The Next Step In Internet Lovin'

You just know the internet porn industry has got their eyes on this one.

Hong Kong scientists have developed a robotic hand that allows people talking over the web to experience the sensation of touching each other — even feeling the strength of a handshake. The cyber hand can grip and shake as well as make the signs for OK and 'V' for victory. Professor Liu Yunhui, who led researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, said: "At this moment the function is not perfect and it can't copy exactly, partly because the robot hand is different from the human hand in terms of the degree of freedom of movement it has.

I give it three years before cyberhands are a basic feature of hookup sites. Maybe sooner. The above rudimentary model goes on sale at the end of this year at the startlingly low price of $35.