Toilet -- Engadget Mobile

toilet posts

Nokia survey finds that many Americans work on the can

by Darren Murph posted Oct 21st 2008 @ 3:33PM

We already know that a solid chunk of Britons use mobile internet while in the throes of passion, and now Captain Obvious (today known as Nokia) has awkwardly landed to tell the world that Americans do too. A recent survey, which we can only imagine was absolutely thrilling to conduct, found that some 53% of working Americans "have been interrupted by a work-related phone call or e-mail while in the bathroom." Furthermore, some 23% have allowed a call / e-mail to interrupt them while on a date, but that's probably because 59% of those polled never, ever turn off their mobile. Just think -- the next time your buddy answers with a hint of stress in his / her voice, there's a statistically significant chance that you're barging in on some seriously personal business.

[Image courtesy of fletchy182]

Finland's roadside toilets: now accessible only by SMS

by Darren Murph posted Feb 5th 2008 @ 1:05PM

While those in London can use SMS to actually find a lavatory, folks passing through Western Finland will be required to bust out their handset in order to relieve themselves in select public restrooms. In an attempt to curb vandalism, the Finnish Road Administration has implemented a system along Highway 1 which requires restroom visitors to text "Open" (in Finnish, of course) in order to let themselves in. The idea is that folks will be less likely to lose their mind and graffiti up the place knowing that their mobile number is (at least temporarily) on file, but it remains to be seen if uprooters will simply take their defacing ways elsewhere or actually excrete in peace.

[Via Switched]

SMS-based SatLav service guides Londoners to public toilets

by Darren Murph posted Nov 29th 2007 @ 10:05AM

If you've ever found yourself stuck in London with the insatiable urge to urinate in an alleyway, help is on the way. Believe it or not, a new SMS-based toilet finding service actually has the aforementioned predicament as a top priority to solve, and the Westminster City Council is hoping that people utilize the system to keep streets a bit cleaner. Cleverly dubbed SatLav, the technology enables individuals passing through London's West End to text the word "toilet" to 80097 in order to receive a (hopefully hasty) reply with details to get to the nearest public restroom. Unfortunately, the service will cost users £0.25 ($0.52) each time they use it, so we're a bit skeptical that alleyway urinators will happily cough up some coin rather than just sticking to old ways.

[Image courtesy of BBC]

British study shows 850,000 phones flushed a year

by Sean Cooper posted Jun 13th 2007 @ 5:12AM

Seems we're all about mobiles in the toilet of late, but today's study is more focused on "lose," not "use." A study conducted by SimplySwitch (which typically studies price comparison and carrier switching) shows that 850,000 handsets are dropped in the crapper each year, 810,000 are left in the pub, 315,000 left behind in the taxi, 225,000 on the bus, and as many as 58,500 get nibbled by the pooch. While we can't confirm just how legit this study was, we do have some experience 'round here with toilet tumbling handsets so we know it can happen. If we can pass along one tip to save your precious mobile: wrist strap, wrist strap, wrist strap!