Click here to view the gallery: Connected Sex Toys
When you brainstorm ideas for Valentine's Day gifts, you probably think of flowers and chocolate. Or, since you're a Mashable reader, you might prefer more techie offerings, like chargers and phone or tablet accessories.
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Here's an idea -- have you thought of a sex toy? Some studies report more than half of women are using personal pleasure devices -- vibrators. So why do they still seem taboo?
That might soon change as the adult industry becomes both a little more connected and more mainstream. OhMiBod, for instance, is a company based in New Hampshire started by a husband and wife. I first met Suki Dunham, founder of OhMiBod, when I was at the International Consumer Electronics Show in 2007. The pair was showing their music-driven vibrator at the Adult Entertainment Expo, taking place at the same time. It was the first such product on the market.
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You could say they've come a long way, baby. Since then, they've released wireless, rechargeable versions and an iOS app. At the most recent CES, OhMiBod's third as an exhibitor, they unveiled the Club Vibe 3.OH, the first Bluetooth-controlled wearable vibrator.
Dunham says the technology enabled in their development "supports one of OhMiBod's primary missions: using sex-positive products to help both singles and couples alike to explore, discover and grow their passions."
Also at CES this year was the We-Vibe 3, designed for couples. Grant Bechthold, VP of product development for Standard Innovation, which makes the vibrators, says it's really about using tech for sexual health.
"Tech can replace the human experience," he told Mashable, "but we don't want tech to replace it. It's like contact lenses; we want a great user experience but don't want to know it's there."
He says men are typically threatened by these devices, but they shouldn't be. "Tech as an enhancer creates a better user couple experience -- it doesn't interfere with the human touch, it helps to augment."
We've rounded up the latest connected sex toys for you to peruse. Some are connected to an app, some to a remote control. These can all be ordered online, and most come in luxury gift boxes complete with charger, satin storage pouch or bag and, in some cases, a user manual.
Let us know what you think as the adult entertainment world incorporates technology into its development.
Image via iStockphoto, g_studio
This story originally published on Mashable here.
