The ShockSpot
Author’s note: This was a review of an earlier model, so a lot of information is out of date in reference to the newer models. Some more recent observations are available here.
_____________________
The ShockSpot is compact, sturdy, and shiny. It’s made from top-notch 80/20 materials. It’s programmable, positionable, and visually impressive. If the ShockSpot had been brilliantly designed, it would be a bargain — even at $2,200.
But what is it that we actually want from a fucking machine, anyway? This is the kind of question that sex toy designers really need to ask.
Fucking machines aren’t a replacement for sex, any more than vibrators are. Like a vibrator, a fucking machine is another means of creating eroticism, pleasure, and possibly orgasm. Possibly ecstasy. They can be used alone or with partners.
The implacable drive, the rhythms, and the force combine to generate an experience. The experiences can vary wildly. Fucking machines can move faster than any man, or slower; they can build relentless rhythms. Different women respond to different rhythms, and even the same woman will respond to different rhythms at different times. A thrust pattern that seems dull and simplistic sometimes will feel just right at other times.
A fucking machine coupled with a clitoral vibrator creates an intense experience. I like to hold the clitoral vibrator in place with a microphone stand, so my hands and my mouth are free to roam my partner’s body, giving pleasure.
You’d think I’d love the ShockSpot. I don’t.
The ShockSpot just doesn’t withstand scrutiny.
- The ShockSpot has a maximum of four inches of thrust, which is less than my dinosaur from Orgasm Alley.
- The ShockSpot can only be programmed in terms of discrete thrusts — in-out, in-out. It can’t be programmed to go in a quarter-inch, stop, then another, and another. Many of the HugHer’s programs just can’t be replicated using the ShockSpot. And many of those programs are so, so erotic.
- The ShockSpot is weak. They sent a sample to fuckingmachines.com. People at the site tested it out, and decided not to use it in videos. They “needed bigger guns,” they said. This from a site that frequently uses a Fuckzall.
- The ShockSpot won’t even run if it’s not connected to a computer. As much as I like the idea of running sex toys with the variable programming afforded by a computer, I do want the option of taking my machine to a club, or a girlfriend’s house, without having to reinstall hardware. Imagine how un-sexy it’ll be when you have to stop your weak, four-inch stroke in order to reboot.
Worst of all: the manufacturers of the ShockSpot spam the internet with fake “testimonials.” In their quest to make a dishonest buck, they deliberately mislead people and increase consumer ignorance. When sellers behave this way, they damage all of us who are seeking to understand our sexual bodies, our sexual selves, and the world in which we live.
Kamasutronics STRONGLY recommends the HugHer over the ShockSpot. It’s MUCH better designed. It’s much stronger, it’s got a deeper stroke, and it doesn’t require a computer in the bedroom. It comes installed with a series of brilliant, sexy sequences. You adjust the HugHer’s speed and stroke length by physical dials on a convenient remote, while the ShockSpot has to be adjusted through clumsy on-screen dragbars. The HugHer is just a better machine at a better price. The HugHer was designed by someone who actually cares about female pleasure more than making a buck.
______________
Updated, June 16, 2009:
Newer versions of the ShockSpot come with a six-inch stroke, not a four-inch stroke. There have been other upgrades and improvements to the design and the interface that I’m studying now.
The manufacturers also claim they haven’t spammed the web with fake testimonials. I’ll investigate, and I’ll either hold them to the fire or apologize.
This looks like a great machine. I wish it cost less than $1,000. Does it use a lot of electricity?
Sexorcism, I don’t actually know its wattage, but it’s never caused my circuit-breakers to go on the fritz — and they’re temperamental buggers. I also would like to see prices come down, but the HugHer is in the price range of many inferior sex machines, such as the Caesar, the Sybian, the ShockSpot, the Black Magic from Orgasm Alley. It has two PIC microcontrollers controlling its motor, and motion control is not easy technology to work with. I know — I tried.
Well, I would like to respond to these comments. I am the designer of the Shockspot and your post is flat out wrong in what you state. First of all, the shockspot has a six inch standard stroke (8 inch standard by the end of June) with longer strokes available upon request. The Shockspot can move discretely! It can go set increments, stop, and move additional increments! It can be set to move to various depths while maintaining a set stroke, acceleration and speed! We also have bluetooth and are ready to release our Smartphone software. We would appreciate it if you would post accurate information about our product. We have NEVER mislead our customers. I would like to see an example of where you think this has occurred. I understand you are promoting another product but please be courteous enough to post accurate information about the Shockspot. Where have we spammed? Never have we spammed anyone! I’ll gladly put the Shockspot’s programs up against any other machine on the market. Oh, by the way, the stand alone version is making it’s appearance very shortly. Please contact me if you care to discuss further. Shockspot.net
By the way, I would also like an example of how we are making a dishonest buck? It’s sad that this sort of comment is made without any foundation. The Shockspot performance specs are perfectly accurate and are not misleading in any way. Let’s see how long these two posts last on this site…..
Mark,
I would like to see a couple of video where girls actually use your machine in actual real world conditions besides the YouTube demo video. I am sure you can hook up with a movie company to provide this type of demo
Mark and I communicated privately, and we determined that I was reviewing one of his older models. The old models had a four-inch maximum stroke; the current models have a six-inch maximum stroke; the next generation will have an eight-inch maximum stroke.
This leads to new questions, though. How are you planning to distinguish between the generations? I mean, suppose next year someone decides to sell a ShockSpot on eBay. A buyer goes to your website and reads that the ShockSpot comes with a maximum stroke of eight inches. They bid on the eBay auction and win! — only to find that the machine they bought has a teeny four-inch maximum stroke.
I think the ShockSpot website needs to take some steps to avoid customer confusion. Leaving out this kind of information — model distinctions — means that the ShockSpot has questionable resale value.
Mark claims that his software updates allow the ShockSpot to function in ways that the earlier models couldn’t. I haven’t had a chance to study the software updates yet, so I can neither confirm nor deny his statements.
Mark, you and I have discussed my accusations of spamming privately, but there’s more that can be said.
I pointed out this stellar comment that “Heidi” left on TimeOutNewYork:
“www.shockspot.net You’ll fall in love.. not awkward, fully automatic, VOICE ACTIVATED!, control with your computer, bluetooth handset, voice, or remote. Let me know if you have any questions.”
TimeOutNewYork has a regular feature, where people tell an anecdote, give a slice of life. The title of the feature is, “I want to…”
Suppose that sentence had ended with, “become a vegetarian.”
Then there would be a few paragraphs’ description of the author’s experience trying out vegetarianism. Let’s say the author decided, at the end, that he just liked steak and sushi too much to become a vegetarian.
Imagine someone posting a comment that said, “Veggie Palace on 4th and Whitney has the BEST vegetarian food!” It would be something of a non-sequitur, wouldn’t it? It would mean that the commenter hadn’t actually read the post. The commenter just read the title.
“Heidi” just read the title. “Heidi” posted a comment advertising for your device on an article that had seen no activity for five months. “Heidi” is not a reader of TimeOutNewYork. “Heidi” didn’t read the article. “Heidi” was just spamming.
You say you weren’t behind Heidi, and I’m taking you at your word. But some associate of yours WAS behind Heidi, and you should make sure your friends and allies know to identify themselves and let people know that there might be a bias in effect.
You probably noticed that someone else plugged for the HugHer. But that person identified himself; Master J is a real person, a well-respected figure in the BDSM scene.
And that’s a MAJOR difference. Lona’s review on extremerestraints was cringe-inducing. I suspect you were embarrassed by the ludicrous fantasy, the lesbo banging her stepmom with a fucking machine. The others were not cringe-inducing, but they’re also suspicious. Who the heck ARE these people?
It’s not just Heidi, and it’s not just Lona. MrNMrsTristate, Tony G., Franco and Andrea, Keith and Susan, J.R Ryder (unless you mean the pro wrestler or the Christian author), Karren and Danny, Christie San Diego, J. Kr., and so on. Who ARE these people??? I googled all of them, for naught.
Not one of them has any significant web presence, or any presence at real-life events. You have no testimonials or reviews from anyone who speaks at sex education events, or anyone who presents at bdsm clubs, or anyone who performs at adult parties, or anyone who travels the swinger party circuit, or anyone who keeps a sex toy blog, or anyone who runs porn (except for TomCat, and TomCat was not impressed), or even anyone who has ever written a review of even the teeniest vibrator. These testimonials, all of them, are from “people” who seem to have come into existence just long enough review your product and then vanish into the aether.
I run a large and active fucking machine group on the internet. Many of the leaders in the field are in my group. My question to you is, how come you have all these questionable “testimonials” from “people” who may or may not exist, and 1,300 people who are really, really into fucking machines have never seen a ShockSpot?
Oh, and just to revisit the question of MY motives: if someone were to buy a HugHer through my blog, I’d get nothing. If someone were to buy a ShockSpot from extremerestraints through my blog, I’d get $315. Why would I be biased against the ShockSpot?
Your information is inaccurate, please visit our sight and update your blog.
By the way, what motions can the Hugher produce that the shockspot can not?
Also, JR Ryder…. is the pro wrestler and you can contact him…. I’ll provide email addresses…
If you like, contact me privately and I can provide emails for those individuals providing emails with their testimonials.
So, what is it that you didn’t like about the Shockspot? Was it the 12 inch stroke, or the stand alone remote (no pc required) I just don’t understand why you are choosing to attack a product that you have never tried.
Regarding your question about bias… I don’t know why you don’t like the Shockspot. It seems as though you have made a decision about our product based on a single post by “HEIDI”. Just how many posts like that have you found? I found the one you mentioned, that’s it, but it was not my company that posted it. This seems unfair, but it’s your blog and you can state your opinion. All I ask is that you post accurate information about our products and give a fair opinion, good or bad, based on your testing and customer feedback. We have been selling 12 inch models for over six months, which produces the equivalent of 105 in-lbs of torque on a rotary based machine. Of course our products change over a period of time. We listen to our customers and enhance our products to make our customers happy, what company doesn’t do this?
I do appreciate you posting my responses, I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting this based on our first round of discussions.
Regards,
Mark
Hey we sell a form of extrusion like 80/20 here at my work. I always imagined makeing something from it, but I never knew where to start. Again new to this stuff. Are there guides or something that I can get? Anyway, we always say here if you can imagine it, you can build it with our stuff. I would LOVE to take a few 8′ sticks home and see what I could come up with…Thanks, Matt