The Adventurous Couple's Guide to Sex Toys (10 page)

Teledildonics
refers to sexual encounters via a Web interface with a virtual partner. The clever word (combining elements of
tele
[distant]
, dildo,
and
electronics
) has become a catchall term for anything from virtual reality suits to remote-controlled vibrators.
Teledildonics
was coined in the 1980s by Ted Nelson, though the term is best associated with Howard Rheingold's 1991 book
Virtual Reality.
In a chapter entitled Teledildonics, Rheingold describes his fantasies of having virtual reality sex over the Internet, but wisely mentions the difficulties in making a virtual reality sex suit. Mind you, the Web wasn't actually usable for the general public until around 1993, but even when it only beckoned as a new frontier to those techies “in the know,” it remained a fertile ground for sexual imagination.

Despite the squeaky-clean statistics you'll read in mainstream technology's industry reports, many important technological advances have been fueled by sex. Video rentals and the VHS videotape machine are two great examples, and it's certain that even if things like handicams, video podcasts, gallery websites, social networking sites, and a significant developmental portion of the Internet weren't precisely driven by sex, all of these technologies are intertwined with sex today like a pair of conjoined twins.

The interest in sex, and commercialized aspects of that pastime, have made these technologies widely popular and ushered them into mainstream usage. Sometimes, as with podcasting, it's the notion that the tech is pornified that garners it the headlines and leads the way for sexualization; it's arguable that podcasting hit the mainstream consciousness when the
Wall Street Journal
and
Newsweek
ran articles on “porn podcasts” even before video podcasting was accessible and at a time when only
a handful of sex podcasts were available. After that came the developments and refinements in podcasting creation and delivery systems; it may be a “chicken or the egg?” debate in some circles, but it's obvious that both can't exist without each other—just as with tech development and sex. It may seem like Howard Rheingold's fantasies about virtual reality suits are light years behind us, but even if certain fantasies may not be feasible, many cybersex fantasies can come true with the click of a mouse in the Wild West frontier of—let's say it together—“teledildonic sex toys.”

The standard type of sex toy used for Internet-controlled sex is one that's USB-controlled, meaning that the toy has either been modified or manufactured with a USB cable or a remote (that is, wireless) USB transmitter. Every new computer has one or more USB ports; USB (Universal Serial Bus) is a plug-and-play interface between a computer and add-on devices (such as audio players, joysticks, keyboards, telephones, scanners, and printers). USB also acts as a power source for whatever you're using, so a USB sex toy never needs batteries. The types of sex toys fashioned into USB devices are typically the usual range of bullets, penis sleeves, and dual-action vibrators found at retail sex shops, the only difference being their USB power source.

Most sex toy retailers carry some kind of USB sex toy, but all of them are only
powered
by USB, meaning you still have a little controller box where you (manually) change the intensity of the vibrator; these toys can't be modified for computer
control. They are handy for people who don't want to mess with batteries (and like the idea of alternate-powered toys) or want to have a toy every bit as mobile as their laptop. People with webcams love their USB sex toy, because it lets them put on relatively hassle-free sex shows for their lovers who are watching on the other end of the cam interface, whether across town or on the other side of the globe. Some USB sex toys are marketed and sold with (cheap and buggy) “3-D cyber sex games,” a disc that runs porn or explicit sex games that power a penis stroker—buyer beware of what else might come on these discs, and don't expect nearly the level of graphics you get in a standard computer game like
Grand Theft Auto
. And don't
ever
buy a sex toy with claims of “optimizing your computer's performance” unless you know a lot about getting rooted spyware out of your hard drive.

 

Look sharp when purchasing a USB sex toy that doesn't include a teledildonic interface (only two companies provide these interfaces right now; they're explained in the next section). Almost all retailers, from the reputable to the sleazy, sell USB toys with the marketing text and descriptions promising “cybersex” and computer-controlled sex. These claims are untrue, though likely due to a lack of understanding of the toys themselves. As stated earlier, all USB sex toys are powered only by your computer; all the USB vibrators do is use the power coming
from
your computer the same as they would from a battery pack. There's no computer control for these toys, but what they're good for is powering a vibrator
while
you're having cybersex.

It's important to remember that because the ideas and technologies behind USB sex toys, teledildonics, and webcam interfaces are still evolving, they aren't without their drawbacks. So you'll need a realistic attitude when playing with USB-controlled sex toys and negotiating delays in image transmission because of your (or your lover's) slow Internet connection. Because teledildonics is still in its frontier stage of development, and will likely stay there for a while as different cowboy companies angle to devise the best toys and control programs, it's wise to remember that no interface will be entirely perfect for your cyberfantasies.

Two companies sell USB-powered sex toys that can be used over the Internet with a lover (or stranger, if you prefer). Both Sinulate Entertainment and HighJoy Products market a selection of USB sex toys with proprietary software that allows for remote Web control of the toys. Sinulate sells its toys with software that the user installs on their computer, and offers a free network interface where users register their toys for enjoyment with a remote user. HighJoy, by contrast, sells a subscription service for remote use of its USB toys. Both companies offer a network of “singles,” pay-for-play cam girl-shows, and “interactive 3-D sex fantasy games.” Neither company, alas, offers options for Macintosh users.

Over at
sinulate.com
, the Sinulator uses a Flash interface point-and-click control panel that lets users of the Sinulate system and software operate toys via the Internet. A vibrator attaches to a wireless transmitter by a short cord, while another wireless transmitter connects to the user's PC through a USB port. Each toy gets a unique user name and URL, which is what's registered in the online remote-user network. Then the toy owner gives the user name and URL to the person they want to have control the toy. The operator controls the toy from the Sinulator-hosted webpage of the person with the Sinulator toy, and pilots the toy's intensity by clicking and dragging their mouse by means of the Flash interface. If the toy user has a webcam set up, the remote operator can watch the results onscreen.

The Sinulator claims wireless capabilities of up to 50 feet from the transmitter, so toy users have the freedom of masturbatory mobility and no wires to get tangled in. That means the person using the toy can recline on a couch or bed away from the computer and talk on their cell phone with a lover running the sex toy, or if they're more ambitious they can set up a little webcam studio for an elaborate scene. The Flash interface resembles an adolescent boy's idea of an airline cockpit, which operates a Rabbit Habit (dual-action) vibrator in a variety of ways, with a throttle (rotate), slider (vibrate), and three buttons that execute combined rotation and vibration programs.

Sinulator's interface works like a video game, except that the operator can run the vibrator on any Internet-connected device containing a browser, such as a Treo, to control the Sinulator vibe used by a woman or man, anywhere. The inventors cleverly created a hidden control panel for the person on the vibrating end of the deal, where he or she can limit the intensity of the vibrator—so while their client or lover is maxing out the rotate function (thinking that more must be better), the person with the vibe receives only the level of rotation that they find pleasurable. A true win–win situation.

Flash technology, which adds animation and interactivity to webpages, gives users spontaneous opportunities to play with the interface, though Flash has its own quirks and problems
with different computer models and browser types. The receiver box arrives in a tasteful pillow with a simple quick-start guide (supplemented by a detailed start-up brochure). The USB connection both powers and connects the transmitter; the Sinulator is FCC compliant.

The Sinulator is not Mac compatible on the user end; the toy operator can be on any computer, though the toy user is limited to a PC only.

Over at
highjoy.com
, the HighJoy Products system promises services similar to those of the Sinulator, and the company has merged it with a membership-required, highly proprietary, social networking/dating service–style website. The company's base setup starts at over a hundred dollars, plus a required monthly membership fee. System requirements are Windows 98 SE or later, an Internet connection, and either a serial port (COM port) or a USB port (a serial-to-USB adapter is sold separately).

HighJoy has partnered with novelty toy manufacturers Doc Johnson and the Vivid porn company. Three toys, two webcams, lubes, and two adaptors are offered in their online store. The site is based on a social networking model, encouraging users to sign up and create profiles so they can meet other users and have sex with them. Like a commercial social networking site, the partnership collects data on users: all personal information, all user profile information, computer information, IP address, browser type, domain names, access times, referrers, and specific pages visited.

Buyer beware: HighJoy's privacy policy states that “HJP may use this data to deliver customized content and advertising to customers whose behavior indicates that they are interested in a particular subject area.… HJP also uses your personal information
to inform you of other products or services available from HJP and its affiliates. HJP may also contact you via surveys.” While it claims not to sell your info to third parties, it may try to sell you products of external business partners. So it's a good idea, as always with online purchases, to print a copy of the license agreement and read it before signing up.

You don't need to pay for an expensive cybersex USB toy service to enjoy the many pleasures of having live, remote sex with someone over the Web. You can do this with a webcam. Granted, it may not fulfill the complete fantasy of having a lover control your toy, but a little visual stimulation can go a long way, and controlling your own orgasmic destiny gives you a lot of advantages. Think about it: In any remote Web sex encounter, you're essentially just masturbating and talking dirty together anyway—you're not touching, or breathing heavily into someone's ear. Shared sex is all in the eye (and the ear) of the beholder. But before you decide who's calling the shots and controlling the encounter, and whether you want to move up to try remote sex toys, just get a camera set up and ready to go.

Essentially, setting up a webcam can be as easy as purchasing it, installing the software that comes with it, and following the directions for use. Make sure you read the instructions before plugging in the camera. Some require that you install the drivers first; others require the camera to be plugged in first. If you do it in the wrong order, you may not be able to get the camera working at all. Don't even bother with a webcam if your Internet
connection is dial-up; it will simply be too slow and unreliable for practical sexual use.

Webcams sit on, and plug into, your computer for Web use; most webcams come with microphones that let you talk and transmit sound to and from the person you're connected with. How much you spend on this equipment is up to you and, while quality varies widely, most consumer ratings websites agree that, as in all things technological, you get what you pay for. High-end webcams come with flattering features, such as lighting adjustment and instant “enhancing” features like wrinkle smoothing and vertical stretching (to make you look thinner).