From rssfeeds@jmason.org Wed Oct 9 10:53:07 2002 Return-Path: Delivered-To: yyyy@localhost.spamassassin.taint.org Received: from localhost (jalapeno [127.0.0.1]) by jmason.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1C5CF16F19 for ; Wed, 9 Oct 2002 10:52:08 +0100 (IST) Received: from jalapeno [127.0.0.1] by localhost with IMAP (fetchmail-5.9.0) for jm@localhost (single-drop); Wed, 09 Oct 2002 10:52:08 +0100 (IST) Received: from dogma.slashnull.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by dogma.slashnull.org (8.11.6/8.11.6) with ESMTP id g9980WK25172 for ; Wed, 9 Oct 2002 09:00:32 +0100 Message-Id: <200210090800.g9980WK25172@dogma.slashnull.org> To: yyyy@spamassassin.taint.org From: boingboing Subject: Japa-crappers get high-tech Date: Wed, 09 Oct 2002 08:00:32 -0000 Content-Type: text/plain; encoding=utf-8 URL: http://boingboing.net/#85541025 Date: Not supplied Japanese toilet technology has developed creeping featuritis. New Tokyo toities sport speech-recognition, air-conditioning, and body-chemistry monitors: Japan's toilet wars started in February, when Matsushita engineers here unveiled a toilet seat equipped with electrodes that send a mild electric charge through the user's buttocks, yielding a digital measurement of body-fat ratio. Unimpressed, engineers from a rival company, Inax, counterattacked in April with a toilet that glows in the dark and whirs up its lid after an infrared sensor detects a human being. When in use, the toilet plays any of six soundtracks, including chirping birds, rushing water, tinkling wind chimes, or the strumming of a traditional Japanese harp. Link[1] Discuss[2] (_Thanks, May[3]!_) [1] http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/08/international/asia/08JAPA.html [2] http://www.quicktopic.com/boing/H/MQCtPB8LcUjsc [3] http://www.filterfine.com