all-in-one piety helper

 Direct from China to Egypt:

Digital Korans, automatic prayer reciters and headphones dispensing religious advice are all part of the growing wave of outward religiosity that is increasingly defining daily life in Egypt.

At least some people think it’s a sign of the growing religiosity in Egypt that people want to carry around these gadgets that supposedly keep them on the straight and narrow. Others are not so sure:

Sociologist Saad Eddin Ibrahim, on the other hand, thinks the trend is more indicative of the “naivety of the consumers and the intelligence of the merchants.”

“It also says a lot about how quickly the Chinese economy reacts and adapts to the desires of the consumers — whoever they are,” he said with a smile.

Well, I’m with Mr. Ibrahim, ’cause I have a soft spot for sociologists.

Also: there’s this old joke about new gadgets. Here’s the punchline:

Does it give blowjobs?