There was a time, not so very long ago, when we thought that the Internet of Things and smart objects would revolutionise the way we did business. Everyday objects, we were told, would become smart and we’d be able to operate far more efficiently both in business and our personal lives. What we got instead was a tweeting couch.
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Okay, maybe that’s a little harsh. The couch, built by South African internet service provider MWeb, actually seems to be a pretty entertaining way of watching sporting events, the 2014 World Cup for instance.
Essentially, the couch allows you to send out tweets thanks to sensors embedded in Wi-Fi connected cushions. So, for instance, if you squeeze the “#Laduuma!” or “#GoHomeRef!” cushions (or throw them in the air) during the match, that’s what will be tweeted out.
“Soccer is a prime example of how, from the comfort of a couch, and with access to MWEB’s Uncapped WiFi, you can take part in a global conversation while keeping your eyes glued to the match. The beauty of the #MWEBTweetSeat is that viewers can now multitask and what better way to express your joy or dissatisfaction with your team by tossing a cushion into the air, “ says Carolyn Holgate, GM of MWEB Connect.
According to Holgate, the 2.1-meter couch “is a comment on the global ‘second screen’ trend of people connecting to social networks via a digital device while watching TV.”
“As the culture of always being connected wherever you are grows, we’ve seen a change in how people use the internet and WiFi over the past few years, and with events such as the soccer World Cup, the trend of interacting with televised or streamed content via web-enabled devices is certainly a defining internet behaviour of our era,” she says.
It also means that you can tweet without taking your eyes off the screen, which should please your mum. According to the video Mweb’s released explaining how the “Tweetseat” works, the pillows can easily be adapted for other events. Given that there’s still a little way to go with the World Cup though, we reckon there’s definitely space for a cushion saying something along the lines of “#stoprollingaroundyousoftgit” for whenever someone fakes an injury.
