Photo: Courtesy Of Lelo.
Though most women in the U.S. have at least experimented with a vibrator, we don't often consider all the tech behind our favorite toys. And this is one area of technology where room for innovation abounds, and yet, it can easily stagnate. Because hey, when you're fresh out of engineering school, vibrator development doesn't recruit in quite the same ways as, say, Facebook. The sex-toy industry is still a stigmatized space — but fortunately, that's changing.
Think about it: The more you use any technology, and the more you're able to talk to your friends about how they use theirs, the better you can articulate what you want out of it. Want to chat with others about how they use their iPhone? What their favorite apps are? Just turn to your neighbor at the bar and they'll likely have LOTS to say. But, want to chat about the best ways to use a sex toy? Who has the most seamless design and intuitive controls? Friends and strangers alike aren't quite as open about that.
Motherboard writer Jacqui Cheng discusses this very point in an article about the origins of modern sex toys — and where they're headed from here. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what, exactly, people even want out of a vibrator because we're not used to thinking about our desires in that way — and openly discussing them.
The result? A lot of poorly designed vibrators with weird buttons, too-complex instructions, and questionable abilities to even make you feel good. But, brands like Swedish sex-toy company LELO, and a few others, are trying to change all that by thinking critically about how to make objects that are both beautiful and easy to use. Click on over for the whole rundown on the newest techy toys — and thoughts from a sassy sex-toy reviewer who's tried out hundreds of 'em (Motherboard)