Talking urinals invade privacy

Apparently these talking urinals have been circulating in select areas for some time, but rather than the idea just going down the drain, it seems to have gained attention. The Wizmark Urinal Communicator sits at the bottom of men's urinals and sports a miniature LCD screen and a speaker to broadcast all kinds of messages, alerts, and advertisements to the, um, current user. The waterproof drain cover also acts as a deodorizer, and presumably continues to play even when purposely blasted by those who feel their privacy has been breached. Similar to automatic flushers, the device senses an approaching patron from about 30cm away and queues up a programmed message to play upon his (or her) arrival. The most common uses thus far are to warn patrons not to drive while intoxicated, but we assume this will eventually become another bizarre advertising medium. The mastermind of the Wizmark, Dr. Richard Deutsch, asserts that the uses are limitless, as everything from public service announcements to beer commercials could find their way in your stall. So on your next visit to the gentleman's room, we'd strongly recommend keeping your eyes aimed directly ahead, no matter what interesting things your neighbor's Wizmark might be saying.

[Aaron @ Jul 27th 2006 4:10PM]

I, for one, would like to welcome our new urine soaked overlords.

[delerious @ Jul 27th 2006 4:15PM]

It need to play a little jingle when you use urinate on it. I'd laugh.

[Jerri_Blank @ Jul 27th 2006 4:20PM]

"Pee on me lesbo"
~Jerri Blank~

[Alex @ Jul 27th 2006 4:21PM]

sucks for people who get stage freight...


not me of course, other people...




seriously.

[LittleJoe @ Jul 27th 2006 4:24PM]

"sports a miniature LCD screen"

actually their website says:
"an attention grabbing display of six or more lights illuminating in a pre-programmed pattern"

aka... led

BIG difference.

[korey @ Jul 27th 2006 4:26PM]

yeah alex sure lol ,this is wierder then when i pissed on the berlin wall in vegas cuz theyre are actual chunks of the wall in some casino it was a couple years ago dont remember which thinking it was the palms.idk if my fellow geeks watch beyond tomorrow on DSCI or Discovery Science but there are these dudes that developed a video game to play in your local bars like hitting targets was pretty sweet.

[jorgef @ Jul 27th 2006 4:29PM]

What now, they'll soon start hacking this things and running linux in no time!!! LOL!

[DT @ Jul 27th 2006 4:40PM]

As long as they don't laugh when you whip it out.

[potato @ Jul 27th 2006 4:46PM]

Actually, why not throw a blood alcohol tester onto it? Test the guy's piss against the legal limit and advise him if he shouldn't try driving.

My be a useful technology after all.

[Bart @ Jul 27th 2006 4:47PM]

How does this validate a user's privacy? Does it keep track of the people who use it or do they just mean that people don't feel alone anymore since this thing is talking to them? They should get these things to remind people to wash their hands and setup another one at the door if they didn't.

[TeddyN @ Jul 27th 2006 4:58PM]

I welcome it, since peeing next to others in public toilets is too awkward. Something for everyone to be able to focus on other then trying to avoid eye contact with everyone else would be nice.
It shouldn't be allowed to tell jokes though, that could end badly.

[Blaine @ Jul 27th 2006 5:03PM]

It would be quite awkward having your urinal telling you to get enzyte or some such nonsense whilst doing your business...especially if there are people present.

[Eli @ Jul 27th 2006 5:27PM]

Urine soaked overlords, Linux?? Did I go to Slashdot by accident?

[halo101 @ Jul 27th 2006 5:37PM]

(John walks into the bathroom to take a wiss at the urinal)

John- LALALALA

Urinal- "Boy John it must be cold outside"

John- "I was in a pool!"

[Jeff Foster @ Jul 27th 2006 5:42PM]

just what we need, another way to advertise penis enlargement pills.

[Jeff Foster @ Jul 27th 2006 5:43PM]

..and er, what about these invade privacy?

nice title.

[mikebhp @ Jul 27th 2006 5:44PM]

They should put them in the Johns instead of the urinals instructing people to flush every once and awhile.

[Kyle- @ Jul 27th 2006 6:06PM]

I'm just going to poop on the thing in hopes of muffling it...

[TIMMAH! @ Jul 27th 2006 6:25PM]

"Welcome back John Anderton...."

[mAXx @ Jul 27th 2006 6:26PM]

I cant wait seeing the womens version of that... this is where talking starts to make sense.

[boynamedsue @ Jul 27th 2006 6:37PM]

nothing is sacred anymore? when the advertisement was at eye level in the restroom, i looked at my buisness.
Now i can't even look there.

When those gas station speakers attached to the pump used to be around, i used to cut them off with a jackknife and throw them away.

i'd be tempted to stomp these but they're untouchable.

[Scott @ Jul 27th 2006 6:43PM]

You have pent-up violence that you're taking out on defenseless speaker systems. Do you also stomp your wife when she burns your favorite Blue Shirt?

[Raymond @ Jul 27th 2006 7:25PM]

Great. I have a shy bladder. its hard enough already. I have to go in a closed stall and sometimes I can't go when people are talking. I hope this doesn't affect me. ARGH

[Craig @ Jul 27th 2006 7:33PM]

how is this any better than the ad right in front of the users face as he pisses? it's not. and if you have both, it's just distracting.

it might freak someone out if he were already pretty drunk by the time he broke the seal.

[bogphanny @ Jul 27th 2006 8:28PM]

This takes DOOM to a new level.

/sorry in advance

[yong @ Jul 27th 2006 9:25PM]

Holy moly...the last thing I need is a talking urinal. If anything, it'll just make me want to get in and out as fast as I can. =]

[Mobile Reviewer @ Jul 27th 2006 10:30PM]

nice tool:)

[Dabitch @ Jul 28th 2006 4:09AM]

It's already been an ad medium for years. The “streaming audio” (hehe) has been used to say "Don’t miss Outlaws on CMT. You seem to miss everything else!” back in 2004, and ike you said its popular for don't drink and drive messages, The Land Transport Safety Authority of NZ ran a campaign in 2004 as well.

[Dabitch @ Jul 28th 2006 4:09AM]

ps - source: http://commercial-archive.com/114081.php

[Spluch @ Jul 28th 2006 4:52AM]

I think a lot of men will be annoyed by it. As such, most would simply avoid using the urinal totally. I think the toilet bowl will have more business now. Haha. :)

[VacantLot @ Jul 28th 2006 9:28AM]

What you don't know is that these things are sampling your urine and collecting your dna and drug levels. Now that is what I call invasion of privacy!

ps - don't forget the builtin camera

[Paul Gregg @ Jul 28th 2006 10:37AM]

I, for one, wouldn't like to be changing the batteries on it.

[Derrick @ Jul 28th 2006 10:56AM]

Tell me the "Wizmark mastermind"'s name is an alias.

[Antipodeanist @ Jul 28th 2006 3:00PM]

"Actually, why not throw a blood alcohol tester onto it?"

Well, I know there is not blood in my urine and I hope there is none in yours...if there is...get that checked out...fast...

But I guess you could put a breathalizer there, but I don't want to blow where I piss....thats a chicks job...or something...

[Wry Cooter @ Jul 28th 2006 8:05PM]

It should run on hydroelectric power.

Oh, by the way... can't tell if you are drunk by a piss test.

[planetjeffy @ Jul 28th 2006 11:42PM]

How about a 10 second delay after you're done that says "hey, wash your hands"

[hencini @ Jul 31st 2006 10:44AM]

I was in a bar in Heidelberg that took this one step further. It was a bulls-eye mounted at about groin height, but it wasn't an advertisment-- when you hit the center of the target it started playing a song. The longer you stayed on target, the more of the song you heard. Presumably, the idea was to have enough "stamina" to get through the whole recording. Made me want to stay and drink more beer.

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[Arkiva @ Aug 9th 2006 2:51PM]

Hehehe, i can imagine:

"Help me I'm overflowing"

"Don't Put that there"

What's next talking refridgerators? "Haven't you eaten enough, fatty?"

[Greg Monaco Not from forest hills @ Feb 25th 2007 7:01PM]

I hope it detects aids when someone pees and electrocutes them on the spot.

[jasonmcleod78 @ Mar 8th 2009 7:39AM]

Classy, who said romance was dead. Actually had a fantastic conversation with one these intelligent receptive and funny. Toilet humor can be high brow as well.