Sex Toy Gimmick

Via Boing Boing Gadgets:

The maker claims that it was designed by a NASA engineer.

To me, this sounds more like something invented by an MBA.

Coming soon (no pun intended): a USB sex toy that requires so much power than you also have to plug it into the wall. It's called "RealTouch." (WARNING: The manufacturer's website is completely and utterly NOT safe for work.)

The USB connection really is for data transfer, not for power.

The device has a pair of latex belts (they kind of look like belt sanders, but I believe the surface is possibly a little more pliable than that), a lube reservoir and a heating unit.

But this doesn't stop there! You log into their website and register your module. Then you watch one of their porn clips from their "Video On Demand Theater" that is encoded with instructions for the module, so that (in theory) the device simulates the activities on the screen, so you get sucked into the action (pun intended this time).

Here's a quote from one of their site's information videos: "Every RealTouch device is engineered with advanced Haptic Technology. Haptics provide sensory feedback to your gaming experience."

"Gaming experience."

Yes, I see.

They're calling it "virtual sex."

I'm calling it "a revenue stream."

This sounds like the BodyBugg business model -- sell a device for $150-$300, but make it virtually useless unless the buyer logs into your web site, subscribes to a service and continues to pay over and over and over. And if you give them a credit card, they can continue to charge you for years after the novelty wears off and you stop using it.