We already have applications for almost every kind of sport; it is is the same situation for music, finance, the weather, photography indeed almost every kind of activity from hang-gliding to petanque, seems to be catered for somewhere on the numerous app stores. There is however one activity, a more intimate one, that is making its way timidly onto a smartphone near you, that is to say sex apps!
As we all know, sex can be a very controversial topic. Context is all important. There are cultural, gender and age issues that in one place will not raise an eyebrow and in another could be life-threatening. So whether we are talking about it freely with our close friends or sharing intimate aspects of our sex lives with complete strangers there are bound to be moral and ethical issues. All the same sex is everywhere, in books, movies, music videos, song lyrics, talk shows, advertising. So how is it with smartphones?
Extensive market research reveals that the majority of apps available currently are making very little use of the potential of modern smartphones. We can find lots of apps related to sex trivia information, sex positions from the kamasutra illustrated in various ways. Some of them have additional functions like animated positions, notes, favorites. The second type of app by popularity is sex calendars. They are mainly intended for counting and calculating womens fertile cycles. There are however a few sexual activity calendars such as Sexulator which can also be found. With this app you can note your sexual activity with small icons depending on the type of activity it was. Another app Booty Gong in is designed to sending ‘discrete’ messages to notify your friends after an exploit. Lastly and most common are simple apps that propose online-dating which are often just an equivalent of desktop computer online dates. As you can see these hardly make use of anything smart on your phone.
Funderwear
All is not lost however, in Australia the condom manufacturer Durex, unveiled its new “Fundawear” product, which is basically a set of undergarments comprising bras, panties, and briefs equipped with sensors that can be activated at a distance by smartphone. The idea is that couples, separated geographically can still rest in ‘contact’ with one another.
According to the demo video, the vibration sensors are supposed to imitate real human touch. You use the smartphone app to specify the parts of your partner’s body you would like to stimulate, which are represented through circles. When you touch those circles, it activates the underwear’s vibration sensors, so that they vibrate whenever your partner decides you need some sexual attention. This brings a new meaning to the definition of “phone sex”.
Fundawear is not yet generally available to consumers, so we are at the early stages of such technology and do not yet know what it can bring us. However, the company is running a contest on their Facebook Australia page that offers you a chance to win a set of Fundawear before it goes on sale. Although this concept product is very curious it will need additional equipment.
Condomo8
Condom manufacturers are not without imagination, here in Europe a recent campaign was organized in Stockholm by LAFA, the Stocholm Aids Protection Programme to convince young people to be safe and use condoms as apparently young Swedes are not using condoms enough to protect themselves. During the campaign they distributed 50,000 numbered preservatives to people on the streets. On the each package they placed a QR code which let people download an application to let people know about how that condom was used.
As you can see in the video the application “Condomo8” should be used in the following way: After finding a partner, launch the app, place the phone in bed or wherever they are, employ the condom and press done when finished.
During the lovemaking the app measures displacement by means of the internal gyroscope on the phone, analyses any associated sounds picked up by the microphone and logs the duration of the sex by a simple timer. Participants would then fill out their personal profile after which their “sex graph” would be whisked off directly to the campaign website blog , where profiles could be analyzed and compared.
During and after the campaign which lasted through the summer the company posted updates based on latest statistics and spread the message around the streets of Stockholm, using posters with slogans such us : “Bruntes are losing speed” “This week 76 people got laid in this area”
More importantly the campaign helped change the attitudes of young Swedes with regard to condoms ,with 39% of users saying that they were more positive towards them after the campaign
This campaign that took a serious subject and made it engaging while at the same time enjoyable. Unfortunately it was only a temporary event.
There are applications however, which reflect the gamification of activities and are available all year round. If you can go on a bike ride, describe the route, measure your performance and post it up to show to your friends, why not measure one’s sexual performance in the same way? Well iPhone users can do it. “Passion” is an application which also uses the microphone and accelerometer to check how are you doing and in that way is very similar to “Condomo8”.
For the moment it seems that sex and smartphones are not yet making the most out the potential of either. It is true that a smartphone offers mobile access to the web and with it, the ability to upload and download content of a sexual nature, those sharing intimate moments should be conscious of the risks thay are taking.