New digital technology displaying adverts made for toilet

Dutch toilet startup Mr Friendly is not taking the piss with its new smart urinal.

This is not your grandfather’s latrine: Mr Friendly (as the actual toilet bowl appears to be called) features a built-in display for easy advertising.

“[We] understand the importance of finding a way to communicate when a person is most open to receiving information,” the company website said. “The best moment to do this is when a person cannot escape to do something else, and can only focus on your message.” Like, for instance, while they are relieving themselves.

Guaranteed to “capture 40 seconds of a gentleman’s attention” (if it really takes that long, consider consulting a doctor), the Mr. Friendly urinal lets businesses remotely manage media—”with no need for USB sticks.” Which is probably for the best, in this case…

The invention boasts built-in sensors, which, according to The Next Web (TNW), launch digital ads once your contribution has been detected. It’s a bit like those carnival squirt-gun races, except instead of a prize, you win a 30-second commercial.

Mr Friendly, as its name sort of suggests, is also kind to the environment: Its waterless, flushless design can help save tens of thousands of gallons of water each year (not to mention cut down on the bills).

There is no mention online of privacy or security measures; Mr. Friendly did not immediately respond to Geek’s request for comment.

Ironically, TNW was tipped off about the high-tech toilet from a colleague who “spotted one in the wild.”

“In signature Internet of Things fashion, the advertising component – which is Mr. Friendly’s unique selling point – wasn’t working,” the blog reported.

The smart urinal costs €22.50 ($26.49), about N9,457 each; add the necessary filters, pumps, cleaners, and tools, though, and that number jumps to €118.75 ($139.81), about N49,915 – still oddly cheap for a digitally enhanced device.

Mr Friendly is currently available to purchase in the Netherlands and the US.