personal devices with interpersonal experiences.
Communities that form around devices like the Je Joue oral sex simulator and the OhMiBod audio-driven vibrator elevate the devices from "just another sex toy" to "part of my social life," with toy owners becoming part of each other's sexual pleasure by sharing Grooves and playlists online.
And toys like the OhMiBod and the iBuzz add a tactile element to virtual nightclubs in places like Second Life and Red Light Center.
Flying solo
Intimate interfaces also offer the chance to have sex with virtual partners, like porn stars and animated characters. The latest player in the game is the VirtualSTICK/VirtualHOLE from Segment, Inc., a Japanese company that made its American debut at AEE in January.
The Segment system involves an input device with several sensors, motion-capture software and a couple of force-feedback sex toys for men and women. The software captures what you do with the input device, from gentle touches to long firm strokes, and embeds signals in a video (either from your webcam or any digital video). When the video is played back, those signals drive the various motors in the sex toy.
The Virtual Sex Machine, from VR Innovations, also brings a physical element to specially encoded erotic videos. Unlike Segment, there's no do-it-yourself, and the device is designed for men - but beautifully so. The VSM "massage mechanism" teases, pulses and sucks along with the woman on the screen.
Man vs. Machine
Oh my god they want to replace human touch with machines. The number one fear you'll hear about intimate interfaces is that they will threaten "real" sex, but that's unfounded. No one wants to replace sex; especially not people excited enough to invent more ways to have it!
What intimate interfaces offer is a chance to engage in erotic experiences - with a partner - during times when you wouldn't otherwise get to share a sensual moment.
Now doesn't that beat watching reruns of Scrubs?