Multitasking easier with dual-use facility

There soon will be one less place to go to escape the World Wide Web.Microsoft plans to introduce the iLoo, a portable toilet with Internet access, at music festivals in Britain this summer.The iLoo, also called the “WWW.C,” will feature a high-powered computer sitting under the sink, with a waterproof, wireless keyboard, a plasma monitor, and six-channel surround sound. Computer users will be able to surf the Internet via a wireless network.It’s part of a publicity campaign by MSN, Microsoft’s online service, to show that the Internet can be accessed “anytime and anyplace.”“People used to reach for a book or mag when they were on the loo, but now they’ll be logging on,” said MSN marketing manager Tracy Blacher in a release. “It’s exciting to think that the smallest room can now be a gateway to the massive virtual world.”The iLoo also will feature “Hotmail” consoles on the outside of the toilet so that those waiting in line can check e-mail.The company plans to make just one prototype iLoo, which will be taken on the concert tour. The iLoo will have a security guard and a cleaning team.MSN said it also is in talks with toilet paper manufacturers to produce rolls imprinted with Web addresses.If the concept of the iLoo sounds familiar, avid readers of the satirical publication the Onion might recall a 1999 article extolling the vast potential of the “e-toilet.”