Two historic sex toys thought to date back to the 1700s have been sold at an Essex auction for £3,600.

The wooden items, believed to be French, were auctioned at Brentwood Antiques Auction on Thursday.

Auctioneer Wendy Wood said: "You might laugh but it's a good opportunity for investment. You won't see another one in a long time."

An anonymous bidder bought the pair which come with their own leather-lined case.

One of the objects measures 10in (25cm) and the other 11in (28cm).

Staff at the auction described the sex toys as "extraordinary and exceptionally rare".

The catalogue description read: "Designed to please Lot 340 - an extraordinary and exceptionally rare "Travel Godermiche".

"A pair of wooden phallus contained within a fitted kid leather covered Treen case with strap fleurs-de-lys decoration

"The case, although having a re-lined interior, appears to have aged commensurate with the phallus."

A Paris  jeweller says he has created the ideal gift for women who have everything — a £40,000 diamond-encrusted SEX TOY.

In the centre of the silver-plated vibrating gadget is an 18-carat diamond ring that can be removed and worn separately.

Jean-Francois Tokars, manager at Maison Victor in the city's posh Place Vendome square, said: "It was designed for rich people who want to declare their love in a special way."

Apple  is threatening to sue a sex shop over a vibrator that hooks up to an iPod and has similar advertising to that used in posters for the digital music player.

Apple is demanding that stores remove all posters for the gadget, called an iGasm.

"We hope this request to remove it immediately will prevent us having to consider further action," said Apple lawyers.

The Ann Summers neon-pink ads feature a sexy woman with wires coming out of her iPod and into her knickers, teasing "Go at it hard and fast with a pounding drum 'n' bass track or chill with ambient classic."

Apple lawyers claim the poster is a blatant rip-off of its famous iPod silhouette images

The News of the World  newspaper reports Ann Summers boss Jacqueline Gold saying: "Perhaps I can send them an iGasm to put a smile back on their faces!!

Giving new meaning to the term phone sex, a British company is selling software that transforms a cell phone into a sex toy.

Vibelet.com's  software, launched last week, turns certain Nokia cell phones with vibrating ring capabilities into a "discrete, vibrating massager."

"Its tender purring vibrations provide perfect company on even the loneliest winter nights!" champions the website.

"No, it's not a joke," said the developer, who asked to be known as "Zoe Walsh" rather than his real name. "That's one of our biggest problems, in fact. We had to delay the launch date to avoid April 1. It's a joke product, but it definitely works."

The software, which costs UKGP 1.50 (about $2.35), is downloaded straight to the phone via a WAP link. Once installed, it has just two controls: Start and Pause. While running, an image of a contented cat is displayed on the phone's screen.