Geneffects: The iBrator

The first blue iMac had just come out and everyone was abuzz about the resurrection of Apple Computer. The iMac was the first major computer brand to use USB, the now common interface for connecting peripheral devices (printers, keyboards, etc.) to computers. Peripheral manufacturers jumped on the boat in a big way, and to resonate the fact that their products would be compatible with iMacs, the devices would be designed to look similar to the iMac and would be called something like the iCamera or iPrint or iKeyboard.

I was sitting in a car waiting for some friends to come and my mind started to drift and think of other peripherals that could be attached to the new iMac. It hit me like a flash: "The iBrator" About six hours later I had made the graphics, web page and put it on the net. I told a few Macintosh forums about it and turned in for the night.

I wake up to a horde of email; It was some sort of crazy over-night success. Millions of people visited the page. People made spin-off sites (including some impressive videos!) Porn stars were interested in making a real one. I was almost sued by Apple. Time Magazine even wrote a short blurb about it.

For a long time I was embarrassed by the notoriety. It was all fine and good for Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi to have a model Statue of Liberty torch on his grave, but I did not want some candy-colored phallus on mine. However, now that some time has distanced I can laugh about it. It used to be a pain in the ass, but now it's a pleasure to be around.

Geneffects

The iBrator

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