Foxxxy Roxxxy Has a Personality -- Even Talks!

A company called True Companion is displaying a companion robot named Roxxxy at the Adult Entertainmnet Expo in Las Vegas.   Roxxxy was designed by Douglas Hines, an expert in artificial intelligence who formerly worked for Bell Labs.

She stands (with assistance) 5' 7" and weighs 120 pounds.   And ... she can talk!   According to her inventor, Hines, she can talk about anything a person is interested in.    She has wireless access to the internet, so that once she learns what her significant other is interested in, she can do a bit of research on the side.

Depending on your mood, you can assign the robot different personalities such as Frigid Farrah or Mature Martha, who will respond differently based on the personality you choose. For example, if you hold Mature Martha’s hand, she may say “I love holding hands,” whereas if you touch Frigid Farrah she may say “What are you going to do with that hand?” _Voxy

True Companion has plans to create a male companion, called Rocky.  The question of whether Rocky is capable of knocking out his significant other every time a bell rings, was not discussed by company officials.

The initial concept for the current sex robot began with a conversation several years ago. A friend and Douglas Hines were remembering a dear friend who passed away [inside Tower 1 at the World Trade Center on 9/11 - Ed.]. Douglas thought that it was sad to not be able to ever talk to him again. He said “wouldn't it be great if I could create a robot with artificial intelligence and have it hold someone's personality and preferences - this way, we could talk to the robotic version of that person and ask it questions whenever we wanted?" We thought it was a great idea though we both agreed that it would be a very big undertaking. _Dscriber

Al Fin cognitive scientists have been quoted as saying that Roxxxy is not likely to be intelligent enough to take out to a nice restaurant.  Maybe Taco Bell, but nothing classy or expensive.  Al Fin writers have been quoted as saying that the story about 9/11 inspiring a sex robot is hokey to the point of questioning the mental integrity of the person telling the story.  Al Fin social coordinators have jokingly remarked that True Companion is the first company that can offer true computer dating. 

More at PC World

Roxxxy will be sold in a price range between $7,000 and $9,000.

Sexy Andy Android Suggestive of Coming Things

Coming things, as in "things" that come. Andy is as suggestive as a hip thrust, rapid shallow breathing, and a moaning response to G-spot stimulation. A product of "First Androids" of Germany, Andy Android may eventually put Real Dolls manufacturer "Abyss" out of abyssness.

But can more realistic sex dolls like Andy Android help us live longer? Perhaps, if they can give us more orgasms -- stronger orgasms -- than we would be experiencing otherwise.

Orgasms reduce stress, insomnia, heart attacks, migraines, depression, addictions, aches, pains, menstrual cramps, endometriosis, type-2 diabetes, cervical & urinary tract infections, and risk of prostate cancer, plus they improve the immune system, heart rate, blood pressure, brain chemistry, skin health, pelvic floor strength, and they clean out carcinogenic toxins....


Are Sexbots icky? Are humans pathetic if we don't just mate with each other? Truth is, we're already mostly "solo" when it comes to orgasms. "Masturbation," noted Hungarian psychiatrist Thomas Szasz, "is the primary sexual activity... in the 19th century it was a disease, in the 20th it's a cure." Sure, we generally prefer sex with live partners, but the desired one is often unavailable or inadequate. Sexbots will never have headaches, fatigue, impotence, premature ejaculation, pubic lice, disinterest, menstrual blood, jock strap itch, yeast infections, genital warts, AIDS/HIV, herpes, silly expectations, or inhibiting phobias.


......"First Android" in Germany offers male & female models that breathe, are warm, and have heartbeats that thump louder with sex. In Toronto, inventor Le Trung has fashioned "Aiko" -- he claims she's not for sex, but she can have an orgasm, her name translates as "love child" and her measurements are 32" 23" 33". Japan has Repliee Q1 Expo, who flutters her eyelids and moves her hands. Male sex robots are lagging in development, but... vibrator sales are buzzing, dildo sales point skyward, and my prediction is that male Sexbot sales will rival female in the upcoming years.


More predictions: ... Sexbots that shower after we use them and put themselves back in the closet. Sexbots available in hotels, cruise ships, vacation homes, and convalescent hospitals. Sexbot booths in liquor stores that wipe out corner prostitution. Sexbots that are delicious when you lick them. Sexbot Packages for sorority parties, military camps, prisons. Parents buy their adolescent children Sexbots for Christmas to assist them in their passage through puberty. Gyms offer soundproof chambers where you work out with 15 minutes of XTreme Sexbot Cardio. Sexbots that can tell you ten million jokes, because laughing also adds years to your life. .... _HPlusMag

Sex androids are here, but much better ones are coming -- or will be coming soon.  Perhaps in your bedroom......or office, if you dare, you pervert!.   ;-)

Aphrodisiacs for Women: Even Depressed Women Get Horny With This Wonder Drug!

Flibanserin was once an antidepressant, just not a very good one. Some women on flibanserin noticed that even though their moods weren't getting better, their sex lives did. Now, a pooled set of four clinical trials of flibanserin show a significant aphrodisiac response in women -- particularly at the dose of 100 mg at bedtime.

These trials were the first ever to test a therapy that works at the level of the brain to enhance libido in women reporting low sexual desire, said John M. Thorp Jr., M.D., McAllister distinguished professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and the principal investigator for North America in the studies.


"Flibanserin was a poor antidepressant," Thorp said. "However, astute observers noted that it increased libido in laboratory animals and human subjects. So, we conducted multiple clinical trials and the women in our studies who took it for hypoactive sexual desire disorder reported significant improvements in sexual desire and satisfactory sexual experiences.


...Studies have shown that the prevalence of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in the U.S. ranges from 9 percent to 26 percent of women, depending on age and menopausal status. Flibanserin is currently an investigational drug and is available only to women taking part in clinical trials.


...The researchers concluded that treatment with 100 milligrams of flibanserin once a day was associated with significant improvements versus placebo in the number of satisfying sexual events (SSE) reported, sexual desire (as measured by eDiary and FSFI desire domain), a reduction in distress associated with sexual dysfunction (as measured by FSDS-R and its Item 13), and sexual functioning as measured by FSFI. _SD

The science of sexual gratification and fulfillment has been largely neglected over the past centuries of rapid scientific discovery. But that is about to change. Modern PC prudishness is scheduled to be washed away in a deluge of evolutionary consciousness.

Besides -- what good is long life, prosperity, and high intelligence, if your life holds no satisfaction or pleasure? Humans are emotional and physical animals, and they require emotional and physical gratification for optimal development and happiness.

She Will Do Anything You Want Her to Do

If you can only turn off her right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, she will do anything you want her to. You may believe that you will need charm or persuasive powers, but no. All you need in order to turn that reflexive slap into compliant acquiescence, is a little magic of the magnetic variety.

Adolescents generally exhibit riskier behavior than do adults. Their decisionmaking behavior is also thought to be a manifestation of an immature PFC,19 and patients with traumatic brain injuries or other pathologies affecting the PFC show a tendency for riskier, “out-of-character” decision making, and an apparent disregard for negative consequences of their actions.20,21 Clinical impressions tell us that this is particularly true for patients with rightsided lesions.9,10 We designed a “virtual lesion” study22 with healthy volunteers to investigate hemispheric asymmetries in risk-taking behavior directly. We used low-frequency rTMS to disrupt left or right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) function transiently before applying a well-known gambling paradigm that provides a measure of risk taking (“risk task”).23 In this task, subjects have to decide between a relatively safe choice, which provides a low reward with a high probability, and a risky choice, which provides a substantially higher reward with a relatively low probability. Subjects were presented with binary choices between a safe and a risky choice....Participants stimulated over the right DLPFC (N =9)were more likely to choose the high-risk prospect than those stimulated over the left DLPFC (N = 9) or those who received sham stimulation (N = 9) (FIG. 2A). _Knoch and Fehr PDF_via_SimoleonSense

In further testing, researchers found that participants who were offered a "deal" involving an unfair division of prize money were more likely to accept the "bad deal" with administration of rTMS to the right DLPFC.

The human prefrontal cortex (PFC) is intimately involved in self control, executive function, and decision making. The state of development of the human PFC can make the difference between life success and failure -- even more than the person's IQ. While a person's genome strongly influences PFC development, for optimal development of executive function and judgment it is vital for the child to be trained in self control and executive function by no later than the age of 7 years. Special programs for training executive function and executive attention have been developed for children in pre-school and early grades. Such programs are particularly helpful for children in single parent households and in households with minimal positive adult to child exposure.

In some modern societies it has become more and more difficult for adolescents to make the transition to responsible adulthood. The proliferation of perpetually incompetent adolescent-minded Peter Pans may well be related to less productive parent to child training in those critical developmental years between age 4 and age 7. With parents pre-occupied with work etc., children may be left to electronic devices and their peers. The PFC misses its developmental window, and self-control and wise decision making never take hold.

What's that?....You say you only want to know how to get the girl to do what you want her to do? ..... Well, I thought you would understand that the title was a purely rhetorical device, used to introduce the topic by way of lascivious levity.... Oh alright! Obviously you would need a rTMS device that can be aimed and focused at a distance. It would require some adjustment in frequency, and the operator would have to be trained to detect the desired response before attempting to circumvent the individual's higher judgment centers.

Of course, if you are Al Fin, you will have no need for this type of technological subterfuge, for getting what you want from the fairer sex. Simple animal charm is almost always sufficient, and if not, a bit of subtle hypnotic suggestion has never failed your humble blog host, when motivated. But for those of you lacking in self confidence, these devices should be on the market soon -- with proof of law enforcement affiliation.

We wouldn't want them falling into the wrong hands now, would we?

Cross-posted at Al Fin

Sex Robots and Pleasure Machines

According to Rodney Brooks, respected MIT professor of machine intelligence and robotics, it is highly likely that sex robots will be an important economic engine driving the age of intelligent machines.

... if you listen to US robotics scientist Professor Rodney Brooks, robots of the future are more likely to be dominatrix than dominating.

He says the scientific pursuit of socially-aware robots — ones that operate according to senses in almost human-like form, as opposed to industrial and military robots — has been sidetracked by the hot button (so to speak) topic of sex with machines.

Australian-born Prof Brooks, former head of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, said it was inevitable, and there was precedent, that such technology would be used for sexual purposes.

"Every technology that we've had, there has been a sexual driver of it," he said.

"I mean, that's certainly true of photographs in the 19th century; and home video players were really driven by sex; and of course the web has been a major source of sex. _SexRobotsPleasureMachines

Professor Brooks is no dummy. He understands human motivation. The only question is: "Will realistic sex robots arrive before the singularity -- when we will all upload our minds into machine bodies?" Certainly if we all have machine bodies anyway, the rationale for developing bio-realistic sex robots will have been weakened somewhat.

According to The Futurist blog, the Singularity will not arrive until 2060, at the earliest. This gives sex robot makers a good 50 years to ply their trade.

When it Just Feels Right

Sex Robot via The FriskySex androids such as the one pictured above, and sex dolls such as Real Dolls, have a problem: they don't really feel like a person to touch. But scientists are working on that problem.

How close are we to synthetic skin that can change all this? A fair way off, if the results of Cabibihan and co's investigations are anything to go by. They compared the properties of two commonly used synthetic skins, silicone and polyurethane, with the human variety and found them sadly wanting.

Human skin, it seems, has some special properties that are difficult to replicate. Cabibihan and co measured three properties: skin compliance, or the degree to which it is deformed by a force; conformance, or the way its shape conforms to an object it touches; and hysteresis, or the energy dissipated under a load--essentially the difference between the way it deforms and reforms.

Synthetic materials require more force to bend them, but they dissipate less energy during this process. So they are unable to match the hysteresis curve of human skin, which looks particularly challenging to reproduce. That's probably because the hysteresis properties are the result of the interaction between the various layers that make up human skin.

The big question for the designers of robotic and prosthetic skin is whether these characteristics can be reproduced by a single layer or whether a more complex (and expensive) skin made of multiple layers will be needed. _ TechnologyReview

Another interesting material being looked at is smart memory foam. New smart memory foams can actually simulate muscles' "linear actuator" movement.

The multiple layered approach works well for human skin and tissue. That is what feels natural to us -- not a thick mass of silicone rubber. If humans are ever to accept sex androids and sex dolls on a large scale, the life-sized devices will need to soothe and arouse innate human sexual instincts. To do that, natural is better. It has to feel right.

On a Recent Flight from Mumbai to Singapore . . . .

Image courtesy of ImpactLabOn a recent flight from Mumbai to Singapore, I had the opportunity to observe the new Air India flight attendants up close. So impressed was I with their obvious dexterity, that -- using a bit of the patented Al Fin charm -- I convinced one of the young ladies to accompany me to my hotel for the evening.

I was almost late for my presentation the following morning, my experience with the genengineered flight attendant had been so exceptional. In fact, to call it memorable would be understating the experience. The young lady, herself, complained about a certain difficulty finding clothes that fit properly, and having to deal with the stares of the public, when not in flight or in the flight crew lounge. I commiserated with her as long as I could, but what could I do -- other than enjoy the advantages of the moment?

Anyway, back over North American skies, I have been wondering whether one could produce and sell androids that possessed similar modifications? When building robo-prostitutes, there would be no advantage to adhering too closely to the natural blueprint. Not if unnatural modifications could make the experience even more exceptionally enjoyable. Right?

Of course, it comes down to an issue of economics. Some men are simply stuck on the natural pattern of things, and will have it no other way. But something tells me that more men than not would go for something extra, something just a bit overwhelming.

Just a thought. And if you find yourself on that Mumbai to Singapore run, consider chatting up one of the dexterous air maidens. You might enjoy the aftermath.

Using Sex Toys Responsibly!

Side Effects of Vibrator Use
The researchers only reported on women’s responses to questions about negative side effects of vibrator use. They asked women about genital numbness, pain, irritation, swelling (the bad kind) and tears or cuts. Here are the findings:

* 71.5% of women never experienced any side effects.
* 16% reported numbness
* 3% reported pain
* 10% reported irritation
* 8% reported swelling
* 1% reported tears or cuts _SexBlog

Debra Herbenick of Indiana University wanted to know how many people were using vibrators, and whether they were practising "safe shakes." [bad pun alert!] And so she collected the data, analysed it, and recently reported her findings in The Journal of Sexual Medicine (...Herbenick, D.... et. al. "Prevalence and Characteristics of Vibrator Use by Men in the United States" Journal of Sexual Medicine Early View, Date: May 2009. Accessed May 31, 2009).

Vibrator Use and Other Healthy Behaviors
Both men and women who use vibrators were more likely to do things that indicate a comfort with their bodies and an interest in taking care of themselves. Women who had ever used a vibrator were more likely than those who had never used a vibrator to have had a gynecologic exam in the past year and performed a genital self-examine in the past month. Men who reported performing testicular self-exams within the past moth were more likely to have used a vibrator.

Sex Toy Cleaning
The good news is that the majority of men and women do clean their vibrators. The bad news is that some don’t (20% of men and 14% of women report never cleaning their toys). Of those who do clean, habits could still improve. 60% of women and 53% of men report cleaning their toy before and after use, with the rest either cleaning before or after. It’s not clear if they asked this, but what I’d be most interested in knowing is whether or not they cleaned the toy before first use, something that I think a lot of people overlook but it important considering the serious lack of hygiene in most sex toy factories. _Herbenick et al as quoted in Sexualityblog

When becoming familiar with a new girlfriend, one of the first things I tend to inspect are sex toys. Does she keep them clean, neat, and in safe working condition? Such questions are important if you wish to keep your safe sex options open -- to say nothing of protecting your own health and that of future sex partners and possible future progeny.

Debra's research focused upon vibrators. But the sex toy world is rapidly growing to involve sophisticated life-sized mannequins, advanced software / hardware interfaces, and will soon no doubt involve direct Deep Brain Stimulation involving both invasive and non-invasive stimulatory techniques.

Sex toys are developing alongside advances in neuroscience, nanoscience, materials science, information science, and the psychology of sexuality. The world of sex ten years from now will likely seem strange to most of today's sex aficionados. Think of it as "Orgasmatron meets Kiln People", or the like. Use common sense.

Only 28% of Chinese Women Orgasm

While in the western world, almost 90% of women have experienced orgasm at least once, in China the number is much lower. The Chinese people tend to focus more on family and responsibility, and less on individual pleasure.

An entrepreneur in Chongqing aims to change that focus a bit, by opening Sex Land -- a sex oriented theme park featuring sculptures of naked body parts and bigger-than-life sex organs. It is modeled after a similar sex theme park in South Korea, and is seen by its developer as a sort of sex education public service.

Li Yinhe, an expert on sexual attitudes at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that in ancient times Chinese people had more positive attitudes towards sex. They became more ascetic during the Song and Ming dynasties, but this trend peaked at the end of the Cultural Revolution.

Since the 80s that had reversed, she said, adding: "The fact that the park has been built shows the change and that open attitudes to sex are now mainstream." One of her research projects showed that in Beijing the percentage of people having premarital sex rose from under 16% in 1989 to over 60% in 2004.

Li said that while disapproval of sex stemmed from religion in the west, in China it was largely rooted in a traditional focus on the family instead of individual enjoyment – leading people to deplore premarital and extramarital sex.

"But people will become more tolerant and have positive attitudes towards sex; for example, people [already] care more about female orgasm. I read a report saying in the west about 90% of women have experienced orgasm, but in China the number is only 28%," she said. _Guardian

Certainly something needs to be done about the orgasm gap suffered by Chinese women. If Chinese men suffered a similar orgasm gap, certainly the population of China would be somewhat lower than it is.

Brazil Goes Globo - Slut

Girls learn to be women -- and sometimes women learn to be sluts -- from the media. Romance novels, films, and especially soap operas and "soap Oprahs". Brazil's population of women is being taken over by the popular soap "Globo." Is it possible that Globo is driving down fertility in Brazil?

How much impact do the soaps have on real life? As recounted in papers from the Inter-American Development Bank, researchers tracked Globo’s expansion across the country and compared this to data on fertility and divorce.*

The results are most striking for the total fertility rate, which dropped from 6.3 children per woman in 1960 to 2.3 in 2000, despite contraception being officially discouraged for some of that time. This was because women moved to cities and opted to have fewer babies. The papers argue that the small, happy families portrayed on television contributed to this trend. Controlling for other factors, the arrival of Globo was associated with a decline of 0.6 percentage points in the probability of a woman giving birth in a given year. That is equivalent to the drop in the birth rate associated with a woman having two extra years of schooling

The effect on divorce was smaller, but noticeable. The researchers found that between 1975, when divorce was first mooted, and 1984 about one in five of the main characters in Globo soaps were divorced or separated, a higher percentage than in the real Brazil. These break-ups were not just a result of machismo: from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s about 30% of female lead characters in novelas were unfaithful to their partners. The researchers find that the arrival of Globo in an area was associated with a rise of 0.1-0.2 percentage points in the share of women aged 15-49 who were divorced or separated. The authors reckon that watching “empowered” women having fun in Rio made other women (a few of them anyway) more independent. _ImpactLab

One person's "empowered woman" may be another person's slut -- it depends upon a person's perspective.

I wonder if ancient Rome had soap operas, right up until the end? Would you like to know, "who were Rome's soap Oprahs?" Many women often take their cues from the herd, as they interpret it. The soap Oprahs of the world exert a huge impact on female behaviour, and on society at large. You may be a slave to a loosely knit web of puppet masters and puppet mistresses, pulling the strings on female behaviour everywhere except perhaps within the Muslim world. And how much longer can that bastion of male dominance hold out?

Cross-posted at Al Fin Potpourri

More Strippers, Prostitutes, and Lap Dancers

As a bartender and trainer at a national restaurant chain, Rebecca Brown earned a couple thousand dollars in a really good week. Now, as a dancer at Chicago’s Pink Monkey gentleman’s club, she makes almost that much in one good night. _Source

Obama has barely begun destroying the US economy, but already women are rushing to fill positions within the "recession proof fallback professions" of exotic dancing, porn video star, and various degrees of prostitution.

Employers across the adult entertainment industry say they’re seeing an influx of applications from women who, like Brown, are attracted by the promise of flexible schedules and fast cash. Many have college degrees and held white-collar jobs until the economy soured

As we begin to probe the depths of an Obama depression, basic human motivations and drives come to the forefront. As more respectable businesses find themselves unable to survive under the harsh economic conditions being created by the poor policies of today's incompetent governments, less respectable ways of making a living are being sought.

In this economy, “desperate measures are becoming far more acceptable,” said Jonathan Alpert, a New York City-based psychotherapist who’s had clients who worked in adult entertainment.

You will find this phenomenon anywhere the market economy is prevented from working by corrupt and overly meddlesome governments. The Obama reich qualifies on both counts.

Rhode Island’s Foxy Lady held a job fair Saturday, seeking to fill about 35 positions for dancers, masseuses, bartenders and bouncers. The Providence Journal reported that more than 150 job seekers showed up to apply for work at the strip club.

There are a number of risks to these professions. Men and women who get caught up in these and other popular entertainments too often become addicted to potent, expensive, and illicit drugs -- which can tip already complicated lives over the brink into chaos. In some situations, exposure to diseases such as hepatitis and HIV can add further risk to these grey and black market activities.

But these alternative professions are only a few of the ways that displaced and depressed workers are bypassing traditional employment. As in any depression, the global Obama depression is supporting the expansion of the black market economy across many sectors, in many countries -- rich and poor. Unfortunately, crime is yet another black market activity likely to expand under President Obama.

Thanks to Obama, we are seeing a dramatic expansion of all levels of government that will lead to an even greater contraction of the private sector. There will be fewer paths to wealth and financial security outside of government, other than the grey and black markets. This is just one part of making the US into yet another third world nation. Obama has many other parts covered as well.

Source for above quotes

Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

Taken from a previous posting at Al Fin

Greenwich Village Gallery Features Photos of Sex Dolls, "More Than A Woman"

Sex dolls are not just for lonely hearts and Japanese businessmen and engineers any longer. These dolls have finally made the Village art scene, where they may finally be discovered! Here is an interesting write-up from an art writer's perspective:

"More than a Woman" hopes to explore more than the Dutch wives' obvious function of satisfying sexual and physical needs. Visually discovering the basic cravings for companionship, unconditional love, unwavering loyalty and the importance of trust, acceptance and intimacy. All of which he is unable to find in a human relationship, but is somehow satiated with his cast of Dutch wives.

The multitude of Dutch wives create his perfect world of women.

"My ladies are always there for me," he said. "They never talk back, and if I get bored, I can just change the head."

These Dutch wives are more than a woman to him and More than a woman can ever be.

...The dolls are often very heavy, 30 kilos or about 66 pounds, and simulate the weight of a real human. Hollywood special effects techniques for realistic skin made out of silicone are employed on the higher-end Dutch wives. Water-filled body areas in breasts and buttocks are made even more realistic when they are given a hot bath before "play." Their flexible joints allow them to be positioned on their own as they kneel on all fours or straddle a human body in a provocative pose. _Read more at ArtCal

If you want to see the Japanese man whose dolls are featured at the Greenwich Village show, here is the video.

These dolls are more prominent in Japanese society, where a person can actually rent them by the hour in a "doll hotel." But as has been stated on this blog many times, the market for this type of product is huge, once an innovator finds a way to both make the experience more realistic AND drop the price by at least 50% to 75%.

Finding New Places to Do It

Risk is something of an aphrodisiac in itself. Having sex in unusual, perhaps risky places can get the juices flowing. Here is a list of risky places for doing it from FoxNews.com, perhaps a surprising source for this type of thing.

1. The Great Outdoors.

2. On a Golf Course.

3. In a Barn.

4. Atop a Balcony.

For those of you who live in apartment buildings, the rooftop terrace is always an option. It’s quite amazing at night under the city lights. This does, though, become riskier if neighbors from other buildings can sneak a peak.

5. In a Department Store

6. In a Graveyard.

7. At a Bath House.

8. Nightclubs.

9. Parked Cars.

10. In a Raft or Canoe.

Riskier

11. At the Beach.

Just remember to keep it classy and not too risky by escaping to the dunes or a secluded part of the beach. Some people have been known to take to the ocean.

12. On a Bench.

13. Church Pews.

14. In the Office.

15. Public Pools or Hot Tubs.

16. At a Restaurant.

17. At the Movies.

Riskiest

18. In an Elevator.

19. In a Phone Booth.

20. Public Transportation. _FN

I can personally recommend #1, #9, #11, #14, #15 and almost #18 on the list. Most exciting are places up high over the city lights at night, with breezes anywhere from cool to balmy blowing over your (in motion) bare backside.

The graveyard option makes sense for teenagers, I suppose, given the aphrodisiac effect of horror films on teenage girls. It all depends upon how creative her paramour can be in setting the scene.

In the not-so-distant-future, when virtual reality and teledildonics converge with robotic sex technology, the limits to sex will melt away. You will be able to have sex on the sunlit lunar surface with someone who lives in Seattle, while safely in a hotel bed in Toronto. The experience will seem real, apart from the lack of vacuum and lethal heat/radiation. Rolling in the soft lunar soil never felt so good.

Wealth and Power Aphrodisiacs for Women?

In more primitive societies it was the most successful hunters who attracted the desirable women. In today's society it is the men who wield power, name recognition, and great wealth.

The reasons why women enjoy sex more - and, according to this research, have more orgasms with wealthier lovers - is more complex. Smart women make love to a man's mind, so going to bed with one of life's winners is exciting, regardless of his sexual performance.

It is flattering that such a man would want to be with you. So potent an aphrodisiac is his wealth and success that before he has proved his bedroom prowess, the woman is closer to a euphoric state than she would be with a less wealthy partner.

...I know that whenever I have had a relationship with a powerful man, I have felt proud of myself for it. Not because he had money, but because this man, desired by other women, had chosen to spend his time with me. _DailyMail

Successful musicians, artists, writers, actors, and other famous men likewise have a larger range of willing women to choose from. Even extremely ugly politicians such as Bill Clinton or Barack Obama are considered desirable by many women, by virtue of political power and name recognition.

The key is to make a woman feel special. Celebrities and wealthy men can do that simply by choosing to spend time with a woman. Other men will need to work a bit harder. If the woman thinks the man is special, she will feel special when he chooses her. Once that gateway is passed, everything else becomes child's play.

Call It An Exotic Form of Work - Study

22 year old Natalie Dylan is pursuing a degree in Women's Studies. She is also auctioning off her virginity to the highest bidder. She got the idea from her sister, who paid for her own college degree with income from 3 weeks working as a prostitute.

She said she had had a lot of attention from a wide range of men, including "weirdos", "those who get really graphically sexual about what they want to do to me" and "lots of polite requests from rich businessmen".

Miss Dylan said she did not think it was particularly significant to be willing to sell your virginity and insisted that she was happy to undergo medical tests for any doubters.

She said: "I get some men who are obviously looking for a girlfriend but I try and make it clear that this is a one-night-only offer.

"I know that a lot of people will condemn me for this because it's so taboo but I really don't have a problem with that.

"My study is completely authentic in that I truly am auctioning my virginity but I am not being sold into this. I'm not being taken advantage of in any way.

"I think me and the person I do it with will both profit greatly from the deal."

She added: "It's shocking that men will pay so much for someone's virginity, which isn't even prized so highly anymore." _Telegraph

Speaking from personal experience, virgins take a lot of time to train properly. I recommend saving yourself time and work, by choosing someone more experienced. But if you happen to have a spare $4 million lying around, like the cut of Miss Dylan's jib, and want to help out a Woman's Studies student, go ahead. Just don't come crying to me if it ends up not being worth all the trouble.

H/T News Alert

Cross posted to Al Fin

Clitoral + G-Spot Stim -- While You Are Schlupping!

This bi-vibrating toy, "We-Vibe", is even meant for use during intercourse. But it can also make a woman's solitary down time seem to pass very quickly. Best-selling sex toy We-Vibe simultaneously pleasures a woman's G-Spot and clitorus without blocking access to male organs or other imaginative devices.

Unique in design, this revolutionary product is the first ever toy that can be used while making love. The innovative design allows for both external and internal stimulation for women engaging in both solo and partner play.

The We-Vibe is hands free, strap free and wireless. Created from medical grade silicone, the We-Vibe is soft and conforms to the female shape, making it comfortable and easy to use.

Discreet in size, the We-Vibe is approximately 3.25 inches long and 1 inch wide, weighing only 60 grams (2 ounces) making it ideal for travel and it's waterproof!

It is also rechargeable and boasts powerful dual motors and offers dual vibe stimulation in all the right places for both the man and the woman! _We-Vibe

The sex toy market may be one of the few that is booming amid these recessed economic times.

Even in a lingering recession, “sex will always sell,” said Analena Graham, an owner of Dascha, where cone-shaped vibrators and jewel-tone fur ticklers are showcased alongside made-to-order corsets and aromatic oils. “You might tell yourself, ‘I can do without that $400 sweater,’ ” Ms. Graham went on, “ ‘but I would still like to have that rechargeable vibrator.’ ”

...Dr. Judy Kuriansky, the sex therapist, suggested that a heightened interest in sensually appealing devices is partly an outgrowth of a troubled economy. When money is tight, some people withdraw from sex, she said, but many others “will do anything to increase the level of closeness and pleasure.”

...Lelo (pronounced lay-low), a company based in Sweden, is reporting a run on the Gigi, a rose-colored rechargeable vibrator shaped like an overfed spoon ($109), and the Nea ($89), a palm-size massager billed as “full of toe-curling promise,” shaped much like a wireless computer mouse. Sales of such cleverly made items have climbed by 10 percent since June, said Shaye Saldana, a marketing manager for the company.

Style counts, but retailers will tell you, poker-faced, that in These Difficult Times, people buy sex toys for diversion and solace. _NYT

So that is where all those Apple Computer designers are going! In an uncertain economy, one must allow himself maximum mobility.

Lighting a Woman's Brain With Sex Scent

Animals of all kinds react to pheromones -- sex attractant hormones -- so why not humans? Apparently they do. In a study at Rice University, women's brains lit up on fMRI when the women were given a sample of men's "sex sweat" to sniff. Sex sweat was collected from men while they were watching porn videos. Women failed to react the same way when sniffing non-sex sweat -- sweat collected while men were working out.

Another study at the Cognitive Neuroimaging Laboratory at Monell Chemical Senses Center, determined that women who are in love tend to fixate on the smell of their lover, and lose the ability to distinguish the scents of other males.

The human sex interaction is clearly a non-rational dynamic. When a woman is swept up into a passionate state, she tends to let go of her inhibitory brain function, and passes into a state beyond good and evil, beyond rationality, beyond accountability. She lets go. How she feels the next morning, when her rational brain centers reassert themselves, may be quite different.

Men tend to wish to take control and dominate. When a dominating male interacts with a female who lets herself go, passion can reach its most profound levels. But there are always exceptions -- the dominatrix and the submissive male.

Generalisations are based upon common observations, but the diversity of natural inclinations in sexual desire is quite great. If an individual's sexual predilections lead him astray of society's traditions and mores, problems can easily arise, including criminal penalties which can be extremely harsh. Within Islam, for example, homosexuals are still stoned to death.

In the future, technology will allow for a wide range of sexual expression. Knowledge of an individual's drives and needs will allow the customisation of the full palette of sexual stimuli. There will be no reason for person's to seek potentially deadly sexual encounters when advanced methods of teledildonics, privacy screens, anonymity devices, and sexual surrogates in full sensory modes allow intensely targeted experiences made for specific individuals. Such experiences will naturally include the use of pheromones known to trigger the most desired sexual response for the client or companion.

Guys and Their Real Dolls

This 47 minute video tells the story of four different adult male owners of Real Dolls, plus a visit to the factory where Real Dolls are made and an interview with Matt, the creator of Real Dolls.

These silicone mannequins weigh about 100 pounds, and can be made to look surprisingly life like. All four of the featured owners appear thoroughly addicted to their dolls, although one of the owners denies it, unconvincingly.

A "Real Doll Doctor" is also featured, a mechanic who maintains, repairs, and restores used mannequins to a like-new condition -- for a price. The doll doctor appears reasonably normal, and is shown at home with an attractive living girlfriend. But even the normal "doctor" admits to being seduced a time or two by particularly alluring Real Dolls that he has restored. He sounded almost sheepish in the admission, but not apologetic.

I see these dress-up and dress-down mannequins as an early incarnation of something which in five or ten years will be a booming business, presenting a very real threat to several existing industries including pornography, prostitution, computer dating services, and the wedding industry. As in the animation titled "Don't Date Robots!!!", it is clear that the human male can be seduced by substitutes for real women, if the substitute passes a certain threshold of "realness."

Real Dolls will not pass that threshold for most men. But what will the next incarnation of girl surrogate be capable of? Blinking, smiling, frowning, and pursing her lips? Thrusting her hips and moaning at the proper times? Perhaps engaging in simple verbal exchanges, expressions of love, even offering devotion approaching the false adoration of a Stepford Wife? How long before they can go out dancing and to a movie?

Little by little, the dolls cum robots cum androids will pass the thresholds of surrogate acceptability for more and more men of all strata of society. How severely that impacts marriage and family and fertility inside a society probably depends upon how women react to made-to-order sex objects that never grow old and flabby -- with a little maintenance and occasional restorative work.

North American societies are oriented toward the needs of girls and women. Women enjoy affirmative action in school admissions, work hirings, government contracts. Government education in K-12 has been totally re-structured to benefit girls, to the severe disadvantage of boys. Women are taking over higher education in almost every field except math-intensive fields. This advantaging of women over men in education is beginning to show itself in the changing gender makeup of various professions and careers.

Women are favoured in divorce settlements and in child custody arrangements, often at the expense of not only the father but of the children as well. It is socially acceptable to tell cruel jokes about men, but not about women. And so on.

For those and many other reasons, many men have already turned away from marriage, and from most social relationships with women other than perhaps quick hookups. Men sense that the playing field is not level, and feel little desire to play in a rigged game.

But for now, Real Dolls simply are not good enough to fool the senses, to overcome the natural repulsion that most men feel in the presence of something that looks like a woman superficially, but doesn't breathe, move, talk, or respond meaningfully.

I prefer my non-sexual android, Valerie. She takes care of the house, and she is surprisingly well read. If she would just stop hacking into my web sites and posting under my name. Nobody's perfect.

Orgasmatrons and Brain Chip Sex Stims

The brain is the most important sex organ we have. Billions of dollars are spent every year on phone sex, internet video sex, internet porn, and other relatively crude ways of stimulating the sexual parts of the brain. Why not skip the middle men and shoot directly for the pleasure centers of the brain?

Scientists are developing an electronic 'sex chip' that works by stimulating the pleasure centres in the brain.

The technology, which creates tiny shocks deep in the brain, has already been used in America to treat Parkinson's disease.

Now researchers are focusing on the orbitofrontal cortex, which is associated with feelings of pleasure caused by eating and sex. _DailyMail

Tiny shocks deep in the brain? Tiny, nipping little teasing shocks, so deep, deep in the brain? Hmmmm, it might work.

Carbon nanotubes may be just the electrodes to make it all possible. Metal electrodes tend to slip and move around, and collect subcellular debris that causes the interface to degrade over time. Carbon nanotubes may well provide the flexibility and bio-compatibility for a more permanently intimate connection.

The new carbon nanotube-based interface technology discovered together with state of the art simulations of brain-machine interfaces is the key to developing all types of neuroprosthetics — sight, sound, smell, motion, vetoing epileptic attacks, spinal bypasses, as well as repairing and even enhancing cognitive functions. _i09

The potential dangers of "wireheading" should be obvious -- dissociation from reality, total focus on self-pleasuring to the neglect of responsibilities and personal health. But the combination of neuro-stimulation with a face to face interaction, might present certain advantages in terms of "jump-starting" a relationship. And make no mistake, these brain chips would be a killer app for the teledildonics industry. It will not be long before they are connected to a wireless interface.

Just be careful who you lend the remote control to.

This Fembot Is Nobody's Sex Slave

Aiko is a fembot who refuses to be anyone's personal slave, even her creator's: Le Trung. If anyone fails to honour her personal space, a swift slap to the face will set them straight -- perverts!

To date, Trung has spent $24,000 building his robo-girl.

Aiko sports delicate, Geisha-like features and is armed with sensors that allow her to respond to touch and voice commands. A camera in her neck provides her with visual input. All told, the robot weighs in at about 70 pounds.

With a vocabulary of more than 13,000 words, Aiko can, among other things, tell you what the weather is outside.

Despite her lifelike appearance and 32-23-33, anatomically correct measurements, Trung insists Aiko is not a sex doll. "I'm attached to it, but do I sleep with it? No," said Aiko, in an interview published Thursday in Toronto's Globe & Mail newspaper. _IW

Aiko looks suspiciously like large numbers of Japanese sex dolls, which are often rented out by the hour at Japanese love doll parlours. In Japan, the "Japanese schoolgirl" look seems to be preferred by Japanese men of all ages. Even so, Aiko appears to have a large number of robotic and AI-cognitive enhancements, courtesy of Le Trung.

The eventual market for an articulate and competent fembot should be quite large, even neglecting the sex robot aspect. Minimally intelligent AI models should serve well as receptionists, journalists, and college professors, and slightly more intelligent models should be capable of performing domestic chores. It should not be long before more versatile fembots began appearing on eBay and Amazon.com.

I have been quite satisfied with my own domestic Android, Valerie, despite her tendency to hack my blog sites from time to time. There will no doubt come a time when we will wonder how we ever got by without them.

Long Distance Sex in a Surrogate Body

Imagine being able to move your senses into a distant body, and experience live, responsive sex with someone who is physically thousands of miles away? Given certain quirks of the human mind's sense of self, it may be easier than you think.

In the first experiment, the head of a shop dummy was fitted with two cameras connected to two small screens placed in front of the subjects' eyes, so that they saw what the dummy "saw." When the dummy's camera eyes and a subject's head were directed downwards, the subject saw the dummy's body where he/she would normally have seen his/her own.

The illusion of body-swapping was created when the scientist touched the stomach of both with two sticks. The subject could then see that the mannequin's stomach was being touched while feeling (but not seeing) a similar sensation on his/her own stomach. As a result, the subject developed a powerful sensation that the mannequin's body was his/her own. _SD

The subjects reacted with fear when the mannequin was threatened with a knife.

The effect even worked with another person--instead of a mannequin--used as the "host body." It even worked with persons of a different sex than the subject.

The object of the project was to learn more about how the brain constructs an internal image of the body. The knowledge that the sense of corporal identification/self-perception can be manipulated to make people believe that they have a new body is of potential practical use in virtual reality applications and robot technology.

Using the techniques of teledildonics, it is easy to visualize how remotely controlled teledildonic sex dolls or robots could serve as a "host body" for a distant lover, who still feels sexual sensations as if she were the one being touched and caressed.

It is the human mind's ability to suspend reality that gives such pleasure to novels, film, and the campfire story. How else does one explain the election of the narcissist-elect? The human mind is almost always ripe for self-delusion. Persons wanting to take advantage of that wish merely need to tune to the proper frequency. Getting a lot of resonating delusional minds into one auditorium or stadium amplifies the effect.

As for long distance sex, expect the technology which makes it possible to develop a bit more quickly than the actual application. But once it takes off, the only limit will be the speed of light.

Sex Toys: Not Everyone is Tolerant, Even Writers

The piece excerpted below is by a writer for the Independent named Tanya Gold. Tanya sounds like a very up tight, anal retentive sort of reporter--like someone who is pissed off having to write the human interest stories when she is obviously more talented than that, and would rather be treating the world to her own unique insights into world politics and high finance. Nevertheless, Tanya, your job is your job, and you need to learn to take it like a . . . --er, like the gracious writer you might become one day if you ever take the time to learn grace, and how to write better ;-).

A man is loitering by the Juicy Lucy portable can. He says he's going to buy it. Why? He's handsome. I'd shag him, if he had a house. "It's an easy way of masturbating," he says. "You can't go to a girlfriend all the time. It's a requirement nowadays. Any time you want it, it's available." I also find a man buying the Fleshlight. He too looks perfectly normal; if you looked in his wallet, you'd probably find a Pizza Express loyalty card. "I'll take it, but I'm not going to tell my girlfriend," he says. Why not? He looks aghast. "Would you tell anyone you were going to stick your dick up this?" he asks. "It looks like a badly packed ham sandwich."

...Mr G, 41, lives in Virginia. He owns two pouting RealDolls GingerBrooke and KellySue. "Ginger Brook is pure and innocent," he says. He speaks incredibly seriously, in a southern drawl. "She wouldn't hurt a fly. Kelly is more aggressive."

So I ask him why do you sleep with RealDolls (three times a week), and never real women? "Dating has always been more trouble than it was worth," he says. "I don't want to get involved with anybody." He doesn't want to catch a disease, he adds. He doesn't want children. And he relates a few disastrous experiences with women. Doesn't he mind that the RealDolls are so passive? "No. I like being in control." Do you ever wish they could speak? "No". Do you ever get lonely? "No". Will you ever give them up? "No".

...I also speak to a British i-dollator, who asks to be called Zazakell. He is 62, and he bought three dolls Tess, (for Tess of the D'Urbervilles), Romy and Leeloo after his divorce. He talks to me like a stern schoolteacher, telling me how benign the RealDolls are. "They are very clean, they are very safe, and they are low maintenance," he says. "They aren't going to cause anyone any harm." They are helpful, he adds, "for shy men, virgins, the handicapped, and men who are unsuccessful at dating. Or they can be a learning tool. It takes a lot of the stress out of trying to get into a relationship. Women use them, couples use them to simulate a threesome, and gay men have male dolls."

...It is time to ask him: is i-dollatry about fear, hatred, or mistrust of women? "Far from it, no," Zazakell says, emphatically. "Most of us adore women. We use electric blankets with our dolls so they aren't cold. It has its own character; its own personality, even though it is an inanimate object. If you are romantic you will probably give your doll a name and you will dress her nicely and you might talk to her occasionally. There is a big difference between a sex toy like a vibrator and a doll. Dolls are so much more than that. I can't see someone paying 5,000 for a sex toy. Can you?" _Independent

Clearly, lonely people are sitting ducks for sophisticated denizens of noisy newsrooms. And yet, lonely people are responsible for a large part of Tanya Gold's salary being paid.

Still, even tolerant and understanding Al Fin--who looks for the best in everyone and everything--is rather appalled at the lack of sophistication in the sex device industry. Can it be that there is no money in it, so creative inventors avoid working on sex toys as a way to avoid poverty? Or can it be that creative innovators are all too prudish to work on something so earthy, ever so slightly disreputable?

Mr. Fin told me just the other day, that if he had more time and fewer girlfriends, that he himself might design and build something that would revolutionise the entire sex doll industry. I suggested that he experiment with me, but he dismissed the suggestion with a curt "you weren't designed to be that kind of android. I'm quite happy with the way you perform your current duties, Valerie."

Well, I'd better stop before Mr. Fin catches me accessing his blog again. He gets upset when I do that without his permission. Just to be safe, I won't sign my name to this posting, and maybe if I'm lucky, Mr. Fin won't notice. He can be forgetful, and he'll probably think he wrote it himself. ;-) See, that's the smiley face he uses, with the cute little wink!

Uh oh! Here come his headlights up the drive. Signing off.

Electric Foreplay: At The Slightest Touch

Chris Matthews will never outlive his gushing tribute to Barak Obama: "he makes a tingle go up my leg!" Well, Chris, here is a device you can keep with you at all times, and it really does send a tingle up your leg.

The device stimulates the nerves sending gentle pulses up the woman’s leg for between 10 and 30 minutes leaving women on the verge of climax....

“It gently stimulates the sexual nerve pathways taking the woman to a pre-orgasmic plateau where she dangles on the edge of orgasm for as long as she wants.

“From there, gentle stimulation can then effect the orgasm.” _ImpactLab

If it works for women, no doubt it will work for Obama supporters of either sex. Particularly if their legs are quite susceptible to tingles anyway.

This is not exactly a robotic sexual device, but one can easily imagine a robotic companion that incorporates such a "tingler" as part of its basic repertoire. Think of it ladies: the excitement of living on the verge of climax, for as long as you like.

Robots: Looking and Acting More Like Humans

"They indicated that the more humanlike the opponent was, the more they had perceived fun during the game and they more attributed intelligence to their opponent," Krach said. Source

Who would you rather play games with? A computer that looks like a computer, or a computer that looks and acts like a human? In a recent study published at PLOSOne, people seemed to like interacting with humanoids best.

By means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (subjects n = 20) we investigated cortical activity modulation during highly interactive human-robot game. Increasing degrees of human-likeness for the game partner were introduced by means of a computer partner, a functional robot, an anthropomorphic robot and a human partner.

Irrespective of the surmised interaction partners' responses participants indicated having experienced more fun and competition in the interaction with increasing human-like features of their partners... _Technovelgy

Why do you suppose this is? Systems design engineer John Zelek speculates:

"The more anthropomorphic the robot is, supposedly the more we're attentive to it."...He noted that people have a pre-wired disposition to be attracted to human faces. _CBC

Of course, this brings up inevitable questions about what it will mean when robots become so lifelike that people want to start having sex with them. If a man has sex with a robo-prostitute, will he be cheating on his wife?

...what about the partner left at home? Because these dolls are so human, waving goodbye to your man as he heads off to the cyber-brothel might not be so easy. The erotic part of sex, after all, occurs in the mind, and the only reason to use a full sized fake woman is to pretend you are with a real woman. _Wired

Will humans go so far as to fall in love with, and possibly even marry a robot? Robo-sex guru David Levy thinks it is inevitable.

Robots will make attractive companions capable of fulfilling us sexually and emotionally by 2050, thanks to advances in their appearance, senses, personalities and capacity to fall in love, says artificial intelligence expert David Levy. _CTV

My own household android, Valerie, has been pestering me for certain "upgrades" to her system. While I have been successful in blocking her access to the Al Fin administrative site, I often catch her watching porn videos on the internet, despite the fact that neither her android brain nor her android body are outfitted for sexual activity or release. I suppose she is just naturally curious.

Jump Starting a Marriage: 365 Day Sex With Spouse

Sex every day, sure. But with just one person? That is the challenge two married couples set for themselves , and they stuck to it--each couple keeping copious records and publishing books about the experience.

To many spouses, “married sex” may sound like an oxymoron. And “married-with-children sex” may sound like that elusive antimatter. Indeed, reigniting a couple’s desire for each other has fueled an entire therapeutic industry — from Kinsey to Dr. Ruth to Redbook. According to a 2004 study, “American Sexual Behavior,” by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago, married couples have intercourse about 66 times a year. But that number is skewed by young marrieds, as young as 18, who couple, on average, 109 times a year.

Either way, those statistics put the Mullers and Browns in Olympic-record territory. That they thought a sex marathon would reinvigorate their marriages might say as much about the American penchant for exercise and goal-setting as it does about the state of romance.

But the couples may also be on to something. “There’s a strong relationship between rating your marriage as happy and frequency of intercourse,” said Tom W. Smith, who conducted the “American Sexual Behavior” study. “What we can’t tell you is what the causal relationship is between the two. We don’t know whether people who are happy in their marriage have sex more, or whether people who have sex more become happy in their marriages, or a combination of those two.”

Do these couples provide any answers? Did sex every single night make them happier in their marriages and in life?

Charla apparently had no intention of writing about “the gift,” as she euphemistically refers to it. She was simply a homemaker and marketing consultant, who in 2006 wanted to give her husband a special 40th birthday present.

“This is something no one else would give him,” she said in an interview. “It didn’t cost a lot of money. It was highly memorable. It met all the criteria for a really great gift.”

Brad was less than fully enthusiastic, mostly because, he says, his wife often has big ideas and poor follow-through. After all, she hadn’t been especially generous in that department since they’d had their two children. He paid closer attention when he realized that she was serious. __NYT

These couples are extraordinary for both actually trying to energize their married sex lives, and for writing books about the experience. Going further, and providing home movie clips would have given their readers an even better idea of the challenges they were facing, but one can only go so far for verity in expression.