INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightGetty ImagesWhen it comes to sex tech, the gadgets that grab the headlines tend to be the sex robots, with their
exaggeratedly feminine shapes and artificially intelligent responses to desire.But the market extends beyond these devices, and one British
firm is seeking to challenge the stereotype.Stephanie Alys, co-founder of Mystery Vibe, describes her firm's product, the Crescendo
vibrator, as a luxury sex toy
With a $180 price tag - £139 in the UK - it's certainly not cheap.It's a silicon-encased device which can be bent into a number of shapes
It can be controlled via a phone app and features wireless charging.It's app-powered, but in this age of fierce debate about data privacy
and protection, is this most personal of data for sharingThere is no log-in to the Mystery Vibe app and no data is collected, says Stephanie
Alys - although she admits she can see the potential for data analytics in the future.Stream or download the latest Tech Tent podcastListen
live every Friday at 15.00 GMT on the BBC World Service"If we put sensors in the silicon that understood indications of arousal, if you
understood what turned one person on
you could start to create content for them, maybe visual content through their smart TV, or even interact with other objects in their smart
home - their smart heating, their smart lighting to create a very immersive experience," she said.But is the consumer ready for that"I'm
having a hard time imagining getting aroused while knowing that my toy is recording information about me and talking to the other connecting
devices in my house," said Kashmir Hill from Gizmodo.She recalled the story of Canadian firm WeVibe, which collected all kinds of data about
how its sex toy was being used - but neglected to inform its customers that it was doing so.The firm argued that the data helped it to
improve its product - but still faced legal action as a result.
