Gizmodo: scents

I Don't Think The World is Ready For Aromatherapy Earphones

Sean Fallon — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 16:40:00 EDT

Hey, I love pleasing scents as much the next person, but I don't think people are quite ready for an MP3 player that pumps odors through your earbuds. Nonetheless, a group of designers has come up with that very idea and dubbed it "Sweet Honey." I highly doubt that you will see something like this on store shelves anytime soon, but there are plenty of crazy stupid aromatherapy gadgets out there already—so you never know. [Yanko]

Scent-Emitting LCD Display is Just Asking for Misuse

Adam Frucci — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:40:00 EDT

One would think that if a restaurant wanted to lure people inside with the smells of delicious food, they would do so by cooking delicious food. Not necessarily! In Tokyo, a company called Recruit Co. Ltd. is using scent-emitting LCD displays to entice people into eating at restaurants in the mall under Tokyo Station.

Essentially, it's a 42-inch display that spurts out different scents as different advertisements play, luring people to come grab a flyer to lead them to the restaurant in question. This seems strange to me. And while yeah, I'm sure a screen puffing out clouds of ramen-scented gas is going to make me hungry, can't you see the slippery slope this puts us on? I don't want to have hackers take over these things and make all of Tokyo Station smell like farts or a locker room. Scent terrorism is knocking at our door, and we have to be vigilant at not answering. Stay strong, Japan. [Far East Gizmos via Oh Gizmo!]

Moto STNKR On The Way?

www.gizmodo.com — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 11:05:00 EDT

Those loveable patent sifters have discovered that Motorola, entering into some kind of twisted competition with Samsung and NTT Docomo, will consider development of its own "smell-o-phone." Motorola says its phone would heat up a packet of scented gel, presumably one that you're guaranteed to never grow sick of. It was apparently inspired by those popular plug-in-the wall air freshener/night-lights. In this case, the heat source is the phone's own power amplifier, so it should be a quick mod, though probably not a help in extending battery life.

Note: STNKR is my own hastily crafted moniker for this would-be device, and should in no way reflect badly on the awesome creative naming power of the people who brought us RAZR, SLVR, ROKR, KRZR, RIZR and PEBL. –Wilson Rothman

Motorola's Mobile Smell-O-Phone [New Scientist]

Who Farted? Oh It's A Smell Tone!

gizmodo.com — Thu, 10 Nov 2005 12:28:44 EST

Keitai KunKun have developed "smell tones" as the next-gen ringtone. Using the these smell tones, you simply set up the enclosed liquid to hang off your phone. When you get a call or message, instead of a ring, you can get a smell alerting you to pick up your phone. I don't see how this could be useful when your phone is shoved in your pants and your jeans start to reek of Doraemon-scent after awhile. However if multiple scents could be used, it'd be genius. When your girlfriend calls, a perfume scent could eject and if it's your buddy, the stench of warm beer could emit slowly from the phone. They're retailing in Japan for 1980 Yen a pop or about $17 here and come in scents like Hello Kitty, Disney, and Doraemon. What, no Transformers motor oil scent? What gives?!

Sniff N' Talk [Red Ferret]