News
Apple Japan announces, pulls iPotty dock
By Jeremy Horwitz
Editor-in-Chief, iLoungeGoogle+
Published: Thursday, March 31, 2005
News Categories: iPod Accessories
Early Friday morning, the Japanese web site of Apple Computer briefly hosted pages depicting an previously unannounced iPod peripheral called “iPotty” (JPY 104,970, approx. $1000), a beige-and-white electric toilet seat featuring an integrated iPod dock on its right side. Presumably intended only for the domestic Japanese marketplace, iPotty promises to deliver music playback and an “optional scent eliminator” to drown out embarrassing bathroom sounds and smells. Availability is listed at 1-3 weeks, indicating an imminent release.
The pages, which are no longer available online, described an Apple partnership with Japanese toilet seat manufacturer Toto, maker of Japan’s popular Apricot-badged electric toilet seats. Apricot and other Toto seats include heating elements, bidets, motion sensors for automatic lid opening and closing, and in some cases remote controls and deodorizing systems. According to the pages, iPotty will feature an optional remote control to provide easy access to the system’s bidet and other functionality.
Click Read More for a screenshot of the original Japanese main page, as well as a Babelfish-translated English version.
[Click for larger screenshot]
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1
April-freaking-fools!
Posted by Galley in Greenville, SC on March 31, 2005 at 8:13 PM (PST)
2
thats just ridiculous
Posted by mrwright in california on March 31, 2005 at 8:13 PM (PST)
3
HAHAHAHA! I was gonna say, there is NO WAY babelfish could have translated that so weel. If anything, it was done visa-versa.
Would apple really stoop down to the level where they had to creat toilet accessories!? “Sync you Junk?” HAHAHAHA!
Posted by Defect on March 31, 2005 at 8:28 PM (PST)
4
More details in the Buyers’ Guide.
Posted by Jeremy Horwitz in East Amherst, NY, USA on March 31, 2005 at 8:37 PM (PST)
5
Funny thing about this april’s fool is that it actually isn’t strange for anyone who lives in Japan. In fact, TOTO has introduced an mp3 playing toilet set about 2 months ago…
http://gadgets.3yen.com/2005-02-09/mp3-playing-toilets/
Posted by Yves in Tokyo on March 31, 2005 at 9:10 PM (PST)
6
Snigger! :D
“Will it work with the iTrip?”
Posted by Magic Rabbits in Aberdeen, Scotland on March 31, 2005 at 9:35 PM (PST)
7
I want only ONE smooth white thing hanging beside my toilet. And an iPod just won’t do the job.
Posted by Nagromme on March 31, 2005 at 9:56 PM (PST)
8
LMAO! April fools is fun! I wish the translation had been done in more realistic “Engrish”.
All your base are belong to us!
Posted by pakkman781 in TN on March 31, 2005 at 9:59 PM (PST)
9
The Bidet button is pure genius!
Posted by Jon in Seattle, WA on March 31, 2005 at 10:03 PM (PST)
10
That looks dodgy to me:
I have seen that image before - somewhere on iPodlounge
AND
Look at the address bar in Safari the text box cursor is blinking as if somebody just typed in that address.
Posted by Daveoc64 in UK on April 1, 2005 at 12:19 AM (PST)
11
Definitely iPodlounge. I knew I had seen that in the Buyer’s Guide the other day.
Posted by Daveoc64 in UK on April 1, 2005 at 12:22 AM (PST)
12
That’s pretty good, actually
. Have to give Apple more credit than I thought.
Posted by umijin on April 1, 2005 at 12:54 AM (PST)
13
Daveoc64: Its an April Fools joke mate, looks like they fooled you! hahahahaha
Why do people have over analyze, even when its something as stupid as a iPod docking toilet seat!
Posted by louispavlo in Southampton, UK on April 1, 2005 at 12:57 AM (PST)
14
No, I knew it was an April Fools Joke. I just gave 2 points that would confirm that it was fake.
I have fooled a few people today and was well aware of what was going on.
Posted by Daveoc64 in UK on April 1, 2005 at 12:59 AM (PST)
15
Lol, nice one Apple. Had me fooled for a few seconds!
Posted by iPodNod in London, UK on April 1, 2005 at 2:43 AM (PST)
16
It isn’t Apple. iPodlounge made it
Posted by Daveoc64 in UK on April 1, 2005 at 2:59 AM (PST)
17
This confirms it!
The PowerBook G5’s are coming in June!!
Posted by sp1083 on April 1, 2005 at 4:19 AM (PST)
18
Yep, April 1. No, actually the PowerBook G6s are coming in April.
Posted by glockster in U.S. on April 1, 2005 at 4:22 AM (PST)
19
Didn’t Microsoft already basically do this joke when they announced their internet ready port-o-potty a few years back for April Fools.
Posted by ACLeroK212 on April 1, 2005 at 4:28 AM (PST)
20
Semi nice job, but the graphic and photo of the toilet is terrible! nothing like Apple’s design at all. The flash is harsh and directly on the camera, boucing back hotspots. I’m pretty sure Apple would at least use a diffuser on their cheap digital camera.
Posted by MTVKilledusall in Hurts, Texas on April 1, 2005 at 4:51 AM (PST)
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