Verifiche XLII (1-3), 2013, pp. 183-213. IT’S ALL ABOUT SEX. THE PECULIAR CASE OF TECHNOLOGY AND GENDER by Alexander D. Ornella Abstract. Gender and technology might seem unrelated on first sight because technology is often considered a neutral other that does not have anything to do with gender. Yet, taking a closer look at the language we use to talk about technology, at the images we rely on to represent technology, its uses and users, it becomes clear that gender stereotypes are more present than ever in the context of technology. Rather than subverting traditional gender roles, technology often reinforces and re-inscribes stereotypical behavior and ideas. Analyzing Apple iPad/iPhone advertisements, this paper will uncover some of the gender biases present in popular techno-narratives. 1. Introduction The setting: somewhere in the Arctic or Antarctic, everything is covered with snow and ice and a frosty wind blows. JJ Barns types into his terminal: «Any ladies out there?» We are taken to sunny San Francisco with a scenic view over the Golden Gate Bridge. Kerri Y replies: «Yes – ladies escaping the gender biases of the physical world.» Back in frosty and stormy conditions JJ Barns replies: «You sound really cute» 1 . This short AOL – Ameri- ca Online video clip expresses a dominant vision of the impact of technology on the gendered body that was pervasive in particular in the early days of the Internet: its ability to transcend unjust power structures inscribed in the physical and gendered body. It is an example of how users invest technology with a gender- neutral, or better, transformative aura that transcends gender biases. Even today, technology is often still considered as something that does not have anything to do with gender. Yet, taking a 1 AOL commercial found on youtube: AOL Commercial – Gender Bias, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUYC2E-9Av4 (15 April 2012).