People Can Try their Hand in Adult Entertainment without Being Caught by Family, Employers or Friends with the Launch of Camoji

Customizable XXX digital avatars by CamSoda provide additional ways for Cam Models to interact with fans and new way for everyday people to be a CamSoda model anonymously. CamSoda, a leading adult entertainment webcam platform, has announced the launch of “Camoji,” which allows anyone to create a personalized XXX avatar of themselves to perform as a cam model with the added potential to earn money. Camsoda say that ‘Users can customize their Camoji to look like them – or someone else — by selecting between various features, like hairstyles, breast sizes and ass shapes, among others’. It is claimed that Users of this software can interact through their XXX avatar, ‘which can perform sensual and sexual acts, including, twerking and masturbation.’

Customizable XXX Digital Avatars by @CamSodaLive Provide Additional Way for Cam Models to Interact with Fans and New Way for Everyday People to be a Cam Model anonymously
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Camsoda also claim that it is an ‘additional way for adult cam models to interact with their fans and a new way for people to try their hand in adult entertainment anonymously.’ So if you have ever fancied yourself as a camgirl model (whether you are male or female ), this could be your chance to try it out.

“Given the popularity of Animoji, and now Memoji, which allow for people to create an avatar that looks just like them, we wanted to introduce a sexy alternative with a twist,” said Daryn Parker, VP, CamSoda. “With the launch of Camoji, now anyone can get into adult entertainment and anonymously interact with people, all under the guise of a XXX avatar.”

Camsoda claim that models follow prompts to begin creating their personalized digital avatar (similar to building a character in a video game). Once the character has been completed, models list their digital alter ego in CamSoda’s new “Camoji” category where users can interact with them in real-time via chat. Camsoda say that users can command (with $$$ tips) the Camoji to perform an assortment of movements, including dancing, masturbation and twerking, among others. Camojis will also be able to interact and talk dirty to users through its chat function. Similar to other cam shows, Camsoda claim that users can request private shows with Camojis as well.

The interesting context of this is that the avatars can only basically move to what appears to be a group of specific pre-set manoeuvres. There would need to be a variety of movement sequences for the avatar to perform that can be instigated by the model, or there would be a possibility that it could become quite repetitive and in danger of even becoming boring. It also raises the question as to whether the client wishes to interact with another human being (the model), an original aim of interacting with cam girls or to engage with something that is other than human such as this kind of digital fantastical creature.

“Whether you’re a mother of three, who can’t afford to have your kids’ friends’ parents find out or a C-level executive at a well-known company with clients, Camoji now allows you to moonlight as a cam model and anonymously interact with fans, all while earning money.” Parker concluded

The visualisation of this fantasy is fairly standard, in that the female avatars have a selection of different sized breasts and bottoms to choose from, along with all various kinds of fantastical fixtures and fittings that could be added to the avatar – depending on specific tastes and predilections.  The avatar can twerk and can dance within the boundaries of their programming; however, the specific manoeuvres of the avatar are stilted in places, but there is some ‘jiggle factor’ which is effective. But – as to how erotic this is – will have to be in the eye of the beholder.

#Camoji allows you to moonlight as a cam model and anonymously interact with fans, all while earning money
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Camsoda also claim that in the future the avatar should be able to move more independently. In the near future, CamSoda say it ‘will begin using face tracking technology as well as and motion capture, users will be able to map emoji characters to their face and body, producing a more realistic Camoji. Camojis will also be able to mimic movements in real-time’. This would enable far more erotic engagement as the motion capture software will demonstrate more authentic interaction. Camsoda claim that ‘if a user is masturbating, their avatar will mimic their movement’.

@CamSodaLive claim that ‘if a user is masturbating, their #Camoji avatar will mimic their movement
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This would be achieved with live motion capture which would be far more intense because there would be a more spontaneous and authentic experience between avatar and client. This would be due to the possible avatar movements which might be more personal and more intimate because of the sensitivity of motion capture. Gestures could take on different nuances than the current pre-programmed package of set movements. This brings to light questions surrounding the nature of erotic movement and requests for specific types of movement by the client. This reveals the complexity surrounding turn-taking, interaction between avatar and client, and arousal.

When motion capture is added to this it will bring a whole new dimension to the context of webcamming and will bring new ways of considering what it is to be embodied
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When motion capture is added to this it will bring a whole new dimension to the context of webcamming and will bring new ways of considering what it is to be embodied. A lot of women engage in webcam work because they feel secure, are pleasured and in control, and disguising oneself through an avatar could for some, increase that sense of pleasure and security. So the Camoji may well help some people to engage in sex cam work – who otherwise would not feel confident enough to do it.

#Camoji may well help some people to engage in sex cam work – who otherwise would not feel confident enough to do it
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Of course, this also brings into question the context of the design of the avatar itself in the same way that we look at the construction of the body in the sex doll industry for example. There are also many ways that avatars can be used for deception and today’s notion of ‘the fake’ – such as deepfake. However, there could be many different avatars available in the future for your webcam adventures. Why limit yourself – why not have fantastical additions such as a furry fetishist for example? The possibilities could be endless.

But in the future – if one adds AI self-learning response software to the avatar, then the need for human #Camgirls controlling the avatar behind the scenes may not be needed at all….

Trudy Barber is an expert in Cyber/Techno/Robot sexuality and SexTech correspondent at Tech Trends. Give her a poke on LinkedIn or Twitter @TrudyBarber

The post Camoji – Customizable XXX Avatars appeared first on Tech Trends.

Camsoda’s interactive Cardi-Bot talks, twerks, dances and shimmies at your command.

Adult entertainment webcam platform CamSoda has a very particular style of tongue-in-cheek innovation where it comes to product releases: From Dickometrics to PayPhal, they have made language learning sexier and even allowed people to monitor their cryptocurrency investments through their genitalia. Their latest development – dubbed the Cardi-Bot – follows along the same vein, claiming to be the world’s first sex robot that clients can interact with over the Internet – and apparently, it’s for free.

“With the popularity of HBO’s Westworld, and advancements in robotics and AI that have garnered international headlines for the likes of RealBotix and Sophia the Robot, robots over the past year have become all the rage,” says Daryn Parker, VP of Camsoda.

From Dickometrics to PayPhal, CamSoda have made language learning sexier and even allowed people to monitor their cryptocurrency investments through their genitalia
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Taking that appetite for sexbots to a new dimension, CamSoda seized the opportunity to extend their sex tech innovation skills by introducing artificial intelligence (AI) as part of their sexy repertoire in order for clients to interact more fully with new tech – live on the Internet. CamSoda promise that “Cardi-Bot can not only mimic human-like behaviour but also get down and dirty, all with the quick click of a button.”

By using Natural Language Processing technology and machine learning, CamSoda claims that Cardi-Bot will also be able to converse with users and engage in ‘dirty talk’ – live in real time on webcam over the Internet for free once a week. This gives users who would not otherwise be able to afford it, the chance to experience this titillating Turing test, with camming sessions accessible on both desktop and mobile devices via the CamSoda website.

In order to experience this free show, clients will enter a public chat room where they will be prompted by tip menus and a ‘Spin the Wheel’ game of chance so that conversations or specific movements can be requested. Clients can also take Cardi-Bot for a more intimate and private one to one session where the Robot will perform tasks, also activated by tips.

By using Natural Language Processing technology and machine learning, CamSoda claims that Cardi-Bot will also be able to converse with users and engage in dirty talk
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This seems all very exciting, but in order for twerking to be successful for example, surely there must be some sort of wobble or jiggle factor programmed into the erotic movement which Cardi-Bot in its current form may be missing out. The appropriation of Raunch Culture by makers of robots is an interesting one because of the chosen context and type of dance movements and appears to follow on from the commodification of African-American vernacular dance further developed within the sex industry and now in robotics.

In order for robot twerking to be successful for example, surely there must be some sort of wobble or jiggle factor programmed into the erotic movement which Cardi-Bot in its current form may be missing out
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Not only is this a way at looking at the sexualisation of dance, but could also identify specific moves for specific types of arousal. There are also practical design elements to consider because if the robot was not attached to a pole of some sort for stability, for example, it would probably fall over whilst having a good twerk.

VIRP

CamSoda claims that in the near future with machine learning Cardi-Bot will be able to react to more detailed instructions and be able to converse more intelligently. This would probably depend on the quality of conversation by the client, however. It is also hoped that the pole-dancing robot will be fitted with teledildonics in the future, which should enable an “unprecedented experience that mimics real-time sex”.

It is also hoped that the pole-dancing robot will be fitted with teledildonics in the future, which should enable an “unprecedented experience that mimics real-time sex”
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Perhaps to counteract the gleaming harsh metal look of the robot, CamSoda has suggested that they could eventually offer a hybrid interactive robot that is not only fitted with teledildonics but with a more human style artificial flesh covering – like those used to create the “Real Doll” phenomenon for example.

CamSoda like to think of this as ‘VIRP’, short for “Virtual Intercourse with Real People”. This could help with the wobble or jiggle factor mentioned earlier, possibly giving a more realistic experience for the client. This concept strangely sounds more like encouragement for the robot to interact with real people than promoting real people to interact with the robot.

This concept strangely sounds more like encouragement for the robot to interact with real people than promoting real people to interact with the robot
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The Future?

Perhaps Cardi-Bot is part of the evolutionary design process of sex robot development, where research and experiment combine not only with haptics, movement and what is erotic but also with machine learning. Perhaps new tech responses learnt through entertainment robots such as Cardi-bot would determine things like how we perceive a smile or say, an eyebrow twitch in relation to attraction and empathy.

How and if Cardi-Bot creates a knock-on effect in real-world relationships will be interesting too
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There is also potential for learning about power and submission and expectations both real and unrealistic. The uncanny valley will apply to eroticism here and how learned responses will affect the ego of a client. How and if this creates a knock-on effect on real-world relationships will be interesting too.

Nonetheless, it does mean that we will need to up our knowledge of dance moves – with the launching of Cardi-Bot we will definitely need to think about how we shimmy, jiggle and twerk our way into the future.

Trudy Barber is an expert in Cyber/techno/robot sexuality and SexTech correspondent at Tech Trends. Give her a poke on LinkedIn or Twitter @TrudyBarber

The post Dancing with Sex Robots? Yes You Cam! appeared first on Tech Trends.

PayPhal is the innovation from CamSoda that gives a whole new meaning to tipping with one’s penis.

Launching in Beta, PayPhal will enable men to pay cam models in real-time during a private cam session based upon their level of arousal
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CamSoda, a leading adult entertainment webcam platform, has developed a novel way to add further interactivity to their adult web cam sessions. By using PayPhal described as ‘a technology solution that acts as a digital wallet’ CamSoda claims that users will be able to pay for their adult entertainment with their erections.

“Erections are synonymous with the adult entertainment industry. It only makes sense that here at CamSoda we cater to our users and provide them with a seamless payment method that aligns with their horniness. All things considered, the last thing someone wants to do when fully aroused is pull out…their wallet and enter their payment details and wait for everything to process,” said Daryn Parker, VP, CamSoda. “PayPhal will go a long way towards significantly expediting things, freeing guys up to enjoy the experience without interruption. Now, not only will guys be able to pay hands free, but models on CamSoda and in strip clubs will be provided a definitive barometer of their performance. If a model isn’t putting any effort into their show, and the viewer is left flaccid, PayPhal will tip accordingly.”

Launching in Beta on CamSoda, PayPhal will initially enable men to pay cam models in real-time during a private cam session based upon their level of arousal, as their penis progresses from “flaccid” to “half-chub” to “erection.” In the coming months, CamSoda will look to partner with strip clubs to replace the use of dollar bills and digitize the industry.

What payment method will be developed in the future for women in a similar fashion - the contactless clit?
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To make payments via PayPhal, users attach a teledildonic penis ring around the shaft of their penis, which will take into account the girth of a user’s penis via the Girth Detector ocated on the ring itself, and establish a baseline size. A user then enters into a private cam session with a model, and, depending on how aroused they get during the session – progressing from “flaccid” to “half-chub” to “erection” – PayPhal will send the model an electronic payment in the form of a tip. So, if a user enters into a private session and their penis grows four inches, the model is paid for the four inches the user’s penis grew.

This all looks remarkably like the internet of things are taking possession of your genitals. The datafication of arousal is remarkably like an innovative and updated version of the penile plethysmograph,  a technology used by some sexologists to measure the ‘tumescence’ of a penis. PayPhal appears to convert this tumescent process into a financial transaction between the user and the sex worker. The ‘Girth Detector’ also appears to standardise penis sizes which could cause some difficulty in erectile confidence for some, and have the ability to enhance experience for others, particularly if there is a preference for genital bondage or restriction by the user. The sizes start at LARGE rising to MONSTER, inspiring confidence and anticipating penis performance – and the size of the financial tip.

The datafication of arousal is remarkably like an innovative and updated version of the penile plethysmograph, a technology used by some sexologists to measure the tumescence of a penis
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In the coming months, CamSoda will look to partner with strip clubs to replace the use of dollar bills and completely digitize the industry. Ideally, patrons will be able to walk into a strip club with the penis ring on and tip performers as their penis grows while they receive a lap dance.

The difficulty with part of the concept is the overall aim to digitize payment for both live and online sex workers. Sex workers will also have their own chip and pin readers if a client does not have PayPhal, and this could lead to a social split between those sex workers who are fully digital, and those who are not. This could also lead to differences in financial control between worker and sex trade business owner.

Ideally, patrons will be able to walk into a strip club with the penis ring on and tip performers as their penis grows while they receive a lap dance
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PayPhal could also lead to payment disputes as clients could possibly find that they are accused of lying about their Girth Detector, and are then not paying the right amount of tip. Potentially this could lead to abuse of the system with the possibility of fake erections, and those who think that they are MONSTER size when they are not and vice versa. There may also be a time factor that may have an effect, tumescence may well come and go during the time spent at a strip club, so when is the best time for the penis to pay the tip to the sex worker or stripper? Who has control over payment – the person or the penis?

Overall this is a novel approach, and CamSoda is being adventurous here, as this could be a new wave of payment control that may well support sex workers if the technology is not abused. But what payment method will be developed in the future for women in a similar fashion – the contactless clit?

The post Paying with Your Penis appeared first on Tech Trends.

You can now get sexy thrills as you track the progress of your cryptocurrency investment. What a world we live in…

Bitcoin is having a hell of a ride (yes, this post is going to be full of innuendos, get over it) and now adult entertainment webcam platform CamSoda is taking that to a whole new level with the launch of BitCast.

Bitcoin is having a hell of a ride
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This new feature brings an entirely different sort of titillation to investors by pairing an interactive sex toy with the performance of major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin, increasing and decreasing the frequency of vibration accordingly: If the value of the currency goes up, the vibrating increases; and if the value goes down, the vibrating decreases. In other words, as the value of your investment fluctuates all over the place, so will your… well, you get the gist.

BitCast brings an entirely different sort of titillation to investors by pairing an interactive sex toy with the performance of major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin
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Since the beginning of the year the aggregate market cap of all cryptocurrencies has increased by more than 3,000%
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2017 has seen the value of cryptocurrency – most notably BitCoin – soaring beyond most people’s wildest expectations. Since the beginning of the year the aggregate market cap of all cryptocurrencies combined has increased by more than 3,000%.

And even though many experts argue this is the biggest bubble of our lifetime – and that’s saying a lot considering all the bubbles we’ve seen – every day more people are lured into getting in on that action.

“What has so many people captivated, aside from the fact that virtual currencies are largely unregulated and fraught with risk, is the daily volatility – the stratospheric price rises followed by meteoric price drops. With people constantly tracking their cryptocurrency investments, we saw an opportunity to offer them simultaneous sexual pleasure derived exclusively from price fluctuations,” says Daryn Parker, VP, CamSoda. “Now, with Bitcast, our fans can hook up their favorite interactive toy and literally get pleasure from their investments. So, essentially, as the price goes up, so too do your orgasms.”

To use the new platform, users simply need to go to BitCast and click on the cryptocurrency icon they want to track, then, click “play” and follow the instructions to sync the interactive sex toys, which include a series of penile, vaginal and anal toys. They can then sit back and enjoy the ROI.

2017 has seen the value of cryptocurrency - most notably BitCoin – soaring beyond most people’s wildest expectations
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Since being founded in 2014 CamSoda made a name for itself in pushing innovative and often tongue-in-cheek tech. It was the first adult entertainment webcam platform leveraging “Mobile-First” and has had many forays into Virtual reality including the CamSoda House, an interactive VR experience that allows users to broadcast live adult entertainment directly to their headsets.

Users can sit back and enjoy the ROI
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This isn’t their first venture in interactive sex toys either. Previously, they launched on-demand marketplaces that offers users a catalog of simulated blowjobs and virtual cunnilingus from renowned webcam models and amateurs, which many dubbed the “iTunes of Blowjobs” and “iTunes of Cunnilingus,” respectively. It remains to be seen whether their foray into the cryptocurrency will prove as popular, but now I really have seen everything.

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post Does Bitcoin Turn You On? appeared first on Tech Trends.

Just when you think you’ve heard every tech pitch out there, along comes an app that lets men use their penises to log on.

Fair Warning: This post contains suggestive images and a whole load of innuendos. 

Perpetual innovators in the online porn arena CamSoda.com have just given men an excuse to take pictures of their penis. Wait… what… why… well it’s for security, stupid.

Granted, some men don’t need an excuse to snap pics of their little soldier standing to attention and in fact share them rather too freely online with a much-confused world, but this is, for real, dick-based biometric security. Appropriately, it’s called Dick-ometrics.

Dickometrics gives guys a genuine excuse to have those pictures on their phone
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Whether that excuse will fly as a startled partner comes across those pics while innocently browsing for that cute picture of Humphrey the cat eating a sausage (and no, that’s not a metaphor, get your mind out of the gutter already!) remains to be seen, however.

Like a fingerprint or eyeball, the penis has many differentiating factors
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“Like a fingerprint and an eyeball, which are two of most commonly used body parts in biometric technologies, the penis has many, many differentiating factors like size, color and vein protrusion,” explains CamSoda VP Darren Press.

Founded in 2014, CamSoda.com is an entertainment webcam platform where you can sign up as a model and broadcast live shows for other members or browse the huge online community, paying credits to interact with the models via webcam on your mobile. For users of such services, security is clearly an issue, and having thought long and hard about it, the company saw a gap in the market where they could innovate.

Cybersecurity is becoming a bigger issue for many users
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During the log-in process, instead of typing in a password, users will have the option to upload a picture of their penis (preferably an aroused penis, which has more differentiating qualities for verification and are more secure). Using proprietary Penis Recognition Tech or PRT, CamSoda is able to match that photograph with a previously supplied one, and verify the user.

No one can object to this stiffening up of security and I seriously doubt any CamSoda user will have trouble laying their hands on the necessary tool, but as it turns out, there’s even more innovation coming down the pipe. Dick-ometrics is only the tip of the iceberg, as it turns out. Next up they’re planning on introducing “Penisprints”.

Like a fingerprint, users will place their penis on a reader that can look at skin composition and temperature, which adds a layer to security. It also plans to develop similar technology for women.

This all sounds great and I am all for more secure way to enjoy the pleasures of the Internet but I am not sure my phone’s touch screen will thanks me. At least most of them are waterproof and washable these days.

Ready to become a member? Sign up with your Johnson right here

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.

The post How Do You Measure Up? appeared first on Tech Trends.

It is widely accepted that we all learn better if we’re enjoying ourselves. That is particularly true of language learning; it takes true persistence to reach a decent level of fluency, so anything that helps to – say, spice things up – has to be a welcome addition to a teacher’s toolkit.

This is one way to spice up language learning
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That’s what adult webcam platform CamSoda is hoping to enable with their new “language lessons” feature (originally dubbed Hot4Teacher) which launched today.

“Everyone has had a crush on their teacher at some point or another, whether it be Veronica Vaughn, Jess Day, the hot teacher in Van Halen’s ‘Hot for Teacher’ music video or one you had growing up,” says CamSoda VP Darren Press. CamSoda is capitalizing on those fantasies with what they claim is the world’s first-ever adult language-learning service, which combines multilingual cam models and translation technology to “make learning a new language fun and sensual.”

We want to make learning a new language fun and sensual
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Now, in addition to camming with their favourite cam model in a private chat room, fans can engage in casual conversation with them, learning an assortment of languages including Spanish, French, Russian and English. Particularly apt students might find that the models are open to rewarding good linguistic performance by removing items or clothing or even going a bit further if they decide to do so.

“We wanted to offer our fans an incentive to learn a completely new language and what better way than courtesy of their favorite cam model in a private chat with some casual, and maybe sensual, conversation?” he asks

CamSoda’s new service allows cam models to communicate in their native tongue with users through video and voice as well as text, which can then be translated into English in real-time via its language translation technology — similar to what Google Translate uses. So, for example, if a cam model chats a user and says, “Hola, me llamo Claudia,” the user can click on CamSoda’s “Translate” button and find out that means, “Hello my name is Claudia.”

“Unlike current translation offerings, which can be quite monotonous, Language Lessons will motivate users to keep coming back for more. There is no set curriculum or regimented structure. We encourage our users to explore at their own pace.”

Users can browse CamSoda’s offerings by language or by model, and request sessions with specific teachers by messaging them. The model can then reply with their available days and times. At the time of the scheduled lesson, the user goes to the model’s page and goes into a fixed length private chat for the lesson. The rates vary depending on the model and session duration.

“I’ve been bilingual my entire life and am excited to share my native tongue with my fans, says Spanish model Alice Gomez. “Rather than learn Spanish from some generic app, my fans can have a casual conversation with me, which is especially conducive to learning a new language.”

It remains to be seen, however, if students will manage to remember a lot about the actual content of their lessons, or perhaps whether they end up with a rather limited – and perhaps rather unsuitable for work – sort of vocabulary.

CamSoda often pushes the boundaries of what we can expect from an adult platform, and are keen to be seen as leading innovators in the webcam space. Language Lessons is the latest in a string of interesting initiatives that includes a virtual reality camming experience, the “iTunes of Blowjobs,” dubbed “BlowCast,” and “Holo-Cam,” its streaming technology that enables users to watch live, 3D interactive holographic cam shows. Most recently, the company announced “OhRoma,” a virtual reality experience that incorporates smell.

There's no reason why sex - or learning - needs to be a boring affair
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And while a lot of these might come across as a bit gimmicky, it’s also refreshing to see a company that doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s really no need why sex – or learning, for that matter – should be a boring affair, and maybe a hot teacher can be just the right mechanism to deliver that.

The post Learning a New Language Just Got a Whole Lot Sexier appeared first on Tech Trends.

There was huge and palpable excitement around the growth of VR Porn and Teledildonics last year, but where does it go from here?

When will teledildonics become more than a gimmick?
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With the world’s largest Adult Industry event – AVN Expo – happening in Las Vegas this week, it was a good chance to catch up with some of the major players in that space and find out what challenges and opportunities lie ahead for 2017.

Will teledidonics finally become more than a gimmick? What does VR Porn need to do to attract new audiences and become truly immersive? How will that change the way people consume that content and connect intimately to one another?

This year’s AVN Show – the world’s largest Adult Entertainment expo which took place in Las Vegas – focused a lot on VR, even adding two new dedicated categories (Best Virtual Reality Sex Scene and Best Virtual Reality Innovation/Site) to its 2017 industry awards. AVN’s CEO Tony Rios said in a recent interview that the response of the industry to VR has been phenomenal and that although the sector is still early in development, it is definitely here to stay. What remains to be seen, however, is how exactly monetization occurs going forward.

Will everybody be watching VR porn in years to come?
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When I first met Ian Paul – Chief Information Officer of Naughty America – in April 2016 they had just launched Randy’s Roadstop, their first Virtual Reality Adult entertainment series. At that time he said VR hype was justified, as it was growing faster than any format they had ever tracked, but has that trend continued?

Yes, says Paul, who claims they’ve seen a steady stream of new customers flocking to VR experiences throughout 2016.

“New revenue attributable to VR is up 350% year over year, and this year we now plan to offer integrated support for smart services toys from companies such as Kiiroo that offer haptic feedback in sync to the video.”

Incorporating teledildonics into VR is something that several other companies are also launching. CAM4VR Co-founder Ela Darling says her company – which offers live streaming VR sex cameras – is planning to add integration with Kiiroo as well as voice-to-voice capabilities that allow users to chat directly with performers, making the experience much more up-close and personal.

“I’m excited about the implications because it brings us one step closer (essentially the closest) to feeling the person on the other end without actually being in the same physical space – a heightened level of intimacy,” she explains, adding that this physical connection has powerful psychological implications to how users experience adult content in VR.

Several companies are incorporating teledildonics into VR
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“This connection to the person on the other end – knowing you are controlling or someone is controlling your device and what you are feeling- is a powerful psychological experience that users will start to embrace as part of the expected VR interaction,” she believes.

These interactions include not only haptic feedback, but have started to incorporate other – more unexpected – senses: Webcam platform CamSoda has experimented with various new technologies including 3D Holograms recently, but it turned some heads with their launch of a feature called OhRoma, which incorporates odors through a sensory mask. According to CamSoda President Daron Lundeen, it takes the virtual reality experience to the next level by delivering smells such as “aphrodisiacs,” “body odor,” “panties,” or “private parts” via cartridges mounted inside a mask.

And while it’s probably safe to say that this type of experience might not appeal to everybody, John McCoy, CEO of Intimuse says that teledildonics such as the products his company are currently developing already impact profits for adult sites: “Vibra-tactile toys (basically vibrators that move via an app rather than a closed feedback loop) are making a bunch of tokens change hands on the cam sites now, and the ladies like them as performers because they are easy – there is no special hardware needed on the customers’ side to trigger a basic experience. However, it’s easy to see how people will become bored with the current landscape of experiences and thirst for something more realistic, so the market is catching up to us, and I see the two spaces converging,” he predicts.

The adult industry is undergoing a seismic shift as we transition away from the traditional towards a more immersive experience that is delivering a heightened level of intimacy unlike anything before
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Fabian Grey, CEO of virtual reality live cam site AliceX believes that teledildonics is looking at a longer development roadmap than VR, however: “I think it will take a couple of years, until we see a wider distribution of toys,” he says. WankzVR Managing Director Bradley Phillips agrees, warning against expectations of seeing the various innovations needed in the adult experience arena to all come at the same time:

“Each piece of the ultimate solo sexual experience that consumers dream about, is a major innovation in itself and shouldn’t be tied to the technological timeline of the other parts of the puzzle. VR’s most important goals for 2017 should not include “the ultimate simulated sexual experience” instead they need to be centered around driving the core technology forward which means better image quality, faster frame rates, better scaling, and improved depth of field.”

That also tallies with McCoy’s observations of the industry: “Right now, most US operators are focused on optimizing the customer experience with nearly flawless streaming and stable features,” he explains, adding that we should see something of a tipping point in about 18 months, where there are enough eyeballs in headsets and compelling content to generate measurable numbers and success.

Phillips stresses that the growth experienced so far has been remarkable, saying that 2016 brought an absolute explosion of adult VR content being produced: “At the beginning of last year, VR was still seen as a venture that some risk takers were investing in with the hopes that in a few years the marketplace would grow. By the end of the year, it was one of the most relevant types of content being produced for the industry, with successful VR brands already being some of the more recognizable, and profitable products in the pay site industry,” he says.

“The adult industry is undergoing a seismic shift as we transition away from the traditional towards a more immersive experience that is delivering a heightened level of intimacy unlike anything before,” said Claude Artonne, CEO of connected VR platform Terpon, who believes viewers will quickly get more used to being in the action themselves, experiencing everything first-hand. “This heightened experience will only continue to evolve and mimic real life interactions as more and more companies penetrate the space and introduce cutting-edge technology that defies boundaries.”

Artonne says this growth, which has seen significant increase in traffic numbers was further boosted by the flood of low-end Chinese headsets entering the market, with many more people using that type of device to experience VR for the first time: “As the technology continues to evolve, so too will the headsets as they improve in compatibility, aesthetics and overall functionality, which will only continue to drive adoption across the industry.”

He says that for that to happen at scale, however, a few crucial barriers must still be overcome, most importantly the functionality of mobile headsets, which impacts on their ability to deliver more immersive content.

The biggest trend I see over the next year with respect to adult content shot in VR, is the return of the quality porno movie
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That content, however, is already showing some promise, and AliceX CEO Grey believes the biggest trend in Adult VR this year will be segmentation, with productions increasingly catering for various niches.

WankzVR, for example, recently launched a host of experiences targeted specifically at women which – unusually for the industry – featured a female point of view, and Phillips believes that VR will help drive up the quality of Adult entertainment across the board.

“The biggest trend I see over the next year with respect to adult content shot in VR, is the return of the quality porno movie,” he says. “Content that actually has a story line, a script, a production crew and a cast. Not just some guy with a camera shooting a couple banging on a couch.”

So while fully immersive virtual sex might not be here just yet, it looks like we got a whole lot closer, and with the amount of money and interest at play, we’re likely to see a lot more interesting – and some downright wacky – stuff continuing to pop up as the technology develops.

Article originally published on UploadVR

Get ready for more immersive sex in virtual reality this year. via @alicebonasio @avnawards #VR #AVN https://t.co/OdnsAHv4H7 pic.twitter.com/8BM8hPv7Uz

— Upload (@UploadVR) January 21, 2017

For companies looking to get into Immersive technologies such as VR/AR/MR/XR our Virtual Reality Consultancy services offer guidance and support on how best to incorporate these into your brand strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

The post What’s Coming for the VR Adult Industry? appeared first on Tech Trends.

When trying to explain what the flip Mixed Reality means, you can always fall back on Star Wars, and the scene where R2-D2 beams out Princess Leia, in all her blue-tinted holographic glory.

Most of us still see holograms as the stuff of science fiction, but the truth is that if  you’re lucky enough to get your hands on a HoloLens they’re already a pretty solid-looking reality. What it isn’t yet, however, is widely available. As usual, however, the adult industry can be relied on to push the boundaries in popularising cutting-edge technology. That’s what CamSoda is attempting to do with the launch of Holo-Cam, which they also compare with the iconic Star Wars scene above.

Star Wars is still the universal failsafe explainer for Holograms and #MixedReality
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Over the past year, I’ve been bowled over by some fantastic-looking Holograms. In spite of some limitations (most saliently its narrow field of view), the Microsoft HoloLens is a very impressive piece of kit that delivers a great mixed reality experience. What it is not, however, is a device you can go out and buy in the shops just yet (even if you could, it would set you back about $3,000, so hardly qualifies as an impulse buy).

So to me, the question where it comes to holograms is not so much one of “bridging the gap between science fiction and consumer technology”—as CamSoda claims to do with its Holo-Cam launch—but one of making the holographic experience accessible to those without the expensive hardware.

And judging from its just-released video, it looks like their workaround manages to do just that. The effect you see there is achieved by projecting live 3D holograms of the cam models onto the users’ real-time environments. And all you need to experience this is your own smartphone or tablet plus an inexpensive pyramid projector, which can be purchased online for as little as $1.50. After accessing the live stream, users affix the 3D hologram projector to their phone or tablet, switch into landscape mode, and the show will start automatically.

The question where it comes to holograms is how to make those experiences accessible without the expensive hardware
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It remains to be seen whether any of these go beyond their obvious novelty value and enter the mainstream. At the very least, however, they are adding to the broader industry conversation
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Although this is being billed as the equivalent of when Obi-wan Kenobi watched the hologram of Princess Leia in Star Wars, the fact is that I’m not entirely comfortable with thinking about the two of them in that way. Apart from that, however, there are a few marked differences that might be worth pointing out.

The holograms you see on CamSoda are in full color as opposed to strongly blue-tinted, and they are not pre-recorded. The whole idea is that users get to interact with the models as the live shows unfold. This can be done either with voice commands or via instructions typed on their computer, which are then carried out by the performer and displayed in real time via the hologram.

Most of us still see holograms as the stuff of science fiction, but the truth is that if you're lucky enough to get your hands on a HoloLens they're already a pretty solid-looking reality
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The size of the projected holograms are about half that of the display screen, so we’re not talking life-size projections, or at least not yet. However, it is easy to see how getting closer to 1:1 ratio would help make this a more immersive and realistic experience, so CamSoda is giving fans a taster of what that might look like at the 2017 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas on January 18-21, projecting some of its most well-known models on a 4-foot display and allowing users to join them and be broadcast in turn to the Holo-Cam.

“This technology allows users to interact with cam girls in an immersive experience like never before,” said Daron Lundeen, President of CamSoda. “Now users can beam a live model into their very own environment through their own phone/tablet. This is a huge milestone not only for us but the industry at large.”

The Holo-Cam will initially be available during weekly cam shows or upon request for private shows in CamSoda house, where the company’s filming technology is lodged. Users can either request a private 3D holographic show at the usual rates charged by the site, or take advantage of the weekly interactive shows which will be free for the first month. There is as yet no date set for the weekly interactive shows to go live, however, although I was told it would be “in the very near future.”

This is the latest in a series of technology-based products trialed by CamSoda over the course of the past year. These included including a virtual reality experience that allowed users to broadcast live adult entertainment directly to their headsets and BlowCast, which they dubbed the “iTunes of Blowjobs” and offered a catalog of simulated blowjobs from renowned porn stars and amateurs experienced via teledildonics.

It remains to be seen whether any of these go beyond their obvious novelty value and enter the mainstream. At the very least, however, they are adding to the broader industry conversation around the democratization of augmented, virtual, and mixed reality technologies.

This article originally appeared on the Future of Sex website

CamSoda is launching live holographic streaming of webcam performances https://t.co/6A0MOrLXfI #augmented reality

— FutureofSex (@FutureofSex) December 15, 2016

Tech Trends’  Virtual Reality Consultancy services offers support for companies looking to enhance brand strategy with immersive technologies such as Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio and @techtrends_tech on Twitter.

The post You’ll Never Think of #StarWars Holograms the Same Way Again… appeared first on Tech Trends.