A sex app, the re-birth of Erotica U.K., and using social media to help promote eBooks. Hope you enjoy this week’s link round-up.
Synchronized iPhone Sex Toy Makes Long Distance Relationships Even More Awkward
Source: http://betabeat.com/
You can now have sex with your mobile. No, your iPhone 5 hasn’t suddenly sprouted an appendage (or a tunnel-like recess); rather LovePalz, a U.S. company, has invented an app for your phone that controls their own-brand sex toys. Per their website:
LovePalz is a brand new concept of motion sensing technology that aims to create physical feelings as real as possible in virtual sex experience. It can simulate your actions and cause physical contact over internet in real time. Through our service, you and your lover each hold one device and as long as you remain connected to the internet, the device automatically senses your actions and conveys them to your partner’s toy! In short, how you use it is simultaneously reflected on your lover’s toy, physically! bringing you and your lover together even when you are miles apart.
For crying out loud, people. Really? What happened to good old-fashioned phone sex and inappropriate Instagram pictures? As Beta Beat’s Jessica Roy aptly points out: ‘It’s almost like you’ll never have to have sex with a real person again. Thanks, LovePalz!’ And don’t even get me started on the narcissistic sex toy names, ‘Zeus’ and ‘Hera’. Greek gods indeed. It’s all thunder and pomegranates until your 3G connection craps out at a critical moment.
Erotica-uk.com relaunches as a community hub
Source: http://erotica-uk.com/
Many people were disappointed when it was announced that Erotica, the annual London lifestyle community event, wouldn’t be taking place in 2012. (The company responsible for staging the show decided to take a year-long break in order to evaluate and examine the changing marketplace.) Some good news for those who have withdrawal, however: Erotica U.K. have just launched their revamped website:
We’re excited to finally announce the launch of the brand new Erotica UK website. Sexy in nature but not pornographic, erotica-uk.com is now a professionally managed social hub and resource for the open-minded adult, offering good entertainment value, interesting reading and plenty more fantastic new features still to come.
While still clearly in its early stages, erotica-uk.com looks like it will offer a mixture of news, fiction (erotic publisher Xcite is involved in the venture), events, and lifestyle advice to visitors. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how things develop content-wise over the coming months.
Digital Publishing Start-up Payhip Appeals to Indie Authors
Source: http://goodereader.com/
If you’re an aspiring erotica or romance author eyeing up the self-publishing route, then this article may be of interest to you. Payhip, a London-based company, has launched a website that allows writers to keep 100% of any royalties they earn on their publications – and receive payments via Paypal. In addition, the service has a strong leaning towards the promotion of books through social media; the Payhip platform allows authors to generate links to their books and then share them with fans and followers. The basic service is billed as free, although users can pay to upgrade their accounts and access premium features (such as analytics and customisation tools). An interesting idea that, I think, has some intriguing possibilities.