SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A fledgling tech company has caught widespread attention by announcing a gadget that could revolutionize the anime viewing experience.
The San Francisco-based startup 654 Solution Ltd. was quietly formed in August of last year. They have caught the public’s attention with the launch of a Kickstarter campaign promoting their maiden project: a software application that, in conjunction with a physical device, will lock the door and lower the volume when it detects an embarrassing anime scene. Dubbed “PRIVATheatre”, 654 Solution claims that the device will “transform” how people will view anime.
“The idea behind PRIVATheatre arose when I was trying to watch Highschool of the Dead and my mom kept walking in,” states project co-founder Jared Glanco. “After realizing that Alt-Tabbing wasn’t going to cut it, I began brainstorming.”
Glanco realized that leaving the door constantly locked will arouse too much suspicion, and thus the concept of an automated lock system took hold. Teaming up with Brett Davis, a close friend and unemployed business major, Glanco went on to establish 654 Solution.
The brainchild device locks the door during embarrassing anime scenes, giving viewers ample time to exit their browser and mute their speakers before letting any inquisitive family members or roommates in.
According to details on the Kickstarter page, PRIVATheatre uses proprietary algorithms to recognize specific audiovisual cues that would cause potential embarrassment. The companion physical device consists of an electronic doorknob module designed to replace existing assemblies in most households.
Despite greatly exceeding its $200,000 backing goal, the project, originally set to launch in spring of this year, will be delayed until summer in order to address several major flaws. One of the more serious being that PRIVATheatre will indefinitely lock the door upon detecting excessively embarrassing and/or sexually illicit content.
“One of our testers encountered this problem while stress-testing the system with OreImo and Eromanga Sensei,” Glanco explains. “He was trapped inside the room until he finished both series, including the OVA’s. He was never quite the same after that.”