» Telecommunications

Text message scenting chip patented

airsense — Fri, 02 May 2008 23:15:12 +0000

A couple of German companies have banded together to develop technology for sending scents from phone to phone via text message. The scent chip was patented in last week, announced the development partners: interactive services company Convisual and the Institute of Sensory Analysis and Marketing Consultancy (ISI). The chips are expected to be available to consumers in one to two years, and each will contain about 100 prefabricated scents. Negotiations with mobile phone providers are underway.

Sending scent from your phone

airsense — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:38:41 +0000

NTT has been hard at work incorporating fragrance into its communications services. As we reported in January, they’ve been testing internet-controlled fragrance dispensers. Currently under testing is a “Mobile Fragrance Communication service” that will allow users to send scents through their phone. Using NTT’s DoCoMo’s “i-mode” mobile web site, senders can create custom fragrance playlists and pair scents with visual and audio content. Recipients will require a fragrance-dispensing unit that contains 16 different base fragrances, which get mixed according to the recipe sent by the caller, delivering the desired scent. Scents can also be sent from an email message sent to a gateway associated with the recipient’s internet connection, which in turn delivers the instructions to the in-home unit. Once done with testing, NTT is planning to price the fragrance emitter at around $195 (¥20,000), with cartridge refills at around ¥1,600.

Read more in the New York Times and Information Week

Smell-o-phone sendup

airsense — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 01:51:00 +0000

Giant Tuesday Night shows us the potential of the Smell-o-phone:

NTT’s foray into fragrant business applications

airsense — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 22:18:00 +0000

IEEE Spectrum has done a great piece summarizing the history of fragrance-related business activities of Tokyo’s NTT Communications Corporation. NTT has been experimenting with fragrance for about three years now, testing a wide variety of business applications and consumer reactions. Applications include an internet-controlled fragrance dispenser, which has up to 80 different fragrances. Users download scent mixture recipes from NTT’s web site and upload them to the fragrance devices. The company is also testing digital signage that emits scent. Check out IEEE Spectrum’s article: NTT Becomes a Smell-o-Phone Company.

Availability of scented products on the rise

airsense — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 23:52:00 +0000

PC Magazine has done an interesting review of a variety of scenting devices on the market. Products reviewed include scented USB drives, scented phones and phone cases, aromatherapy alarm clocks, USB oil burners, scented LED lights, scented pens, and a variety of other scent diffusers. More at PC Magazine

Sony releases scented phones

airsense — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 21:57:00 +0000

Consumers in Japan can purchase Sony Ericsson’s new scented phone, the NTT DoCoMo SO703i. These flip-phones contain a scented strip called an “aroma sheet” near the hinge. The replaceable sheets are guaranteed to be fragrant for over 3 months. Available scents apparently include “apple pie.” Additional features include GPS navigation, television, and audio player functions. DoCoMo is Japan’s largest mobile phone operator. Other DoCoMo phones with interesting features include a Wellness phone that includes a breathalyzer and a motion sensor. Read more at Ubergizmo and NTT DoCoMo

Origami phone identifies callers with scent

airsense — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 23:22:00 +0000

Forget about ring tones, Nokia’s got a concept phone in the works that will let users identify callers via user-customizable scents. And not only that, it’s flat and folded, like an origami paper airplane. The Nokia Scentsory cellphone idea also includes capabilities for wellness aromatherapy. Read more at Ubergizmo

Concept phone has an ENose

airsense — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 23:23:00 +0000

How about a phone that monitors your diet and exercise? Designer Kristina Lee has masterminded a phone that will do just that. The phone, still in the concept stage, uses NASA-developed Electronic Nose (“ENose”) technology to identify what you eat by interpreting its olfactory signature. The phone will then analyze the information, and inform users what food groups they’re lacking. The phone also allows networking with other users who have similar interests, so your friends can monitor your eating and workout habits. Read more about the phone at Yanko Design, and more about ENose technology at NASA

Berkeley Innovation: Smell-o-phone

airsense — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:46:00 +0000

Motorola patents aromatic phone

airsense — Fri, 18 May 2007 23:17:00 +0000

Hoping to make use of the popularity of plug-in air fresheners, Motorola has obtained a patent for a phone with a scent release feature. According to the patent, the phone will release a fragrance by using the phone’s battery to heat a replaceable scented gel package. The patent states, “Some cellular telephone users are the same individuals who enjoy having plug-in scent units located around their homes, and may miss not having a nice smelling fragrance while they are on the go.” Read more at the US patent office